BrentKulman

Fresh from NY Times Wirecutter, the 18 best Trader Joes's Foods: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/our-favorite-things-trader-joes/?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20250705&instance_id=157890&nl=from-the-times&regi_id=7753012&segment_id=201283&user_id=e85f2a013d71522f2f5ecf367ad94336

We haven't been to Asheville since Helene but wanted to second your recommendation of OWL Bakery. For years, we have been buying their products at the North Asheville Tailgate Market on Saturday mornings. They have two retail shops, as well, and are a must stop for visitors to Asheville.

One of my must stop places when I am in Richmond. Hope they had good insurance and are able to get back on their feet soon.

If they want a great burger (and I almost never seek out a burger in my travels) Tessaro's is the place to go. Nothing fancy, just an old neighborhood tavern, but I return again and again when I am in Pittsburgh.

My experience in the US is that the German restaurants are almost all Bavarian in focus and the menus haven't been updated in the last 50 years. Even in Bavaria the times have changed and the food in Munich is much more interesting that what is served at the Bavarian restaurants in the US. There is an opportunity in the US for new German cuisine if somebody wants to take advantage of it .

Highland Park Brewery. I make a beeline for it whenever I am in the area. Monkish is right up there as well.

It has been brewed since then and this year it was brewed by Dogfish Head without the other two breweries participating, though it will rotate to the others in future years. http://www.dogfish.com/community/blogfish/members/mariah/saison-du-buff-it%E2%80%99s-time-to-go-solo.htm

I had some great succotash at Salt of the Earth in Pittsburgh earlier this week. Corn only, cooked in butter (I think), but prepared with chives and tarragon which created a very tasty twist on the dish.

Having tried that beer, I would agree with your assessment. Before you disparage all gimmick beers, the Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter (much harder to find since you can only get bottles from the brewpub if you are a member of their club) is a truly amazing beer. They also make a number of other gimmick beers that are outstanding, as well.

It does take some time for the Brett to work its magic so you cannot really judge a Brett beer's ultimate flavor profile upon the initial release. I would wait a year or more before making a final judgment.

I really hate loud restaurants so I am with you. I have been to Blacksalt twice (though not in the past couple of years) and really enjoyed the food. The tables are relatively close together but I do not recall the noise level being a problem.

Here are a few recommendations for you in this genre: Brasserie Des Rocs Triple Impériale Corsendonk Christmas Ale Maredsous 8 - Brune St. Bernardus Abt 12.

I had the 12 a few years ago and found it a bit too sweet and boozy for my palate. A very nice beer, no doubt, and worth trying once. But when you get over the hype due to the difficulty of obtaining the Westvleteren, I think I much prefer the Rochefort 10, which is far easier to obtain.

This past weekend, I was listening to The Splendid Table and I heard Lynn Rossetto Kasper pronounce it "bru-SHET-ta." I always thought this was a mis-pronunciation but she's Italian and I'm not. Is this a regional thing, perhaps?

Is he retiring or is he closing the restaurant due to economic issues? My wife and I had an outstanding meal there 10-15 years ago. I would rank it among the top 5 meals we have eaten anywhere.