Asheville Wine Market

From time to time I am going to post signage that

is interesting, informative and "funky."  This sign for

a wine shop is original and tasteful - no pun intended.

I especially like the spout/corkscrew coming out of the
bottle. It also could mean that the wine is being "poured
out" from the vine (leaves). 

The Orange Peel

The Orange Peel was voted as one of the top five rock clubs in the USA by Rolling Stone

Magazine.  Acts have included Blondie, Smashing Pumpkins and Matisyahu to name a few.

It  also is the location for Highland Christian Church on Sunday mornings.

Some of the musical acts on the marquee for The Orange Peel.

Mamacitas Grill

Every now and then I get a hankering/urge for some good Mexican fare and was excited to visit Mamacitas Grill for the first time last weekend.  Well, I was not disappointed.  Their burritos are delicious and a meal in themselves!  Burritos are available in meat, chicken and pork and come with rice, black beans, lettuce and all the salsa and sauce you can handle.  Yes, they have habanero.  They also throw in chips that go great with the salsa.  Check them out at http://mamacitasgrill.com/

The entrance to Mamacitas looks unassuming but don't be misled, this place has great food and is just down the road from the Orange Peel - more on that in a later post.

Mellow Mushroom

The original Mellow Mushroom was started by three college students and located near Georgia Tech.  Their aim was to provide excellent fare in the two food groups favored by college students - pizza and beer.  Mellow Mushroom has expanded to include sandwiches and salads but its original funkiness is still present. And the pizza tastes great! 

The Asheville Mellow Mushroom has a large outdoor dining area with its own collection of "objects de art." It is located in a former gas station and includes many historical elements from this building type.  Here is a detail of the wall/post at the outdoor seating.

Fiore's Ristorante Toscana

Fiore's Ristorante Toscana is an Italian (Tuscan) restaurant that is located in a historical building in downtown Asheville.  I have not tried its fare yet but it is definitely on my list of places that I would like to visit.  It has the power colours of red and black so you can guess that the food is squisito... 

The interesting red and black signage for Fiore's Ristorante Toscana.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

St. Luke's Episcopal Church is a nice example of Carpenter Gothic architecture.  It is a simple structure but well preserved and lovingly cared for by its small congregation.  It was built in 1894 for $728 and has a fairly new handicapped accessable ramp that relates well to the original structure. For more information see the following link http://www.saintlukesepiscopal.com/

Drhumor Building

The Drhumor Building in Asheville is an interesting building in the way that it turns the corner on its site and also because of its Romanesque Revival detailing. This building is also on the Urban Trail Downtown Asheville Tour noted in previous posts.

One of the interesting details on the facade of the building.

Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe

Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe is a local, independent store that has a very active schedule of events featuring talks by authors and book signings. Local authors are given top billing and this store has NOT suffered from the arrival of Barnes & Noble at the suburban malls.  See more at http://www.malaprops.com/

"Shopping Daze"  - an abstract , forged representation of three ladies shopping. See the link to the Asheville Urban trail http://www.romanticasheville,com/urban_trail.htm

Urban Outfitters

Asheville's downtown is home to many independent stores, coffee shops and restaurants. The arrival of Urban Outfitters to a prime location was met with dismay by several locals.  But, here's the rub: is an empty building preferred over a well known business that draws people from nearby to Asheville's vibrant downtown?  I do believe that the independent retailers will not be affected by this "chain" store and that over time the retail dollars will spread to the local establishments.  Starbucks came to downtown Lincoln, Nebraska when I lived in that city and the local coffee shops did not see any drop in their business.  See the following link for other opinions http://ashvegas.squarespace.com/journal/2009/7/10/urban-outfitters-announces-plans-to-move-into-downtown-ashev.html

S & W Cafeteria Building

Asheville is a virtual treasure trove for art deco architecture and the S & W Cafeteria Building is a gem in this collection.  The tile work on this building  is beautiful from the roof to the sidewalk with the brilliant blue of the roof tiles  to the gold and cream accents.  A closer examination will reveal more of the details; check them out at this excellent link http://artdecobuildings.blogspot.com/2008/06/s-cafeteria-asheville.html