Asheville Independent Restaurants (AIR) brings together 40 of the city’s most talented chefs in a celebration of all things delectable at the Annual Taste of Asheville. This year’s event will be held on November 20, 2013, from 7-9 p.m. at The Venue. Tickets are available at AIR’s website: www.airasheville.org
“The 2013 Taste of Asheville is particularly special because it launches a year-long celebration of AIR’s tenth anniversary,” said Michel Baudouin, a founding member and past president of AIR and owner of Bouchon and Creperie Bouchon.
“When we started AIR our goal was not only to promote locally-owned restaurants as a place for residents and visitors to dine, but also to create a food culture in Asheville that encouraged new talent. I’m pleased to say that we’ve done both.”
In the ten years since AIR’s founding, Asheville has emerged as one of the Southeast’s top culinary destination and a national leader in the farm-to-table movement. Most recently, AIR partnered with the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) and the Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute (BRSI) to encourage more environmentally-sustainable practices among the city’s restaurants. As a result of their work, Asheville was the first city in the U.S. to be named a Green Dining Destination™.
As in previous years, a portion of ticket proceeds from the Taste of Asheville will benefit AIR’s two outreach programs: the Chefs of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to A-B Tech’s nationally-acclaimed culinary program and the GO! Kitchen Ready Training Program, which prepares students to enter the culinary field.
“We’re very proud of our outreach programs,” said Sherrye Coggiola, current AIR president. “There are many associations of locally-owned restaurants, but few can match AIR’s community service initiatives.”
Restaurants participating in the 2013 Taste of Asheville include: Acropolis Pizza, Amborzia Bar & Bistro, The Bier Garden, Bouchon, The Cantina at Biltmore, Carmels, Chestnut, City Bakery Café, Corner Kitchen, Creperie Bouchon, Edna’s Of Asheville / Bad Puppy Coffee, Fig Bistro, Frankie Bones, French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Karen Donatelli Café, Jack of Hearts, Jack of the Wood, Laughing Seed, Lexington Avenue Brewery, Little Pigs Bar-B-Q, Luella’s Bar-B-Que, MG Road, Native Kitchen & Social Pub, Oysterhouse Brewery, Pack’s Tavern, Plant, Sante Wine Bar, Scully’s, The Social Lounge & Tapas, Strada Italiano, Sunny Point, The Social, Thirsty Monk, Tupelo Honey Café, Ultimate Ice Cream, Vincenzos, Vinnie’s Neighborhood. The event also features wines and beer from AIR industry partners.