Small Bites: Dining Out For Life celebrates 10 years

Where will you Dine Out For Life this year? On Thursday, April 26, Asheville and surrounding communities will join 55 other cities across the country and in Canada for the annual benefit for HIV and AIDS research and outreach programs. On that day, participating WNC restaurants will donate 20 percent of their gross sales to the Western North Carolina AIDS Project. DOFL is the largest annual fundraiser supporting the mission of WNCAP; last year’s efforts attracted more than 10,000 patrons and raised $138,000, a new record for donations in the area. Asheville ranks fifth in the nation for total funds raised each year. Considering the size of other participating cities — places like Baltimore, Seattle, Chicago and Boston, just to name a few — that’s pretty amazing. What’s more, we may just cross the $1 million mark this year. And that, Asheville, is putting your money where your mouth is.

Here's the list of participating restaurants; make your reservations while you can. For more information, visit http://www.diningoutforlife.com.

12 Bones (Arden and Asheville), The Admiral, The Asheville Public, Avenue M, Baja Kitchen, Battery Park Book Exchange, Bavarian Restaurant & Biergarten, Black Mountain Bistro, Blue Mountain Pizza, Blue Water Seafood (Asheville and Hendersonville), Boca, Bouchon*, Burgermeister's, Cafe Azalea, Carmel's, Chai Pani, Champa, Chef's Table, Chorizo, Circle In The Square, City Bakery Cafe, City Lights Cafe, Clingman Cafe, Corner Kitchen, Cucina 24, Cúrate, Cyprus, Doc Chey's Noodle House, Fig, Fresh Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta, Frog's Leap Public House, Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe, Grove House (after party), Guadalupe Cafe, The Hop, Jack of Hearts, Jack of the Wood, Jerusalem Garden Cafe, Joey's Pancake House, Jongo Java, The Junction, Laughing Seed Cafe*, Laurey's Catering*, Lexington Avenue Brewery, Limones, Luella's Bar-B-Que, Madison Inn, The Magnetic Field, Mamacita's, Marco's Pizzeria (north and south), The Market Place, Mayfel's, Mela, Mellow Mushroom, Modesto Trattoria, Morning Glory Cafe, Mosaic Cafe, Mrs. G & Me, Neo Burrito, Neo Cantina, Nine Mile, Nona Mia/Pizzeria Ritrovo, Noodle Shop, Old Stone Inn Moutain Lodge, Ole's Guacamoles, Over Easy Cafe, Pack's Tavern, Panacea Coffeehouse & Roastery, Pescado's Burritos, Plant, Pomodoros, Posana Cafe, Purple Onion, Rankin Vault, Rezaz Mediterrean Cuisine*, Rise 'n Shine Cafe, Salsa's, Sazerac, Sisters McMullen, Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro, The
Southern Kitchen & Bar, Square 1 Bistro, Stoney Knob Cafe, Storm Rhum Bar, Strada, Sunny Point Cafe, Suwana's Thai Orchid, Table, Three Chopt Sandwich Shoppe, Travinia Italian Kitchen, Tupelo Honey downtown* (and South), Two Guys Pizza and Ribs, Urban Burrito (east and north), Village Wayside Grill, Vincenzo's Ristorante*, Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian*, Well Bred Bakery, West First Pizza, Westville Pub.

*Denotes restaurants whose owners who have participated for the past 10 years