Move along little froggie: Mr. Frog’s Soul and Creole Kitchen closes in advance of renovations

Mr. Frog's Soul and Creole Kitchen is going away, but owners Vijay Shastri and Holly McFarling will likely be back with a new restaurant. The last dinner at Mr. Frog’s will take place on New Year’s Eve.

The South Market Street eatery is closing up to make way for the Eagle Market Place mixed-use development that will include affordable housing and retail space. Mountain Housing Opportunities and Eagle Market Streets Development will carry out the project.

Shastri says he knew when he opened Mr. Frog's in May that he would have to close for the construction. “This project was set to happen regardless,” he says. “We were thinking we were going to have a little bit more time, but, regardless, we knew it was coming.”

Before Mr. Frog's, Shastri owned The Flying Frog Café downtown from 1996 until 2011 (his family has headed Asheville favorites, such as The Windmill, now closed, since the early ‘80s). With that long-term commitment to Asheville's hospitality industry, it's hard to imagine he'll be without a restaurant long. Shastri is already brainstorming ideas for his next venture. “I am still very much planning on being able to come back and do something a little bit more in the realm that I do,” he says.

That realm definitely involves wine, he adds. He's certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers and maintains an extensive personal wine collection. “Wine is just like anything else: You stop doing it, you start losing too much too quickly,” he says. “That's why I'm going to Highlands, the wine stuff and to get back into dining.”

Shastri has taken a job at Paoletti's in Highlands, a mountaintop resort town about 75 miles southwest of Asheville. He hopes to organize an Asheville-to-Highlands trip in early 2013 so his customers and friends can check out his new job.

He has high hopes for the neighborhood he will leave behind. He wants to see the intersection of Eagle and South Market streets become a vibrant cultural center. “My hopes for this neighborhood are that this area becomes our little ethnic center, loaded full of international businesses and things of that sort.” He imagines European grocery stores, tiendas and soul food restaurants filling the storefronts when the renovations subside.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.