Today I’m delighted to offer you TWO GIVEAWAYS and tell you about my fantastic find…
The first giveaway is a $40.00 credit graciously given by CSN Stores. CSN sells nearly everything known to man, from office furniture to baby gear to heavy-duty kitchen appliances. If you need it, they have it. Make sure to check out their fabulous deals!
Giveaway #2 is for Asheville Locals! One lucky eater will win a $25.00 gift certificate to Fresh Wood Fired Pizza, a new local joint creating quite a buzz…
There’s an on-going argument in Asheville of who makes “The Best Pizza.” Several local pubs and Italian restaurants vie for this title, but of course “best” is an evasive concept. After all, perception is one’s reality. So let’s speak in terms of “special” instead of best, shall we?
One of my favorite hobbies is stumbling across new restaurants. I’m always on the lookout for something special, unique…inspired.
Not long ago, we stumbled into FRESH Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta in Black Mountain, NC, just outside of Asheville. This serene little village is known in our region for its pristine views, family values, and reverent support of local artists and entrepreneurs. Downtown Black Mountain consists of boutiques, ice cream parlors, wine shops and fantastic restaurants. It would appear Fresh owner, Mark Tomczak, chose the right place to settle!
Mark first moved to North Carolina to further his education as an artist. He attended our renowned Penland School of Arts and Crafts, studying pottery for two years with the dream of opening a gallery. He pursued this dream for 12 years in Old Fort, North Carolina before another dream emerged. After a trip to Rome with his wife, he discovered a new passion…the art of pizza.
September 2010, Mark’s two dreams collided at the grand opening of Fresh Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta. This casual pizza kitchen embodies his love for food and love for art. Complete with a wood-fire oven imported from Italy and an assortment of Mark’s pottery on display; this establishment is “hand-crafted” in every sense.
We walked in the door and were instantly greeted by the aroma of rising yeast and artisan cheeses wafting out of a massive fireplace. I watched pizza dough skillfully tossed in the air and then stretched as thin as a windowpane. The menu consists of pizzas with an unapologetic less-is-more attitude. Each pizza is layered with a few meticulously selected ingredients. After a trip into the fire, the pizzas arrived at our table piping hot with a blistered bubbly crust. I had to pause a moment to gaze at these glorious creations before devouring them. This was truly inspired pizza, made by the hands of an artist!
Mark not only has a strong culinary background, but his staff are masters of their craft as well. Baker Edward Clarey has been baking as long as he can remember and developed a spectacular gluten-free pizza crust that rivals the wheat crust. Every morning he bakes an assortment of hearty rustic breads for those that need a daily “Fresh” fix at home.
Fresh Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta is definitely worth a trip to Black Mountain. Mark Tomczak’s pursuit of simplistic perfection is a rarity to behold…and taste!
To Enter either GIVEAWAY: (Giveaway Now Closed!)
1. Leave a friendly comment!
2. For a second chance to win, SUBSCRIBE by Email, RSS, Facebook or Twitter.
3. For a third and fourth chance to win, Tweet this post or post it on your Facebook page. Leave a separate comment for each.
Fine Print…
US residents only.
If you live within one hour of Asheville, mark your comment “NC” so you will be entered into BOTH drawings!
The winners will be selected by random drawing and announced February 27th.
Good Luck!
The “Fun Guy” Pizza on a Gluten-Free Crust.
The pizza looks great!! Too bad I’m not local for that one
.
i am not local, but it looks fab!
Mmm…sounds tasty….I’ll check them out this week
I had FRESH for the first time last fall. Oh so good! NC
Subscribed on Facebook and Twitter… NC
… and retweeted! (@abbyleighanne) NC
Looks simply divine! I can’t wait to try FRESH! (NC)
Followed you on twitter and retweeted! NC
Lovely! I’d like to win the CSN certificate.
Thanks for the chance.
That pizza looks delicious! Wish I was local and could try it.
I subscribe via twitter
I tweeted this on Twitter
Wood oven pizza… ohhh wow!!!!!!! it is so delicious!!.. and the pictures are super cool!!.. and the garlic… oh the garlic hahahaha speechless!
oh oh oh.. this is my kind of pizza, thick dough… lots of garlic… I do not like thin crust pizza… I had dominos… the other day and..well..um, it was the “brooklyn” style that they were selling here.. um….we will just leave it at that.
Subscribed to your blog!
Thank you for offering the giveaways! I might have to make NC my next trip just to try out Fresh. That pizza looks mouthwatering!!
I LOVE wood fired pizza, and was thrilled to find a place near us that specializes in making unique pizzas in wood burning ovens.
I also follow your blog via the RSS feed!
Great giveaways! Thanks for reminding me to check out Black Mountain for food–they seem to be getting more interesting restaurants these days. I really appreciate you mentioning the gluten-free option. We’ve got family and friends for whom that’s essential. To a native Chicagoan, none of the pizza joints around here measure up to what we consider true pizza, but wood-fired pizzas are usually a tasty placeholder until we can find the real thing. NC.
Might fly 2,000 miles in your direction if I win the pizza voucher! I love, love, love Colorado, the mountains, the high plains, and everything in between. But every now and then I miss my old Appalachian haunts. Spent a good amount of time in Asheville when we lived in Hotlanta. Great escape from that crazy city.
Anyway … did you know … you can simulate a wood-fired pizza in your own home if you break the lock on your oven door and then bake the ‘za on the self-cleaning setting? DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!! But it works. The self-cleaning setting basically turns your oven up to around 1000°. So you can bake a pizza in around 90 seconds. Cheers!
Already do the RSS, email, and FB thingy.
And posted to my FB.
Those pizzas look yummy. Until now my favorites are still at APB, but mind you theirs are not going in a fancy italian oven as far as I know. NC
Oh, girl, I LOVE wood-fired pizza!! Next time we travel to Asheville (hopefully this summer with the Doberhound!) we’ll be sure to put in on our list!! I wish I had a brick oven in my kitchen- I’d never eat anything else!
Now I wish I lived close to this amazing pizza place! I am a huge fan of wood fired pizzas and these look absolutely delicious! Great giveaway!
I am a follower on Twitter!
And facebook!
And I tweeted it out too! Whew! Love this!
Unfortunately, I don’t live near Asheville….. this pizza place looks fabulous! They tray of garlic sold me!
Wood fire cooked pizza is incredibly tasty. Great photos.
Wow! Gorgeous pizza! I wish I lived there to go and visit:)What a fun giveaway, Sommer:)Hope you enjoyed this long weekend.
Those pizzas look amazing!!!! We’re drooling…
I love pizza and these look soooooo deliscious!
I subscribe to all!
Oh my, that looks fantastic. Now it’s only 9am and I’m already craving pizza! That’s ok, right?
I tweeted about his giveaway
You’re making me so hungry with all that delicious looking pizza! I had to tell you Sommer, we made your chili verde last night.. it was one of the best meals we’ve ever had.. thanks for the fantastic recipes!!
I’m not local either but given our recent snowstorm, I wish I was! We have a grand wood-fired pizza restaurant about 30 minutes away which we visit regularly. It’s so good it’s worth the commute. Yours looks grand. How nice the owner has been able to pursue dreams.
That pizza looks out of this world. I wish I were in Ashville….
Just tweeted too!
That looks amazing!! YUM I love wood fired pizza, has such an awesome flavor!
OH that looks so wonderful. What a great place to eat.
What gorgeous photos! Too bad the giveaway is for U.S. residents only. Makes me want to move back to the U.S.!
What gorgeous photos, Sommer! Can I be considered local if I’d give the pizza gift certificate to my brother who lives in Charlotte and travels to Asheville regularly on business? I have a feeling he’d love this pizza!
Well, too bad I don’t live in Asheville cause that looks like a super good pizza that I would like to try! Oh well, I guess I have to keep making my own
pls consider this my friendly comment…and wish I lived closer to that pizza!
I love wood fired pizza..too bad it a bit too far
The pizzas look awesome…and great photos as well 
Have a great week ahead.
yum! the pizza looks great!
Pizza is just plain good….any way you top it.
The pizza looks very good! I wish I lived closer to win….
I live in Asheville and I CANNOT wait to make the trek out to black mountain to try this pizza!!!!
I am tagging my post NC as I will be visiting in May and would love to check this place out.
You always have the best recipes, and I really enjoying the interesting info that accompanies them! Your personality really shines through!!
My husband is from NC- will definitely check them out when we go home to visit!!
I love csn! Thanks for the giveaway.
NC
Sommer- We discovered this pizza jewel last month- yum! I am glad they are doing so well. I love that I can support them as a local restauranteur and potter! Please enter me in the drawing- we’d love an excuse to go back soon!
I already am a subscriber- love getting your recipes in my inbox!
Oooh! That pizza looks so good!! We will definitely have to try this place out for date night!! NC
That is some pretty pizza, that’s for sure!
I love pizza in general but wood-fired is definitely the best!!
I just recently discovered your site and subscribed via email.
Thanks for having a great giveaway.
tahearn at roadrunner dot com
always a sucker for a good pizza & excited to hear about a place in Blk Mtn I haven’t tried.- NC
That looks wonderful! I wish I loved close enough by to try that pizza, but I’m definitely out of state!
Those pizzas sure look incredible, wish I was local
Thanks so much for the chance! Wow those pictures are delicious!
I shared these giveaways on fb here http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=143799742349781&id=1449584700
I like you on fb as Dee G
Heyya!
Lovely post and even more lovelier giveaways!
Thanks for the chance to win!
mehnaz(dot)kapadia(at)gmail(dot)com
I am already subscribed to ur updates via mail!
mehnaz(dot)kapadia(at)gmail(dot)com
Tweeted!
@NaaZuk
http://twitter.com/#!/NaaZuk/status/39897311228198912
mehnaz(dot)kapadia(at)gmail(dot)com
I live in Asheville ,NC so I will have to visit Fresh Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta in Black Mountain, NC!!!
Great giveaway! Makes me wish I lived in Asheville LOL
I love pizza and your new parlor sounds wonderful! Your photos are beautiful!
I am a subscriber to your email notifications!!
Just sent a tweet for this give away!!
wood-fired pizzas—wow, sigh not in US
Those pizza’s look delectable!
Wow Sommer that’s great, the pizza looks amazing.
Looks Delicious
Yummy
Looks Delicious
Yummy Amazing
Love the picture of the man flipping the pizza base!
The pizza looks mouth-watering! Great review.
I follow your Facebook page (FB name: Maddie Brubaker).
Here’s my tweet – http://twitter.com/#!/shala_darkstone/status/39991734272393216
I shared this giveaway on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/shala.darkstone/posts/190778870943728
Unfortunately, I do not live in NC to get any of that delicious pizza. I would like to be entered in the CSN giveaway!
That is mighty good looking pizza, makes me wish I were a local!
Will definitely add you to my RSS feed. Thanks for all the good eats!
-Kevin
Asheville, NC
That pizza looks awesome! Sadly, I’m in Boston….
Wow! Looks amazing! Wish I had smell-a-phone.
Have scheduled a trip to BM !
NC
NC The pizzas look amazing! Can’t wait to try one!!
Wonderful pizza. It looks delicious.
Wow, those pizzas looks awesome! I’m sad I don’t live closer, but we do have some pretty delicious pizza here in NYC too
mmmmm
I already subscribe to your feed and also am a fan on FB and follow you on Twitter… you could say that I’m stalking you
or not, haha.
those pizzas make me wish I lived closer. they look delicious.
already subscribed to your RSS feeds
just RT @ gringarl
Wow, that looks amazing. The last really good pizza I had was in Italy. ::sigh:: I’m not an hour away so I guess I can’t put the NC there, but I am pretty darn close.
I adore pizza. Your pictures were making me crave a fresh pie (and it is almost midnight!) Thanks for sharing, my friend. They all look scrumptious. Many blessings to you and yours!
Love CSN and that pizza looks AMAZING
Pizza is my all time fav- simply love the pics and all the delicious looking pizzas…
Oh my goodness, it’s 9:20 in the am and I could DOWN one of those pizzas right now. Sheesh.
Yummers
I have your Spicy Perspective “gadget” for igoogle. So your posts come to my homepage. Is that being subscribed? And did you know of this option?
Retweeted yours
What a fun local establishment. I have two foodie friends who have their own outdoor ovens, and wood fired pizza is incredible – BUT, I grill mine and that is also incredibly delicious (there are posts and a slide show about that on my site). have you tried it? YUM!!!! You absolutely must. Everyone is so intimidated at first, and when they see me demonstrate how to make it – VOILA: they are amazed!
Valerie
We lived in Black Mtn. for like 6 months and enjoyed it….Fresh pizza looks amazing
NC
Delicious looking pizza!! I am not salivating or anything over here,
just started following on twitter
I live in Black Mountain and I can attest to the quality of their pies. Yummy.
Can’t wait to try this one out!
Pizza looks yummy — nut we’re a it too far, so just enter me in the CSN contest, please!
Digicat {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I follow you on Twitter (Cezovski)
Digicat {at} sbcglobal {dot} net
Love to fly over if i win…
Not a pizza myself, hubby just joined daughter not so long ago, wish I can too but i don’t eat chesse! 
Mei
Oh wow these pizzas look gorgeous and Im not normally a fan of pizza, they look so rustic and filled with flavour!
I wish I lived near by for that delicious look pizza, but I would be happy with the CSN gift card
Thanks for the contest!
I follow you in my google reader and on twitter!
The pizza looks awesome! It is pretty rare to come across a place that has a real wood-burning oven. The smells, flavors, and crispness that comes out of those ovens is amazing–you can’t recreate that!
Thanks for this giveaway….yummy looking pizza…
I subscribe via email…..
Sommer have I told you yet how much I adore the new look of your blog?? I think I have told you, but I will just say it again: Completely wonderful. You know what else is completely wonderful? Pizza. I have been craving it and your post is making my mouth water! Can I move to Asheville and hang out with you?
Your review has me craving pizza…looks delicious, and both great giveaways!
Thanks so much for the giveaway! I love CSN stores and that pizza looks fabulous!
gina.m.maddox AT gmail DOT com
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/CrazyItalian0/status/41221981034516480
gina.m.maddox AT gmail DOT com
I am an RSS Subscriber!
gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=191171314246455&id=100001464938109
shared on FB
gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com
The pizza looks yummy! Wish I was local to eat it.
danielleaknapp at gmail dot com
The pizza looks so good! I am excited to see the gluten free pizza! Yay! I want to win! We live in AVL.
Love Fresh! So glad that we have this in Black Mtn! They do an incredible job of mixing delicious flavors with a great dough…lucky to live a mile away!!
I have been there several times. Their pizza is delicious!! I love the atmosphere and the food! If you are ever in black mountain don’t miss this treat!
Love this pizza. I have been there several times. THe food is good and the atmosphere! If you are ever in black mountain.. don’t skip it!
Had Thanksgiving celebration @ the Fresh with my son Chris and many wonderful friends!
The food is awesome/delicious and inviting to come back for more!
This Black Mtn Mama will be back for more:)