Stu Helm: Food Fan

GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS On today’s podcast I talked with salad-fan, Alex Knighten from Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ , about… SALAD! Alex is a vegetarian herself, so she’s hip to the scene. Me? I’m not exactly known for eating salad, but I had one at Huli Sue’s BBQ & Grill recently that has me wanting more, so I scheduled a series of interviews with people who know more than me! This is the first. You can l...

GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS Today’s podcast is comprised of 5 short reviews of specific dishes and food items that I ate recently at Rye Knot , Holeman & Finch , Buxton Hall Barbecue , Nani’s Piri Piri Chicken , and Little Chango ! You can listen above, and I’ll put some words and pictures below, as well as links to see more even pictures on Facebook. You can also watch all five of these reviews as indi...

GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS On today’s podcast I talked with executive Director, Rebecca Lynch , all about Chow Chow Asheville , the biggest, and most diverse series of annual culinary events in WNC, and she gives us scoop on what’s going on this year, who’s involved, and the where, when, and how of attending! There’s a lot, so get a pencil, and also, visit their web page ! The newsletter is mostly abou...

GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS Y’alllll… my dang phone got busted. Plus my washer machine broke, my wood chipper stopped chipping wood, my air conditioner won’t turn on, and even my fucking coffee pot decided to leave this mortal coil! KHAAAAAN!!! It’s enough to make me wanna get off the grid forever and live among the squirrels & bears, eating nothing but acorns and discarded hiker trash, weaving my own c...

GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS Today’s podcast is all a full-length presentation of the radio show that I make out of my podcast segments for WPVM 103.7 every week. It covers a trip I took to Michigan, and the cities of Novi, Detroit, and Ann Arbor, as well as some same and disturbing local food news. The newsletter below is pretty much the same stuff! If you have time to look, read, and listen, I hope you...

GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS Today’s podcast and newsletter both include reviews of food from Zella’s Deli, Blackbird Restaurant, Storm, Benne on Eagle, Well Bred Bakery, & Manicomio , as well as new brunches available from La Bodega by Cúrate & Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse , and a sneak peek into the Steven Goff’s Tastee Diner ! ZELLA’S DELI Chef Mike Reppert (Left) working the line at Zella’s Deli on open...

GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS Today’s podcast and newsletter are both all about a special food tour I did with two travel bloggers from London, England. I hope that you will enjoy! LONDON TRAVEL BLOGGERS TOUR I was recently tasked by the TDA to bring a couple travel bloggers named Ashlee & Helena on a food tour of our fair city, and boy howdy, did I ever! We got an insane amount of amazing food at 10 diff...

TODAY * On the Podcast - Meal of the Year Contender * GMF * Meal of the Year Contender in Words & Pictures * This Just In: Farmers Markets Are Opening! GOOD MORING, FRIENDS… How about that weather yesterday? When my eyes opened in the morning, and I looked out my window, I was surprised to see snow. When I left the house, I dressed warmly, but not warmly enough, because I was pretty chilly on my w...

TODAY * On the Podcast - Stu Helm: Food Describer * GMF * Lunch Junkets * Twisted Tasting * Snack & Saunter * This Just In: Ukiah Brunch GOOD MORNING, FRIEDS… I hope you’re having a good week so far! The weather has been awesome! Warm and sunny, but not TOO warm or TOO sunny! Weather App says it’s gonna get up to 67 degrees today. I think that’s a temperature we can all agree is pleasant, and doab...

TODAY: In the Newsletter (May Contain Adult Language) - GMF • ON THE PODCAST feat. What’d Ya Eat? • THE RECOMMEND GOOD MORING, FRIENDS… I hope you’re all having a great week so far, enjoying the weather, getting out there, doing things, eating things, eating more tings. I have eaten a lot of things, and plan to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Today’s newsletter and podcast are all ab...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - LUNCH BUDS w/ Luis at Thai Pearl! BELOW: In the Newsletter (May Contain Adult Language) - GMF • ON THE PODCAST - Lunch Buds w/ Luis • PUNK ROCK HOT DOGS • THIS JUST IN • THE RECOMMEND GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS Remember a couple of months ago when I was saying that I was gonna change the name of this newsletter from “ Good Morning, Friends… ” to something less… insipid? LOL Yeah...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - (Contains Adult Language) For the first time ever, I went into the field to record the podcast on site with Chef Ben Hester at The Odditorium. BELOW: In the Newsletter (May Contain Adult Language) - GMF • ON THE PODCAST - Live from the Odditorium • GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS In an effort to add more texture to to my podcast, this one features an on-site interview I did with Chef...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - Just me, giving you the results of the 2022 WNC Pizza Fight BELOW: In the Newsletter (May Contain Adult Language) - GMF • PIZZA FIGHT RESULTS • LAST WEEK ON FACEBOOK: Thai Pearl / Deli Llammma / Milestone reached / Goodbye to the Chef of the Year GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS Sorry it’s been a while since’t I put out a newsletter. I got super-busy all of a sudden, plus I’ve been co...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - I spoke with my favorite chef, Steven Goff, about his recent purchase of Tastee Diner in West Asheville among other things! BELOW: In the Newsletter (May Contain Adult Language) - GMF • Meet The Final Fighters • The Judges Are… • Play Along at Home GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS… How about that mask mandate being lifted? Personally, I’m psyched, but also willing to still wear a mask...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - I spoke with “Brewstiller” Jonnie Knowles from Rye Knot about his unique job, his path to Asheville, & what’s up at The Knot! BELOW: In the Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, Staycation, More Pizza Fighters! GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS Hi Y’all! Apart from the bitter cold, the near constant darkness, and perma-frost on the ground, winter is over! LOL! I wish it would...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - I spoke with Chef Elliott Moss from Buxton Hall Barbecue about mussels, brisket, roof fires, sobriety & rollerblading! BELOW: In the Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, This Just In, The Recommend, 3 More Pizza Fighters! GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS I hope you’re having a great week so far! Mine has been fun, and busy, which is good! I mean, don’t love being busy, but i...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - I spoke with Chef Ben Dunbar from the North Asheville favorite, Rye Knot! BELOW: In the Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, This Just In, The Recommend, Pizza Fighters, & Nine Years of Stoobie Awards! GOOD MORNING FRIENDS I hope you’ve all had time now to listen to, look at, and /or read the 2021 Asheville Food Fan Awards (aka the Stoobies) for the best of the be...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - I read all the winners of the 2021 Asheville Food Fan Awards! 25 Categories of Culinary Excellence! BELOW: In the Newsletter - Congrats to Buxton Hall, Let Me Know Your Favorites 2021 STOOBIE AWARD WINNERS! Please listen to the podcast above to hear all of the nominees and winners in all categories! Congrats to all the nominees and winners! And congrats to Buxton Hall Barbe...

ABOVE: On the Podcast - I talked to Jennie Wellman (née Townsend), owner of KickbackAVL.com, Asheville’s only locally owned and operated hot meal delivery service! Also, there was a baby. BELOW: In the Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, Final Stoobie Nominations, Pizza Fight Features, The Recommend, This Just In… GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS I hope you had a great weekend! It was c-c-c-c-cold...

ABOVE: The Podcast -I spoke with Victoria Dillard, the floor manager of The Madness Sushi & Burgers about their wild menu and new location, as well as her own experiences in the F&B industry! BELOW: The Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, The Recommend, Pizza Fight Play at Home, Punk Rock Hot Dogs 2022 GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS… I hope you’re having a great week so far! I’ve been hammering...

ABOVE: The Podcast - It me. In this morning’s podcast I explain the parameters of the 2022 WNC Pizza Fight, plus I hype a tinned fish tasting I’m involved in with Botanist & Barrel, and I discuss the current status of the 2021 Stoobie Awards. BELOW: The Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, Food Fan Awards Nominations, 2022 WNC Pizza Fight, The Recommend GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS How y’all do...

ABOVE: The Podcast - I talked to Poet and Asheville ex-pat Caleb Calhoun about their new life in Birmingham, AL and an upcoming return trip to Asheville for a two-night celebration / record release party at a brand new venue called The Pot Stirred. BELOW: The Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, Kickback Gets the Soosh, The Recommend, Last Week on Facebook GOOD MORNING FRIENDS How are ya...

ABOVE: The Podcast - I talked to Chef Katie Button about Cúrate, La Bodega, and her brand new TV show on the Magnolia network called “From the Source!” BELOW: The Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, This Just In…, The Recommend, Last Week on Facebook GOOD MORNING FRIENDS Hi y’all! I’ve had too many “ snow days ” in a row at this point, and I’m starting to become a piece of furniture in...

ABOVE: The Podcast - I talked to Chef Melissa Hsu — formerly of Sovereign Remedies — about what she’s doing now that she’s no longer in the kitchen as a professional in the post-2020 world. BELOW: The Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, This Just In…, The Recommend, Last Week on Facebook GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS… Got that snow. Here in Downtown Asheville we got about 5 or 6 inches of the f...

ABOVE: The Podcast - I talked to Donald Paleno from DJ’s Pickle’s about how he got his start, and what-all he’s pickling! BELOW: The Newsletter (may contain adult language) - GMF, The Recommend, GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS… Did y’all stock-up everything you need to get through the most highly anticipated snowfall int he history of humanity? I have coffee, half & half, bread, peanut butter, weed, and at...