In Asheville, Discover a ‘Foodtopia’ Working in Perfect Harmony

They say every meal tells a story. In Asheville, North Carolina, no story is a standalone. 

Cradled in the ancient Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville’s dining culture thrives on interconnectedness. From farms to forests, crystal streams to artist studios, the city’s collaborative spirit has made it one of the most eclectic food scenes in the country and earned it a truly fitting nickname — Foodtopia — where locals and travelers alike can experience the joy of wild-caught fish and fresh-foraged mushrooms served on a plate made by a local artisan.

At casual seafood joint Good Hot Fish, James Beard semi-finalist and Top Chef alum Ashleigh Shanti serves sizzling catfish, trout (including trout bologna), and shrimp caught by North Carolina fishers and lovingly prepared to honor Black Appalachian food traditions. Meanwhile, in the kitchen of Cucina 24, Beard-nominated chef Brian Canipelli merges Italian tradition with local flair, consulting neighboring farmers to craft dishes ranging from seasonal riffs to once-in-a-lifetime innovations, like saffron calamarata and dry-aged steak with pink-tomato panzanella.

Named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs of 2015, Katie Button gives local produce, meats, seafood, and cheeses a Spanish twist at James Beard Hospitality Award-winning Cúrate, an Appalachian-infused tapas-centric favorite that has since spawned a Eurocentric localvore empire that includes sister restaurant La Bodega. (It also earned her an invitation to cook at the White House.) And at Neng Jr's, 2024 Food & Wine Best New Chef Silver Iocovozzi merges the flavors of the Philippines with regional ingredients — think smoked mushroom adobo, or slow-cooked Filipinx laing loaded with razor clams and lowcountry shrimp — in ways that continue to evolve Asheville’s culinary footprint by interweaving the chef’s own roots into the city’s fabric.

Here, biographical cooking blends seamlessly with traditional technique and personal philosophy. With a laid-back, genuine attitude, Asheville welcomes curious travelers to immerse themselves in the city’s rich tapestry of culinary storytelling.

Cradled between lush mountains and vast farmland, it’s only natural that Asheville’s culinary identity is intertwined with its stunning environment. Home to some 6,000 species of plants and a cultural history spanning African, Asian, European, and Cherokee influences, Asheville is an ideal incubator for fresh, unexpected, and unforgettable flavors. Local chefs are proud to collaborate with and celebrate the farmers, fishers, and makers whose hard work makes their dishes so remarkable.

Long before the term farm-to-table became shorthand for “fresh and seasonal,” Asheville anchor restaurant The Market Place championed local producers as keys to the lauded New Appalachian restaurant’s success. Now a 2024 James Beard nominee for Outstanding Restaurant under the steady hand of Executive Chef & Owner William Dissen, The Market Place treats diners to a culinary tour of the surrounding farmland on each plate. Growers like Black Trumpet Farm and local mill Farm & Sparrow are highlighted on the menu, to signal that each bite has been curated meticulously.

Similarly, diners are sure to recognize Sunburst Trout Farms as a marker of quality. Located just 30 miles from downtown, the sustainability-focused farm has been supplying Asheville with high-quality fish harvested from the clear waters of the Pisgah National Forest for three generations. The farm’s trademark trout can be found in dozens of regional restaurants, among them stalwarts like award-winning chef Jacob Sessoms’ wood-fired haven Golden Hour and the communal New American table at Rhubarb, where seven-time Beard nominee John Fleer serves up his pioneering “foothills cuisine” to delighted diners. 

In Asheville, the rising tide truly lifts all ships, and restaurants jump to feature local products. It’s not uncommon to be treated to a mouthwatering dessert by French Broad Chocolates, whose reach extends beyond its own must-visit cafe and onto dessert menus across the city. Often, even the dinnerware has a local connection: breweries and restaurants throughout the city proudly use East Fork Pottery as the canvas for their dishes.

This dedication to keeping a hyperlocal culinary experience has also nurtured an entrepreneurial spirit throughout the Asheville food community. After changing the Asheville food landscape with his playfully bold Indian street food at Beard-winning, Michelin-recommended Chai Pani, superstar chef Meherwan Irani set about expanding the flavor palette of Asheville and beyond with Spicewalla, an online spice market whose Asheville retail store is an olfactory tour around the world. Chefs and home cooks nationwide have embraced the global spices, herbs, chilis, and blends designed to level up the status quo. Spicewalla’s blend of international flavor and locally minded ingenuity is quintessentially Asheville. 

Award-winning chefs, incredible mom & pop restaurants, and brewhouses make experiencing Asheville’s gastronomical renaissance as easy as it is delicious, and the city’s colorful culinary playground extends well beyond its dining rooms. Opportunities abound to experience the fresh air, stunning views, and tranquility of the Blue Ridge Mountains, while also exploring the region’s expansive food ecosystem firsthand.

Searching the forests and foothills surrounding Asheville often leads local chefs to menu-shaping discoveries, but you need not own chef’s whites to connect with food on a deeper level. Since 1995, No Taste Like Home has led visitors into the local wilds in search of mushrooms, greens, and more during immersive guided foraging expeditions. As a bonus, each adventure includes a cooking lesson, and participants can even take their finds to restaurants such as Rhubarb, Cultura, Vue 1913 and Tastee Diner, where the chef on duty will create a one-of-a-kind dish free of charge.

For those seeking an aquatic expedition, guided fishing tours transport adventurers from the heart of the city and into the mountain streams, rivers, and lakes of the Blue Ridge in search of trout, bass, and more. Asheville’s Lion and the Rose Bed and Breakfast, meanwhile, offers half- and full-day fly-fishing expeditions, in addition to the cozy comforts of one of Asheville’s most well-preserved Victorian manors: think two-course private breakfasts, in-room beer taps, and therapeutic private massages. 

Of course, the vast interconnectedness of the Asheville food community isn’t exclusive to grand adventures in the wilderness. Asheville is home to 17 local tailgate markets showcasing farm-fresh produce, fresh-baked bread, charcuterie, gourmet cheese and other regional artisanal delicacies. 

Walking these urban market stalls offers opportunities to experience Foodtopia in distillate: You’ll find farmers and artists chatting with legendary chefs and upstarts alike, plus locals and visitors rubbing elbows as they taste the wonders forged under impossibly blue Appalachian skies. 

No matter where you wander, chefs, farmers, makers, gatherers, advocates, and artists alike work together to write the ever-evolving story of Asheville’s world-class food — visitors included. This is Foodtopia, after all, where each and every meal is another chapter, and everyone has a place at the table.