More than 20 members of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR) are preparing for next week’s Small Plate Crawl (February 25-27) with menus as varied as their locations. While the majority of restaurants are in downtown Asheville, there are also great choices in West Asheville at Sunny Pointe Café, South at Pomodoro’s and 32° Ice Bar and Lounge, the River Arts District at Blue Kudzu and the Red Stag Grill in Biltmore Village.
The event, which features small plate menus ranging in price from $3 to $8, is an opportunity for area restaurants to show off their culinary and cocktail skills in fanciful ways, said Peter Pollay, chef/owner of Posana and president of AIR. “Over the three days we hope people will visit all of the restaurants. It’s a great opportunity to try a new restaurant and discover the people and food that have made Asheville a national dining destination.”
“Our members want this to be a fun event for their guests,” said Jane Anderson, executive director of AIR. “It’s fast-paced with groups moving in and out of the restaurants quickly, so if there’s a wait at one restaurant, check out another Crawl participant and then come back.” Anderson also recommends bringing cash. “It speeds up the check-out process,” she said. “And above all, don’t forget to tip the servers.”
If you plan on going: 1) print the AIRpass from the Small Plate Crawl Website and bring it with you to the Crawl as you travel from restaurant to restaurant. 2) AIRpass holders that have validated visits at five or more restaurants are eligible for prizes. When anyone in a group purchases a plate, EVERYONE in the group gets their AIRpass validated. The more restaurants you visit, the greater the chance of winning a prize.
The 2014 Small Plate Crawl and Biltmore Wine Crawl are presented by AIR and Carolina Epicurean. For more information and to print out an AIRpass, visit www.ashevillesmallplatecrawl.com.