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Havarti?
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Yes, I could dig it.
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While I waited for the food, I checked out the back of the store where Tupelo Honey Cafe hawks their homestyle wares: preserves, pickles, salsa, honey, t-shirts, aprons and all sorts of mini-advertisements for the restaurant.
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I've visited plenty of farm-to-fork restaurants, and this one may be the best I've seen at self-marketing.
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There's nothing wrong with it: the food in those jars is probably delicious, though I question whether the $10 tupelo honey had to come from Florida or if it's produced locally.
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Some of that is surely due to good marketing, but the real reason for its popularity is this:
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That sandwich was so good, I found myself eating slower and slower with each bite to savor it more completely.
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The potatoes were light and un-greasy; the flavors were perfectly balanced; the chicken was juicy and rich; and let's be honest here, I'm always happier eating dead animals when I know they've lived a good life.
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I found myself silently thanking the chicken for its delicious contribution.
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I will never forget you.
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I stopped eating halfway through, not because I was full.
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I stopped so I could take the rest home and taste it again later.
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On another topic, I made a discovery there in the Tupelo Honey Cafe, one which I'd like to share with you now.
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If you're going to a busy restaurant and want great service, bring a camera.
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Take a few photos of the menu, the kitchen, the food.
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No sooner had I taken the above photo, when a server (not even my server) appeared at my elbow.
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But.
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Now, I'm not saying the service before my camera-flash was bad, because it was awesome.
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When I'd posted on Facebook that I was coming to town, no fewer than three people told me I just had to visit the Tupelo Honey Cafe .
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But wow, it sure improved once I appeared to be some sort of food critic or travel writer.
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Which, it just so happens, I am.
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But even if you're not, try this out sometime.
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I can't guarantee it'll work, but I personally will do it againand probably back it up with a stellar review, just like the one I've given the Tupelo Honey Cafe.
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Everybody wins.
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Okay, that's it!
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I could talk about Asheville for weeks, but it's time to move on.
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So I checked their website, and instantly fell in love:
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"Tupelo Honey Café opened in downtown Asheville in 2000, an early pioneer in the farm to fork movement and an active advocate for the independent restaurant landscape that pervades the city.
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"Tupelo Honey Café opened in downtown Asheville in 2000, an early pioneer in the farm to fork movement and an active advocate for the independent restaurant landscape that pervades the city. Our food is fresh, made from scratch, sassy and scrumptious. Our cuisine salutes our love of Southern traditions at the table, but like the good people of Asheville, marches to its own drum. The result is a unique riff on Southern favorites."
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Our food is fresh, made from scratch, sassy and scrumptious.
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Our cuisine salutes our love of Southern traditions at the table, but like the good people of Asheville, marches to its own drum.
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The result is a unique riff on Southern favorites."
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tupelohoneycafe.com
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I was convinced but I wasn't alone.
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It started in 2001, when Andrew would ride around town pulling bikes out of dumpsters.
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He started hosting work parties with friends in his backyard, teaching them to fix their bikes and helping them get started riding.
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Slowly but surely, the circle grew and Andrew's backyard parties became weekly workshops.
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When Andrew decided to leave town for a few years' schooling in NYC, friends and cohorts took over operations.
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These days it's an established club, run by volunteers and donations, turning trashed bikes into treasures.
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Its influence now includes a legitimate downtown storefront; a sister shop in Albany ( Albany Bicycle Coalition ); movie screenings and pro-cycling political events; and a dedicated core crew that keeps everything rolling.
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TBR's customers run the gamut, from businessmen to street kids to college students to families.
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The one thing they have in common?
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This group understands the value of a bicycle: more than just transportation, a bike is a statement against fossil fuels.
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More than a toy, it's an equalizer that allows poor kids to ride with rich.
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More than a hobby, it's a way of traveling through the world that lets you interact, use your muscles, breathe fresh air -- all for the cost of a free dumpster bike.
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Remember when you got your first bike?
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When I visited the TBR shop, it was packed with frames, wheels, gears, chains, handlebars, kids, and anarchist art (the space is being donated by some supporters who are also anti-capitalist activists).
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TBR hosts workshops twice a week.
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Tools are available, and volunteers will help with advice and knowledge.
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Was it a Christmas present, or maybe a birthday gift?
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Parts can be had for a pittance, and you can pick out your own bike from the stacks and racks of machines filling the space.
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The main focus of TBR, however, is not selling bikes.
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The idea is to give people a workspace and teach them how to maintain their own bicycle.
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All around me, college students and bike punks tinkered with their machines.
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An older man asked for tips on tuning his racer.
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A young kid came in to say his last bike was stolen and he needed a new one (and, despite Andrew's stern reprimand that he couldn't just walk in every week and leave with a free bike, he did just that).
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A dad came in with his three kids, all of whom left with snazzy rides -- but first, they all sat down and worked on their new wheels together.
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"I love what you do,"
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"I love what you do," she said.
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"I have a whole bunch of bikes to give you."
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See, ultimately TBR is about more than just bicycles.
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It's about building community, and triggering a quiet but inexorable social movement.
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This is not the world's first bike collective; in fact it's only one of many that have stealthily sprung up around America.
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These collectives are not waiting for change to happen: they're creating it through small, positive, peaceful actions.
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Well, these days, most kids want an Xbox for their birthday; their parents ride around in cars with seatbelts, talking on their phones .
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You too can change the world: all you have to do is ride a bike.
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Try This at Home: Ride Around
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Fall is here, which (in most places) means great riding weather.
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What are you waiting for?
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Bikes are cheap: you can get one at your local thrift store for $5-50.
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It doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough to get you places.
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So pick one up, and ride it to the end of your block!
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Then keep going!
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Even if your life requires four wheels, you can use a bike for local errands.
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Ride it to the corner store when you need milk, instead of driving across town to the grocery store.
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(Don't like the milk they sell?
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Tell the store owner what you like, and see if he'll carry it.
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Now you're changing the world.)
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On weekends, instead of driving to the park, hop on your bike and go exploring.
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It doesn't have to be a workout: you can just toodle around town and look at stuff.
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Or, if you're a gym buff, trade a workout for a bike ride.
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Save the World, Ride a Bike a visit to Troy Bike Rescue
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Unless you live on a major highway, odds are you can ride straight from your front porch to someplace interesting.
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It's cheaper, and much better for the local flora&fauna.
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Still not convinced?
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Then think of it this way: by riding your bike instead of driving your car, you're reducing your consumption of fossil fuels.
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You can even calculate the money you save on gas, and keep it in a jar for a rainy day.
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Cycling is a thing of the past: a sport, a hobby, but rarely a mode of transportation.
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Want to get involved?
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Can't find a bike community?
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Karen Turnbull 01. Oct, 2009 at 12:54 pm
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what a great article, i will be passing it on.
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In the meantime you might like this blog post i cam across: http://blog.sophianetwork.org.uk/2009/09/women-tackling-climate-change.htm
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Raggedy Annarchy 01. Oct, 2009 at 12:59 pm
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Even kept Pansy in the basket as my Toto.
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One of my dear friends who can't drive to due to combat injuries had her ride stolen while we were sharing a beer in broad daylight last weekend.
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But I'm here to tell you: riding your bike is still fun, and still fast, and it's the cheapest and most socially responsible workout you'll ever get .
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Shame, shame.
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I passed along this article to her, and she suggest that when we start our own bike rescue, we'll do like the U.S. in East Timor did and graffiti Delta Bike Rescue on all the chassis.
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This post is the first of a three-part series on bike culture.
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