Four and Twenty Blackbirds is a pie shop with a big media profile. Its physical presence is demure---a nicely appointed building in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn, complete with its stamped tin roof and wall paneling. The menu is simple: pie and a few additional baked goods. This is a place with a purpose.
I ordered a slice of apple caramel pie with whipped cream. The whipped cream is noteworthy in and of itself---very rich and thick, both beautiful and delicious. The caramel was subtle, the apple filling was very good and fairly traditional. The crust is the star here, made with 100% butter. It was baked off to a deep golden color. You can see the pattern made of several large pieces on the top. The crust was excellent; it also communicates that this is not a homestyle pie but one for a special occasion.
Luella's is a nouvelle BBQ outfit on the north side of Asheville. It is nestled among the trees in a lovely neighborhood. The restaurant has lots of windows for inside seating and plenty of outside seating. Service was courteous and amazingly fast. This is a combination plate with pork and brisket. Both were very moist and tender. For the pork, I tried both the mild and hot vinegar sauces. To my surprise, I preferred the milder one because it didn't assert itself too much. I enjoyed the spicy tomato sauce for my brisket. The hushpuppies were very good. The fried okra was fresh out of the fryer and excellent. The slaw was of the vinegary variety, which I usually enjoy, but this version is heavy on the white stuff and didn't have quite enough variety in tastes for me.


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