Steve and I checked out Botiwalla, a new-ish restaurant in West Asheville. I’d been watching the renovation from a distance for a while now, and when I saw it was finally open, we had to try it.

Basically this is a very casual eatery from Meherwan Irani, the chef who brought Chai Pani to Asheville back in the day. Chai Pani is all about Indian Street food. Botiwalla is a tribute to cafes created by Iranians who settled in India. Irani’s great grandfather ran such a place…

From Hoboken, NJ, this week comes the sad news that John Amato died at the age of 88 on August 30.

Mr. Amato played an interesting role in my childhood and later life.

He was the Hoboken cheese man!

Here’s the story…

This town keeps coming up with food options. And since Covid, that thing of mine, and a new puppy, I just haven’t been seeking them out the way I used to.

But now I’m back!

…went to Regina’s Comfort Classics Friday morning and chowed down on some tasty stuff. That stretch of road on Patton Ave keeps changing. I had the chicken and waffle, something I’d been blabbing about having for a week since I looked up the menu. Steve had the breakfast sandwich—sausage, egg, and cheese on a biscuit. That came with seasoned fries…

Spiedies are a regional food phenom centered primarily in the city of Binghamton, New York. Back in 1998, I pitched and sold a story on spiedies to a slick national food magazine. They paid me and my expenses quickly, but never ran the story. It was officially, mercilessly dead. Until now…