Food news to go: Attack of the new restaurants!

Four new eateries are opening in Asheville, adding even more depth to a burgeoning food scene. First, a creperie is opening on Haywood Street, directly next to Cafe Ello (across from Malaprops) and the Asheville Library. The new restaurant, the Twisted Crepe, is set to open on July 15, and will feature, obviously, crepes.

The owner, Dustin Pulliam, says that the restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner crepes, as well as dessert crepes at low prices. “Breakfast crepes will be around four dollars on average, lunch and dinner crepes will be around $6.99,” he says. Pulliam also reports that the restaurant will be open from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The Twisted Crepe will serve wine and beer, as well as coffee.

Brian Canipelli, owner of Cucina 24, has announced that he hopes to open his new sandwich shop, Cucina 24 Deli, before Bele Chere. The deli will be two doors down from Canipelli’s full-service restaurant at 28 Wall Street. The fare sounds right up the alley of sandwich enthusiasts. “It’s going to be butcher paper-wrapped sandwiches. We’re roasting all of our meats here, baking all of our breads here,” says Canipelli.

The deli will also be retailing some gourmet goods like olive oils, preserves and honey, says Canipelli. He also reports that the counter-service only eatery will serve lunch boxes with sandwiches and also trios of antipasti selections. Cucina 24 Deli will also offer delivery to restaurants downtown via Vespa. Canipelli reports that he is “almost 100 percent positive” that Cucina 24 Deli will be open seven days a week.

Some menu items include roasted turkey with figs, as well as a corned beef and sauerkraut on a marble rye that Canipelli calls “awesome.” The price will be “on the cheaper side,” with sandwiches running about six to eight dollars.

Canipelli also reports that Cucina 24 will no longer be open for lunch once Cucina 24 Deli opens.

HomeGrown, a locally-focused, seasonal foods restaurant, is opening in the building vacated by Picnics at 371 Merrimon Avenue. The concept, says Miki Kilpatrick, who is opening the restaurant with her husband Greg (formerly of Savoy and Rezaz), is “slow food right quick.” HomeGrown, she says, will feature a fast-casual environment, and will offer as many local foods as possible on the menu. “We’re going to try to hit a 90 percent bench mark, and do lots of canning and preserving to get us through the winter with local food,” she says. “We’re really trying to make it our mission to make local food affordable and convenient.”

Though that sounds like no small feat, Kilpatrick is taking the challenge in stride. “I grew up on a farm in Madison County putting up vegetables for the winter. That was just a part of life then.”

The restaurant has a patio for outdoor seating and “just shy of 50 seats inside.” The couple plans on offering curbside service, and eventually delivery. HomeGrown will be open in September, in order to hit harvest month, says Kilpatrick. The price point will remain under $10.

Some of the menu items include a burger with farmstead cheese and sundried tomato relish for $6.50, and sweet corn fritters with horseradish remoulade for $4. The restaurant will also offer an option to graze at the salad bar, with its selection of local veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds, as well as soups and breads, for only — get this — $5.

Finally, Moe’s Original Bar B Que is opening a location at 4 Sweeten Creek Rd. The restaurant serves up “all things Southern, Alabama BBQ.” Only time will tell whether the name of the restaurant will cause any confusion with the Moe’s Southwest Grill, located only a mile away. The restaurant will be open daily for lunch and dinner. For more information, visit the restaurant’s website.

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10 thoughts on “Food news to go: Attack of the new restaurants!

  1. Pixiedyke

    That looks like it should be Haywood St, not Road, in the first paragraph. Other than that, sounds sweet!

  2. LOKEL

    A sandwich for 6 to 8 dollars doesn’t sound cheap to me …. nor does a 7$ crepe.

  3. Dionysis

    “A sandwich for 6 to 8 dollars doesn’t sound cheap to me …. nor does a 7$ crepe.”

    Most anywhere else (at least in the South) those would be considered fairly high prices, but then again, this is Asheville. Regardless of what the item is (food or otherwise), you’ll pay a premium.

  4. dpewen

    That doesn’t sound high to me … seems very reasonable. I will gladly pay it.

  5. Michael Muller

    It’s not easy to find lunch downtown for under ten bucks. I had the Toulouse Crepe (duck confit with carmelized onions and other yummy stuff) and Bouchon’s signature fries. It was just great.

  6. Dionysis

    “It’s not easy to find lunch downtown for under ten bucks. I had the Toulouse Crepe (duck confit with carmelized onions and other yummy stuff) and Bouchon’s signature fries. It was just great.”

    In fact, it’s nearly impossible to find lunch for under $10. The prices for these crepes and sandwiches are certainly competitive for Asheville, but it’s all relative. It’s just that (in my experience), food (and other things) are a tad higher here than in other towns and cities not too distant. But I intend to try some of these new offerings as soon as I can (starting Saturday).

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