Asheville’s only dedicated live jazz venue is also the oldest restaurant in town. Lex 18 used to be Eureka Saloon, a local watering-hole-turned-Prohibition-speakeasy. It still exudes that 1920s elegance and gumption, though perhaps now a little more Gatsby and a little less blind tiger.
Co-owners Georgia Malki and Alan Van de Kamp wanted to honor the venue’s prominence in the era of early jazz.
“It’s a part of our heritage and something to preserve,” Malki says of the genre.
As a nod to its history, Lex 18 serves signature moonshine cocktails and gourmet meals alongside nightly jazz performances.
Enjoy a little music with your moonshine, or participate in one of Lex 18’s themed dinners, where you’re immersed in the music, culture, and atmosphere of times past.
“This place you’ve walked into,” Malki says, “it’s where we’re all transported back in time for a moment.”
Flaky buttermilk drop biscuits, creamy potato and sausage casserole, and soul-warming chicken and cabbage soup were among your favorite recipes in January. Find out what else made the list.
For only three days each week, a former hosiery mill building in the foothills becomes a barbecue destination powered by a hardworking family.
When demand for tobacco and cotton diminished, this one-square-mile Halifax County town followed suit. Now, one couple is revitalizing Littleton into a lively location once more.
Each year, Our State celebrates the very best in North Carolina craftsmanship with the Made in NC Awards. Meet the talented artisans who won top honors in 2022 — and watch them at work.
