Part of what gives me so much joy about eating in Asheville is recognizing that we’re all part of a very integrated ecosystem. It feels like every restaurant I love is either run by an alum of one of the places I’ve been involved in, or by people that I’ve worked side by side with at hurricane-relief events, or by someone I know I’m going to see at the farmers market.
That’s what makes Asheville special. The folks that come in from out of town are lucky that there’s a virtuous cycle of talent here to keep the pipeline full. It’s so cool to see the evolution of this place, even if we locals don’t always realize how good we have it.
It’s almost funny how not a big deal eating out here is. It’s so laid-back. We take it for granted that it’s going to be a great restaurant—of course it is! Having said that, the sheer range of restaurants is incredible. Given how small our town actually is, I sometimes find myself thinking, How lucky are we?…