1 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor. I'm an Eeries and I'm 2 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: Lauren vocal Bam and Savor. That's right, I said, Savor 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: food Stuff has changed a little bit, including the name. 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: We're going to be doing a lot more traveling and 5 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: we thought that we would rebrand to reflect that. And 6 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: what we're hoping to accomplish here, besides trying a lot 7 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: of amazing food and drink, is to find out why 8 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: we as in all of us, why we enjoy the 9 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,279 Speaker 1: things that we enjoy, and we want to find how 10 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: we can get to more of those things. But never 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 1: fear the puns and urdery are not going away. Oh 12 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: I don't think that's physically possible. I doubt it. So 13 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: we're still talking about food and drinks, but more through 14 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: the lens of particular people in places. Not just what 15 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,279 Speaker 1: people eat, but why, how food connects different communities, and 16 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: how we all connect with our communities through food. Because 17 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: some people devote their entire lives and their livelihoods to 18 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 1: the food industry, but everybody eats well. At its very best, 19 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: a good meal brings people together. Food is such a 20 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: communal thing. At any time that a family is eating 21 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: together or friends are getting together to eat, or you 22 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: are seated at a table with strangers and you pick 23 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: up a conversation around the food. That's when a meal 24 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: is doing work in its magic is bringing human beings together. 25 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: That is Stu Helm, a food writer who lives in Asheville, 26 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: North Carolina, which was our first stop. We and that 27 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: is to say, me and Lauren and superproducer Dylan decided 28 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: on Asheville for several reasons. It definitely has its own 29 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: unique food scene and a huge beer scene. Also has 30 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: a pinball museum, which isn't food related strictly, but it 31 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: is a plus for a team that loves pinball. Annie 32 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: and I both got high score at that pinball museum. 33 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: We did. I am terrible at pinball, but I somehow 34 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: managed to get a high score on the Game of 35 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Thrones pinball machine. Mine was on a creature from the 36 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: Black Lagoon. Nice. Oh yeah. We spent four days and 37 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: three nights in Nashville and the most Ashville of airbnbs. 38 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: There was a zen rock garden. There was, and we 39 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: got a lot out of it. We talked to farmers, chefs, brewers, distillers, critics, authors, 40 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: tour leaders. We ate so much food and drink so 41 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: much beer. Over the next few weeks. You're going to 42 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: be hearing audio from all of this because we were 43 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: lucky enough to get some amazing folks on microphone. A 44 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: lot of people that we talked to about this trip 45 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: had some preconceptions about Asheville, us included We talked about 46 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: it in the studio with producer Dylan when we got back, 47 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: and I will say, Dylan, you kind of shaped a 48 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: lot of mine because originally when I thought of Asheville, 49 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: I thought hiking and hunger Games. That's where they filmed 50 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: the first one. I've always wanted to go. It's good 51 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: hiking up there, and also yes, kind of hippies. Yeah, 52 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: which in my defense, I haven't been there ten years probably, 53 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: but obviously Asheville has changed a lot in the past 54 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: ten years, in the past thirty years. But as far 55 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,119 Speaker 1: as what we were there for the food scene, it's 56 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: really exploded in the past decade. Yeah. I was prepared 57 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: to be cynical and to hate it because I don't 58 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: like pachuli or drum circles. Everyone was threatening me with 59 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: drum circles as we were getting ready to take this trip. 60 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: They were like, oh, man, Lauren, it's gonna be funny 61 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: when we take you to a drum circle and you 62 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: hate it so much. We did not wind up going 63 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: to a drum circle. Spoiler alert. Yeah, too much good 64 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: food to be had, not enough time. When you think 65 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: of Asheville food, I'd wager that, like us or like me, anyway, 66 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: you find an interesting dichotomy in your head. The first 67 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: and second things that come to mind are probably North 68 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: Carolina barbecue and crunchy hippie foods, and maybe probably beer. 69 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: On top of that. I doubt there is another city 70 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: in the South with that same split. We would find 71 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: that Asheville is a city of dichotomys like that. And 72 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 1: these are all things that we're going to explore in depth, 73 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: but briefly, it has this rich, surviving art history because 74 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: it was poor for so long. It has the most 75 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: beer breweries per capita in the country because of the 76 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: same factors that made it lead the country into prohibition. 77 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: It's an area of rugged individualism and tight knit community. 78 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: It's both Southern and Appalachian, both old and new, and 79 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 1: it's highbrow. Art scenes celebrate the low brow, including food 80 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: and drink. And it's a city with many nicknames, Beer City, 81 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: be City, food Topia, Paris of the South, Sky City, 82 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: ash Vegus malt Snee World, and at one time the 83 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 1: tuberculosis capital of the United States. This is another thing 84 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: like everyone in Asheville knows each other. And to be fair, 85 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: there's only nine people in the town. Yeah, but every 86 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: single one of those people seems like they know each other. 87 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: That was probably the most shocking thing I learned the 88 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: entire time there. I thought it was a much bigger place. 89 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: The downtown area is less than a square mile. Once 90 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 1: you're there, you can walk just about anywhere in under 91 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: twenty minutes, and a few surrounding neighborhoods are just a 92 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: couple of extra minutes away by biker car. Despite that, 93 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: this is a major tourist town with millions of visitors 94 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: a year in the number was ten point seven million tourists. 95 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: As someone who grew up in a tourist town Delawaga, 96 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: I know it can be both frustrating but also something 97 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 1: that keeps your city or in my case town, it's 98 00:05:55,839 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: pretty small running. I remember festival weekends like gold Rush 99 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: where you would leave town to escape the tourists, or 100 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: the huge difference between week day traffic and weekend traffic. 101 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 1: A bad tourist season is bad business in a town 102 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: where tourism is such a huge part of the economy. 103 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: And we complained about tourists, but we need them to 104 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 1: We'll talk more about that as we get deeper into 105 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: our stories here, but first, let's step back a little 106 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: bit and ask that question that we have always started 107 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: with Asheville. What is it? We'll start answering that with 108 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: help from the most unlikely and unsettling of places. After 109 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: we take a quick break for a word from our sponsor, 110 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: and we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. To 111 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: help us better understand the food scene in Asheville. We 112 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: first wanted to know what was Ashville's origin story, how 113 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: did it shape what Asheville is now? What is Ashville now? 114 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: To you answer these questions, we did what any professionals 115 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: would do and made one of our first stuffs a 116 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: comedy ghost bus tour. Comedy ghost us tour like that sink. 117 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: Our tour guide was one doctor but Boones Boodreau. Okay, 118 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: so we went on a haunted comedy bus tour through 119 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 1: Lee Zoom. Right. Yeah, that's the company which I was 120 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: prepared to like Daria my way through that entire ride, 121 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: and I was genuinely delighted, and not only because I 122 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: had a crush on the tour guide they got us. 123 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: Looked from my first minute, how are you guys doing tonight? 124 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: It was funny, it was and it was surprisingly instructive 125 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: for a comedy ghost bus tour. But I think we 126 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: need to back the bus up, oh, and describe the bus. 127 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: It was a school bus, converted school converted school bus. 128 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: It was purple. It was purple. It was fully packed, 129 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: and the performer stood at the front of the bus. 130 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: He had a bar, right that he implemented into his act, right, 131 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: a number of bars. Yeah, there were a couple on 132 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: the ceiling, and there was one on the side that 133 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: he could kind of acrobat around on just a little. Yeah. 134 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: The bus didn't have windows correct, zero panes in the windows. Yeah, Oh, 135 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: Annie is refreshing my memory, and I have forgotten the 136 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: most important part. It has lips on the front that 137 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: kind of like wax lips or maybe if you're thinking 138 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: about the Rolling Stones logo, and it has buck teeth 139 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: inside those lips. Um a little gold molding around the 140 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: windows and gold hub caps. Purple and gold a verry 141 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:02,559 Speaker 1: for Asheville, very Los Angeles less based bus here um. 142 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: But no, it's delightful, except that they were children size benches. 143 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: We actually highly recommend this for anyone who a likes 144 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: puns be wants to just get a base level handle 145 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: on Ashville's history. But they did not want us to 146 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: record it, so you'll have to go. If you want 147 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: their version, you can think of later. But we also 148 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: spoke to someone that was less comedy, ghost history focused, 149 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 1: and also one of the three people we met who 150 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: actually grew up in Asheville. Because although it's a great 151 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: tourist and family town now, and it was a great 152 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: tourist town back in the early nine hundreds following the 153 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: built Moors completion, there were about seventy years in between 154 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: where it just wasn't When I grew up in Ashville, 155 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: this was not the place, Toby. It was a really 156 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: rough town because of a weak financial position it had 157 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: been in since the Great Depression. Most of the buildings 158 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: were boarded up. You know. The highlights were pawn shops 159 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: and porn stores and porn theaters. I've got a great 160 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: photograph from as late as eighty five of the fine 161 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: arts Theater, which is one of our independent film theaters, 162 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: and the two features that day were Sassy Sue and 163 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,199 Speaker 1: Three on the water Bed. It was a place your 164 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: mom told you that you hadn't lost anything you didn't 165 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: need to go back to find. That's Kevin Fraser. He's 166 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: a history professor at Western Carolina University and runs Asheville 167 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: by Foot, a walking history tour company. We met him 168 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: at a board game restaurant and bar called Well Played, 169 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: which he also runs. Kevin calls Asheville an underdog one 170 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: that overcame the odds. Ashell started out as a small 171 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: trading out post, a place you'd stop on your way 172 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: to somewhere else. It was quite small and quite remote 173 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: for a long time. In Kevin's words, Sherman was never 174 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: going to march through Asheville. Well. One of the jokes 175 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: on that comedy bus tour was about the Battle of Asheville. 176 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: It was a parody of bon Jovi's Give Love a 177 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: Bad Name, You give war a bad name, because Okay, 178 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: during this battle, absolutely no one died and eventually everyone 179 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:12,079 Speaker 1: just went home. Asheville was really insulated. This was not 180 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,559 Speaker 1: the last song pun we would hear on this trip. 181 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: More on that in future episodes. But two things would 182 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: change this insulation. A railroad route important and physicians who 183 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: painted Asheville as this sort of health resort town. But 184 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: with all that fresh mountain air that was believed to 185 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: be good for your tuberculosis and that moderate climate in 186 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: the hot springs that were in the area. People from 187 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: the industrialized North would take trains to Dashville. And this 188 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: was before paid vacation, so it was mostly rich people 189 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: and they'd stay a couple of weeks or months at 190 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: a time. This was the beginnings of Asheville as a 191 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: town for tourism. And it's also how something like the 192 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: built More State happens in what at first glance kind 193 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: of makes you wonder how in the world it ended 194 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: up there, or in Kevin's words, I always thought growing 195 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:01,679 Speaker 1: up as a kid that it was really strange. How 196 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: did these folks ever find Ashville? Well, the truth is 197 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: the folks of the Vanderbilt social class had been coming 198 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 1: to Ashville. One of Ashville's biggest modern tourist attractions is 199 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: the Biltmore Estate, big in size and traffic. If you 200 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 1: are unaware of what this is, Essentially, it's a huge 201 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: mansion in the style of a French chateau nestled in 202 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: a forest on a mountain and the Appalachians. It was 203 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: constructed in the late eighteen hundreds under the orders of 204 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 1: George Washington Vanderbilt. This second and was and still is 205 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: America's biggest privately owned home. It now sees almost one 206 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: point five million tourists each year. I wasn't expecting the 207 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: gym and the pool. The underground pool was the big key. Like, 208 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: I'm not in Kansas anymore moment. They have a swimming 209 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: pool that is underground. It is in the basement, and 210 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 1: it's not small a mat and it being and going. 211 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: You know, hey, check out this two thousand foot mountain 212 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: or six mountain. If we're using the metric system, let's 213 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: drag everything. We need to build a hundred and seventy 214 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 1: nine thousand square foot mansion up there. I can't imagine 215 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: that me either, because that's almost seventeen thousand square meters 216 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: of floor space. That's a lot. It's like two and 217 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: a half large supermarkets or something a little bit larger 218 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: than your average sears. But for a single family to 219 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: live in you have to have a little bit more 220 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: than a hunch to embark on a project like that. 221 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: The building of the Builtmore estate does a couple of 222 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: things to push Ashville further along the path to becoming 223 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,719 Speaker 1: the Asheville that it is today. First off, the Vanderbilts 224 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: were celebrities of their time. Even if you lived in 225 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,479 Speaker 1: the middle of nowhere, your local paper probably printed stories 226 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 1: about the Vanderbilts. So the fact that they have this 227 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: enormous mansion in Asheville only increased tourism. People could say 228 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:58,679 Speaker 1: they were going to check out that place where the 229 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: Vanderbilts live. Another thing it did was create a community 230 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: of folks that came to work on the Biltmore and 231 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: then stayed. There were a group of artisans, architects, and 232 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,079 Speaker 1: craftsmen that came to work at Biltmore who were here 233 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: for so long that they stayed. They basically built new 234 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 1: lives here, and that's why Ashville's got such a great 235 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: architectural collection that's much more substantial than most cities this 236 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: size have. In the first few decades of the twentieth century, 237 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: Ashville experienced enormous growth. Ashwell hired a city planner and 238 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: implemented a program for progress to keep them on track 239 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: to becoming a major southern and even East coast city. 240 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: A lot of gorgeous Art Deco style buildings went up 241 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: because of that, and the city racked up a lot 242 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: of debt and the stock market crashed. In nine, Asheville 243 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: had a debt of more than fifty four million dollars 244 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: in today's money. That's seven eight million dollars for a 245 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: city that had a population of fifty thousand. The city, 246 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: unlike most the we're faced with similar situations, refused to 247 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: declare bankruptcy. They refused to default on their bonds for 248 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: almost fifty years. Asheville paid off their debts like a lanister. 249 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 1: Asheville always pays off their debts. It was the only 250 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: city in American history to actually do so. They had 251 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: a bond burning to celebrate, which I'm sure it was fun. 252 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: But the city was still financially crippled, you know, no 253 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: money for investment, but also no money to tear things down. 254 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: During this period, even the built more estates struggled. It 255 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: was losing a quarter of a million dollars a year 256 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: by nine. The name Asheville is almost comically on point. 257 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: But what really pulled Asheville well out of the ashes 258 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: is tourism. And specifically it's growing beer and restaurants scene, 259 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: and we will get into that finally talking about actual 260 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: food as soon as we get back from one more 261 00:15:54,200 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: quick break for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. 262 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you. So coming out of 263 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 1: Ashville's long depression, the food and drink scene was non existent, 264 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: especially the drink part. Kevin remembered it. I mean, we 265 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: didn't have what was called liquor by the drink and 266 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: Ashville so I think like seventy seventy nine, we didn't 267 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: even have national chain restaurants. None of those would come 268 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: because they had, you know, they had bars. That's where 269 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: the profit margins are. I mean, I remember when Red 270 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 1: Lobster opened up and people act like it was the 271 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: second Coming of Christ. They're like, oh my gosh, Red 272 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: Lobster here in Ashville. To this day, it's hard to 273 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: find a corporate chain in the city. By the time 274 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: more we're interested in opening up shop, the citizens were 275 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 1: not interested. A subway closed. We went on a brunch 276 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: tour and I told the guy who running the brunch 277 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: tours too, I said, people have said it, the thing 278 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: about the subway closing. I can't believe with subway close 279 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: and he was yes, and then he did say quietly, 280 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: but there's a five guys. They had a mellow mushroom 281 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: that was so nice that Dylan was like, what building 282 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: is this? It has lovely art I liked at the 283 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: front of it was like, oh yeah, but yes. Slowly 284 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,360 Speaker 1: possibilities for restauranteurs and other entrepreneurs started to open up. 285 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: It's not like the area had nothing to offer. We 286 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: also spoke with Alan Musket, a professional forager in the 287 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: Asheville area. It turns out you're standing in the most 288 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 1: bio diverse temperate region in the Western Hemisphere and the 289 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: second most in the world. So outside of the tropics, 290 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: we have more mushroom species. There's probably three five, three 291 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,919 Speaker 1: or five thousand or something. You're the most salamanders of 292 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 1: anywhere in the world, including the tropics. Um the plant 293 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: diversity and within it of edibles is huge, and he's 294 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: just talking about what grows here naturally, which for the record, 295 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:04,119 Speaker 1: he thinks that we all should be eating more of, 296 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: or even eating exclusively. That's a whole other episode. But 297 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:13,400 Speaker 1: supporting that and also supporting agriculture is the French Broad River, 298 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 1: which is the oldest river in the world and it 299 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: flows north starting from a point just south of Asheville, 300 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 1: which means the area has access to this excellent fresh water, 301 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: great for making beer and for farming. One thing we're 302 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: kind of lucky about here in Asheville is the agriculture 303 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: is so amazing. It's very comfortable to the Bay area 304 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,199 Speaker 1: of San Francisco, where I kind of came up as 305 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: a cook. That's Graham House, chef at downtown restaurant and 306 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: cocktail bar Sovereign Remedies, and he would know he's from 307 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: Nashville too, though he's lived and worked elsewhere and it 308 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: took him a while to find his way back. I 309 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,959 Speaker 1: grew up in the forest, so it's I didn't really 310 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: appreciate it as much because I was a kid and 311 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 1: I just want to go party and not be on 312 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: a mountain in the middle of nowhere. But now it's 313 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: you know, I kind of took it for granted, but 314 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,439 Speaker 1: now I really she like my old land that I 315 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: grew up on has sean traw mushrooms and you know, 316 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: black tarn mushrooms and ramps and all these things that 317 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:11,159 Speaker 1: people like I really want. Ashville was coming out of 318 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 1: its long depression right as a lot of these sorts 319 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: of traditional local, weird foods were becoming popular via the 320 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: farm to table movement. Our whole food and drink saying 321 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 1: bust had emerged out of the nineties in Ashville, though 322 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: we actually go back even back to the right at 323 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 1: the late seventies in early eighties, particularly one chef Mark Rosenstein. 324 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 1: Mark opened to restaurant called The Marketplace, and um of 325 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: food storians really consider Mark in that group of the 326 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:44,159 Speaker 1: original farm to table founders around the country. He was 327 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 1: a very early pioneer in what came to be called 328 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: farm to table. And now farm to table is so 329 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 1: common in Ashville, we don't really call anything farm to table. 330 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: That's just like calling it food. It's really not a 331 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: catchphrase in Asheville. Stu had this to say about the 332 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: phrase farm to table itself. It's actually fallen out of 333 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: favor with a lot of the chefs, and that's because 334 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 1: it's gotten overused. Um, you guys probably already know. You 335 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 1: can go into McDonald's and there's a farm to table 336 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: salad on the menu. Farm to table has a meaning 337 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: which means that there's no food broker in the middle. 338 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: There's always there's a farmer in a chef and they 339 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: have a relationship, and the farmer walks into the restaurant 340 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 1: and sells goods to the to the restaurant tour. And 341 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:27,440 Speaker 1: in Nashville, restaurant tours work with specific small farmers and 342 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: they will base their menus sometimes, especially during the growing season, 343 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 1: on what the farmer has brought to them that day. 344 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: The chefs around here prefer to use the term responsibly sourced, 345 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: and that is not as poetic a term, and so 346 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: I still use the term farm to table because it 347 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 1: does have a specific meaning. And so McDonald's with their 348 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: farm to table salad, I highly doubt that there are, 349 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: you know, ten thousand farmers walking into ten thousand McDonald's 350 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: and selling them ahead of lattice every morning. And so 351 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 1: that's a misuse of that word. But okay, caveata side. 352 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: This spirit of collaboration between people in the food industry. 353 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: It's something we heard over and over again during our 354 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,400 Speaker 1: time in Nashville. And Fitting Glen, a local beer historian 355 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: and beer consultant, put it this way. There is this 356 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: kind of frontier mentality of you know, kind of making 357 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: your own hooch and supporting local and buying from your neighbor. 358 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 1: I mean, people never really got away from wanting to 359 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: buy local here just because it was so isolated for 360 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: so long. I think it's also at the heart of 361 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 1: the city as a whole, just about everyone being artists 362 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: and entrepreneurs themselves. They want to see each other succeed. 363 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 1: Kevin told us, I mean literally like a well played 364 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: our board game cafe. There are times we run out 365 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 1: of something and we can go next door to the 366 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,919 Speaker 1: Laughing Seed and you know, it's barn a cup of sugar, 367 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,199 Speaker 1: so to speak, and we help each other out like 368 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: that all the time. There's not a sense of cutthroat 369 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 1: competition in the food saint here. I mean everyone talked 370 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 1: about it. Here's a quote from local food journalists mckenzy Lunsford. 371 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: The food community here is incredibly supportive. You see a 372 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 1: lot of chefs collaborating. I mean it sounds kind of cliche, 373 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: but you do see chefs, you know, running back and 374 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 1: forth giving people. You know, if somebody runs off Cilantro, 375 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: it's okay to run down the Chaipani and grab a 376 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: bunch and one from Graham House. One thing I love 377 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: about actually is not competitive in the way that people 378 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: are dogging other people. I feel like everybody tries to 379 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 1: lift each other up. That being said, the bar food 380 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,280 Speaker 1: you find in Asheville is not like the bar food 381 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: you're going to find anywhere else because that won't cut it. Like, 382 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: it's a very tight community here, small town with a 383 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: lot of restaurants. So if you see a restaurant it's 384 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: still open, it's probably going to be good, because things 385 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: don't last here if they're not good. On top of that, 386 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 1: in North Carolina, if you're a bar selling spirits, you 387 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: will be classified as a private club, meaning you have 388 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: to collect memberships at the door, which can be off putting. 389 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: The only way to get around that is to serve food. 390 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: Food sales have to make up of total sales at 391 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: any given time. But okay, speaking of booze food is 392 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: only half the story in Nashville, because, as I said earlier, 393 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: the city has the most breweries per capita in the 394 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: whole country, and that is part of the tourist draw 395 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: and a significant collaborative force in the community. Kevin told us, 396 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: you know, we actually have a beer editor. How many 397 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: cities have a beer editor? Right to kiss and Tony 398 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:37,159 Speaker 1: was saying maybe to me about a year ago that 399 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 1: any game works about three different varieties of beer being 400 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,680 Speaker 1: brewed Nashville. We also spoke with Leo Wong Ashburne, the 401 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: president and CEO of Highland Brewing, which is the first 402 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:52,360 Speaker 1: and oldest craft beer operation in Asheville, started by Leah's father, Oscar. 403 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:56,719 Speaker 1: I think the dad, he wouldn't admit this, but I 404 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: think he saw that kind of like burgeoning spirit of 405 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: the beverage and food. There's always been a craft community here, 406 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: like that's where Ashville's roots are um and the artistic 407 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: community is just amazing here. And I think that he 408 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 1: saw some of the like quality of life things that 409 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 1: bubble around that so easily in the great beer communities 410 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,359 Speaker 1: on the West coast that hadn't quite made it to 411 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: the southeast. And it's it's really true. You know, I've 412 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 1: traveled a bit out west to because some great beer 413 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: communities and it feels similar to Asheville in a lot 414 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: of ways. It's amazing how beer is kind of revitalized Asheville. Yeah, 415 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 1: it has. There's not a whole lot of industry here, 416 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 1: so it's beer is something, it's celebratory, it gathers people. Um, 417 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: it's a natural community energy creator kind of. And so 418 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: in small towns across the country, now you can gather 419 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: around a brewery like people gather around a local sports team, 420 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 1: which people certainly do. Oh yeah, it was a pretty 421 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: amazing scene. Producer Dalen just pointed out, in a lot 422 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:03,120 Speaker 1: of towns you have kind of like a bar row, 423 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: but Asheville it's not even a row. It's just the 424 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: whole town is full of breweries, and so you can 425 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: within a few steps be in one place and then 426 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: another try all of these different things. And everywhere that 427 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,880 Speaker 1: we went, we saw people just having a good time, 428 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: like they were out with their friends, with their families, 429 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: with their dogs. So many dogs, so many dogs. It 430 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,399 Speaker 1: was a great dog city. I'm also not used to 431 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 1: coming from Atlanta, a lot of our breweries don't have 432 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: as many options, right, But the breweries in Asheville, I 433 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,879 Speaker 1: felt like just pages of different beers you could try. 434 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I'm very not used to that. And also, yeah, 435 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: like I'm not used to seeing families with young children 436 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 1: out of breweries, and that was a very common thing 437 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:49,119 Speaker 1: in Asheville. When we asked people the broad question of 438 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:53,719 Speaker 1: why Asheville we started to see a theme emerge. We 439 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,399 Speaker 1: also spoke with j L and Dan Radigan, the co 440 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 1: founders of the Do we need a bouncer level popular 441 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 1: French broad chocolate company. You know, when we boil that 442 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: down to its essence, for Dan and I, we sometimes 443 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: say it was food and babies. And what that meant 444 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: to us was that we were looking for a place 445 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: to start our business. We were looking for a place 446 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: that supported entrepreneurs and with communities that were supportive of 447 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: small business, and a place that we would want to 448 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: raise our kids, place where we could play outside um at, 449 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 1: a place where we could be a part of a 450 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: community that wanted to engage with each other and create 451 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: an awesome life. And that's what we saw here, and 452 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: that's what we've experienced here as people who are really 453 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 1: engaged in making a difference and in contributing in a 454 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: positive way to the world. And that's very energizing to 455 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: be a part of that, you know, it makes it 456 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: makes us want to continue to learn and grow and 457 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:03,640 Speaker 1: improve and and offer more ourselves. The people that are 458 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: here aren't here because they you know, they're they're out there. 459 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: They're here for quality of life and UM and they're 460 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: excited to see people thrive. And so that's the sentiment 461 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:18,159 Speaker 1: that it seems to be the common thread from the 462 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 1: investment community to the school community and on and onward 463 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:27,880 Speaker 1: from there. And Aaliyah said, Ashville kind of makes you 464 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,479 Speaker 1: look at what's important in life. There's just a lot 465 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,679 Speaker 1: of people that choose to live here because they like 466 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: the vibe. There's a lot of folks here that value 467 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 1: being outside. You know, we're attracted to the mountains and 468 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 1: that natural beauty, the natural resources that come from that, 469 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: and that kind of flows into being so outside. So 470 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: you're moving around outside, you're taking part in things together, 471 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: you're protecting those cool things together, and then it flows 472 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: into beverage and food. And so I feel like a 473 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: healthier and better person live thing in this city, which 474 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: is a pretty strong statement to make about what a 475 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 1: city can do for an individual. And I never knew 476 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 1: that that could be a thing before I got here. 477 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: We ourselves definitely experienced what we came to call Asheville time. 478 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 1: Interviews went on way longer than we planned, but no 479 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,120 Speaker 1: one minded. We stumbled late at night into this karaoke 480 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 1: bar that was technically closed, but the bartender was still 481 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: pouring and the karaoke guy was like, I guess I'll 482 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,880 Speaker 1: keep spinning. And there was a dog on the bar 483 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,160 Speaker 1: that was basically running the place. These things don't happen 484 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,639 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, but it was really easy to get used to. 485 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:36,679 Speaker 1: Just for an example, when we got back and we 486 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: did our post mortem, we were talking about the experience 487 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 1: of our final dinner in Asheville at an Italian Ish 488 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: place called Casin, and we were saying how good everything was, 489 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: but also stayed there for like two and a half hours. Yeah, 490 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 1: we had to drive back to Atlanta. We had no idea. 491 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: I went to the bathroom before we were leaving, and 492 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: this is how time works in Ashville, just having a 493 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: good time, not looking at your clock, and I was like, 494 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: it's like nine o'clock. And that is an observation I 495 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: think we all made, is the Asheville time. It does 496 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 1: seem to move differently. It does, and no one cares. 497 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: Like Atlanta is a southern city and sort of the 498 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: opposite end of the spectrum, where like everyone is extremely 499 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 1: punctual and defended. If you are not, We've got places 500 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: to be and things to do right now, right now, 501 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 1: right now. Yeah, that dinner That was great because it 502 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: was our last meal there. We just enjoyed each other's 503 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: company and conversation and have good food. It was pretty relaxing. 504 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,239 Speaker 1: It's a nice and to a nice trip. It was. 505 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 1: And this is approaching the end of our first episode 506 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: about Asheville, but we have so much more to come. 507 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: Beer past and present, the importance of breakfast, what the 508 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 1: heck tomorrow is, and why it's recipes are secret as 509 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:01,360 Speaker 1: though its brewers are magicians. So keep an eye on 510 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: your podcast feeds. Friends, if you'd like to get in 511 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: touch with us, we would love to hear from you. 512 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:10,920 Speaker 1: Our email address is hello at savor pod dot com. Yeah, 513 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: and we have a website, now what I know, savor 514 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 1: pod dot com. You can go there to find our 515 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: podcasts and maybe other things like goofy pictures of us. 516 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: You can also find us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, 517 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: and Facebook. We are at savor Pod. Thank you to 518 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: all of our guests today and to Landis Taylor and 519 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: the whole team over at explore Asheville dot com for 520 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: helping us find them, and also to our co executive 521 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 1: producer Christopher Hasciotas for helping us find them. Thanks as 522 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: always to super producer Dylan for making our jobs easy, 523 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: and our other co executive producer here at Stuff Media, 524 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: Julie Douglas for all of her good advice. Thank you 525 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 1: to you for listening, and we hope that lots more 526 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: good things are coming your way. And then we sang 527 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: bon Jovi saying dead or Alive, and then we sang 528 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: Paramore and Annie, I am very mad at you because 529 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: I haven't been able to stop listening to Paramore for 530 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,479 Speaker 1: like a week now, and I haven't listened to Paramore 531 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 1: in like ten years, and I thought that that was 532 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: long gone. Was this Misery Business? Was it my idea? 533 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: It was your idea? I know it's my little brother's 534 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: favorite song. Well I think that I think that one 535 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: of you suggested a different song by Paramore on misery 536 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: Business or ain't it Fun? So it was probably. I 537 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: was like, probably, like ain't it fun? You're like misery Business? Yeah, 538 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 1: misery Business is my choice of Paramore songs if I'm 539 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 1: going to karaoke, So I I don't want if If 540 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: that's how you remember it happening, I'm not going to 541 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: argue with you, but I think it was a group decision. 542 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and we really gave it. Are All. That's 543 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: the thing. Are All was terrible. But if you're wondering 544 00:31:55,080 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: about this crew, when we karaoke, we do karaoke it. Yes, 545 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: that's the only way to carry Okay. We put in 546 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: our heart and soul