Food news: Hard cider tasting, gas station brunch, fairytale dining affair

ASHEVILLE - An all-about-apples tasting festival; an upscale brunch of Mississippi Delta gas station dishes; a luxe cottage dinner by candlelight.

Apples in the Appalachian

The fall season continues with the celebration of apples and the many ways they may be enjoyed.

The eighth annual CiderFest NC is back after a COVID-19 pandemic-caused hiatus, and it’s planned to be jam-packed with apple-based beverages, local food, live music and more.

CiderFest NC will be 1-4 p.m. Oct. 8 at Olivette Riverside Community & Farm, 1069 Olivette Road, set beside the French Broad River.

CiderFest NC, hosted by Green Built Alliance in partnership with the NC Cider Association, will feature more than 20 cideries pouring samples and fill-ups of hard cider, mead and apple wine.

“You have the full spectrum of every style of cider right there,” said Lyndon Smith, owner of Botanist & Barrel.

The family-friendly festival will offer a kids zone, market vendors and workshops, as well. Food vendors will include Pasta & Prana food truck and Tastee Diner chef/owner Steve Goff.

“All the food trucks (and vendors) are incorporating cider or apples in at least one of the dishes that they’re serving,” Smith said.

Workshop subjects will focus on exploring cider profiles, how to turn nonalcoholic cider into hard cider, Southern heirloom apples and the history and process of wassail. Also, witness an apple-pressing led by Kordick Family Farm, which will also make apple syrup.

“It’s a chance to see some old school processes live,” Smith said.

Music will be performed by alternative/soul singer and songwriter Tre Charles. And Zoe & Cloyd will deliver sets of original bluegrass and klezmer music.

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General admission tickets for ages 21 and over are $39 for in advance, which includes a CiderFest NC tasting glass and three hours of unlimited tastings.

Entry is $10 for youths ages 6-20. Designated driver tickets for ages 21 and over are $19. The Very Important Taster (VIT) pass is $59, which includes early admission and exclusive tastings.

For a full schedule and to purchase tickets, visit ciderfestnc.com.

Fueling up

Make a pit stop on the rooftop of The Capital Club of Asheville for a special dining experience with Southern influences.

Chef Terri Terrell, a Clarksdale, Mississippi, native and Asheville resident, is reviving The Clarksdale pop-up series with a brunch set for 11 a.m. Oct. 9 at the rooftop bar, 82 Patton Ave.

Terrell accentuates the Mississippi gas station food and presents it with seasonal and locally source Appalachian ingredients.

The premier downtown venue provides an idyllic backdrop with a wide view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The menu features crispy okra salad with black-eyed pea vinaigrette, fried catfish and grits, grilled peach toast, pot roast biscuits, Delta tamales, Mississippi gas station quiche and Moon Pie bread pudding.

Beverages include bloody marys, mimosas and boozy coffee.

Reservations are not required. Dishes will be sold a la carte.

For details, visit capitalclubavl.com or territerrell.org or follow on Instagram @theclarksdale.

Cottage cooking

Prepare for fairytale fare at the latest Glam Girls dining affair.

Asheville Guide, a local and travel media group, will host the Glam Girls Cottage Dinner pop-up at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at Eldr, 111 Grovewood Road

The restaurant opened over the summer inside a cottage-style venue in the historic Grovewood Village. Asheville Guide is building on the ambiance by creating an enchanting evening of Appalachian-grown ingredients and dishes accented by candlelight and floral table settings.

Guests are encouraged to dress to the theme – suggestions are provided by the host online.

The multicourse meal of small plates will be prepared by Eldr’s executive chef Eric Burleson. The menu isn’t set in stone, as it is determined by what fresh, seasonal ingredients are available at the time of the event. However, a few dishes in consideration are duck liver mousse profiterole with muscadine glaze and pistachio, planned for the first course. Next, the second course of ruby red shrimp with tuna tonnato, gai lan broccoli, black urfa biber chili and black garlic bread crumb is to follow. And squid ink bucatini, duck breast and Paw Paw pie to follow.

Tickets are limited and cost $90, which includes the meal and a glass of bubbly upon arrival. Other spirited cocktails, wine and beer will be available for purchase. Wine pairings may be requested.

For details and to purchase tickets, visit eventbrite.com/e/glam-girls-enchanted-cottage-dinner-tickets-421921668067.

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Food news: Hard cider tasting, gas station brunch, fairytale dining