Blind Pig: Lusty Rai

Blind Pig's patrons are an intrepid bunch, they have to be!  Sunday evening found about 80 of them standing in the rain in front of the now derelict Fiddlin' Pig restaurant, looking very clandestine with their umbrellas and wine totes, waiting for a bus to take them away to dinner.  It would be hyperbole to describe the weather as monsoonish but at this point it had been raining steadily for 14 hours and they knew they were headed for an "outdoor" event.  After being delivered by the bus to a private driveway, a short walk through the woods and over a bridge they found themseleves entering the tent of the Lusty Rai dinner and worries were left at the door.

Ice Cream played ambient music while diners mingled, found their seats at the long tables or walked over the creek for a tour of the historic Douglas Ellington House upon who's grounds we were dining, offered through the generosity of the home's current owners and the Asheville Preservation Society, Blind Pig's charity of the evening.  The main tent was hung with images of India taken by Mehera Kleiner printed on fabric bordered in burlap. Lusty Monk mustard or "rai" was featured as well and guests were all given jars to take home.  As things settled down and folks got ready to eat this latest feast they were welcomed by Meherwan Irani of Chai Pani with a hearty Namaste Y'all!

In spite of the rain, and occasional gusts of woodsmoke from the adjacent "camp kitchen" tent, everyone chatted, laughed, drank and especially ate their way through 9 deliciously satisfying courses of traditional and street food styled dishes from Southern India thanks to the planning and hard work of the Chani Pani and Blind Pig staff and crew.

Plenty more photos are up at Blind Pig's Facebook Page.