|
Livermush: A True Regional Treat
Do you know what livermush is? No? That’s OK! I had never heard of livermush until news of the Marion, NC annual Livermush Festival prompted my friend Matt to start raving about how much he loves this thing called livermush.
When I asked him to clarify the concept, he first inquired of me, “Do you know what scrapple is?” Yes! I do know what scrapple is, Matt, and your very question explains what livermush must be: leftover bits of offal (a.k.a. animal guts), bread crumbs and spices all chopped up and mixed together, (hopefully) fried to within an inch of its life, and usually served with eggs, bread and whatever else ya got goin’ on at the time.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner — ain’t no wrong time to eat offal!
Unless, of course, you hate organ meats, which I do not — but I used to, so I feel ya. But for those of us who don’t mind, and indeed enjoy eating offal, livermush is a true regional treat!
Where can one find it? Well, grocery stores for one, or you can go to the Marion Livermush Festival, but that only happens once a year and it’s way out in Marion! Here in Asheville, we just gotta keep an eye out for it, because it seems to come and go somewhat sporadically from restaurant menus. So I tend to grab it whenever I see it, and last week I saw it at Bhramari Brewing Company, which is one of my favorite eating venues! It. Was. Awesome.
Made with local livermush, this “livermush grilled cheese” sandwich was served on house-made rye bread with house-made American & Moody Bleu cheese, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, yellow mustard aioli and crispy potatoes on top. This sandwich was a 6-napkin, fork-n-knifer for sure, and I had to kind of deconstruct it to get a handle on it. But — as usual with Bhramari — the flavors, textures, quality of ingredients and skilled execution of creative ideas were all on-point.
I enjoyed this fancy-pants version of a grilled cheese and livermush sandwich very much, and it reaffirmed my love of this venue once again. The cozy, casual, bustling atmosphere, and excellent, friendly service combined with their very impressive kitchen creations make Bhramari a true Asheville gem. Their take on livermush was great, and from what I hear their beer is real good, too! (Congrats to Bhramari Biermeister Gary on his recent wins at the 2019 Beer Wars.)
Find all the food specials, new menu additions, events and more from Bhramari Brewing Company by checking out their Dig Local Profile.
|
