Asheville NC: Favilla's New York Pizza

After spending an afternoon around downtown Asheville, I was in the mood for a homey dinner. Favilla's more than satisfied me---it is an outstanding exemplar of the neighborhood New York pizza place, more authentic and homey than anything I can think of in Atlanta. Our server explained to me that the owner moved to Asheville from Brooklyn five years ago and found "nothing" in the way of pizza. A second location is now on the way. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting. The only thing it lacks is a photo of Sinatra.

Here is a medium pizza with pepperoni, mushroom, and tomatoes. The pepperoni was great, with that hint of fennel that makes it more than just meat. The sauce was just right, with a clear tomato taste not masked by false sweetness or excessive acidity. My only small complaint was that the crust wasn't quite as tender as I would like, but that didn't seriously detract.

This stand is a demonstration of Favilla's authenticity. Real pizzerias use it to make extra room at the table. It's a nice touch.\

The meal ended, of course, with a wonderful cannoli.

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Eating Around Georgia Tech: Ecco

Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course)

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Cava is a DC area chain with light Mediterranean food. Saibal encouraged me to try lunch at their airport location and I was very happy with the experience. I ordered falafel on SuperSalad with assorted other toppings. The falafel was tasty. The SuperSalad was light, flavorful, and very easy to eat. Overall, a healthy and enjoyable lunch, something you can't always say about airport eating.

Atlanta etc.: Marilyn Wolf's Food Blog and Restaurant Blog

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