Behind the Apron: Asheville Independen­t Restaurant­s launches a new online industry resource

In Asheville, many restaurateurs realize that cooperation trumps competition. The local culinary scene is well-known for its collaborative spirit, and behindtheapron.com, a new business-to-business website recently unveiled by Asheville Independent Restaurants, aims to enhance and expand that synergy. Unlike AIR’s current website, which is mostly consumer-based, Behind the Apron was created to be a resource for the organization’s 120-plus member restaurants. […]

Invitation to readers: Soup’s on!

With winter now in full swing, many locals are cutting the chill by turning on their slow cookers or looking for the daily soup specials at their favorite local eateries. From borscht to beef-and-barley, area residents and restaurants are cooking up spoon-friendly nourishment in myriad forms. Xpress invites readers to share tried-and-true recipes and write about their favorite soup and stew offerings at local restaurants. Send your soup submissions to food@mountainx.com.

New Year’s Eve eats and drinks

Are you trying to decide what to do for New Year’s Eve? If you want to buffer your midnight toast with a good meal, several local bars and restaurants are serving up interesting eats along with liquid cheer. There is even an Asheville-style take on the Times Square ball drop for those who are in the mood for something completely out of the ordinary.

Star Chefs magazine scouts Asheville talent for awards

Since 2002, the folks at Star Chefs have been roving the country seeking out top-notch food. Having profiled and issued their awards everywhere from cities like New York to regions as broad as South Florida, Star Chefs has now decided to profile North and South Carolina for its latest cluster of honors, the Rising Star awards, which are given to stand-out industry professionals younger than 40.

Asheville’­s independen­t restaurant­s celebrate Earth Day — every day

A Green Restaurant Initiative has sparked collaboration between local eateries in the continued greening of Asheville’s dining scene. A new video detailing the process, produced by a local production company, has drawn the attention of the Huffington Post and other media outlets, helping to get the word out on a national level. The video can be viewed after the jump.

Common courtesy in a modern age

I own a cell phone, as do most of the readers of this publication. It is a modern convenience that I cannot imagine my life without. I also work in the service industry, waiting tables. In the 10 years I have been doing so I have witnessed the increase of cellphone use destroy the common […]