Vegetarians in Asheville (or those trying to feed one) have got it relatively easy. In 2006, GoVeg.com named Asheville “America’s best vegetarian-friendly small city.” More recently (this month, in fact), VegNews Magazine featured a large spread on Asheville's "foodtopia," calling Asheville a "mountain oasis" for vegetarians. "Many chefs, locals and visitors also know this mountain […]
How green is Wingbean, Asheville's newest vegan bulk-meal delivery service? “We're the real deal, as far as environmentalism and veganism,"says Scott Myers, co-owner with partner, Pamela Lalik. The self-described "ethical vegetarian" duo deliver their bulk animal-product-free comfort food, packaged in biodegradable disposables, in biodiesel-powered vehicles. Here's how the service works: A single order costs $70 […]
They don't call this city "foodtopia" for nothing. In Asheville, carnivores and vegetarians break (locally baked) bread together and inter-dietary couples abound. And sometimes, when it comes to matters of the heart intermingling with contrary dietary beliefs, things get interesting. Tim and Taryn Jackson are one such couple that has had to adapt to the […]
Laughing Seed Café has a new chef at the helm. Jason Sellers left his longtime post at the well-established vegetarian restaurant to open his new vegan eatery, Plant, and in his place he’s left some rather large kitchen clogs to fill. Stepping up to the plate is Sandy Krebs, a globe-trotting chef with a passion […]
Every town has a cake lady, says Jodi Rhoden. "These are the women who bake the cakes for their community's special occasions: weddings, birthdays, church barbecues and even funerals," she writes in her new book Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition. "And — as you'll discover when you try the recipes in this book — […]
E.W. Pearson moved to Asheville in 1906, established the Asheville branch of the NAACP, founded Asheville's first black baseball team (the Asheville Royal Giants) and started the Buncombe District Agriculture Fair and Farmers Jubilee — all within seven years. The fair lasted for more than 30 years and drew thousands to West Asheville's Pearson Park […]
On Friday, Sept 23, ArtSpace Charter School hosts Dinner in the Garden, an event featuring a nine-course tasting menu prepared by local chefs cooking produce cultivated by the students. The event will take place in the school’s learning garden. ArtSpace is a kindergarten through eighth-grade tuition-free public school in its 11th year of operations. The […]
In a time when many people are struggling — including more small businesses than you would think — Asheville restaurants are giving back. Even while some are wearily eyeing the bottom line, many in the local food community are willing to donate their time and resources. Alisa Hixson is a volunteer extraordinaire with her finger […]
Empty Bowls was created in 1990 by two Michigan art teachers, Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom, to help raise awareness and funds to end hunger. More than $165,000 has been generated for hunger relief by local Empty Bowls events, organized by MANNA FoodBank. On Monday, Sept. 26, the organization holds its 10th such event at […]
Although it's not a dinner, it's still a great charitable event, and it was brought to our attention by the good folks at The Hop Ice Cream Café. The Hop is sponsoring the Autism Society's annual Run/Walk for Autism taking place on Saturday, Sept. 24. This year, The Hop has a team in the event, […]
On Tuesday, Sept. 13, City Council approved the presence of food trucks in downtown Asheville, as long as they adhere to certain rules and regulations. Read more about it in the news section. Since the trucks have to find and be permitted to park on private property, it still could be some time before we […]
Butchery: It's a tough, dirty job, but more and more young culinary professionals are abandoning the nightly beat-down of working the line to do it. Tattooed and wielding heavy cleavers (and knife cases boasting more sharp tools than an operating room), a new brand of neighborhood butcher is reviving the craft. On Thursday, Sept. 29, […]
Jason Sellers is the chef and co-owner (with Alan Berger and Leslie Armstrong) of Plant, Asheville's newest vegan restaurant, located on Merrimon Avenue. Sellers first made waves in the vegetarian community as the head chef at the Laughing Seed. He’s credited with ramping up some aspects of the menu during his tenure there. Trained at […]
Olive & Kickin' opened this spring on Biltmore Avenue as the first olive oil-and-vinegar tasting room in Asheville. Next to the requisite tanks of olive oils and vinegar, the shop also offers roasted sesame and almond oils, as well as an Italian oil pressed from nothing but white truffles. "We have a lot of people […]
The Tree and Vine opened early this summer in Biltmore Village. The shop, owned by Terri Karlsson and her husband, Paul, also carries pastas, olives, almonds and other specialty goods. Terri says that all three olive oil-and-vinegar tasting rooms in Asheville are quite distinct. What makes The Tree and Vine different? There are three different […]
Oil and Vinegar was opened in mid-August in Biltmore Park Town Square by Dana and Terry Hunter of Arden. Besides the namesake items, the shop also carries tapenade, stuffed olives and other appetizers, plus pottery and other oil-and-vinegar accoutrements. The shop is part of a franchise birthed in the Netherlands, where the business was named […]
We have to admit that when Asheville’s first olive oil-and-vinegar tasting room, Olive & Kickin’, opened earlier this year, we were perplexed by the novelty of the business. Then we tasted the products and took note of reportedly brisk online sales and thought, OK, sure. When another one opened in Biltmore Village (The Tree and […]
Few Asheville dining establishments can boast the staying power and history of the Silver Dollar Restaurant, a diner that’s been open since the 1940s in the area now known as the River Arts District. But before the neighborhood was a hot spot for arts and food, the diner was a haunt for the average blue-collar […]
On Monday, Aug. 29, Sunny Point in West Asheville will host a dinner to benefit one of their employees, Jesse Barr. Barr and his girlfriend were tenants of the home on Cumberland Avenue in Montford that burned to the ground July 23. Though the couple escaped the fire essentially unharmed, all of their possessions were […]
One of the marquee events of WNC Magazine‘s Asheville Wine and Food Festival Grand Tasting on Aug. 13 was the finale of the WNC Chefs Challenge Competitions, the first heats of which were held throughout the year at Cucina 24. The Iron Chef-style event was held in a separate tent just off the main expo […]
If you follow the Asheville food scene, you've heard the Bourdain buzz. Mr. Kitchen Confidential himself, chef, author and restaurateur Anthony Bourdain, is headed to Asheville in November to appear at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium for No Reservations: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain. The press release from Bourdain's marketing company tells us that the evening […]
