Asheville, we meet again.
Eat. For starters, Luella’s Bar-B-Que carries all the sodas I never see in CA restaurants – namely, RC Cola, Sundrop, and Cherrywine, which were somewhat tempting, but my friend and I ended up opting for a couple of cocktails, HA! They came in Ball jars (cute) and were tasty. I think one was a strawberry lemonade flavored cocktail and the other was iced tea flavored.
For entrees, we ordered a sliced beef brisket plate (no sauce)($11.95) and Chopped pork BBQ plate (w/ scooter’s sauce)($9.50). Plates come with 3 hush puppies and two sides. We got their potato salad, mac & cheese, brunswick stew, and cheese/broccoli casserole (daily special side). For me, the favorite was the potato salad, which was really unique tasting because it was sour cream based (instead of mayo based). There were several sauces that were brought in plastic ramekins to our table with our food, as well as several bottles on each table, including one of the Sweet Pigsah (sweet, thicker, ketchup based) and Scooter’s (vinegar based, NC style). I make no representations of being a BBQ expert (I’m a Southern Californian), but I thought the meat was super tender, flavorful, and delish! I also like the NC-style vinegar based sauces, so the Scooter’s sauce was perfect. Logistically, Luella’s was really easy – we came on a Saturday night to find ample lot parking, less than a five minute wait, and super friendly service.
Luella’s Bar-B-Que
Official / Yelp
Cafe. For dessert, we walked around the downtown area of Asheville, which was surprisingly quiet. Being one of the last places open, Old Europe (open until midnight) was our destination. The cashier was a stylish Asian girl, who was really friendly in assisting us. She recommended a few desserts to us and mentioned the pastry chef was trained in Hungary. We got a couple of cappuccinos (a bit weak) and a “French Creamy,” which is described as “vanilla custard and a layer of whipped cream between two sheets of puff pastry dusted with powdered sugar.” That description is pretty apt and the dessert was indeed super light and not too sweet, mm mmm! The interior is small (probably like 6 tables) but cute and cozy.
See. Scandals Nightclub in Downtown Asheville is pretty amazing. Clubs can vary a bit in how homogenous they tend to be, so I will start by saying that although this is a gay bar/club, it’s got a great mix of both men and women, people from a wide range of ages, and ethnic diversity. As a straight, Asian, 20-something female, I felt perfectly accepted and comfortable. We just happened on a night where Scandals was hosting the Miss Scandals Pageant (drag show and beauty contest), so I can’t say if that affected the crowd or not, but everyone was great.
For those that have never been to a drag show (this was my first), the ladies are actually female impersonators, so they’re not post-op or any of that. It’s quite impressive actually, I could have sworn they had boob jobs, but I guess it’s all just silicone pads or something! I swear I need to find a drag forum and steal their impersonation tips! There was also one male impersonator, who was not a contestant but did a few performances that evening. Anyway, so the show consists of a lot of amaaazing (DIY) costumes, Q&A, and lots of performances (lip syncing and dance). It was a lot of fun and the experience comes highly recommended by me.
Logistically speaking, parking across the street is totally free, cover was $5 and well drinks were like $2 a piece, so the price is very manageable. I will say that you had better use the restroom before going to Scandals though because the ladies room only has one stall and two people were hooking up in it (because the men’s room stalls have no doors).
nikkibi 