February 22, 2018 (Boone Appetit)

Boone Appétit The Appalachian Food Issue — Volume 1 — Feb. 22, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS News.......................................................3 Arts and Entertainment...............6 Opinion................................................12 App News...........................................15 THE COVER:

Halle Keighton

T HE A PPA LAC H I A N E D ITORIA L BOA RD E D I TO R - I N - C H I E F S Y D N E Y S PA N N A DV I S E R O L I V I A W I L K E S E D I TO R I A L M A N AG I N G E D I TO R V I CTO R I A H AY N E S C H I E F CO PY E D I TO R J U L E S B LAY LO C K N E W S E D I TO R A I DA N M OY E R A&E E D I TO R A S H L E Y G O O D M A N S P O RT S E D I TO R B RO O K S M AY N A R D O P I N I O N E D I TO R Q R U S S E L L I N - D E P T H E D I TO R M O S S B R E N N A N

BUSINESS G RA D U AT E A S S I S TA N T J O N AT H A N M A U L D I N B U S I N E S S M A N AG E R B RA D L E Y WO R K M A N M A R K E T I N G D I R E CTO R C R I S T I A N M C LA U G H L I N

M U LT I M E D I A P H OTO E D I TO R H A L L E K E I G H TO N G RA P H I C S E D I TO R N O RA S M I T H V I D E O E D I TO R J A M I E PAT E L W E B M A N AG E R B RAXTO N COAT S

WHAT’S NEW AT THE DO’S

Macado’s is located on King Street and is in the process of updating their interior. Their new bar is currently open to the public.

Natalie Broome│

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acado’s Restaurant and Bar has been undergoing massive renovations over the past few months, but the staff said the character has not changed a bit.

New features include a new bar, square bamboo plates, fancy dishes and twice as much seating as the old restaurant. There are even a few new items on the menu, like the New Southern Burger and fried green tomatoes.

Longtime fans will also recognize a difference in the memorabilia decorating the walls.

General Manager Burke Bailey said that while the renovation process started last April, the plans had been cooking for several years.

The renovations have been getting a lot of positive reactions, Bailey said. Staff members are getting used to hearing “wow” as people walk through the front door.

@nataliebroome13│A&E Reporter

The wood paneling, tables and booths covered in signatures and little messages have also been replaced with clean, unmarked wood. Bailey said he asks that customers refrain from writing any new messages, because they spent a lot of money trying to make everything look nice, and they are hoping to keep it that way.

“We have crayons and coloring books for that, if they want to draw on something!” Bailey said.

Mary Bouchard is a bartender, and she has been working at Macado’s for 2 1/2 years. She said she loves how much space she has in the new bar.

“It’s the same homely vibe, just with a little bit of a facelift. More space, more TVs, but the same old crowd,” Bouchard said.

She credits the consistency in the restaurant’s character to the staff, which she calls a family.

Tod Fulbright is a server and bartender, and has been at Macado’s for a little over a year. He said the new bar features 24 taps now, up from the eight or nine they used to have.

“I hope customers get great service, good food and I hope they laugh,” Fulbright said.

While the building might look different, the process for making the cinnamon rolls has not changed at all.

The rolls are left to rise for three hours, baked and finally iced. The cinnamon rolls are the restaurant’s most popular item. They sometimes sell 250 rolls a day, Bailey said.

When asked what he would like to tell his customers, Bailey said, “Thank you! Thanks for thirty years of the best business, it’s been great. That’s loyalty right there.”

Bailey encourages customers to keep an eye out for when renovations are finally finished. He said he is looking forward to opening the new patio out front.

APP STATE PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR THOSE WITH EATING DISORDERS

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Jackie Park│

percent of students who visited the Appalachian State Counseling Center last year were recognized as individuals living with an eating concern or body image issue.

“According to data from the Healthy Bodies Study at App, about eight percent of undergraduate women and 4 percent of undergraduate men at Appalachian State University likely struggle with an eating disorder or eating concern,” Dr. Kati Connelly, coordinator of the Eating Concerns Treatment Team, said via email.

Connelly also said that 25 percent of women and 12 percent of men on campus are at risk of developing an eating disorder or concern.

It is estimated that around 8 million Americans suffer from eating disorders, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

“The ECTT offers specialized services for students with eating and body image concerns,” Connelly said. “We provide eating concern assessment, individual therapy, group therapy, nutritional counseling, medical evaluation and psychiatric evaluation.”

Two students in the eating concerns team, who will remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the information they shared, spoke of their experience

Christian Bocchino

@jackiempark│News Reporter

working with the counceling center.

“Support, Bloom, Recover is an organization that tries to form a community of people who are actively in recovery or recovered from an eating disorder,” a representative of the club said. “We do this in order to provide a sense of belonging and support.”

SBR not only provides a group of people to talk to, but participates in many activities within the community as well, such as writing letters to those in treatment centers and participating in the National Eating Disorders Association walk, a second representative of the club said.

“I never really talked about my eating disorder before being a part of this group,” the second representative said. “Obviously it’s something that weighs heavily on my mind, but it’s not something I can easily or comfortably talk about with most of my friends.In SBR I can talk about my experiences with people who won’t judge me and can understand where I’m coming from.

Even when I’m not talking I can just have fun with a group of people who support me and understand my experiences. It’s always good to know you’re not alone.”

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, eating disorders are “serious but treatable mental illnesses that can affect people of every age,

sex, gender, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic group.”

“For about 6 years I struggled with bulimia,” the second representative said. “My bulimia was only partly motivated by issues with my body. Bulimia was also a coping mechanism to deal with my stress and later to help me cope with my sexual assault.”

“I believe that my experience with an eating disorder taught me how to know when I need professional help to overcome difficult situations,” the first representative said. “It helped shape the person I am today, one that is more self-aware and knows when I need the help of others to be able to remain safe and healthy.”

The first representative also said that eating disorders can exist on a spectrum, ranging from perceiving some foods to be unhealthy, or falling into abnormal eating habits. They also said that these eating disorders are often not taken as seriously as they should be.

Connely said that eating disorders can be devastating to a student’s personal life, and they should be treated not as a choice, but rather as a serious mental illness with potentially deadly ramifications.

For those struggling with eating disorders, the phone number for the Counseling Center is 828-2623180 and the phone number for the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline is 1-800-931-2237.

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Local businesses help with food insecurity through Buy Boone Lunch F.A.R.M Cafe is located on King Street next to Boone Belles. They function on a “pay what you can” model, selling local food without set prices, only donations.

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Christina Beals│

ntering its third year, F.A.R.M. Cafe’s Buy Boone Lunch is a monthly event sponsored by local businesses and organizations.

The website states that it is held once a month and gives local businesses or individuals the opportunity to buy Boone lunch by making a donation of at least $500, covering the basic cost of daily food preparation and restaurant operation for F.A.R.M. Cafe.

The business or individual is also given the opportunity to staff the restaurant for the given day by providing volunteers to serve in various restaurant roles.

All additional donations made by guests during the event go towards F.A.R.M. Cafe’s further efforts in providing meals for those experiencing food insecurity locally.

Businesses that have participated in Buy Boone Lunch recently, according to F.A.R.M. Cafe’s website, include Boone Drugs, Inc., Mprints Screenwriting and Embroidery, 4 Forty Four Construction, and The Inn at Ragged Garden.

F.A.R.M. Cafe volunteer coordinator, cook, and marketing and development coordinator Thomas Brown said that the idea behind Buy Boone Lunch was inspired by another company that has employed the same opportunity for businesses to help out.

“The idea for the monthly event came from National Public Radio where local stations can have day sponsors – businesses or individuals who provide funding to support the operation of the station each day,” Brown said via email. “I thought that was a concept that we could make work at the Cafe, and it has worked great! Since it began in October 2016, we have had monthly ‘Buy Boone

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@christinalala_│News Reporter

Lunch’ sponsors, including a first year seminar class at ASU.” 4 Forty Four Construction, one of the local businesses that has helped F.A.R.M. Cafe in the past through Buy Boone Lunch, has taken advantage of the opportunity in lending a helping hand via supplying volunteers.

“4 Forty Four not only provides a monetary donation to underwrite the lunch, but most importantly, our team lends a helping hand in volunteering their time to prep food, wash dishes and work on the serving line,” Lynn Lawrence, 4 Forty Four Construction administrative assistant, said via email. “Our team will tell you that the best part of working at F.A.R.M. Cafe is getting to observe and interact (with) everyone that comes in.”

As a company, 4 Forty Four Construction was sold on helping with F.A.R.M. Cafe’s efforts when company president Kevin Troyer gained a better understanding of their overall mission.

“In October of 2016, Kevin Troyer was inspired and impressed as he spoke with (volunteer coordinator) Thomas Brown about the mission of F.A.R.M. Cafe during a breakfast meeting,” Lawrence said via email. “Kevin knew that the staff of 4 Forty Four was a community-oriented team of people that take their job, as stewards of the community that they live in, seriously.”

That October, 4 Forty Four was the first business to participate in Buy Boone Lunch and helped F.A.R.M. Cafe again Wednesday.

Mprints, another company that has helped in buying Boone lunch, also employs the option of supplying F.A.R.M. Cafe with volunteers for the day.

“All of our employees volunteer in two hour

shifts on the day we buy Boone lunch. I try to notify friends and business associates/contacts in advance so that we can have a good turnout to support the Cafe,” Mprints owner Stuart Mangum said via email.

Like 4 Forty Four Construction, Mprints’ inspiration to begin helping with Buy Boone Lunch was the need to help their local community.

“In the 27 plus years that I have been in business, part of Mprints’ mission has been to support causes in the community that make Boone and the surrounding area a good place to live. Quality of life and a strong sense of community are the biggest reasons that I chose to live in Boone after finishing school in 1985,” Mangum said. “I believe if that you are fortunate enough to make a living because of the community that you live in, you have a responsibility to give back to the community if you can.”

Mangum also said that he participated in the founding of F.A.R.M. Cafe through serving as a member of the original Boone board of directors.

Overall, the event benefits both local businesses and the restaurant itself.

“Buy Boone Lunch has become a great partnership with local businesses and organizations. It is a win-win where a business or organization is visibly out serving and meeting a need in the community,” Brown said. “All funds that are donated for meals on those days are helping to support the effort to provide free/low cost meals to persons experiencing food insecurity.”

For more information on Buy Boone Lunch such as future event dates and participants, visit F.A.R.M. Cafe’s website at farmcafe.org.

Halle Keighton

KNOWING YOUR MEAL PLAN Food Services and Hunger and Health Coalition partnership The Hunger and Health Coalition collects unused food items from Food Services every day

13,264

pounds of food were collected in the 2016-17 school year, feeding 13,264 meals at the Food Recovery Kitchen

In July, the Hunger and Health Coalition presented Food Services with a Loyalty Award honoring the partnership Source: App State Food Services

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Anna Dollar│

@Anna_Carrr│News Reporter

tudents that live on campus, with the exception of students in Mountaineer Hall, are required to have meal plan accounts.

“The meal account is billed through tuition and fees,” Stephanie Lee, communications specialist for food services, said via email. “Students sign up for meal accounts when they sign up/apply for on-campus housing. Students with a freshmen class rank can choose from the standard ($1,357 with state sales tax added), high ($1,576 with state sales tax added) and super ($1,917 with state sales tax added) options.

These prices are per-semester.”

The meal accounts work as funds for students to be able to purchase any food on campus, such as at coffee shops, vending machines markets and dining halls.

“Our dining halls are a la carte, which means that students are able to pick and choose what they eat every day,” Lee said via email. “It also means that students must be aware of their spending habits.”

Tomiwa Olufolabi, director of service for Student Government Association and senior building sciences major, said that SGA is finding ways to help students with their meal plan finances on campus. SGA made a Facebook group

last semester called Mountaineer Meal Share.

“Students with extra meal plan money can sell it at a discounted rate, or give it away for free to other students in need,” Olufolabi said.

Food Services at Appalachian State is self-operated, meaning that the business is not sustained through state funding and that it is 100 percent receipt-supported.

Mitigating food costs and spending resources wisely is how Lee said that they can best serve students.

“We have a little system where we have people drop a bean in a jar, and that’s really just for us to track usage,” Jennifer Maxwell, sustainability program manager, said.“Currently, we don’t ask for any information, it’s just an honor system.”

The food pantry has an honor system, meaning that they do not ask people that need food any questions about confidential information such as their financial standing.

“Food insecurity can be ongoing or it can be at certain times, like when you run out of your meal plan,” Maxwell said.

The food pantry relies on donations from people, and it is for students, faculty or staff to use if they are low on meal plan money or food insecure.

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EASY RECIPES TO TRY

avocado toast

Ingredients: • 1 slice bread • 1/2 ripe, fresh California avocado, peeled and

seeded • 1 egg – Optional • 2 slices heirloom or beefsteak tomato – Optional • 2 slices cooked bacon – Optional Instructions: 1. Toast 1 slice bread and spread with 1/2 ripe, fresh California avocado (mashed or sliced). Spray a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and fry one egg as desired.

2. Place cooked egg onto avocado toast, sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

fruit, granola and yogurt bowl

Ingredients: • 1 cup (or container) yogurt of choice • 2-3 tablespoons granola of choice • 2 strawberries • 1/2 banana Instructions: Put yogurt in a bowl and top with fruit and granola.

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maple almond cake

Ingredients: Cake • 1 cup whole raw unsalted almonds • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda, sifted • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 2 large eggs • 1 cup pure maple syrup, dark or amber • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted and cooled to room temperature • 2 large gold apples, peeled and diced Glaze • 1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, dark or amber • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray.

2. Place almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment. Process until the almonds are finely ground, 20 to 30 seconds. Add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt and pulse to combine.

3. Beat eggs and 1 cup maple syrup in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in butter.

4. Stir the almond mixture into the maple mixture by hand. Stir in apples. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until the torte springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 44 to 48 minutes. Cool on a wire rack completely.

5. Stir confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, vinegar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Run a knife along the edges of the cake. Remove sides from the spring-form pan and spread the glaze over the cake.

mini spinach quiche

Ingredients: • 1 pie crust • 2 large eggs • 1/2 cups heavy cream • 1/4 cups shredded aged Asiago cheese • 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped • Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste • Cooking spray Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Gently roll out the dough so that it is uniform in thickness, then cut out small circles using a smallmouthed glass.

3. Generously spray a nonstick mini muffin tin with cooking spray and place each circle in each section.

Press down along the bottom and sides.

4. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, Asiago cheese, spinach, salt and pepper.

5. Pour the egg mixture into the crust-lined muffin tin until it reaches the top.

6. Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the egg mixture puffs up and is lightly brown.

Halle Keighton

Office of Sustainability pushes for more composting Gianna Holiday│

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tudent involvement has been the catalyst for Appalachian State University to become what many now refer to as a sustainable campus.

Over the years, it has become evident just how important sustainable practices are for those who attend school here.

“We did a survey and found that 55 percent of incoming students chose Appalachian simply because of sustainability,” Sustainability Program Manager Jennifer Maxwell said.

Beyond simply recycling, one effort by students in making App State a greener campus comes from composting. What originally started out as a single compost bin at the center of campus in 1999, has grown to include all dining halls, Frank Hall, Belk Hall and now the Living Learning Center.

Frank Hall houses its own Residential Learning Community, known as Living Green, which educates students about living a sustainable lifestyle. Living Green is for students who are interested in sustainability and would like to support this cause by being involved with an environmentally and socially responsible community.

Eco-rep for Frank and Belk halls and freshman biology major Thanh Schado is also involved in Living Green.

“The overall goal is to lower the amount of trash that you produce every day,” Schado said. “It’s the small things that make a change that you want to show other people, which will usually create a domino effect.”

Only a minority of residence halls currently house composting bins, but students can expect to see them more frequently in the future. The Office of Sustain-

@HolidayGianna│Intern Reporter

ability’s push for more composting around campus could include not only the residence halls but also academic buildings.

Appalachian State also maintains a “zero-waste policy,” another effort to help limit the trash and waste that is put back into the environment. The idea of this policy is to refrain from using anything that will not be given back to the earth.

“Our zero-waste policy is pushing to produce as little waste as possible, such as using reusable water bottles and lunch containers,” Schado said. “The whole idea is this concept where you limit your byproduct.”

Maxwell said the geographic location of Appalachian State has also created a long-standing practice of preserving the nature of the mountains.

“There’s something about the natural environment here and that creation of sense of place has historically brought students here that are more sustainably-minded,” Maxwell said.

The Sustainable Development Teaching and Research Farm in Ashe County and the university compost facility, maintained by the Physical Plant, have also helped with the composting process.

Once the compost is collected around campus, it is brought to the facility, which is located on State Farm Road. The plant is able to turn 275 tons of campus food waste into organic compost. The process of composting itself, however, is long and complicated.

Food waste from the dining halls and residence halls are collected and driven to Appalachian’s compost facility before it is added to the compost bin. It is then mixed with wood and sawdust before it “cooks”

by maintaining a temperature of 131 degrees Fahrenheit for three days and then 104 degrees Fahrenheit for the following 11 days.

“The Department of Environmental Quality will oversee the process because we have to meet certain standards with the heat that the compost goes through to kill all the pathogens,” Compost Facility Coordinator John Richards said. “It’s simple, but it’s also very scientific.”

Most of the compost generated through the dining and residence halls usually return to campus or other off-campus locations that are focused on a greener way of life. This helps keep the compost more local.

“We take a lot of the compost to App State’s sustainability farm in Ashe County,” Richards said.

“However, we are trying to use it on campus a majority of the time.”

Because research and sustainability have become ingrained in Appalachian State’s culture, the university put together a strategic plan for the 2014-2019 academic years, titled “The Appalachian Experience: Envisioning a Just and Sustainable Future.”

The plan states, “Sustainability at Appalachian State University is not a trend, it is a tradition. We are active stewards of our State’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources. Through engaged scholarship, we balance critical, creative and global thinking in a living laboratory, transforming theory into practice and fostering responsible citizenship.”

The Office of Sustainability hopes to spread more awareness of the importance of preserving Appalachia by spreading composting bins around campus to include residence halls and academic buildings.

Things you can compost in your dorm or apartment

Pizza boxes, ripped into small pieces

Cooked pasta and rice, non-waxed takeout containers

Cotton swabs, toilet paper rolls (shredded), pads and tampons (even used)

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Coffee grounds, coffee filters, loose leaf tea, cotton or hemp tea bags

Old homework and sticky notes, both shredded

Avocado pits, chopped so they won’t sprout

Stale bread products (sandwich, bagels, pita, naan)

Stale wine and beer, chopped up wine corks

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The interior of Clean Eatz, located on Boone Heights Drive, opened in the summer of 2017. Clean Eatz supplies meal plans with healthy and prepared meals for people who might not have a lot of time to cook at home.

CLEAN EATZ PROMOTES HEALTHY EATING IN BOONE

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Ashley Goodman│

ollege students are not necessarily known for having perfect diets. When you consider popular stereotypes surrounding college kids and food, what might come to mind is ramen noodles, fast food and the looming freshman 15.

Clean Eatz, a cafe and meal prep service on Boone Heights Drive, is trying to offer a solution for busy App State students concerned about their health.

Clean Eatz is a multi-outlet cafe that started in Wilmington, North Carolina. So far, 32 Clean Eatz restaurants have been opened across the country; the Boone location is number 24.

The cafe serves customers in a number of ways.

People can eat made-to-order appetizers, meals and protein shakes in the cafe Monday through Saturday; they can also order food to-go at any time. If they intend to eat their food later, customers can also drop in and choose a meal from the cafe’s grab-and-go freezer, which is stocked with frozen meals that usually take around 3 minutes to microwave.

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@AshleyGoodman97│A&E Editor

The bulk of Clean Eatz’s business, however, comes from the cafe’s meal prep plans. Customers can select meals in advance Thursday through Sunday and come in Monday morning to pick up their meals for the week.

“The menu always changes,” cafe owner Ben Harmon said. “It’s always something new, and it’s not the same as this cafe, which is nice. Right now we’re doing 900, almost 1000, meals in a week.

They’re individually sized and people can take them home for the whole week.”

The meal plans start at five meals for $38, which balances to $7.60 a meal, but the meals become cheaper as customers select larger plans.

Harmon said one feature that makes Clean Eatz so appealing is how customizable its meals are. Meals can be made vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free, and the nutritional complex of the meals can be adjusted to no carb, half-carb or extra protein to accommodate more specific diets.

The easy, customizable nature of Clean Eatz

meals draws a variety of customers to the cafe’s meal plans, Harmon said. Students, athletes and older individuals who live alone are among some of the cafe’s most frequent patrons.

To push the cafe’s message that their meals can meet every customer’s unique needs, Clean Eatz recently started the “Everybody Fits” program, which is a gain, lose or maintain program designed to help customers reach and maintain their ideal body image goals.

“We cater to people all over the board,” Harmon said. “We have people who have lost 35 or 40 pounds, and then we have people who are trying to gain weight, too, to play football or whatever it may be.”

Harmon began renovating the location, formerly a hibachi grill, in February 2017, and the restaurant opened in July.

After graduating from App State in 2014 with a degree in exercise science, Harmon moved back to Raleigh to begin school as a physician assistant. Harmon

Halle Keighton

Prepped meals layed out on the counter of Clean Eatz. started working 12-hour shifts as an emergency room technician at UNC Rex Healthcare, and he soon found himself with no time to prep and cook meals of his own.

A Clean Eatz cafe had recently opened near his parents’ house, and once he started taking their graband-go frozen meals to work, his colleagues followed suit. Harmon said he recalled finding the freezer at work stocked with his peers’ Clean Eatz meals.

Harmon eventually wanted to start a Clean Eatz of his own, and he realized the college town of Boone was the perfect place to do it.

“Convenience for college kids is definitely a big thing,” Harmon said. “I wish I had this in school because I found myself cooking, and it wasn’t very good.”

Working in the ER, Harmon said the amount of people he saw coming in with issues affected by poor diet encouraged him to educate others about healthy eating.

“I found one thing from working in the ER is

Halle Keighton

that people were killing themselves with the way they ate,” Harmon said. “It all stemmed back to that, so I thought maybe if I could provide another option to people, maybe they’ll have more longevity because of that.”

The food is not just convenient and healthy; Harmon said the food tastes good as well. Today, his favorite foods there are the protein shakes he makes each morning for breakfast and the ahi tuna bowl, steamed with brown rice, broccoli, snow peas, edamame and teriyaki.

“It’s all steamed to order, and the tuna is killer, so I always steer people that way,” Harmon said. “I don’t like to be biased, but I’m always like, ‘get the tuna.’”

Sophomore advertising major Gabby Owen has been working at Clean Eatz since August, and she recommends the food as well. Her current favorite is the Watch Your Waist wrap, made with chicken, guacamole, red onions, spinach, cheese and tzatziki sauce.

Owen said her favorite part of working at Clean

Eatz is being able to educate others about how to eat simply and healthily.

“I’m kind of new at this, but I love it,” Owen said. “My favorite part is definitely getting to talk to people about what we do. It’s our mission just to get out the word about clean eating, because we are a healthy eating place, especially for college students.

As college students, we go out on the weekends and eat junk because we’re out with friends. This is a place where you can come get what you need and what’s healthy, so it’s good food, but you’re getting it (at) a good price.”

Junior child development major Ashley Funderud said her favorite meal at Clean Eatz so far is the grilled goat cheese sandwich, made with squash, tomato and spinach remoulade. Funderud has eaten at the restaurant only a few times, but she summed up her experience eating at the cafe succinctly.

“Their prices are pretty reasonable and their food is good,” Funderud said.

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A TASTE OF BOONE: FOOD TRUCK TOUR

The Farm to Flame truck in front of Appalachian Mountain Brewery. The food truck is very environmentally friendly by using solar panels to power the truck.

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Savannah Nguyen│

oone’s food truck scene gives a new meaning to the phrase “dining out.” With local vendors selling a variety of cuisine, from tacos to seafood, veterans and newcomers of the mobile fare have a variety of new favorite places to check out.

For those who love authentic Mexican food, one would have to make the decision between Taco King Taqueria and El Tacorriendo.

Miriam Hernandez, the owner of Taco King, started operating her truck two years ago. Since 2016, Hernandez has built her standard on clean, fresh ingredients and takes pride in making most of her food from scratch.

“Everything is fresh, we grind the meat ourselves, our tortillas are all handmade,” Hernandez said. “People really love our food because everything is made fresh everyday. That’s why people come back.”

Located outside of Peabody’s Wine and Beer, during the summer, patrons have the option to sit down at a picnic table and have some tacos and a glass of wine. On any day, Hernandez suggests the gorditas, which are fried, thick tortillas stuffed with the works.

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@TheAppalachian│A&E Reporter

“They’re basically stuffed, fried pita bread,” Hernandez said.

Rachel Lisi, a student at Appalachian State University, goes to Taco King for the authenticity of the cuisine and to pay homage to her childhood.

“I actually grew up with Mexican neighbors so I always had authentic Mexican food,” Lise said. “I like going to this truck because (Mexican) restaurants seem to be a little more Americanized.”

Visitors can expect to get their taco fix year round.

Hernandez is located outside of Peabody’s and is open every Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

On the other side of Boone, El Tacorriendo sits between Espresso News and Footsloggers. Alejandro Leon and Ashley Leon, the married couple who own the food truck, started their business in Lenoir two years ago.

Ashley Leon said they were attracted to Boone because of its untapped potential for local food trucks.

“When we were in Lenoir, we would come down to Boone every single weekend and would notice that there weren’t many food trucks in the area,” Ashley

Leon said. “So my husband wondered if we could find a place up here.”

The choice to serve tacos was easy on account of Alejandro Leon’s Mexican heritage. Critiquing the Americanization of Mexican food served in restaurants, Alejandro Leon said that he does not consider it to be real Mexican food. Alejandro Leon was dedicated to cooking food that represented his roots.

“In Lenoir, it has taken a while for us to build our business because people are a little hesitant about eating from a food truck, or maybe this Mexican food is different from what they’re used to at the restaurants,” Ashley Leon said. “But here, the students seem to be willing to try lots of different new foods and have new experiences.”

The ACP wrap is one of the most ordered items on the food truck’s menu, but Ashley Leon suggests the taco meal, which comes with three tacos and a glass bottle soda.

In the future, Ashley Leon also mentioned that they will be expanding their business by opening a

Courtesy

The owner of El Tacorriendo, Alejandro Leon, in the foreground and his brother “Pepe”. The food truck just celebrated their one year anniversity in February. restaurant. By opening a new permanent location, fans of the food truck will be able to enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine that they cannot necessarily get at the truck’s location.

For those who do not prefer Mexican food, Captain Jim’s Seafood truck offers the true New England experience, according to its owners, James Sbrizzi and Jerry Sbrizzi.

“The food cooked in the northern states, or in New England, is so much different than here in Boone. People really like the freshness, the seasonings,” Jerry Sbrizzi said.

The married couple made their way from Connecticut to Boone in 2003 and brought their food truck with them. After buying the Hilltop Drive-In, located on 2530 U.S. Highway 21, the food truck had a commissary that it could operate out of.

Although Captain Jim’s Seafood Truck primarily operates in the spring, the drive-in restaurant offers many of the on-the-go dishes that would be served on the mobile restaurant, such as fish and chips, clam

Courtesy

chowder, and the iconic lobster roll, in addition to traditional diner eats.

Captain Jim’s prides itself on its fast service, but never compensates its quality, Jerry Sbrizzi said.

“All the burgers are hand pattied every morning, the fish is always hand breaded, and we have our homemade clam chowder and slaw,” James Sbrizzi said.

At the restaurant, Jerry Sbrizzi said regulars are often treated like family.

“Everyone comes in and they bring their kids. If it’s someone’s birthday, we make a big deal out of it,” James Sbrizzi said.

Last on the food truck tour is Farm to Flame, located around the corner from Taco King Taqueria, outside of Appalachian Mountain Brewery. The truck serves their beer-based sauces, pizzas, tacos, sandwiches and wood-fired eats, such as their vegetarian Veg Out pizza and Buffalo Soldier pizza.

The owner, Danny Wilcox, founded the food truck in order for people to become more in touch with their communities by sourcing most of their ingredients from

local vendors.

“We want to make a living for farmers and us, so we help the community in the ways that we can,” Ian Hunt, an employee said. “We’ll go to the farmers market every summer and buy fresh greens, we go to Lily Patch Farm for some of our spices and even go up to Virginia to get some of our sauces.”

Farm to Flame is now partnering with Appalachia Cookie Company to sell their cookies and also hopes to reach out to a company in Hickory that sells gluten-free potato chips.

“We just tested it, and it’s amazing,” Hunt said.

Farm to Flame is also committed to a high standard of sustainability. Their truck runs off biodiesel from High Country Biofuels. They utilize solar panels, recycle anything that they can and cut down on water waste with the use of a water tank. Even their utensils and containers decompose within 50 days.

“The more we can get in touch with our community, the more we can offer people food that they normally wouldn’t get,” Hunt said.

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GET YOUR GAME FOOD ON The Farm to Flame truck in front of Appalachian Mountain Brewery. The food truck is very environmentally friendly by using solar panels to power the truck.

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Brooks Maynard│

lot of things go into the perfect game day. For an athlete or a coach, the most important things might be proper preparation, lack of injury and good weather conditions. For a fan, it is wearing that one lucky jersey that has not been washed since the winning streak started, getting perfectly positioned in front of the TV and the right game day snacks.

Most people have a favorite item to purchase from a concession stand or dish to make at home for the big game. Tailgating, or setting up your own makeshift cookout outside of the stadium, remains one of the most popular pre-game rituals for fans. Many restaurants have game day specials, such as Papa John’s, who offered a free pizza with an order of $15 or more as a part of their Super Bowl deal. Quesadillas, nachos, meatballs and potato chips and dip are also commonly found at most watching parties.

“My favorite thing to eat at sporting events is probably hot dogs,” senior supply chain manage-

@BrooksMaynard│Sports Editor

ment major Zach Sholtz said. “There is just nothing more American than watching a ballgame with your family and eating a delicious hot dog.

It is one of my favorite things to do.”

Foodnetwork.com released a piece titled “Fan-Favorite Football Foods Across America,” which outlines the local favorites in each city where NFL teams reside. The list featured some of the more unique game day choices available, like Crab Nachos in Baltimore, the Coney Island Dog in Detroit and the Cheesesteak Egg Roll in Philadelphia.

However, not every game day meal has to be fancy. A lot of snacks are both simple and delicious.

“My go-to meal at a sporting event is a hamburger and a root beer,” sophomore biochemistry major Michael Darden said.

“My favorite snack at a game has got to be popcorn,” sophomore environmental biology major Bailey Chavis said.

For three consecutive years, Comeback

Shack on Highway 321 in Boone has been voted “Best Hamburger” for The Appalachian’s annual “Best of Boone” issue. The Rock Sports Bar & Grill, located at the Watauga Village Shopping Center by Walmart Inc., was voted the best spot to get wings, which pair well on game day with their 42 flat-screen TVs. Game day snacks tend to be junk food. Foods like pizza and chicken wings, while delicious, offer little in the way of nutritional value. Foodandwine.com compiled a list called “Healthy Game Day Snacks,” which creatively brings nutrition and taste together for any game day experience.

Some of the items on the list include skin-on potato fries, chipotle shrimp tostadas and winter vegetable chili.

Regardless of your favorite team or sport, or whether you prefer the local favorite or the healthy alternative, there is something delicious for everyone on game day. Food has always been a big part of game day, and it does not look like that will change any time soon.

The Plemmons Leadership Scholars extend a warm welcome to all scholarship finalists and their families this Scholars’ Weekend!

Best of luck on your interviews!

We are thrilled to have you at Appalachian!

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F

GMOs: A TOOL TO ADVANCE HUMANITY

rom serious issues like opDespite what these groups have position to vaccines to more said, GMOs have consistently been trivial ones, like a bizarre infound to be safe. According to the Gecrease in flat-earther conspiracy netic Literacy Project, the vast matheories, it seems in recent years jority of 2,200 scientific studies have that skepticism of science has been found GMOs to be safe and nearly 300 on the rise. scientific organizations have found One of the more dangerous anthem to be safe. ti-science movements is the anti-geThis is not surprising as GMOs netically modified organism moveare not really a new invention. Virtument. Scientists have been making ally every food you eat has been getremendous strides in genetic modinetically modified - just not in a lab. fication, and groups like Greenpeace There are not seedless fruits in naEric Cunningham is a senior ture, nor are there toy dog breeds or have prominently opposed it.

To be fair, not all protesters are domesticated animals. Wild bananas journalism major from conspiracy theorists; some are conHickory, North Carolina. You have so many seeds that you cannot eat cerned with issues like the patenting them, and wild carrots are not orange. can follow him on Twitter at of crops. This is not an opposition to Genetic modification simply @DEricCunningham.

GMOs per se, but rather an opposispeeds along the process. Actions tion to capitalism. that once took generations can now However, much of the opposition has been based be done in a lab with 100 percent accuracy and control on pseudoscience, or fake science, claiming that over the process.

GMOs are harmful and need to be restricted. This is For many this is an innovation that is desperately reminiscent of the old conspiracy theories surroundneeded. Genetically modified foods can be engineered ing fluoridated water. to produce higher yields, contain additional nutrients

or have a natural resistance to disease or insects.

One particularly noteworthy example is golden rice. Unlike regular rice, golden rice has been engineered to help stop vitamin A deficiency, a preventable condition affecting millions of people worldwide.

According to NPR, just a single bowl of golden rice can provide 60 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin A for children. Golden rice could be the difference between blindness and healthy sight for many poor farmers.

What was the response of anti-GMO extremists? According to Mark Lynas of Slate, Greenpeace - who falsely claim GMOs are unsafe for human consumption - first bussed in a group of farmers. Then, using them as cover, proceeded to destroy an entire field of golden rice.

This is not OK, and it is actively dangerous. It is one thing to have a broad critique of how biotechnology companies operate, and it is another thing entirely to make false claims and destroy valuable research aimed at preventing death and illness.

With all of this incredible work being done in the field of genetic modification, it is important to counter the fake news with facts. GMOs are an amazing tool that can help solve many of the problems humanity is facing, both here and around the world.

HOW FOOD SERVICES HELPS THOSE WITH LIMITED DIETS

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ccording to Food Allerthings that students see is the links gy Research & Education, that send them to specific pages around 15 million Amerwith information regarding food alicans suffer from some sort of lergies, franchise nutritional inforfood allergy. mation, gluten-friendly resources, Additionally, Forbes reports that and vegetarian and vegan dining. around 3.1 million Americans folFurthermore, if one scrolls low a gluten-free diet. down the page they are greeted And Vegan Bits reports that 6.48 with the MyNutrition section. This million Americans are vegetarian, sends people to the MyNutrition and 25 percent of those, or 1.62 milonline tool, which allows them to lion, are vegan. pick and choose which foods on Suffice to say, the amount of campus that they would like to inQ Russell is a junior people in America who have limited clude in their diets around any reor restricted diets is substantial. strictions or preferences that they journalism major from Therefore, it is quite beneficial may have.

Charlotte, North Carolina. for students who have these diets The page also provides a variYou can follow him on Twitter ety of links to outside sources that that Food Services does a great job at @Q_M_Russell. of accommodating their restrictions. will help them build diets, even if “Food Services’ mission is to they are dining off campus. serve the campus community, especially students,” If students are having trouble building a diet that Pam Cline, director of Food Services, said. “Makwill fit their limited or restricted needs or preferences, ing sure students with restricted diets are providthen Food Services also offers the service of an oned healthy and affordable options are a key part of staff registered dietitian. that mission.”

As for the food options and alternatives provided on The department does this through the implecampus, Food Services offers a variety of options for mentation of a variety of initiatives and by offering students both in the dining halls and in the markets. a bevy of resources.

In each they have dedicated alternatives, such as One only has to go to the Food Services webthe worry-free fare fridge for those who eat gluten-free, site in order to see this. vegetarian and vegan options, and students with allerUnder the nutrition resources tab, one of the first gies are able to pick and choose foods that will not trig-

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ger their allergies because of the a la carte system.

Food Services also makes sure to offer a variety of regular, non-allergenic foods that students are able to take advantage of.

Additionally, if students feel that Food Services could offer more then they are always welcome to approach the department.

According to Cline, Food Services determines what to offer based on how students spend their money, yearly benchmark surveys and conversations with students.

“A perfect example of how these three resources work together is the tofu scramble available at breakfast in Rivers Street Café,” Cline said. “A student emailed us asking if the tofu scramble was something we would try. We considered her request and found that we had the ingredients already, so there would not be an added cost of acquiring a new product from our distributor, and we could make and serve it in conjunction with the pre-existing breakfast items. At first we tried having a full pan on the line, but we were not selling a full pan’s worth every morning. So, we moved it to a half pan, which met the demand. Tofu scramble is now a successful daily menu item.”

It is very apparent that the individuals running Food Services care deeply about making sure that students with limited or restricted diets are accommodated.

They offer a wide variety of options and resources for students with these diets, and they do their best to keep up-to-date with their needs.

DAILY DEALS

This page is a service of the Division of Student Affairs in support of The Appalachian news organization.

monday

Cafe Portofino - half off wings, $2 drafts, $3 21st Amendment cans Elevation 3333 - 45 cent traditional wings, 55 cent boneless wings Galileo’s - $5 local burger and beverage The Rock - 50 cent wings, $1.25 Fatty Natty bottles, $1 Keystone 16 oz. can, $4 house well drinks Sagebrush - 99 cent margaritas

tuesday

Elevation 3333 - $1.50 tacos, $2 premium tacos, $2 quesadillas, $3 burritos, $1.50 chips and salsa Los Arcoiris - $2 off taqueria menu, $2.49 house tequila shots Macado’s - $7.25 speciality burgers with side Pepper’s - $2 fish tacos after 5 p.m., $6 PBR pitchers, $2 off margaritas The Rock - 50 cent wings, $1.25 Fatty Natty bottles, $1 Keystone 16 oz. can, $4 house well drinks

wednesday

Cafe Portofino - half price pizzas, pickles and bottles of house wine, $3 well drinks Carolina Pizza Co. - $2 glasses of wine Elevation 3333 - $2 hot dogs, $2 corn dogs, $3 mini corn dog basket, $3.50 footlong hot dogs Mellow Mushroom - $2 slices, $3 pints 6-10 p.m.

Rivers Street Ale House - half off fish and chips, $1 Bud draft, $2 Yuengling draft, $3 house drinks TApp Room - $2 soft tacos, $2 Corona, $4 margaritas

thursday

Macado’s - 39 cent boneless wings, half off spinach and artichoke dip 4-9 p.m.

Pepper’s - $2 off flatbread pizzas, $6 PBR pitchers Rivers Street Ale House - 49 cent wings, $5 Bud pitchers, $3 house vodka drinks Sagebrush - $15.99 all you can eat ribs TApp Room - $6 burgers, $2 Miller Lite bottles, $3 Hoegaarden bottles, $3 house vodka drinks

friday

Cafe Portofino - half price fish tacos, $2 domestic bottles, $2.50 Coronas Elevation 3333 - 45 cent traditional wings, 55 cent boneless wings Macado’s - $3.95 con queso, $3.95 cinnamon rolls Pepper’s - $1 off meatball subs The Rock - 50 cent wings, $1.25 Fatty Natty bottles, $1 Keystone 16 oz. can, $4 house well drinks 15

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