1/10/2011

2/5 stars

Ok, I've had a cold for the entire year so far. I've been locked away being all responsible and not spreading the viral wealth. Now the cold starts to subside, and we get iced in? sigh.

The snow I could handle. Having to commute 40 minutes each way in the mountains during winter trained me well. This ice, though, is downright dangerous. Our smaller dog isn't even breaking through the ice over the snow in our yard. I took an impromptu sled trip down our driveway. My butt is not a terribly good sled.

So sure, it's all pretty and stuff. If I wanted this, though, I would have headed back up to the mountains over the winter semester break.

I do hope this is *the* Snowmageddon of 2011, but I fear it isn't.

Yelp tags:

1/14/2011

4/5 stars

Snow. Ice. Everywhere. Our driveway was a sheet of ice, and our road was just as bad. We had plenty of food, but ran out of… toilet paper.

This CVS was open and within ice-breaking trudge distance. They had a mostly de-iced parking lot, although there was no way I was going to risk even backing down our slideway. Moreover, they seemed pretty cheerful even after coping with people who think that buying a zillion tiny individual packages of cheetos counts as "stocking up on food." And the pharmacy was open, which no doubt helped quite a few people in the neighborhood.

Not only do they have toilet paper in stock, it's 100% recycled although only 60% post-consumer, iirc. Not bad for pretty cheap. And pretty good for being pretty cheap and available in greater Hothlanta.

Yelp tags:

1/18/2011

4/5 stars

I suppose I shouldn't review this place *yet*, because I know we'll be stopping here again. But the reason I'm so sure we'll stop here needs noted: Gluten-free cupcakes. Good ones.

I had a lemon GF cupcake with a light raspberry creme frosting. While a little beaniness from the flour crept through, it actually was a good balance for the crisp lemon flavor. The raspberry creme frosting was sweet but not cloying. Very good, likely the best gluten-free cupcake I've had.

The coffee's quite good, too. I was too interested about the cupcakes to ask the coffee's origin. It's either a melange of a light-roast clean bean (Central American?) with a darker smoky bean (who knows), or a high-grade SE Asian island coffee (good PNG?) at a City roast. Moderate acidity with a nice smoky accent.

So I suspect this coffee shop will become a regular stop en route to the in-laws. Rating may go up on future visits…

Yelp tags: Restaurants Coffee & Tea Bagels

1/18/2011

4/5 stars

Why, yes, I am reviewing a rest stop. Clean bathrooms with at least one de-iced pathway most of the winter (well, it can be icy on the Sunday after a blizzard, but it's still manageable).

But it's not *just* a rest stop… There's good information about the Smoky Mountain region. If you're here during sane hours and a tourist season, you might catch some live music in the store. Or perhaps just raid the barbecue sauce samples. Try the cheap but good locally roasted coffee from Tribal Grounds, a Cherokee business. I'd recommend against the "fudge" from a local chocolatier; it's expensive and really just ganache.

And if it's not busy, you can sit quietly at a table and listen to the Appalachian birds. That's a nice rest during a long drive.

Yelp tags: Travel Services

1/18/2011

5/5 stars

This gnometown brewery has a passionate, knowledgeable brew master
turning out his own style of very balanced beer. I've been into harsher, super-hoppy beer lately, but Mr. Kuhn's super-drinkable beers have me reevaluating what I like. They're very smooth and balanced. He went into great detail about his nifty process for the one I'm sipping now, their Hoppy Gnome. The table before the growler filling station has sniffable samples of the hops and grain used in their brews. And they seem active moving state politics in positive directions for craft beers. Their fancy growlers are gorgeous.

They also brew two non-alcoholic beverages: a smooth root beer and a wonderful birch beer. Those are great during a long drive. The root beer isn't spicy, but again surprises me with how much I still like it. I think the birch beer is *fantastic*, although I've had a few other people refer to it as an "acquired taste."

Heinzelmännchen's brews are available around Dillsboro and Sylva and apparently all the way up in Asheville. I know Dillsboro Smokehouse has the non-alcoholic root and birch beers as well as a selection of the beer beers. All are good stuff.

Yelp tags: Breweries

1/31/2011

5/5 stars

When you walk into the back room and are greeted by a pair of legs in the air, you know it's a good party. Particularly when they're fifteen feet in the air. Imperial Opa FTW.

And Desta's idea of rolling yummies in injera is brilliant.

Yelp tags: Local Flavor