October will see the second coming of King Daddy’s plus a new rotisserie chicken concept from Chai Pani Restaurant Group.
Cooking series combines family recipes, voting memories and election advice
An online cooking series from AARP North Carolina and Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement brings together three generations of women to promote safe voting options and share family recipes.
Warren Wilson College Farm expands its meat sales outlets
A partnership with the ASAP Farmers Market and a recently launched online sales platform are making the college’s pasture-raised meats more accessible to consumers.
Local cookbooks and chefs provide inspiration for cooler temperatures ahead
Spicy soups, baked apples, buckwheat pancakes and cheesy dips are some of the recipes Asheville chefs and cookbook authors lean into as cold weather approaches.
Food court: Restaurants serve memories that linger beyond the meal
Our beloved, memory-triggering local restaurants are deeply personal keepers of happy experiences.
What’s new, part 3: Soon-to-open and recently updated restaurants in WNC
Avenue M relaunches after a total refresh with a new chef; Griff’s Kitchen & Bar brings globally influenced contemporary American cuisine to Sand Hill Road; and Baked Pie Co. owner Kirsten Fuchs opens PB & Jay’s in Fletcher.
Asheville restaurants and food businesses are betting on the future
Tasty Greens, GRIND, Morsel Cookie Co. and Leo’s House of Thirst are among the many new food and beverage businesses opening this fall in Asheville.
Jewish Family Services breaks the Yom Kippur fast with breakfast for dinner
Sales of the catered Break Your Fast meals will support Jewish Family Services’ holiday meal program, which delivers kosher meals to isolated seniors.
Delayed but undaunted, new restaurants open for business
More than most new businesses, restaurants are vulnerable to vagaries beyond their control, and COVID-19 has created even more speed bumps on the path from “opening soon” to “now open.”
Okra 2020 mounts successful campaign to bring pods to the people
Though Slow Food Asheville’s original plans for Aunt Hettie’s Red went awry due to the pandemic, local farmers and chefs have still managed to experiment with the heritage okra variety.
MANNA FoodBank needs help to help others
While the community’s need continues to grow, the nonprofit’s pool of volunteers has declined.
ASAP expands Double SNAP program at weekly tailgate markets
The program, explains communications coordinator Sarah Hart, allows the market to make a 100 percent match on dollars spent through SNAP. “People swipe their SNAP card for $5 and get $10 in tokens to shop the market,” she says.
Asheville participates in Food Matters Project waste reduction initiative
“This initiative will help us gather information to better understand food waste reduction efforts and how we can best communicate those with both business and residential users,” says Asheville sustainability officer Amber Weaver.
WNC apple orchards are open for socially distanced picking
With safety precautions in place and plenty of outdoor space, local orchards welcome guests for U-pick and other activities.
Charlie Hodge turns his downtown bar into Bodega on Broadway
“I never thought I’d be selling candy bars,” restaurateur Charlie Hodge admits with a laugh. Yet PayDays and KitKats are among the hundreds of sundries for sale in Hodge’s newest enterprise, Bodega on Broadway.
Food trucks adapt and roll into new territory
More relaxed regulations mean food trucks can operate at apartment complexes, community centers, libraries and other locations as long as they are more than 50 feet from an occupied residence.
Cottage food businesses offer creative ways to connect with community
“We saw immediately that popcorn seemed to become a comfort food with parents sending it to their kids, friends to friends, companies to staff working remotely,” says Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn owner Ginger Frank.
Asheville Tourists give fans missing baseball a taste of the game
Pop-up concessions events at McCormick Field serve ballpark favorites such as the Tourists Dog, chili cheese dogs, bratwurst, soft serve ice cream and, because it’s Asheville, craft beer.
Restaurants institute operation standards to ensure safety of guests and staff
“Restaurant people are resilient, determined and creative,” says Anthony Coggiola, owner of The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village. “I believe we can do this.”
The BLOCK Off Biltmore has closed, but its free CommUNITY Meals initiative continues
Although The Block is closed for business, owner Cam MacQueen intends to keep the CommUNITY Meals initiative going.
Tourism businesses patch together local, federal funds in bid for survival
Restaurants, brewers, hoteliers, tour companies and retailers were all among the 449 named Paycheck Protection Program beneficiaries with headquarters in Asheville. At least 46 of those entities also received help from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to fill needs unmet by the federal loan effort.