A new biscuit and doughnut spot, Asheville Biscuitry, opened Jan. 13, taking over Dough’s former location on Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville. Brian Thornton, chef and managing partner of the fast casual restaurant, says he’s excited to open the new venture with owner Marcus Fincham.
“We are making sweet and savory offerings based on our scratch-made biscuits, doughnuts and buns,“ says Thornton, whose 14-year career specializing in pastry and savory foods has taken him all over the world. The focus of Asheville Biscuitry, says Thornton, is on “making small, frequent batches to keep things fresh.”
The menu is still in the process of being fine-tuned as the new eatery finds its audience, but it promises a rotation of doughnuts in specialty flavors. The lemon-poppy seed doughnut was a hit during the soft opening week, says Thornton, and will make a return to the specials menu on a regular basis.
Breakfast is served all day, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The basic breakfast doughnut, a sandwich offered for under $4, includes a fried egg, candied bacon and cheddar cheese.
A good deal for those on a budget is the free house doughnut (plain glazed) with the purchase of a coffee. Specialty doughnuts range in price from $1.49 for a chocolate-glazed to $1.89 for a gluten-free or crème-filled doughnut.
Lunch service begins at 11 a.m. and includes more savory options such as the Amped-Up BBQ Pork. The griddled biscuit sandwich, which sells for $6.49, is rubbed with locally roasted coffee, seared and served with sweet-potato hash and a coffee sriracha aioli.
Thornton points out the space’s amenities, including a deck in front so customers can watch the buns bake, and an entire room that has been transformed into a viewing area for observing the doughnuts being proofed and prepared.
Beyond the process and ingredients, there is one very noticeable thing about Asheville Biscuitry’s baked goods: The biscuits and doughnuts are square. “It just makes sense,” Thornton explains. “There’s no scraps to get tough when [the dough is] reworked; there’s very little waste when you cut them this way. … And they look really neat, too.”
Asheville Biscuitry is open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday at 372 Merrimon Ave.
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