Although many of the region’s community-minded food businesses and breweries are known for their support of charities and causes, some were designed from the very beginning with a higher calling in mind.
New in the neighborhood: Growing North Asheville restaurant scene targets locals
Four food and beverage businesses with diverse concepts will launch in the neighborhood this spring.
Small bites: Chai Pani reopens with a fresh look
After eight years, Chai Pani’s original downtown Asheville location has gotten a makeover. Also: Asheville Food Truck Showdown returns; Villagers hosts a fermentation workshop; Women Vinters Wine Dinner comes to Golden Fleece; Clyde’s Burger Stop opens and Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. says farewell to its popular lunch buffet.
Beer Scout: Nantahala and Whiteside expand Jackson County’s brewing scene
The breweries join Innovation and Balsam Falls in the county industry’s focus on the local market.
Weaving the web: Diverse connections strengthen WNC’s local food network
The growing network of relationships that comprises WNC’s local food system is far more complex than just farmer and buyer.
Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings March 13-19
**UPDATED MARCH 14** Asheville breweries celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Wedge at Foundation hosts Bike of the Irish, Burial welcomes 3 Floyds and more local beer news.
Small bites: Fractals Coffee Shop and Cafe opens in West Asheville
Fractals Coffee Shop and Cafe brings something completely different to Haywood Road this week. Also, the inaugural Hendersonville Restaurant Week, African Friendship Dinner at Folkmoot; THE BLOCK Off Biltmore’s first vegan mac and cheese cook-off and Asheville Humane Society hosts 15th annual Dine To Be Kind.
Mountain roots: Asheville digs into the culinary uses of kudzu
Although originally lauded for its ability to stop erosion, kudzu fell from grace when its vigorous vines started to take over the landscape of the South. But a group of Asheville permaculture enthusiasts choose to view the plant in a more favorable light.
Small bites: Rezaz hosts a grand reopening
After a major renovation, Rezaz has reopened with a new look and a fresh menu. Also: Noble Cider holds its third annual Chili Cookoff, The Inn on Biltmore Estate earns accolades, Gan Shan West hosts Sunday Japanese izakaya pop-ups and Edna’s of Asheville has closed.
Local chefs battle it out at the 2018 Asheville Wing War
This year’s offerings from the 11 competing kitchens ran the gamut from classic Buffalo wings to puréed fruit-topped concoctions.
Carolina Beer Guy: The Casual Pint joins busy South Asheville scene
Part of a Knoxville, Tenn.-based franchise chain, The Casual Pint is the latest southside outpost for draft and packaged beer.
Groups dynamic: WNC cooking schools turn up the heat with culinary team-building experiences
Many area cooking schools now offer programming that caters to meeting planners and organizations looking for an outside-the-box option for team building.
To-go box revival: How to turn restaurant leftovers into new meals
This new series challenges local chefs to help combat food waste by offering innovative strategies for rejuvenating restaurant leftovers.
Small bites: Karen Washington uses food to connect the dots
The 2014 James Beard Leadership Award-winner Karen Washington will lead a workshop in anticipation of the Organic Growers School spring conference. Also, Food Connection hosts Chefs in Action; Curragh Chase pop-up dinner at Summit Coffee; White Labs Kitchen & Tap debuts fermentation series; Hickory Nut Gap Farm hosts whole hog butchery class; and James Beard Award semifinalists are announced.
Prehistoric Asheville
ASHEVILLE
Nuts in the kitchen: Acornucopia Project envisions an edible future for WNC
A network of local chefs, bakers and food artisans is working with the regional collective to develop innovative culinary uses for WNC’s native tree nuts.
Small bites: The Wine & Oyster debuts in Biltmore Village
Formerly Virgola, The Wine & Oyster offers an expanded menu. Also this week: Cúrate holds a five-course wine dinner, Dobra Tea leads a class on oolong tea, the Asheville Truffle Experience returns and East Fork Pottery hosts a French Broad Chocolates workshop and more.
Not just for tourists: Asheville’s hotel restaurants bring their A game
Thanks to Asheville’s reputation as a food destination, many area hotels have stepped up their restaurant game in recent years with models that bring in the talents of well-known Western North Carolina chefs and highlight locally grown ingredients. And these hot spots aren’t just trying to woo tourists — there’s also a move toward catering to a local customer base. […]
Small bites: Southern history at Buxton Hall Barbecue
On Sunday, Feb. 18, Buxton Hall Barbecue will host Celebrating the Culinary Journey of the South: A Dinner Conversation with John T. Edge. Also: Haywood Common opens in West Asheville; Rezaz closes for renovations; and more in this week’s Small Bites.
The surprising health benefits of WNC’s fermented foods
“Here’s to celebrating this important and diverse technique of food production in hopes that its products continue to proliferate locally for the health and well-being of everyone.”
Area health and wellness experts weigh in on raw foods diets
Going raw can offer health benefits, but the diet also presents challenges.