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When an award-winning Asheville chef decided to launch a restaurant, she returned to a rich community tradition.
Also, the popularity of weaving waxes and wanes. At the moment, it’s having a renaissance.
And, during Lent, Yugoslavian fish stew is a local favorite in Charleston, West Virginia.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
In This Episode:
- Good Hot Fish With Ashleigh Shanti
- Intergenerational Loom Weaving
- Mini Journalists With Major Confidence
- The Derailment That Never Ended
- How Flooding Impacts Substance Use Recovery
- Students Help Rehabilitate Turtles
- Sampling Yugoslavian Fish Stew In Charleston, W.Va.
Good Hot Fish With Ashleigh Shanti
Photo Credit: Mason Adams/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Tucked away at the edge of downtown Asheville is one of the city’s culinary gems. It’s called Good Hot Fish.
The small restaurant started as a pop-up. Now it’s got a permanent spot next to Burial Beer Company. Drop in and you’ll find the taste and vibes of an old-fashioned fish fry, with plates like the trout bologna sandwich and sides like stewed greens, baked mac n’ cheese and hush puppies.
Good Hot Fish is run by Ashleigh Shanti. In 2020, Shanti was a semi-finalist for the James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award.
Last year, she won a James Beard Foundation Media Award for her cookbook, Our South: Black Food Through My Lens. Recently, host Mason Adams stopped in at her restaurant for a catfish sandwich with a side of hot slaw and a conversation.
Intergenerational Loom Weaving
Photo courtesy of Louise Nuttle and the Overmountain Weavers Guild
Loom weaving has been around for thousands of years. With the industrial revolution, it became more often a hobby than an occupation, but there’s been a resurgence in interest. And experienced weavers have been working to make the craft more accessible to newcomers.
Weaver Toni Doman reported this story for the Rural Remix podcast from the Center for Rural Strategies.
Mini Journalists With Major Confidence
Each weekday morning in Chattanooga, Tennessee, fifth graders deliver the day’s news at Calvin Donaldson Elementary School. Their newscasts lean heavily on birthdays, the Pledge of Allegiance and school sports. But the kids are getting more — a chance to look at the news from the inside out.
Ian-Alijah Bey of Chattamatters shared their story. Special thanks to Mary Helen Montgomery at Chattamatters and Ray Bassett, host and producer of WUTC’s Scenic Roots for providing us with that story.
The Derailment That Never Ended
Courtesy of the National Transportation Safety Board
Three years after the Norfolk-Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, a lot of residents who were part of a successful lawsuit against the company still haven’t been paid.
The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsapple spoke with Katya Schwenk about her story for the Lever, “The Derailment That Never Ended.”
How Flooding Impacts Substance Use Recovery
Photo courtesy of the Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Clinic (SHCMHC)
During bad flooding events, people often find themselves stepping into new roles to become rescue, repair and recovery workers. That’s what happened in Oceana, a West Virginia town of about 1,200 people. The nonprofit One Voice operates a coffee shop and a warehouse, and helps with substance abuse recovery.
After the floods of February 2025, One Voice staff and volunteers stepped in to assist with the response to flooding. The challenges in trying to help were nothing like what they expected. WVPB’s Wendy Welch has more.
Students Help Rehabilitate Turtles
Photo Credit: Randi B. Hagi/WMRA
Some turtle patients from the Wildlife Center of Virginia are spending the winter at Bridgewater College. They’re not just living there – they’re also giving students hands-on experience with rehabilitation.
WMRA’s Randi B. Hagi reports.
Sampling Yugoslavian Fish Stew In Charleston, W.Va.
Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
During the 40 days of Lent, some people forego meat on Fridays in favor of fish. But getting a variety of fresh seafood is harder if you live in a landlocked state.
In Charleston, West Virginia, there’s General Steak and Seafood. Trucks arrive daily with salmon filets, swordfish, Chilean sea bass, scallops, Chesapeake Bay oysters and more. But if you want to taste a little of everything, pick up a bowl of the shop’s renowned Yugoslavian Fish Stew. What started as a way to use up some leftovers turned into a local favorite.
In 2023, Folkways reporter Zack Harold brought us this story.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hello June, Tim Bing, John Inghram and Blue Dot Sessions.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Chris Julin.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
