YouTube: Soul Food Scholar Channel
About Adrian Miller
Adrian Miller is a food writer, James Beard Award winner, attorney, former politico, and certified barbecue judge who lives in Denver, Colorado. Adrian is featured in the Netflix hit High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.
Bibliography
Miller’s first book, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time won the James Beard Foundation Award for Scholarship and Reference in 2014. His second book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, From the Washingtons to the Obamas was published on President’s Day 2017. It was a finalist for a 2018 NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction,” and the 2018 Colorado Book Award for History. Adrian’s third book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue won the 2022 James Beard Award for Reference, History, and Scholarship and the 2022 Colorado Book Award for History. It was a finalist for the 2022 International Association of Culinary Professionals Literary & Historical Writing Award.
Awards
In 2018, Adrian was awarded the Ruth Fertel “Keeper of the Flame Award” by the Southern Foodways Alliance, in recognition of his work on African American foodways. In 2019, Adrian received the Judge Henry N. and Helen T. Graven award from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, for being “an outstanding layperson, whose life is nurtured and guided by a strong sense of Christian calling, and who is making a significant contribution to community, church, and our society.” In 2022, Adrian received an Honorary Doctorate from the Denver Institute for Urban Studies and Adult College.
Bio
Adrian received an A.B in International Relations from Stanford University in 1991, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1995. From 1999 to 2001, Adrian served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with his Initiative for One America – the first free-standing office in the White House to address issues of racial, religious and ethnic reconciliation. Adrian went on to serve as a senior policy analyst for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. From 2004 to 2010, he served on the board for the Southern Foodways Alliance. In June 2019, Adrian lectured in the Masters of Gastronomy program at the Università di Scienze Gastronomiche (nicknamed the “Slow Food University”) in Pollenzo, Italy. He is currently the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches and, as such, is the first African American, and the first layperson, to hold that position. Adrian is also the co-project director and lead curator for the forthcoming “Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History” exhibit at the Museum of Boulder.
Allison is a 5th generation Asheville/WNC local. She is a trans woman who advocates for LGBTQ Southerners as the Director of Impact & Innovation for the Campaign for Southern Equality. In 2018 she was chosen by USA Today to represent North Carolina in their 50 Faces of Pride for NC, and she has also been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Associated Press, NBC, The News & Observer, along with other national and statewide media. Allison’s career has spanned working in the corporate world to serving her community as a community organizer and bridge builder regarding equality for LGBTQ people at the local, state, and national level. Along with her work Allison currently serves on the advisory board for Caring for Children of Western North Carolina. She was recruited to serve as the Co-Chair for the Biden for President North Carolina LGBTQ+ Leadership Council, and participates in working sessions advocating for LGBTQ rights at both the regional level and with the US Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the EEOC.
Amie, co-founder of Botanist and Barrel, is a wine industry veteran and sommelier who has expanded into cider. With a passion for minimal intervention and showcasing terroir, she oversees distribution and education. Amie is the first and only woman certified Pommelier in NC. As a judge in renowned competitions, she brings her expertise in tasting and finding balance to create exciting ciders. Follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook @naturalcider. Farm, Fruit, Ferment!
After getting a degree in Digital Media from East Tennessee State (on a Bluegrass music performance scholarship), Andrew chose the somewhat more lucrative career path of cooking and brewing. He worked at breweries near his hometown of Holland, Michigan before moving down to Asheville and joining Wicked Weed’s opening kitchen team. Bringing in dozens of bottles of homebrewed sour beer for his team landed Andrew a spot on the cellar floor, and he helped build and eventually lead Wicked Weed’s sour program for the next 7 years. By opening Leveller, Andrew gets to brew what he loves most: traditional European styles like bitters, milds, and Czech lagers, alongside farmhouse ales that showcase his dexterity with microorganisms. In all of his free time, Andrew plays old time, Appalachian string band music and co-parents his son, a flock of heirloom sheep, two dogs, two cats, chickens, and a donkey named Dolores.
Anne grew up in southwest Virginia where, in her early years, her family had a large beef farm. When the family quit farming due to economics, she learned, with encouragement from her parents, how to grow a vegetable garden. After attending Brevard College for 2 years, she started learning about organic agriculture by working on different farms in WNC and western Massachusetts.
Anne and her husband, Aaron own a farm located in Leicester, NC on 70 acres of family farm land. The farm is home to a heard of Red Devon cattle, a Jersey milk cow, a flock of chickens, and several acres of vegetable-growing bottom-land. We strive to produce food that is healthier for all of us raised in a manner easier on the environment.
Bill Smith is the author of two cookbooks and many articles and essays in various magazines and journals. In 2019 he retired, after twenty five years, as head chef at Crook’s Corner Restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C. He has received nominations several times from the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef Southeast and served for six years on the board of the Southern Foodways Alliance. In 2021 he received the Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award from that organization.
After spending over a decade as a successful restaurant chef, Brad left his Kentucky home in search of a better understanding of food production. He spent several years working on small organic fruit & vegetable farms across the country. His experiences eventually forced him to accept that the sustainable food growing system he had hoped to find was non existent in the agricultural world and that sustainable agriculture is indeed an oxymoron. Disappointed and disheartened he left California. A seemingly random series of events guided him in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Where, unknown to him, a large part of his family had been living for over 8 generations!! Upon exploring the forests there, he found the truly sustainable food production he had been searching for! Nuts, berries, fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, meat, and even building materials were all growing without any human influence. No diesel, no plastic, no unnatural fertilizers, just Gaia providing for us in the way she always has! Inspired by this abundance, Brad utilized the skills he had acquired along his journey and started his business, Zero Acres Farm, in an effort to make high quality, truly sustainable wild produce more available to the people.
Buen Lobo Café is Brad’s most recent project which he uses to demonstrate the spectacular flavors and the superior nutrition found in wild foods. Buen Lobo provides high quality, nutrient dense food medicines to the people despite the laws and regulations created by our government that try to keep healthy food out of reach of the average person.
This world belongs to all the creatures living within it, especially those yet to arrive. She deserves our utmost respect when deciding what we “need” to take and how best we can give back. No body owns the land!
After nearly a decade as an environmental consultant, Brent spent the last decade immersed in the wonderful world of craft malt. Since Riverbend’s inception, he’s worn just about every hat. Production, bookkeeping, research, sales, you name it. Along the way he helped co-found the North American Craft Maltsters Guild and currently serves as President. He takes great pride in the success of this new industry and looks forward to seeing it grow in the years ahead.
Camille Cogswell is an award-winning Pastry Chef based in the Asheville area of NC. She received a James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2018, was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 of 2020 and was a 2020 Food and Wine Best New Chef. Cogswell recently returned to the mountains of NC.
Chris Smith is executive director of the Utopian Seed Project, a crop-trialing nonprofit working to celebrate food and farming. Within this work, Chris collaborates on The Heirloom Collard Project, hosts a seasonal Trial to Table event series, and publishes Crop Stories, a crop-specific multimedia project. His book, The Whole Okra, won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2020, and he is the co-host of The Okra Pod Cast. In 2023 Chris received the Organic Educator Award from The Organic Growers School and was named a Champion of Conservation by Garden & Gun. More info at blueandyellomakes.com and utopianseed.org
CJ Lotz is the senior editor at Garden & Gun. Since joining G&G ten years ago, she has covered food, gardens, books, arts and culture, and travel across the Southeast and beyond. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her in her Charleston garden or mudlarking (looking for bits of broken pottery and treasures on her travels).
Darren Fallon is Director of Beverage at The Restoration Hotel Collection. Originally starting out as a server in 2015, he quickly transitioned into bartending where his passion and expertise for mixing spirits and developing unexpected flavor profiles earned him the title of Director of Beverage for The Restoration’s two hotels in Charleston and Asheville where he oversees the cocktail program for four different restaurant concepts. A life long learner at his craft, Darren has won the Iron Bartender and Battle of the Decades competitions in Charleston, and attended Bourbon Camp and Tiki By the Sea in New Jersey.
Diane Flynt, founder of Foggy Ridge Cider and author of Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South, grows cider apples in the southern Appalachians and writes about fruit, farming, and the South. Her book offers a new take on the history of the apple and how this fruit changed the South.
Showing how southerners cultivated over 2,000 apple varieties from Virginia to Mississippi, the book shares surprising stories of a fruit that was central to the region for more than two hundred years.
A Georgia native, Diane worked for over twenty years in corporate America before seeing the light and
returning to her farming roots. In 1997, Diane planted a cider apple orchard with over 30 heirloom cider
varieties with the goal of making fine cider using the same techniques and care that go into making fine
wine. Southern cider varieties like Hewe’s Crab and Grimes Golden, as well traditional English cider apples such as Tremlett’s Bitter, produced top quality cider fruit for Foggy Ridge Cider’s six cider blends.
She was a four-time James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Beverage Professional, including Finalist in 2017 and 2018. In 2019 Diane sold her last cider vintage called Foggy Ridge Final Call. She now sells apples to cidermakers throughout the South.
Today, Diane is active in national and state apple and cider initiatives and has played a leading role in
promoting Virginia wine. She speaks on cider, farming and food culture. The University of North Carolina
Press will publish Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived in September 2023. The book can be pre-ordered from
Amazon.
“If you suspect the apple-evangelist, Diane Flynt’s, book would be an ode to tree fruit you’d be wrong. Instead Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived is a personal and anecdotal walk through the storied orchard of the American South led by one of our country’s most poignant symbols, the apple.” —Vivian Howard, restaurateur author of Deep Run Roots: Stories & Recipes from my Corner of the South, and host of Somewhere South and A Chef’s Life
Diane lives with her husband, Chuck, near Floyd, Virginia, on the site of the Foggy Ridge Cider orchards.
Chef Dorian is originally from Canton, OH and currently lives in Cartersville, Ga with her
husband and 2 children. Chef Dorian is the 5th of 10 children from James Hunter and the late
Phyllis Hunter. Chef Dorian’s love for food started at an early age. Chef Dorian grew up
watching her mom cooking and her dad baking in the kitchen. Cooking alongside her mother
helped to grow her passion for food. Chef Dorian went on to obtain her Associates Degree of
Science and her Le Courdon Bleu certification in Culinary Arts from McIntosh College in Dover,
New Hampshire.
Chef Dorian has been named MasterChef season 10 winner, the biggest season ever. Chef
Dorian is the first African-American female winner in the show’s history. Chef Dorian is also the
oldest contestant to win MasterChef. Chef Dorian specializes in elevating southern food
without losing that traditional southern taste.
Chef Dorian’s growth as a person and a chef has been inspirational. Chef Dorian proved to
herself, the judges and the world that she was a force to be reckoned win. Chef Dorian won
several challenges during the show and amazed Chef Gordon Ramsay, Chef Aaron Sanchez, Joe
Bastianich and the fans of MasterChef with her elevated southern flavors. Chef Dorian
understood early in the competition that it was important to listen to the advice given by the
judges, and that it was important to embrace the black apron, because it meant that she would
be able to learn and cook more. This strategy allowed the judges to see her grow each time she
was in an elimination challenge. Chef Dorian’s ability to learn and adapt, helped to propel her
to the final 3 and beat the other 2 contestants in the show’s finale. Chef Dorian won the grand
prize of $250,000, a new Viking appliances kitchen set, along with coveted trainings at one of
each of Chef Gordon Ramsay, Chef Aaron Sanchez, and Joe Bastianich restaurants. In addition
to the grand prize, Chef Dorian also won $5000 in BrevilleUSA kitchen appliances for her win
with the Pink Champagne cake, that was dedicated in memory to her mother.
Since winning MasterChef, she was named a finalist on the new groundbreaking competition
“The Great Soul Food Cookoff” cooking show on Discovery+ & OWN. A first-of-its-kind soul food
cooking competition series celebrating Black chefs and the Black culinary traditions that are the
cornerstone of American cuisine. Chef Dorian was also featured on the 30th season of Beat
Bobby Flay! on Food Network. She has also been featured in various magazines, newspapers,
morning shows & nationally syndicated television shows.
Chef Dorian has been actively engaged with her fans by participating in onsite and virtual events
where they can come watch or cook along with her while listening to her story. Chef Dorian is
currently working on different recipes in preparation for the release of her first cookbook. Chef
Dorian has also been working alongside various charities such as WINGS, TruBlue 1881 and a
host of religious organizations. The ability to help raise money and awareness for these
organizations is very important, and she will continue to dedicate her time and resources to
benefit her charitable endeavors.
Elizabeth (Liz) Cox is an Atmospheric Sciences senior at UNCA with a Climatology focus. She will graduate with a B.S. in May of 2024. Liz plans to combine her new science skills with her background in events. For example, her recent past work brought funding to three California cities to pilot neighborhood-wide disaster resiliency programs. Liz is interested in helping climate scientists make connections that accelerate innovative ideas, build new partnerships and technologies, improve equity and inclusion, and empower vulnerable communities. She works to support scientifically informed societal decision-making.
Liz began her events journey in the high-end wedding industry, designing receptions in stunning locations like the Biltmore Estate and the Grove Park Inn. As a producer, Liz has curated multi-day immersive events and retreats throughout western North Carolina since 2013. She has orchestrated performances, scientific conferences, and intimate concerts in over 40 US states.
Currently, within NCICS Engagement and Outreach department, Liz is working on several upcoming events.
Liz has called Weaverville, NC home since 2006. She is a mother and enjoys spending time with her family. In her free time, she enjoys live theater, floral design, yoga, and kayaking.
Erin shares American Rivers’ commitment to create a future of clean water and healthy rivers everywhere, for everyone. Erin applies the best science, brings the brightest minds together, and finds win-win solutions that achieve the best possible outcome for the river—and dam removal is one of the best ways to restore a stream.
Gab chose to work in the brewing industry for its potential to demonstrate how businesses build connections, redistribute resources, and reckon with change in their communities. She entered the beer world through Lamplighter Brewing in Cambridge, MA, where she tended bar and built a multi-faceted community engagement program while co-leading Boston’s Pink Boots Society chapter. In Asheville, she worked in New Belgium’s Liquid Center before joining Andrew and Sally to open Leveller. Gab is a Certified Cicerone®, offering accessible beer education online through AirBnB and in person at Leveller events.
Born & raised in Norlina, NC. I am the pastry chef at Leah & Louise in Charlotte, NC. My main focus is reinventing the southern dessert table with a focus on Carolinian ingredients and tradition.
Gwendolyn Dare Hageman founded Darë Vegan Cheese in 2019 after many years as a chef in the Asheville culinary scene. Saddened by the quality of alternative cheeses on the market, and driven to have a pun as her life’s work, Gwendolyn combined her culinary wizardry with her passion to produce food through love to create the best dairy-free cheese locally, and beyond. Pronounced like dairy, tastes like dairy, but there is, in fact, no dairy. With a commitment to culinary craft and high quality ingredients, Darë Vegan Cheese is changing the way people enjoy their favorite food. We’ve made cheese better, it’s nuts.
Jenny Dissen is the Corporate Relations and Partnerships lead at NCICS, where she facilitates collaborations and partnerships across academia, government, public, private, and other sectors to inspire innovative use and application of environmental data. In this engagement role, she provides strategic support to the NOAA NCEI Information Services and Assessments activities and works closely with the NCICS Director on innovative activities in the use, application and access to NOAA and other environmental data.
She serves as the NCICS engagement lead for the NOAA Big Data Program and as program manager for the U.S. Department of State and NOAA U.S.-India Partnership for Climate Resilience on high resolution climate models and projections, and is part of collaborative research project on climate information for the real-estate sector. Most recently, she also contributed to the State of North Carolina’s climate science report and resiliency plan.
Prior to joining NCICS, Ms. Dissen was with Accenture’s Utilities Practice in energy delivery and business transformation and supported the development of their Climate Change and Sustainability practice in 2008. The latter led to her work as a regional program manager with the William J. Clinton Foundation in their Clinton Climate Initiative in Southeast Asia.
Ms. Dissen has a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering – Environmental Systems Analysis, and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, both from NC State University. Recent certificates are in Climate Change and Society from the UNC Asheville Masters in Liberal Arts Program and Harvard Business School Executive Education Program on Global Energy Seminars. Currently, she serves on the Electric Power Research Institute Advisory Council, is the co-chair of the American Meteorological Society Committee on Partnerships, and regionally supports the NC School of Science and Mathematics, the Asheville Museum of Science and, the Collider, a climate innovation center.
At both Rhubarb and sister café-bakery-pantry The Rhu, Fleer brings the relaxed atmosphere of his previous pastoral posts to downtown Asheville. Broadening his approach with a freestyle Appalachian-American cuisine well-suited for its location at the city’s vibrant crossroad, he celebrates local foods, producers, and purveyors to serve the very best of what the seasons have to offer.
Chef Katie Button is a TV host on Magnolia Network, and co-founder of Asheville, North Carolina’s beloved Cúrate, a JBF Award-winning collection of restaurants with an online marketplace and wine club, and culinary journeys that create exceptional and experiential access to Spanish culture.
An Eastern North Carolina native, Chef Keith Rhodes, is owner of Catch Modern Seafood Restaurant, Catch the Food Truck and TackleBox Foodtruck located in Wilmington, NC, where he offers his unique signature on New Southern Cuisine with international inspiration.
Chef Rhodes has a lifetime of roots sewn here in our coastal community, in which he credits his grandfather for his “farm to table” approach. In addition to supporting local purveyors, fishermen and farmers, Chef Rhodes is always proud to give back to his community by visiting local grade schools, colleges and military bases to share his knowledge on food culture and cuisine along with educating groups on food deserts, sustainability policies and food advocacy.
With Wilmington also being known as a “Hollywood East” destination, Chef Rhodes has hosted both film and television personalities from Gwyneth Paltrow & Robert Downey Jr, to Morris Chestnut & Melissa McCarthy. He’s won numerous awards and accolades, some which include *Best Chef & Best Foodtruck (4 years in a row) Encore Magazine *NC Goodness Grows Best Dish for Fine & Casual Dining *Chef-testant on Bravo’s Top Chef (Season 9) *James Beard “Best Chef Southeast” Semi Finalist 2011 & 2023
In addition to being a Gullah Culinarian (US Park Service), Chef Rhodes is a 2023 NC Restaurant & Lodging Association Board of Trustees Member.
He has represented the NC Department of Tourism on several media missions, been featured in several publications such as Our State Magazine and Garden & Gun. In 2017 he was a James Beard Foundation guest chef onboard its Windstar Cruise Line, where his menu items are still featured today.
This past September, Chef Rhodes was a featured guest of World Renowned/International YouTube Food Blogger, Mark Wiens, which cast a spotlight on Wilmington and its coastal cuisine, with a video of 3 MILLION views. Another YouTube video blogger, Buzzfeed, “Is it Worth It” garnered over 2 MILLION views.
When he’s not treating his diners to the best seasonal offerings at Catch, you can find him traveling and spending time with his amazing wife of 33 years, Angela and their two adult children, Kristen and Keith Jr.
Laura Lengnick has worked for a just transformation of U.S. food and farming for more than 30 years. Her research in soil health and sustainable farming systems was nationally recognized with a USDA Secretary’s Honor Award in 2002 and she served as a lead author of the 2013 USDA report, Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation. The second edition of her award-winning book, Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate (2022), explores climate change, resilience and the future of food through the adaptation stories of some of America’s best sustainable, organic, regenerative and climate-smart farmers and ranchers. Laura owns Cultivating Resilience, LLC, and serves as the Director of Agriculture at the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in Cold Spring, NY. She resides in Asheville, NC
Laura Stevens is a research scientist with the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies at North Carolina State University. She analyzes changes in both past and future climate in order to support the National Climate Assessment and other products under the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Laura has served as an author on multiple publications, including the Fourth and Fifth National Climate Assessments, NOAA’s State Climate Summaries, and the North Carolina Climate Science Report. She holds a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from the University of Reading and a master’s degree in atmospheric science from the University of Leeds in the UK.
Martinez (he/him) was born in Santa Catarina Loxicha, Oaxaca, Mexico, in a small Zapotec pueblo. Based in Asheville, NC, Luis is combining his love for cooking with his passion for social justice. He is dedicated to working alongside indigenous communities in overcoming and flourishing, despite difficult economic challenges and dangerous political encounters. By combining his experience in community-building with his experience as a chef, he is leveraging a deep commitment to the roots of Mexican cuisine with the promotion of Oaxacan gastronomy.
Matt Rodbard is a writer, editor, and author of food and culture books with more than two decades of experience working in television, magazines, book publishing, and online media. He’s the author of Koreatown: A Cookbook, a New York Times Bestseller, Food IQ, an Amazon and Publishers Weekly Bestseller, and the Founding Editor of online food and culture magazine TASTE, winner of two James Beard Foundation Awards. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit, Saveur, GQ, and Fodor’s. He’s currently working on a book with Deuki Hong, Koreaworld: A Cookbook, to be published in 2024 by Clarkson Potter.
Meherwan Irani is a chef and restaurateur changing the perception of Indian food in America through his growing restaurant and spice empire in the South’s most essential culinary cities. He is a leading voice in the industry’s conversation around diversity and cultural exchange. In 2022, Meherwan’s flagship restaurant in Asheville, Chai Pani, was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. Meherwan was named by TIME Magazine as one of the “31 People Changing The South” and is a five-time James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast.
As Co-Founder, Chef and CEO of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, Meherwan leads a growing team across seven locations: Chai Pani Asheville, Chai Pani Decatur, Botiwalla Atlanta, Botiwalla Charlotte, Buxton Hall Barbecue,and spice brand Spicewalla, which has two outposts in Asheville and Atlanta. The third Botiwalla will open in West Asheville in the summer of 2023.
Meherwan grew up in Ahmednagar, in the midwestern state of Maharashtra in India, and he came to the U.S. at age 20. In 2009, he and his wife and business partner, Molly, introduced Asheville, North Carolina, to the colors, flavors and faces of India with Chai Pani.
As the first U.S. female gin distiller inducted into the Gin Guild, Melissa Katrincic’s 20+ years as a marketing executive informs her role as President & CEO of Conniption Gin, a growing national U.S. brand. A Bryn Mawr physics graduate, she is a champion of women’s STEM education.
Preeti Waas is the chef owner of Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in Raleigh, NC.
From a young child in India fascinated by the alchemy of baking to a James Beard Best Chef Southeast semifinalist 2023, one thing has never changed for Preeti – the gratification and joy of feeding people. She is a self-taught cook and baker who is always curious – and always hungry.
Chef Ricky Moore – the James Beard Foundation winner for “Best Chef Southeast” and self-professed North Carolina seafood evangelist – opened the popular Saltbox Seafood Joint® in 2012 in Durham, North Carolina. Praised by Saveur as “a tiny but mighty seafood shack,” Saltbox Seafood Joint takes inspiration from his native Eastern Carolina coast and its traditional roadside fish shacks. Early in his career, Moore served as a cook in the US Army before attending and graduating from the esteemed Culinary Institute of America. After kitchen stints in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens from DC to Chicago, Moore competed against Chef Michael Symon on “Iron Chef America.” In Durham, Moore found success with Saltbox Seafood Joint, and debuted the Saltbox Seafood Joint® Cookbook in 2019 – with 60 recipes celebrating his coastal culinary heritage. In 2020, Discover awarded Saltbox Seafood Joint® $25,000 for its #EatItForward campaign for black-owned restaurateurs and MOFAD included it in its Black History Month exhibit, “African/American: Making the Nation’s Table.” Today Moore continues to fulfill his lifelong dream as an entrepreneur, professional, and preserver of North Carolina fisherman and foodways, and is a member of the NC Oyster Trail and on the Advisory Board for the NC Sea Grant.
Samm is the owner of Matcha Nude, an ethical, sustainable, delicious and affordable organic matcha company helping people elevate their lives with easy recipes, tips + community.
Sera Cuni is the chef and owner of Cafe Root Cellar in Pittsboro and The Root Cellar Cafe and Catering in Chapel Hill. Classically trained in the culinary arts, Chef Sera launched her career in her home state of Connecticut, where she worked with restaurants Main and Hopewell, Americus on the Wharf, and Pastis, all in Connecticut. These early kitchen experiences helped to inform and influence the cuisine she loves to cook today – creative and flavorful dishes that reflect the vast diversity of foods across the Midwestern and Southern United States.A founding member of the North Carolina Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and a selected member of Sterling Silver’s Signature Chefs, Chef Sera devotes her free time to supporting other women culinary entrepreneurs and working with nonprofits to address food insecurity in North Carolina.
Sheri Castle is the host of The Key Ingredient, an Emmy-winning cooking show from PBS NC. She is also an award-winning professional food writer, recipe developer, and cooking teacher known for melding stories, humor, and culinary expertise. She writes regularly for a number of publications and is a Contributing Editor for Southern Living. The Southern Foodways Alliance named her one of 20 Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.
Sheri grew up in her beloved Blue Ridge Mountains and now lives in Pittsboro, NC. She’s fueled by farmers markets, great stories, cool weather, and the occasional shot of bourbon or buttermilk. Keep tabs on her through shericastle.com.
Prior to his newest venture as the Owner and Executive Chef at beloved Tastee Diner in Asheville, NC, Chef Steven Goff served as the Executive Chef at funky Modern American restaurant, Jargon, in West Asheville. Before that, Goff worked as the head butcher at Standard Foods in Raleigh, and is the former Executive Chefand Owner of the King James Public House and AUX Bar in Asheville. Steven left home at fifteen, and spent the next eleven years homeless, jumping freight trains across the US and Europe, cooking wherever his travels took him. After being stranded in Asheville, he got more serious about cooking and enrolled in the AB Tech culinary program receiving honorable degrees in both Culinary Arts, and Baking and Pastry. Because of his early life experiences, he is highly dedicated to supporting the local community through his food. He co-directed the popular local fundraising event The Blind Pig Supper Club, and served on the Board of Directors of Asheville Independent Restaurants. Goff is currently on the Board of the Piedmont Culinary Guild in Charlotte and the Chow Chow Culinary Event Series in Asheville. Chef Goff’s cuisine has been recognized by Food and Wine Magazine, Bon Appétit, Garden and Gun, The Local Palate, and various local publications. In 2019 he was named Chefof the Year by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. He lives in Asheville with his wonderful wife Samantha, their daughter Emma, and their array of animals.
Fonta Flora Brewery integrates the soul of agriculture with the artisanship of zymurgy to create a menagerie of rustic and savory libations. With an emphasis on seasonal flora, Fonta Flora brings English tradition and Belgian inspiration to the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.
Fonta Flora utilizes local artists to help conceptualize the notion that fermentation is yet another medium for creating art. This uniquely artisan approach to beer yields a sustainable product filled with culture from our very own community.
Hailing from rural Southwestern Virginia, Travis Milton spent his childhood in a true Appalachian kitchen, learning the tried and true techniques for shucking beans, preserving and canning, and planting gardens. From his early teens, Milton fostered a deep love for cooking, learning through various restaurant roles from Todd Gray’s Equinox in Washington D.C. to Chris Cosentinos’ Incanto in San Francisco. Milton soon realized the magic he was able to create when marrying the memories of his family’s kitchen with the techniques of his mentors, and embarked on his dream journey of running a genuine Appalachian restaurant. Most recently, Milton opened the Inn at Nicewonder’s signature restaurant, Hickory, in Bristol, Virginia, where he has the stage to further explore, reimagine and elevate Applachian cuisine using approachable ingredients. Milton’s cooking is not replacing original Appalachian techniques, but instead introduces the cuisine in a fresh way that he hopes will build upon the cuisine’s heritage. When not in the kitchen, his favorite place to be is sitting on his front porch in one of his 680 pairs of Nikes kicks, enjoying his whiskey collection and listening to Whitney Houston.
William Dissen is a renowned chef and culinary diplomat, restaurateur, published author, and is the early pioneer of the farm-to-table and ocean sustainability movements. Chef Dissen is based in Asheville, North Carolina and works throughout the Southeastern, United States, Appalachian region.
Founder of four award-winning restaurant concepts, Chef Dissen draws on his global culinary expertise and zest for diverse ingredients that tell a story to create world-class dishes for each restaurant’s guests. Throughout the year, Dissen travels in the U.S. and abroad as a sustainable food policy advocate, and also regularly appears in national media and broadcast television. Dissen is known for providing audiences of all types with timely and compelling education and entertainment in food and dining, teaching Appalachian food history that would otherwise be lost, and upholding the principles of food sustainability. William’s actions in sustainable food advocacy combined with his efforts connecting small farms to local restaurants and organic food grocery stores in the Appalachian foodshed earned him “Green Chef of the Year” twice by FORTUNE Magazine.
Dissen’s restaurant enterprises first-began in 2009, when he purchased The Market Place Restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, a storied restaurant known for its menu of ingredients sourced exclusively from local farms. Now in its 45th year of business, The Market Place is a permanent fixture in the city’s flourishing restaurant community, and is widely regarded as a leading farm-to-table, classic American restaurant. Dissen is also the creator of the state’s first-ever fast casual, farm-to-table eatery: Billy D’s Fried Chicken, and maintains three locations at The North Carolina Zoo, Wake Forest University, and Elon University. Dissen also founded Haymaker in uptown Charlotte, N.C. in 2017 building the upscale eatery into an award-winning restaurant, and ushering in Charlotte’s now-booming culinary arts scene. In 2023, William sold Haymaker to focus efforts on his newest restaurant concept, Little Gem, as well as his much-anticipated cookbook: “Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted In the New South.”Published by W.W. Norton Countryman Press, the book will be released in April 2024.
William’s love for the region and unique efforts in the culinary arts caught the eye of Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay, who Chef William then hosted in Asheville on Ramsay’s NatGeo TV show, “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, Smoky Mountains.” The episode featured William touring Ramsay through the forest and rivers of Southern Appalachia, and concluded with the two chefs competing in a peer-reviewed cook-off, where William beat Ramsay for the first and only time in the show’s three seasons. The episode is what led Chef Ramsay to proclaim William as the “one of the best chefs in the country and the most sustainable chef on the planet.” His titles also include, Seafood Watch Ambassador to The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, and Official Ambassador for Le Creuset and Mountain Valley Spring Water.
A career in sustainable culinary arts led Dissen to become an advocate for food policy on Capitol Hill starting in 2010, where he’s lobbied to Congress about the importance of passing legislation, such as The Farm Bill, The Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization Act, and The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Barack Obama administration lauded William as a, “White House Champion of Change for Sustainable Seafood” for his work to create healthier oceans. He also serves in the American Chefs Corps in the U.S. State Department, which sees him traveling around the world to promote American food culture and sustainability practices.
For more about Chef Dissen and his culinary ventures, please visit
www.marketplace-restaurant.
For William Goldberg, co-founder & head distiller at Oak and Grist, the intrigue of creating something from scratch developed at a young age in the kitchen and garage of his childhood. It eventually led him to Warren Wilson college where he received a B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture. His college studies led to several years as an artisan cheese-maker for a small family creamery in western North Carolina. Building on a growing passion for value-added agriculture and a desire to pursue that interest through distillation; he took a trip to visit his mentor in the Speyside region of Scotland in 2010. William returned with the inspiration, drive, and mentorship to craft a regionally inspired American Single Malt Whiskey. Working exclusively with locally grown and malted grains, Oak and Grist established itself in Black Mountain, North Carolina with a focus on the flavors and aromas of Appalachia. For more than six years the 100% grain-to-glass distillery has been crafting award winning Genever-Style Gin and American Single Malt whiskey.
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Amanda worked in the restaurant industry for over 10 years in her family business in Mexico. As a Chef with Sage & Spice she has developed her passion around traditional Mexican cuisine. She attended culinary classes in Playa del Carmen and gained a deep appreciation for the ancestral ways of cooking. Amanda has enjoyed working with chefs of different backgrounds and is growing quickly in the culinary world. Amanda considers herself a pasta fanatic and is always thrilled with a good piece of sourdough!
Amie, co-founder of Botanist and Barrel, is a wine industry veteran and sommelier who has expanded into cider. With a passion for minimal intervention and showcasing terroir, she oversees distribution and education. Amie is the first and only woman certified Pommelier in NC. As a judge in renowned competitions, she brings her expertise in tasting and finding balance to create exciting ciders. Follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook @naturalcider. Farm, Fruit, Ferment!
After getting a degree in Digital Media from East Tennessee State (on a Bluegrass music performance scholarship), Andrew chose the somewhat more lucrative career path of cooking and brewing. He worked at breweries near his hometown of Holland, Michigan before moving down to Asheville and joining Wicked Weed’s opening kitchen team. Bringing in dozens of bottles of homebrewed sour beer for his team landed Andrew a spot on the cellar floor, and he helped build and eventually lead Wicked Weed’s sour program for the next 7 years. By opening Leveller, Andrew gets to brew what he loves most: traditional European styles like bitters, milds, and Czech lagers, alongside farmhouse ales that showcase his dexterity with microorganisms. In all of his free time, Andrew plays old time, Appalachian string band music and co-parents his son, a flock of heirloom sheep, two dogs, two cats, chickens, and a donkey named Dolores.
Embrew created premium grade, lightly-sweetened tea bags so that tea time (and me-time) can be easy and inspiring without the hassle of an infuser or sticky honey. The blends are for a culinary palette who want tea-house quality at home.
Kimball House Backed Smoked Meat Pop-up in Atlanta.
Devil’s Foot Beverage uses organic roots and fruits to brew farm-to-can craft sodas out of Asheville, NC. Blending regional honey and organic cane sugar and using farm-fresh ingredients from local and certified organic farms allows these sodas to contain half the sugar as corporate brands.
After living in Hawaii for 15 years and operating a restaurant on the Big Island of Hawaii Ben and Lisa moved to Asheville in 2019. Bringing together their knowledge and passion for traditional BBQ and Hawaiian cuisine they opened Huli Sue’s BBQ and Grill at the Grove Arcade in 2019.
See Chef Ben. Chef Ben likes to cook food. Cook Ben, Cook! Ben likes to feed people. People like to eat Ben’s food. Eat People, Eat.
From our 72-hour brewers yeast slow risen pizza dough to our 800+ degree wood-fire oven, our classic Neapolitan-style pizza has an artisan flavor profile with varying degrees of visual char.
Blair Machado, owner of Hamfish BBQ, is a classically-trained Chef and nomadic butcher. He curates dishes with seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers and fishermen. Known for whole animal butchery and open-fire cooking, Blair has worked in renowned kitchens from Virginia to Atlanta.
Brandon Carter is the Executive Chef and Partner of FARM Hospitality Group (FARM Bluffton, Common Thread, Strangebird Food Truck, Wildflower Cafe, and Rootstock Community Foundation) where he works tirelessly to connect the guest’s dining experience with the farmer’s ethos. Always cognizant of seasonality and availability of local ingredients, Carter crafts ever-evolving menus that speak to the bounty of South Carolina’s Lowcountry and the coastal region of Georgia and pay homage to the many growers, fishers, farmers, and artisans who inspire him. At each concept, Carter puts an emphasis on sourcing locally and building personal relationships with purveyors. His menus change as often as his inspiration, highlighting hyper-seasonal ingredients with global influences. Never taking his work too seriously and leaving room for play, Carter’s vision is to bring his community together through nourishment and friendship; when a customer feels like family, he knows he’s accomplished what he set out to do. Outside of the restaurants, Carter devotes time to the group’s non-profit, Rootstock Community Foundation, whose mission is to create awareness and resources to help address the issue of mental health in the food and beverage community.
Chef and Pitmaster Brandon Shepard, a Carolina native, has over twenty years dedicated to the culinary industry. Growing up the money for culinary school was not accessible so Shepard was able to gain knowledge from on the job experience and many days of personal study. Like most he started in the dish pit and worked his way up the ranks.
After years of experience in multiple establishments specializing in many types of cuisine Shepard opened Urban Street Eats with his wife, a global street food truck that brought eclectic dishes from all over the world. There they traveled all throughout eastern North Carolina and eventually earned Mobile Cuisine’s Rookie Food Truck of the Year award. In time the duo able to open a second concept by the name of Nourish Juice Bar + Cafe, a organic juice bar serving Polynesian comfort foods. Jumping from a food truck into their first brick and mortar was already a daunting task that they took to very well until the world stopped. Covid 19 devastated many small businesses around the world and theirs was certainly no exception. After the pandemic hit they were forced to reevaluate their business strategy and pivot into a concept that could feed the masses. Brandon then turned to the food that brought him and his family the most joy, barbecue. Barbecue was a way that him and family members were able to reconnect and get back to the basics in life. This was often true for many African American families in the south. It’s a communal cuisine that brings people together of all walks in life. With the pandemic now coming to an end their barbecue journey is just starting.
After nearly a decade as an environmental consultant, Brent spent the last decade immersed in the wonderful world of craft malt. Since Riverbend’s inception, he’s worn just about every hat. Production, bookkeeping, research, sales, you name it. Along the way he helped co-found the North American Craft Maltsters Guild and currently serves as President. He takes great pride in the success of this new industry and looks forward to seeing it grow in the years ahead.
Camille Cogswell is an award-winning Pastry Chef based in the Asheville area of NC. She received a James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2018, was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 of 2020 and was a 2020 Food and Wine Best New Chef. Cogswell recently returned to the mountains of NC.
Ebony Wine & Spirits introduces the world to the rich culture of Africa and the diaspora, one sip at a time. Inspired by her Congolese roots, Camillya Masunda, owner of Ebony Wine & Spirits, created it to celebrate Black cultures around the globe and all the uniqueness they embody and represent.
Executive Chef at Tupelo Honey’s Mothership location in Downtown Asheville.
Cecilia was born in Argentina, her passion is the driving force behind Cecilia’s restaurants and food trucks. Cecilia cooks from folk to gourmet dishes pulling from her roots, life experiences, and creativity. Cecilia’s menu features homemade authentic gluten free crêpes, empanadas, tamales,
APPALACHIAN INSPIRED BEER & CIDER WITH A SOUTHERN TWIST
A second generation Cuban-American, Chris spent his childhood listening to his Grandmother’s stories about growing up on her father’s farm. Chris and “Nana” have cooked countless everyday authentic Cuban meals together. Together, Chris and Chef Joel have brought their Cuban taste to Asheville.
Cleophus Hethington, a Miami native, is a passionate chef driven by the flavors, ingredients, and dishes of the African diaspora. Starting as a home cook and serving in the U.S. Navy, Hethington embarked on a successful culinary career after an internship at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar. He cooked at renowned establishments across the country, including The Cypress Room, Alter, Matador Room, Le Sirenuse, Four Seasons Surf Club, The Optimist Atlanta, Lazy Betty & Benne on Eagle.
In 2017, Hethington founded Griot House (fka Ębí Chop Bar), a pop-up dinner series celebrating African diasporic food. Inspired by his roots, he launched Triangular Traded Spices, offering small-batch, organic, and bold spice blends. His culinary talents were recognized when he became the Executive Chef at Benne on Eagle, earning acclaim and a nomination as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards.
Currently serving as the Chef de Cuisine at Zak the Baker in Miami, Hethington contributes to the bakery’s recognition by the Michelin Guide and its Michelin Bib Gourmand and James Beard Foundation Award as finalist for “Best Bakery”. He takes pride in evolving Griot House and Triangular Traded Spices, integrating new techniques while honoring the culinary traditions of the African Diaspora.
A self-taught master smoker, Collyn McDonald has been working in the family BBQ business since the age of 15, smoking meat at his father’s side. He is passionate about food and about working with local producers, and he is dedicated to bringing high-quality cuisine and service to the Asheville community.
Over the past decade, Collyn has had the opportunity not only to perfect his BBQ skills in the Bear’s restaurants and at national festivals but also to work alongside several award-winning executive chefs, discovering and conquering the art of international cuisine.
In addition to constantly expanding his culinary knowledge base, Collyn is an avid reader and motorcycle enthusiast. He owns a home in Asheville and enjoys hiking with his wife, Rosie, during his leisure time.
beeswax and butter is rooted in Asheville. Jess and Craw regularly renew our commitment to communities, bodies, and planet by supporting local producers. Our fruits, herbs, dairy, eggs, and flour come from regional farmers, most of whom share time with us at tailgate markets.
Born in Robbinsville, NC, Chef Daniel has 15 years of culinary experience, the last 10 of which he gained with Cedric’s Tavern. He began his Biltmore career at Cedric’s in 2013 as Cook II; rising swiftly through the ranks, he earned three promotions in seven years, and was named Executive Chef in 2021. Proud to support George Vanderbilt’s vision of a working, self-sustaining estate, and appreciative of its field to table program, he enjoys crafting fresh, estate-raised produce, grains, and proteins into exceptional cuisine.
Darren Fallon is Director of Beverage at The Restoration Hotel Collection. Originally starting out as a server in 2015, he quickly transitioned into bartending where his passion and expertise for mixing spirits and developing unexpected flavor profiles earned him the title of Director of Beverage for The Restoration’s two hotels in Charleston and Asheville where he oversees the cocktail program for four different restaurant concepts. A life long learner at his craft, Darren has won the Iron Bartender and Battle of the Decades competitions in Charleston, and attended Bourbon Camp and Tiki By the Sea in New Jersey.
Chef de Cuisine Davis Taylor leads the kitchen at Rhubarb, working alongside Executive Chef/Owner John Fleer to bring seasonally and locally focused, vegetable-forward menus to Asheville, NC. An Alabama native, Taylor credits his passion for cooking to a variety of inspirational mentors throughout his adolescence, from baking pound cake and pot roast with his grandmother to dining and socializing weekly at Jubilee Seafood in Montgomery, AL with late Chef/Owner Bud Skinner. While earning a degree in economics and philosophy at Auburn University, he cooked in various kitchens along the Gulf Coast, solidifying his interest in a full-time career as a chef. Craving a change of pace, he moved to west to work at VailResorts, in Colorado and Wyoming before landing a position at Ataula, a Spanish restaurant by Chef Jose Chesa in Portland, OR. In 2016, he earned a degree in Culinary Arts at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Shortly thereafter, Taylor moved to Asheville in 2016 and joined the Rhubarb team as a line cook. He quickly rose through the ranks, from Sous Chef to Executive Sous Chef to his present position as Chef de Cuisine. In this role, he emulates friend and mentor John Fleer’s cooking style, philosophy, and leadership approach to develop menus and lead the team with a strong emphasis on respect for both the people and the products in the kitchen. Driven by intentionality and creating a “sense of place” in his cooking, Taylor hopes to foster joy, comfort, and nourishment through food, while helping guests identify historical foodways and their connection to cultural truths. At Rhubarb, he’s proud to positively impact the community by supporting sustainable, regenerative agriculture and serving food at its uncomplicated best.
Dean Neff – a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for “Best Chef Southeast” – opened Seabird, his first solo venture with wife Lydia Clopton, in 2021. Seabird – the seafood restaurant and oyster bar – is devoted to North Carolina’s coast, and housed in a historic landmark building in downtown Wilmington. “We’re passionate about the foodways that make Wilmington so distinctive,” said Neff. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Neff’s obsession with the sea began with family weekends spent fishing for the evenings’ supper. After working with celebrated chefs Hugh Acheson and John Fleer, Neff was drawn back to the seaside community, and resolved to support sustainable seafood and fishing from small-scale fishermen and women. Prior to opening Seabird, Neff was the chef/owner of Pinpoint in Wilmington, recognized by Southern Living as a “Best New Restaurant in the South.” Now at Seabird, Neff offers “Seabirdie” oysters farmed exclusively for Seabird, and changes the menu daily based on back door deliveries from coastal foragers. Seabird’s menu celebrates the season with Neff’s adept coastal cooking. Within months of opening, Eater named it “Essential” and “Beach Restaurant of the Year,” and John T. Edge gave it a “Seafood Salute” in Garden & Gun. Fans from Reader’s Digest and Hemispheres to The Local Palate have praised it as one of THE reasons to visit Wilmington today. While he and his team honor the seasons and the seaside food culture so unique to Wilmington on the menu, Neff is also an outspoken champion of the NC Oyster Trail and Cape Fear River Watch.
Diane Flynt, founder of Foggy Ridge Cider and author of Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South, grows cider apples in the southern Appalachians and writes about fruit, farming, and the South. Her book offers a new take on the history of the apple and how this fruit changed the South.
Showing how southerners cultivated over 2,000 apple varieties from Virginia to Mississippi, the book shares surprising stories of a fruit that was central to the region for more than two hundred years.
A Georgia native, Diane worked for over twenty years in corporate America before seeing the light and
returning to her farming roots. In 1997, Diane planted a cider apple orchard with over 30 heirloom cider
varieties with the goal of making fine cider using the same techniques and care that go into making fine
wine. Southern cider varieties like Hewe’s Crab and Grimes Golden, as well traditional English cider apples such as Tremlett’s Bitter, produced top quality cider fruit for Foggy Ridge Cider’s six cider blends.
She was a four-time James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Beverage Professional, including Finalist in 2017 and 2018. In 2019 Diane sold her last cider vintage called Foggy Ridge Final Call. She now sells apples to cidermakers throughout the South.
Today, Diane is active in national and state apple and cider initiatives and has played a leading role in
promoting Virginia wine. She speaks on cider, farming and food culture. The University of North Carolina
Press will publish Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived in September 2023. The book can be pre-ordered from
Amazon.
“If you suspect the apple-evangelist, Diane Flynt’s, book would be an ode to tree fruit you’d be wrong. Instead Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived is a personal and anecdotal walk through the storied orchard of the American South led by one of our country’s most poignant symbols, the apple.” —Vivian Howard, restaurateur author of Deep Run Roots: Stories & Recipes from my Corner of the South, and host of Somewhere South and A Chef’s Life
Diane lives with her husband, Chuck, near Floyd, Virginia, on the site of the Foggy Ridge Cider orchards.
Chef Dorian is originally from Canton, OH and currently lives in Cartersville, Ga with her
husband and 2 children. Chef Dorian is the 5th of 10 children from James Hunter and the late
Phyllis Hunter. Chef Dorian’s love for food started at an early age. Chef Dorian grew up
watching her mom cooking and her dad baking in the kitchen. Cooking alongside her mother
helped to grow her passion for food. Chef Dorian went on to obtain her Associates Degree of
Science and her Le Courdon Bleu certification in Culinary Arts from McIntosh College in Dover,
New Hampshire.
Chef Dorian has been named MasterChef season 10 winner, the biggest season ever. Chef
Dorian is the first African-American female winner in the show’s history. Chef Dorian is also the
oldest contestant to win MasterChef. Chef Dorian specializes in elevating southern food
without losing that traditional southern taste.
Chef Dorian’s growth as a person and a chef has been inspirational. Chef Dorian proved to
herself, the judges and the world that she was a force to be reckoned win. Chef Dorian won
several challenges during the show and amazed Chef Gordon Ramsay, Chef Aaron Sanchez, Joe
Bastianich and the fans of MasterChef with her elevated southern flavors. Chef Dorian
understood early in the competition that it was important to listen to the advice given by the
judges, and that it was important to embrace the black apron, because it meant that she would
be able to learn and cook more. This strategy allowed the judges to see her grow each time she
was in an elimination challenge. Chef Dorian’s ability to learn and adapt, helped to propel her
to the final 3 and beat the other 2 contestants in the show’s finale. Chef Dorian won the grand
prize of $250,000, a new Viking appliances kitchen set, along with coveted trainings at one of
each of Chef Gordon Ramsay, Chef Aaron Sanchez, and Joe Bastianich restaurants. In addition
to the grand prize, Chef Dorian also won $5000 in BrevilleUSA kitchen appliances for her win
with the Pink Champagne cake, that was dedicated in memory to her mother.
Since winning MasterChef, she was named a finalist on the new groundbreaking competition
“The Great Soul Food Cookoff” cooking show on Discovery+ & OWN. A first-of-its-kind soul food
cooking competition series celebrating Black chefs and the Black culinary traditions that are the
cornerstone of American cuisine. Chef Dorian was also featured on the 30th season of Beat
Bobby Flay! on Food Network. She has also been featured in various magazines, newspapers,
morning shows & nationally syndicated television shows.
Chef Dorian has been actively engaged with her fans by participating in onsite and virtual events
where they can come watch or cook along with her while listening to her story. Chef Dorian is
currently working on different recipes in preparation for the release of her first cookbook. Chef
Dorian has also been working alongside various charities such as WINGS, TruBlue 1881 and a
host of religious organizations. The ability to help raise money and awareness for these
organizations is very important, and she will continue to dedicate her time and resources to
benefit her charitable endeavors.
Eleanor Sturm is a chef and pastaia (pasta maker) born and raised in East Tennessee. With a background in fine dining, she spent a number of years in Italy and New York developing a love and respect for the traditions and folklore of Italian cuisine. She is an avid grower and forager who puts land stewardship at the forefront of her culinary approach. Her pop up Terra is a concept built around a conversation between Southern Appalachia and the Northern Italian terroir. It is a celebration of local food-ways and the wild pantry of Southern Appalachia.
ELDR is Old Nors for fire. We love how fire brings people together to enjoy a great meal, unique flavors & good conversation. At the end of the day, that’s what ELDR is all about.
Our light-filled & airy North Asheville restaurant features new American cuisine that focuses on an ingredients-driven menu, natural wine, craft coffee & cocktails.
Red Fiddle Vittles creates fine food inspired by Appalachian ingredients, farms, and traditions. Red Fiddle operates a gourmet grocery and catering business in South Asheville featuring products and ingredients from dozens of local farms, foragers, and makers.
Félix Meana comes from the small town of Roses on the Costa Brava in Catalunya, Spain.
Roses is the location of what was—until it closed in 2011— Ferran Adrià’s world-famous
restaurant, elBulli, where Felix worked as a front of the house service manager for five
years.
At the age of 19, Felix began his career in hospitality by co-owning a bar with his brother,
Cesar Meana, called L’Hort D´En Minguets. His desire for adventure and travel took him to a
Pal-Arinsal, a ski resort in the Pyrenees mountains of Andorra, where he built his career
from bartender to Assistant-Director of Restaurants for the next eight years. Félix wanted
to learn more about fine dining and excellent service, so he returned to his hometown and
joined the team at elBulli, an experience that opened doors at other world-classrestaurants, including La Terraza del Casino in Madrid with chef Paco Roncero and Washington, DC with José Andrés and ThinkFoodGroup, where he met and fell in love with Katie Button. At ThinkFoodGroup, Félix aided in the opening and development of newrestaurants, including The Bazaar by José Andrés in the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, South Beach, and Puerto Rico as the Director of Service.
Félix and Katie married, moved to Asheville and opened Cúrate Bar de Tapas with her
family. Since, they have grown the Cúrate brand to include Cúrate Trips, Cúrate
Wine Club, Cúrate at Home and most recently, La Bodega by Cúrate.
Through Félix’s close relationships with importers and wineries throughout Spain, Cúrate
has received numerous accolades for its wine program, including being named one of the
Best 100 Wine Restaurants in the nation by Wine Enthusiast. Under Félix’s direction, Cúrate
Bar de Tapas won the 2022 James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Hospitality.
Gab chose to work in the brewing industry for its potential to demonstrate how businesses build connections, redistribute resources, and reckon with change in their communities. She entered the beer world through Lamplighter Brewing in Cambridge, MA, where she tended bar and built a multi-faceted community engagement program while co-leading Boston’s Pink Boots Society chapter. In Asheville, she worked in New Belgium’s Liquid Center before joining Andrew and Sally to open Leveller. Gab is a Certified Cicerone®, offering accessible beer education online through AirBnB and in person at Leveller events.
Est. in 2019 this eccentric brewery produces all styles of beer that are true to style. Located at 63 N. Lexington Ave. in DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE.
Graham House is the Executive Chef at Luminosa, an upscale eatery driven by Italian classics, hyperlocal ingredients, and dishes crafted in a wood-burning oven and grill. A proud native of Western North Carolina, Graham is a seasoned chef who brings a wealth of experience and a deep-rooted connection and appreciation for the local community to his role as the culinary leader at the highly anticipated Flat Iron Hotel.
Born & raised in Norlina, NC. I am the pastry chef at Leah & Louise in Charlotte, NC. My main focus is reinventing the southern dessert table with a focus on Carolinian ingredients and tradition.
Gwendolyn Dare Hageman founded Darë Vegan Cheese in 2019 after many years as a chef in the Asheville culinary scene. Saddened by the quality of alternative cheeses on the market, and driven to have a pun as her life’s work, Gwendolyn combined her culinary wizardry with her passion to produce food through love to create the best dairy-free cheese locally, and beyond. Pronounced like dairy, tastes like dairy, but there is, in fact, no dairy. With a commitment to culinary craft and high quality ingredients, Darë Vegan Cheese is changing the way people enjoy their favorite food. We’ve made cheese better, it’s nuts.
Jael Skeffington, Co-Founder & CEO of French Broad Chocolates in Asheville, NC, believes in using business as a force for good. Jael serves on the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Coalition in Asheville/Buncombe County, serves as a mentor to entrepreneurs with Venture Asheville Elevate, and was a Founding Board Member of Chow Chow.
Jake Whitman is the Managing Chef and Partner of The Pure & Proper in Black Mountain, NC. Born in South Florida and later growing up in the Asheville area, Jake quickly connected to food when cooking alongside his grandmother. As a first generation American growing up in Miami, combined with her Russian-Jewish culture, Jake’s grandmother cultivated many unique recipes and quality family-time that helped shape his future in professional kitchens.
Jake’s official start in the restaurant industry was washing dishes at Magnolia’s in downtown Asheville. Absorbing everything he could from that position, he went on to attend ABTech’s Culinary program. While in school, Jake worked as a line cook at Que Sera in Black Mountain where he and his wife, Ali, met. He eventually went back to Asheville to work at several staples such as Zambra and The Admiral, further shaping his skills and experiences as a chef.
Fast-forward to today and Jake now has two of his own restaurants, Loott House in Swannanoa and The Pure & Proper in Black Mountain. Jake’s mission is to cultivate a healthy and creative work environment in his restaurants to inspire growth and education among his chefs.
Born in Orlando, FL began and at the age of 24 moved to Seattle to begin my career as a cook while learning from great chefs Like Jim Drohman of Le Pichet and Matt Jenke at Lecosho while growing personal connections with farmers in the Pacific Northwest. At 30 I became the Chef de Cuisine of Café Presse In Seattle and remained there for seven years until I moved here to Asheville with hopes to start up my own farm here in the future. At the Biltmore I am privileged to have the inspiration of a farm directly associated with the cuisine here at the restaurant and the products I get to work with on a daily basis.
Executive Chef Jamie Davis is from Jacksonville, NC but grew up with a Dad in the marines so he moved around a lot before resettling back in his home state. He started working in his first restaurant at 16 years old as a dishwasher and worked his way up through the ranks to manager by the time he was 18. He joined the army and served and cooked for troops in Iraq before attending culinary school in Savannah, Georgia. Jamie’s style is grounded in his classical training as he builds depth of flavor into his stocks and sauces over days and sometimes weeks of development. Moving around the South as he was growing up, he developed a love of all food cultures within the South thus his menu style is Southern Eclectic! He works to make sure that the local seasonal ingredients from our Farms/Food Heroes shine and speak for themselves on the plate.
Jeff is a self-taught chef-turned-pitmaster and restaurateur with a hard-won 35 years in the industry. After cooking to pay for college, he left his home state of Iowa on a journey through acclaimed chef-owned restaurants across the country. He spent three years in Durham cutting his teeth at the pioneering restaurants, Nana’s and Magnolia Grill. While in the Triangle, Jeff fell in love with NC barbecue, touring the back roads of Eastern Carolina and the Piedmont on his days off, questing for authentic ‘cue.
He then moved west where he worked under the tutelage of more James Beard Award-winning chefs in Napa Valley and the Bay Area. He moved to Montana’s Madison Valley as Executive Chef at a luxury guest lodge and was featured on Fine Living Network, the Travel Channel and Bon Appetite Magazine.
While cooking in the West, his love for the heritage and depth of traditional Southern flavors was still simmering. In 2006 he hung up the starched white chef coat, returned to North Carolina, and assumed the moniker of Proprietor & Pit Boss. In 2007 the original Luella’s Bar-B-Que was born with a vision to provide enrichment to the team, guests, and the Asheville community in a way that creates lasting enjoyment and enduring relationships. This vision is embodied in Luella’s trademark, Taste The Love.
We believe in creating the most delicious cups of tea, using a local, farm-to-teacup approach to ingredient sourcing. By having direct involvement with the farmers who grow our herbs, we can support sustainable and regenerative growing methods as well as tell the story of where our herbs come from so you can experience what’s in your cup from seed to sip.
After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY in 2011, Jill traveled extensively, working in kitchens around the world to gain as many different culinary perspectives as possible. From Washington DC to New Orleans to Melbourne, Australia to rural Guatemala, Jill ended up in Asheville where she opened Ivory Road Café & Kitchen in August of 2016.
JAMES JOE LEWIS- HEAD CHEF, 12 BONES SMOKEHOUSE ASHEVILLE, NC
Joe started in Food & Bev the way a lot of folks do, washing dishes in a restaurant when he was 15. Even though he grew up coming to the area, he officially landed in Asheville in 1997. For those familiar with Asheville in the 90s, after graduating from AB Tech Culinary he worked at Richmond Hill, Biltmore, and Gabriella’s. After several years of work and travel ranging from Florida all the way to Alaska, he came back in 2004 as the head chef of La Caterina. Here he really honed in his passion for the traditional methods of cooking, preserving, and curing meats. In 2008, he and his wife Lindsay started a bistro in Hendersonville called Square One. During that time, Joe helped with a beer dinner at 12 Bones Smokehouse. Shortly after, he sold his restaurant in 2011 and began his journey in BBQ. At 12 Bones he learned the process of smoking and it became a lifelong passion. While he loves all the traditional methods and foods of BBQ, he also loves stretching what that can mean: that could entail smoking a whole pork loin and running a riff on a traditional Cuban sandwich or smoking a whole leg of lamb for Easter dinner. One of his most nuanced dishes was rabbit with dates. He especially enjoys the process of experimenting with the different meats and cuts that go into making sausages. 12 Bones Smokehouse is proud to have Joe Lewis overseeing its culinary traditions, as his passion and experience has allowed the restaurant to maintain its position as a local Asheville staple.
GREAT CIDER. NO BULL!
The BULL doesn’t play by the rules. Hard cider doesn’t have to be sickeningly sweet and taste artificial. Our ciders are made with 100% apple juice and never back-sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, so you taste the apple in all its glory! Gluten-free yeast and ingredients ensure a naturally gluten-free cider. We’re crafting unique ciders that bridge the gap between wine and beer. Honey, black tea, hops, ginger, tart cherries, beats, whiskey and hibiscus allow us to redefine cider. The BULL is bucking the trend of mainstream ciders. Taste the revolution!
At both Rhubarb and sister café-bakery-pantry The Rhu, Fleer brings the relaxed atmosphere of his previous pastoral posts to downtown Asheville. Broadening his approach with a freestyle Appalachian-American cuisine well-suited for its location at the city’s vibrant crossroad, he celebrates local foods, producers, and purveyors to serve the very best of what the seasons have to offer.
Executive Chef at Tupelo Honey’s Mothership location in Downtown Asheville.
Vivian is named after Josiah’s grandmother who was a driving force in his culinary upbringing as she hosted grand dinner parties in a Julia Child-like fashion during his childhood in Georgia. He is a self trained chef who has built his career working in the industry since he was 15. After moving to Asheville from the Chicago food scene, Josiah and his wife opened Salt & Smoke, a permanent food truck at Burial Brewing that aimed to get his culinary style out there—albeit on paper plates! After two years of garnering a great reputation he was able to open Vivian in the River Arts District wear he focuses on American food that embraces old work European traditions. His food is clean, with limited elements to a plate, but with each one promising big, robust flavors. The menu changes frequently as we shift seasonally based on what our incredible farmers have to offer!
Urban Orchard Cider Co. provides two warm and inviting spaces in two unique parts of the Asheville, allowing visitors to experience our one-of-a-kind hard ciders that are made on site. We proudly offer a welcoming atmosphere that fosters creativity, invigorating discussion with friends, or a warm chair to enjoy your cider in one hand and your new favorite book in the other.
In a time where product labels can be difficult to navigate and interrupt, you can be sure that Urban Orchard Ciders are of the purest form. We are dedicated to producing the highest quality craft ciders that we feel good about drinking ourselves. Forget the days of overly sweet ciders, full of artificial sweeteners, aromas, and flavors. We let fresh-pressed apple juice do the job for us. Aging/maturation and a variety of yeast strains are competitive advantages for us and we have found that the extra work delivers us a superior product in the end. Stop by for a visit!
Kala is the general manager of Thirsty Monk and curator of Top of the Monk. She focuses on crafting interesting creative libations, featuring premium spirits, distinctive flavor profiles, and fresh seasonal ingredients served on a casual rooftop setting overlooking the south slope of downtown.
Kat Savage of SAVOR Shrub Bitters is a WNC native, passionate naturalist & foodie. She makes NA mixers in an homage to traditions of bitters & shrubs, and has been in herbalism for 20 yrs. Formerly co-owning & formulating for an herb school & tincture company, she taught herbs around the southeast.
Chef Katie Button is a TV host on Magnolia Network, and co-founder of Asheville, North Carolina’s beloved Cúrate, a JBF Award-winning collection of restaurants with an online marketplace and wine club, and culinary journeys that create exceptional and experiential access to Spanish culture.
Chef Katie lives in Asheville, NC with her husband, Kirk, kids Will and Lidia, and dogs, Pearl and Zeke. She has a passion for eating, cooking, and living clean. She loves finding new ways to make the healthiest food approachable, delicious, and satisfying.
She found her passion for cooking early in life, and attended The New England Culinary Institute of Vermont. She has worked in restaurants, café’s, grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and has extensive catering experience, including opening and co-owning Sugarsnap, LLC, in Burlington, VT.
An Eastern North Carolina native, Chef Keith Rhodes, is owner of Catch Modern Seafood Restaurant, Catch the Food Truck and TackleBox Foodtruck located in Wilmington, NC, where he offers his unique signature on New Southern Cuisine with international inspiration.
Chef Rhodes has a lifetime of roots sewn here in our coastal community, in which he credits his grandfather for his “farm to table” approach. In addition to supporting local purveyors, fishermen and farmers, Chef Rhodes is always proud to give back to his community by visiting local grade schools, colleges and military bases to share his knowledge on food culture and cuisine along with educating groups on food deserts, sustainability policies and food advocacy.
With Wilmington also being known as a “Hollywood East” destination, Chef Rhodes has hosted both film and television personalities from Gwyneth Paltrow & Robert Downey Jr, to Morris Chestnut & Melissa McCarthy. He’s won numerous awards and accolades, some which include *Best Chef & Best Foodtruck (4 years in a row) Encore Magazine *NC Goodness Grows Best Dish for Fine & Casual Dining *Chef-testant on Bravo’s Top Chef (Season 9) *James Beard “Best Chef Southeast” Semi Finalist 2011 & 2023
In addition to being a Gullah Culinarian (US Park Service), Chef Rhodes is a 2023 NC Restaurant & Lodging Association Board of Trustees Member.
He has represented the NC Department of Tourism on several media missions, been featured in several publications such as Our State Magazine and Garden & Gun. In 2017 he was a James Beard Foundation guest chef onboard its Windstar Cruise Line, where his menu items are still featured today.
This past September, Chef Rhodes was a featured guest of World Renowned/International YouTube Food Blogger, Mark Wiens, which cast a spotlight on Wilmington and its coastal cuisine, with a video of 3 MILLION views. Another YouTube video blogger, Buzzfeed, “Is it Worth It” garnered over 2 MILLION views.
When he’s not treating his diners to the best seasonal offerings at Catch, you can find him traveling and spending time with his amazing wife of 33 years, Angela and their two adult children, Kristen and Keith Jr.
I’ve lived all over NC and settled in Asheville 10 years ago with my husband Lee. I took an interest in our ever-growing local business scene and jumped at the chance to start an urban winery that shares in growing our local agriculture. We produce minimal intervention, terroir driven wines.
Alexis “Lex” Walton is a NC native pastry chef who specializes in custom wedding cakes and dessert bars. Her business Layered by Lex was established in 2016 and she is currently the pastry chef at All Day Darling Café.
As a North Carolina native, Lynn brings over 20 years of experience in cooking locally grown food mixed with lots of Southern hospitality for private clients. With a B.S. in Nutrition Management and as a former Registered Dietitian, Lynn incorporates natural, whole foods and ingredients enhanced by her knowledge for the art of cooking. As recipe developer for Our State Magazine, Lynn creates recipes using the best ingredients and keeps recipes simple so the flavors from the main ingredient are the star.
In addition to owning Thyme Well Spent Personal Chef Service since 2014, Lynn is a food stylist for cookbook authors, magazines, and corporations. She also enjoys writing food stories and partnering with Cone Health teaching cancer patients, caregivers, and employees how nutrition and whole foods factors into their overall wellness when cooking at home.
Chef Malcolm graduated from Johnson & Wales in 2009 and made his way to NYC where he cut his teeth at various steakhouses, Minetta Tavern, STK and Unle Jacks Steakhouse. He also worked with Chef Dani Garcia at Manzanilla, Chef Danny Bowen at Mission Chinese Food and Chef Clause Meyer at Agern.
He left NYC in 2018 and moved upstate NY to the Catskills where he lived on a farm and work with his mentor Aksel Theikhul at The Debruce Inn. While there he was promoted to Chef De Cuisine and executed tasting menus.
At the onset of the pandemic he made the decision to move back to North Carolina and landed in Asheville where he was the Chef De Cuisine at Benne On Eagle working under James Beard winning chef John Fleer.
Chef Malcolm has since moved to Charlotte to be closer to his son. Chef Malcolm is currently working with Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group on their upcoming project Leluia Hall.
I am currently a pastry chef and sous chef at Eldr. I have enjoyed working my way around the culinary scene in Asheville for the last 4 years, we have a wonderful hospitality community. In my free time you can find me out in the sun, or cooking with my family of friends.
Marta Plana, founder of this young company, is originally from Catalonia, born and raised in a small coastal town just south of Barcelona, in the Penedes area. She has been working in the wine industry for over 20 years, working hand-in-hand with wineries from all over Spain. For the past 15 years, she focused on the US market where she learned and experienced the importance of consistency, coherence and also the “road to market,” defining goals that are instrumental in the success of any wine brand that wants to offer something unique to the United States.
Established in 2017, The Winetones, Inc. is a wine importing company, representing 3 standout portfolios into the US and offering a great spectrum of what Spain has to offer.
Catalan Winetones: The portfolio that gives the name to the company, is a curated selection of family owned wineries from all over Catalonia, considered among the top within their regions.
Democratic Wines: The home of a few truly fresh and modern brands, that gives a twist to the most traditional and popular wine-based drinks from Spain. Brands that have really the Barcelona vibe!
Vintae: Vintae is an innovative, young and dynamic family owned group of wineries, which elaborates wine in 15 different Designations of Origin in north Spain. A portfolio full of great value wines from the most well known regions from the north and some unique gems from those same regions.
Born and raised in Japan, Chef Masatomo “Masa” Hamaya journeyed to the US to attend Arizona State University before returning home to Tokyo, where he enrolled in culinary school with a desire to learn the technicalities of his native cooking. With collegiate and culinary education complete, Hamaya returned to the United States to follow his passion and formally launch his career as a chef. As head sushi chef, Hamaya led the kitchen at the critically acclaimed Uchiko in Austin, Texas. In San Francisco, he held the titles of executive chef at Ozumo and executive sous chef at the Michelin-starred Ame.
Matthew is a native of Anniston, Alabama. A great influence early on was cooking with his mother and learning the family recipes. He comes from a big Cajun family, so there were many trips to Louisiana as a kid, getting steeped in the flavors and everything Louisiana.
As a youngster, Chef Dorough spent most of his time outdoors. Growing up partly on his dad’s sheep farm, Matt was able to experience the ins and outs of farm life. This fostered an appreciation for sustainable and local agriculture.
At Auburn University he met his wife Jamie, who convinced him to switch paths and take those natural cooking skills to the next level. He moved with her to Asheville, attending AB Tech’s Culinary Arts Program and an internship with us at Chestnut. After graduation he and Jamie left the country on a 3-month backpacking trip through Western Europe. This was a very important time to experience so much Old World culture and the culinary background that went with it.
In 2022, Matthew Dorough became Chef de Cuisine at Chestnut.
Matthew is a native of Anniston, Alabama. A great influence early on was cooking with his mother and learning the family recipes. He comes from a big Cajun family, so there were many trips to Louisiana as a kid, getting steeped in the flavors and everything Louisiana.
As a youngster, Chef Dorough spent most of his time outdoors. Growing up partly on his dad’s sheep farm, Matt was able to experience the ins and outs of farm life. This fostered an appreciation for sustainable and local agriculture.
At Auburn University he met his wife Jamie, who convinced him to switch paths and take those natural cooking skills to the next level. He moved with her to Asheville, attending AB Tech’s Culinary Arts Program and an internship with us at Chestnut. After graduation he and Jamie left the country on a 3-month backpacking trip through Western Europe. This was a very important time to experience so much Old World culture and the culinary background that went with it.
In 2022, Matthew Dorough became Chef de Cuisine at Chestnut.
Foothills Local Meats is a Black Mountain based business following a whole animal butchery model. Meg Montgomery has worked for Foothills for six and a half years, currently running their butcher shop, production kitchen, and commissary program.
Meherwan Irani is a chef and restaurateur changing the perception of Indian food in America through his growing restaurant and spice empire in the South’s most essential culinary cities. He is a leading voice in the industry’s conversation around diversity and cultural exchange. In 2022, Meherwan’s flagship restaurant in Asheville, Chai Pani, was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. Meherwan was named by TIME Magazine as one of the “31 People Changing The South” and is a five-time James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast.
As Co-Founder, Chef and CEO of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, Meherwan leads a growing team across seven locations: Chai Pani Asheville, Chai Pani Decatur, Botiwalla Atlanta, Botiwalla Charlotte, Buxton Hall Barbecue,and spice brand Spicewalla, which has two outposts in Asheville and Atlanta. The third Botiwalla will open in West Asheville in the summer of 2023.
Meherwan grew up in Ahmednagar, in the midwestern state of Maharashtra in India, and he came to the U.S. at age 20. In 2009, he and his wife and business partner, Molly, introduced Asheville, North Carolina, to the colors, flavors and faces of India with Chai Pani.
As the first U.S. female gin distiller inducted into the Gin Guild, Melissa Katrincic’s 20+ years as a marketing executive informs her role as President & CEO of Conniption Gin, a growing national U.S. brand. A Bryn Mawr physics graduate, she is a champion of women’s STEM education.
For over 15 years, Mike McCarty has masterfully captained The Lobster Trap as Executive Chef. He joined the crew in the earliest days, and took over as Chef not long after. From then to now, Chef Mike and The Lobster Trap have seen a lot of challenges and changes.
From the start, Chef McCarty, along with founding owner Amy Beard, had a clear vision of what The Lobster Trap should be; a meeting place for the flavors of Coastal Maine, combined with Appalachia’s abundance of fresh ingredients. As part of this mission, Mike made sustainability the focus of every dish on his menu.
Making this dream a reality is a truly incredible feat of logistical problem solving. When the doors of the restaurant close for the night, Chef Mike and his team are already working on the menu for the next day.
Miles Macquarrie is the Beverage Director and Co-Owner of Kimball House in Decatur, GA
With Macquarrie at the helm, Kimball House is a six-time James Beard
Foundation nominee for Outstanding Bar Program.
Nancie McDermott has written fourteen cookbooks, focusing on the food of the American South, and on the cuisine of Thailand, where she spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer. Nominated for a James Beard award in journalism, she has written on food and travel for Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Cooks Illustrated, and the Los Angeles Times. Her national television credits include playing a Cake Detective on Alton Brown’s Peabody Award-winning Food Network program, “Good Eats”. A frequent guest chef on the Hallmark Channel’s “Home & Family”, she led a Thai market tour in Los Angeles for Discovery Channel’s “Epicurious”, and hosts two best-selling culinary videos on Craftsy.com. Based in Chapel Hill NC, Nancie loves researching food history, exploring regional culinary cultures, and celebrating home cooking and home cooks around the world.
Nick Barr is the Executive Chef of Buxton Hall Barbecue. Growing up on the North Carolina coast then the Piedmont — no stranger to his grandmother’s whole hog cooking, smoked game, and chicken bog — Nick began his restaurant and chef career in the mountains. After working nearly a decade with a restaurant chain and commodity food, Nick became obsessed with local agriculture and left his job as General Manager to work in permaculture. Nick pursued a variety of ag endeavors like starting his own condiments business, delivery service and family CSA, before joining the kitchen team at Buxton Hall in 2017 with a new respect for food production and Buxton’s commitment to sourcing locally and whole animal butchery. Nick is passionate about “honest barbecue” and brings his belief that “the only thing that stays the same about barbecue is that it’s always evolving” to Buxton Hall. Nick lives on his own Big Ivy Little Farm in Weaverville, NC, with his partner and their chickens, goats and homestead hogs.
Originally from Hampton, Virginia, Oscar Johnson is the chef/co-owner of the restaurant Jimmy Pearls located in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2022, Chef Johnson took home the honor of the NCRLA (North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association) Chef of the Year and curates memorable vittles by sharing his passion for family, food, and storytelling.
Owner and chef of Master BBQ AVL. Serves Filipino style BBQ skewers.
Experience Chef Pete’s American Eclectic Cuisine using local & seasonal ingredients. Home to Downtown Asheville’s Best Outdoor Patio!
Go on a culinary journey with Executive Chef Peter Crockett, who showcases his finesse through an innovative and seasonally inspired cuisine. Serving Local Dynamite Coffee & scratch-made pastries, lunch, dinner seven days a week, as well as Asheville’s best weekend brunch. We look forward to offering you a once in a lifetime dining experience and showing you what sets us apart from other restaurants in Asheville.
For your convenience, Isa’s Bistro offers guests complimentary valet parking with the Haywood Park Hotel located next door!
In 2009, Chef Peter Pollay and his wife Martha founded Posana, which evolved into a casual fine dining restaurant in 2013. Posana offers a sophisticated local and seasonal menu that compliments the friendly, relaxed sentiment of Asheville. His philosophy of sourcing premium ingredients, working with the local farming community, and never taking shortcuts embodies the ethos of Posana.
Preeti Waas is the chef owner of Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in Raleigh, NC.
From a young child in India fascinated by the alchemy of baking to a James Beard Best Chef Southeast semifinalist 2023, one thing has never changed for Preeti – the gratification and joy of feeding people. She is a self-taught cook and baker who is always curious – and always hungry.
Founder of the Kente Kitchen. A foodie with a mission to feed all kids, eliminate food insecurity, and provide food access to all living in Buncombe County. If you have traveled to Africa or if you have never traveled to Africa, The Kente Kitchen Market, specializing in West African Cuisine, is an opportunity for you to experience something that you will find nowhere around town. All dishes are made with fresh ingredients and can be modified to accommodate vegan and vegetarian diets.
Chef Reyaña Radcliff grew up in New Orleans where famously unique cuisine was everywhere. Her Dad and Grandmother both taught her traditional Creole & Cajun dishes, as well as basic cooking methods at an early age. Her Mom opened her eyes to the wonders of well-made everyday comfort foods. By the age of fifteen, Reyaña went to her high school counselor and proclaimed that she wanted to be a chef! Realizing that if she wanted to be the best, she would have to have the best training, education, and experience. So, she decided to attend the best university – Johnson and Wales University, also known as the Harvard of Culinary Arts. After earning an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, Reyaña went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Food Service Management. During her time in school, she worked at several prominent resorts, and spent a semester catering at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Once done with school, she stayed in Charlotte, North Carolina working in country clubs at every station, eventually becoming a Hotel Sous Chef, prior to ultimately earning the prestigious title of Executive Chef.
When everything about everyday life on the planet changed in 2020, Reyaña used her fine dining experiences to start her own catering company, Your Braisen Chef, LLC. Like so many others, she made the best of a difficult situation and gained freedom in being able to create her own epicurean triumphs, all while including her daughter Tiarra and teaching her how to become a businesswoman. Today, Chef Reyaña enjoys catering for special occasions, doing culinary demonstrations at industry events, and teaching cooking classes in person and virtually through social media. She has been featured on the podcast Patchwork (Episode 17), Baddies with Business (Episode 88) a guest chef at The BayHaven Food & Wine Festival, Crave Charlotte Food & Wine Festival, a featured Chef at Sliced Cooking Competition as well as the NCRLA 2022 Chef Showdown, and at various teaching arenas. She also acts as a consultant for up-and-coming restaurant groups and manufacturers, and avidly donates food to local charities.
Chef Ricky Moore – the James Beard Foundation winner for “Best Chef Southeast” and self-professed North Carolina seafood evangelist – opened the popular Saltbox Seafood Joint® in 2012 in Durham, North Carolina. Praised by Saveur as “a tiny but mighty seafood shack,” Saltbox Seafood Joint takes inspiration from his native Eastern Carolina coast and its traditional roadside fish shacks. Early in his career, Moore served as a cook in the US Army before attending and graduating from the esteemed Culinary Institute of America. After kitchen stints in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens from DC to Chicago, Moore competed against Chef Michael Symon on “Iron Chef America.” In Durham, Moore found success with Saltbox Seafood Joint, and debuted the Saltbox Seafood Joint® Cookbook in 2019 – with 60 recipes celebrating his coastal culinary heritage. In 2020, Discover awarded Saltbox Seafood Joint® $25,000 for its #EatItForward campaign for black-owned restaurateurs and MOFAD included it in its Black History Month exhibit, “African/American: Making the Nation’s Table.” Today Moore continues to fulfill his lifelong dream as an entrepreneur, professional, and preserver of North Carolina fisherman and foodways, and is a member of the NC Oyster Trail and on the Advisory Board for the NC Sea Grant.
We use only the best ingredients
We know where our ingredients come from. We know the farmers that grow them. We name each apple before we press it into juice. (Just kidding on that last one.)
What makes us different?
Not only do we use premium ingredients, we grow some of our own. In partnership with Lewis Creek Farms, Noble is grafting and growing true cider apple varieties. Founded in the new ‘Craft Brew Mecca’ of Asheville and North Carolina’s apple country, Noble brings together a rich local history of agriculture with this region’s exciting craft beverage industry.
Sahar Siddiqi is the Chef de Cuisine of Chai Pani Decatur, the Indian street food restaurant known for changing the perception of Indian food in America. She is a first-generation Pakistani-American (or American-Pakistani, as her father insists) who grew up outside New York City, attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and worked her way through renowned kitchens including State Bird Provisions in San Francisco and Atlas in Atlanta. Sahar came to the Chai Pani Restaurant Group in 2019 and two years later she was promoted to lead the kitchen as CDC. In 2023, the James Beard Foundation recognized Sahar as a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast. She currently lives in Atlanta’s EAV neighborhood with her spouse and (soon to be) two daughters.
Samm is the owner of Matcha Nude, an ethical, sustainable, delicious and affordable organic matcha company helping people elevate their lives with easy recipes, tips + community.
Rustic Italian-Appalachian cuisine with inventive craft cocktails and rare wines in the heart of downtown Sylva. Ilda is the artisan passion project of Chef Santiago Guzzetti, Sommelier Crystal Pace and Spirits Director, Antoine Hodge. Nestled in the Smokey Mountains of Western North Carolina, the trio felt called to build a home that is rich in culture, craft and community. Santiago’s heritage in Italian cuisine and Crystal’s ties to her hometown of Appalachia create a cuisine that is unique, but also honors and respects history. This union of Italian and Southern Appalachian cuisine is the foundation where they will recreate the comfort you found at your grandmother’s kitchen table.
Sarilla was created by Sara Stender Delaney, a lifelong entrepreneur and global activist. Operating between Vermont, Western North Carolina and Rwanda, she has been alcohol-free since the age of 28. Sara finds there are very few better-for-you alcohol-free beverages that taste great, are free from artificial ingredients and sugar, and feel just as celebratory as alcohol. She made it her mission to solve this problem so everyone could feel special and included, all while working directly with farmers so they could also benefit from our success as we grow.
Scot was born in Sylva, NC, however never truly lived there until later in life. He spent most of his childhood split between New Mexico, but mainly in Maryland. From a young age, Scot interest in culinary arts was molded by his food centric family that held roots in Michigan and Georgia.
Scot spent 8 years learning his craft in Denver under numerous chefs until relocating to San Francisco in 2011. During his 10 year tenure in San Francisco, Scot rose to the rank of Executive Chef at a legacy status bistro in Lower Pac Heights known as Florio, became the CDC of a Mediterranean restaurant Sens, and finally a Sous Chef at a nationally recognized Greek restaurant Kokkari Estiatorio. Scot moved to Sylva, NC in 2021 becoming the Executive Sous Chef at a local restaurant, ILDA.
When asked what influences and excites him about the culinary world, he would say “I’m very much enamoured by anything to do with the Silk Road spice routes. These spice trades forever changed the culinary traditions of many cultures and allowed the world to experience wonderful flavors and the sharing of ideas that is the basis of everything we see today. I see food as a way to bring people and cultures together despite our differences.”
Joining us in December 2022, Scot is excited to lead the culinary team as Chef de Cuisine and looks forward to helping create all the memorable experiences Corner Kitchen is known for.
Sean McMullen is the Chef de Cuisine of Luminosa, an upscale eatery driven by Italian classics, hyperlocal ingredients, and dishes crafted in a wood-burning oven and grill. Bringing over 18 years of culinary expertise to the team, Sean is known throughout the region for his longstanding connections with local farmers and a strong commitment to utilizing seasonal ingredients in his cooking. Passionate about reducing food waste, a value that was instilled in him during his time as Chef de Cuisine at Wisteria, Sean’s dedication to Appalachian cuisine and preservation techniques includes canning, pickling, fermentation, and dehydration. Aside from his extensive training in whole animal butchery and acidulated foods, Sean draws inspiration from his travels across Europe while also embracing the Italian ethos of seasonality.
At Luminosa, located within The Flat Iron Hotel, Sean is excited to play a role in the
revitalization of a historic landmark, working closely with local farmers and producers to create seasonally inspired cuisine that celebrates the unique flavors and traditions of Appalachia.
During his time in the High Country, he was an active partner with organizations like the Hunger Health Coalition and engaged in local fundraising efforts with groups like Oasis Recovery Center, which put an emphasis on the importance of giving back to the community. Sean believes that cooking is an act of love, and his culinary creations reflect this philosophy, bringing people together through memorable dining experiences.
Outside of the kitchen, Sean finds solace and inspiration in nature and enjoys hiking, foraging, and snowboarding.
Sera Cuni is the chef and owner of Cafe Root Cellar in Pittsboro and The Root Cellar Cafe and Catering in Chapel Hill. Classically trained in the culinary arts, Chef Sera launched her career in her home state of Connecticut, where she worked with restaurants Main and Hopewell, Americus on the Wharf, and Pastis, all in Connecticut. These early kitchen experiences helped to inform and influence the cuisine she loves to cook today – creative and flavorful dishes that reflect the vast diversity of foods across the Midwestern and Southern United States.A founding member of the North Carolina Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and a selected member of Sterling Silver’s Signature Chefs, Chef Sera devotes her free time to supporting other women culinary entrepreneurs and working with nonprofits to address food insecurity in North Carolina.
As a Peru Native, Chef Sergio Castro moved to the area over 25 years ago. He has worked in restaurants, catering, and as a private chef for over 30 years. Chef Sergio loves to bring Peruvian and international flavors to the food scene.
Shannon Healy owns the craft cocktail bar, Alley Twenty Six, in Durham, NC. In 2022, the restaurant was a finalist for Outstanding Bar Program in the James Beard awards. It was the first North Carolina bar or restaurant nominated in this category since it started in 2012.
Vivian is named after Josiah’s grandmother who was a driving force in his culinary upbringing as she hosted grand dinner parties in a Julia Child-like fashion during his childhood in Georgia. He is a self trained chef who has built his career working in the industry since he was 15. After moving to Asheville from the Chicago food scene, Josiah and his wife opened Salt & Smoke, a permanent food truck at Burial Brewing that aimed to get his culinary style out there—albeit on paper plates! After two years of garnering a great reputation he was able to open Vivian in the River Arts District wear he focuses on American food that embraces old work European traditions. His food is clean, with limited elements to a plate, but with each one promising big, robust flavors. The menu changes frequently as we shift seasonally based on what our incredible farmers have to offer!
Shanti Volpe is the owner of Shanti Elixirs, a company inspired by the honeybees + dedicated to nurturing the intimate connection between the health of our bodies + the wellbeing of our planet. Shanti + her hive accomplish this by crafting Jun, a sparkling probiotic beverage made with raw honey.
Simone Jaramillo is chef, owner and founder of The Garden Food Truck. Her passion began in rural New Mexico, growing food with her father and cooking with her mother. Her emphasis of valuing sustainability, human connection, local agriculture and community is the heart of her food at The Garden.
Smasheville food truck is a from scratch food truck based out of Asheville NC. We use local ,seasonal & sustainable products. The Smashie truck is led by Executive Chef Kevin Ogren classically trained from the Cordon Blue Institute in Mpls MN. He has cooked with some of the best talented chefs in Minnesota, Georgia, Florida, and Guatemala. Kevin really dials in recipes before the specials hit the publics palettes. Sous Chef JT Noah honed his skill sets in on the North Shore of lake superior working at a variety of establishments doing banquets and chef tables. Smasheville has been able to craft some of the best American food you can enjoy in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Passionate about preserving a culinary legacy, Spring Council has been immersed in the world of cooking since 1976. Starting her journey at Mama Dip’s Kitchen alongside her mother, she has now taken on the responsibility of continuing her mother’s culinary heritage, working hand-in-hand with her talented siblings at their renowned restaurant.
Beyond the kitchen, Spring is dedicated to making a positive impact. As the founder of Mama Dip’s Share the Love Fund, she uses her platform to give back and help those in need. Additionally, she finds joy in teaching and mentoring children through etiquette and cooking classes, passing on her knowledge and love for food to the next generation. Beyond the kitchen, you’ll often find Spring exploring thrift shops and estate sales, always on the lookout for hidden treasures to add to her ever-growing collection. Her keen eye for unique finds reflects her creative spirit and love for blending elements of the past with the present.
Prior to his newest venture as the Owner and Executive Chef at beloved Tastee Diner in Asheville, NC, Chef Steven Goff served as the Executive Chef at funky Modern American restaurant, Jargon, in West Asheville. Before that, Goff worked as the head butcher at Standard Foods in Raleigh, and is the former Executive Chefand Owner of the King James Public House and AUX Bar in Asheville. Steven left home at fifteen, and spent the next eleven years homeless, jumping freight trains across the US and Europe, cooking wherever his travels took him. After being stranded in Asheville, he got more serious about cooking and enrolled in the AB Tech culinary program receiving honorable degrees in both Culinary Arts, and Baking and Pastry. Because of his early life experiences, he is highly dedicated to supporting the local community through his food. He co-directed the popular local fundraising event The Blind Pig Supper Club, and served on the Board of Directors of Asheville Independent Restaurants. Goff is currently on the Board of the Piedmont Culinary Guild in Charlotte and the Chow Chow Culinary Event Series in Asheville. Chef Goff’s cuisine has been recognized by Food and Wine Magazine, Bon Appétit, Garden and Gun, The Local Palate, and various local publications. In 2019 he was named Chefof the Year by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. He lives in Asheville with his wonderful wife Samantha, their daughter Emma, and their array of animals.
Raised in the mountains of rural Thailand, Chef May brings her award-winning Thai Cuisine to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Sunil is a farmer and chef, growing food in West Asheville and cooking farm fresh food of all styles. He cooks with heart and love and has deep reverence for nourishing, authentic food experiences. Sunil offers catering, pop-up dinners, and private cheffing.
Tie’s love of pastry can be traced back to a young age baking fresh pies, breads and cobblers with her grandmother, Angel. Their family hobby turned business idea led Tie from a career path in law to fine pastry. After losing her grandmother Angel in 2010 to cancer, she decided to focus on her life-long passion for all things pastry. She traded in her political science books for an apron, pastry bag, and one-way ticket to Boston. There she completed Boston University’s Master of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy.
After spending 2 years in Massachusetts running some of Boston’s high-end bakeries and working for the top cake designer at Cakes To Remember, Tie decided it was time to go back down South. She relocated to North Carolina. In 2015, Buttermilk Boutique, LLC was born. A unique pastry company that specializes in luxurious desserts that evoke nostalgia. Her goal is to showcase southern flavors that highlight African American traditions. Her desserts are adorned with local ingredients from North Carolina farmers and purveyors.
Tie has been recognized for her sweet talents with features in VoyageRaleigh, NC Agriculture Stove Side Chats, Bustld Weddings, and Our State Magazine. She was a competitor on Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games and the Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown. She is a Got To Be NC Culinary Ambassador as well as NCRLA’s Chef Showdown’s 2021 Pastry Chef of the Year, and the 2019 People’s Choice Best Pastry Chef.
Fonta Flora Brewery integrates the soul of agriculture with the artisanship of zymurgy to create a menagerie of rustic and savory libations. With an emphasis on seasonal flora, Fonta Flora brings English tradition and Belgian inspiration to the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.
Fonta Flora utilizes local artists to help conceptualize the notion that fermentation is yet another medium for creating art. This uniquely artisan approach to beer yields a sustainable product filled with culture from our very own community.
Tom Leiner, originally from NYC, has been in the Wine Business for over 30 years, in retail sales, importing, and Fine Wine Distribution. He has travelled to France, Spain, Italy, as well as throughout California and Oregon. His favorite grape is Pinot Noir. He lives in West Asheville, NC.
Hailing from rural Southwestern Virginia, Travis Milton spent his childhood in a true Appalachian kitchen, learning the tried and true techniques for shucking beans, preserving and canning, and planting gardens. From his early teens, Milton fostered a deep love for cooking, learning through various restaurant roles from Todd Gray’s Equinox in Washington D.C. to Chris Cosentinos’ Incanto in San Francisco. Milton soon realized the magic he was able to create when marrying the memories of his family’s kitchen with the techniques of his mentors, and embarked on his dream journey of running a genuine Appalachian restaurant. Most recently, Milton opened the Inn at Nicewonder’s signature restaurant, Hickory, in Bristol, Virginia, where he has the stage to further explore, reimagine and elevate Applachian cuisine using approachable ingredients. Milton’s cooking is not replacing original Appalachian techniques, but instead introduces the cuisine in a fresh way that he hopes will build upon the cuisine’s heritage. When not in the kitchen, his favorite place to be is sitting on his front porch in one of his 680 pairs of Nikes kicks, enjoying his whiskey collection and listening to Whitney Houston.
Bargello® is named after the Florentine needlepoint used in tapestries and upholstery since the 17th Century. Our culinary team draws inspiration from the flavors of Italy and the Mediterranean coastline. Locally sourced dishes include fresh hand-rolled pasta, house-made bread, and innovative cuisine from Executive Chef Tyler Slade.
Bargello features stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, an open kitchen view, and an open-fire pizza hearth. Occupying the northeast corner of the Kimpton Hotel Arras along Broadway Ave., we share our kitchen with our all-day bar and lounge District 42® which offers shareable plates and craft cocktails.
With Asheville being a wedding destination, Bargello is a popular choice for elegant private and semi-private events.
Village Social Executive Chef Vicki earned culinary arts and pastry arts degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Hired at Biltmore in 2014 as Pastry Cook for Deerpark Restaurant and Lioncrest, she joined the team opening Village Social one year later, playing a key role in the establishment of a successful kitchen in a new restaurant. Named Pastry Demi Chef in 2017, Sous Chef and Pastry Chef in 2018, and Executive Chef in 2021, Chef Vicki takes great pride in creating flavorful, familiar food with a local twist
Georgia born French-trained chef Virginia Willis has foraged for berries in the Alaskan wilderness, harvested capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano in Sicily, and executed the food styling for a Super Bowl commercial seen by over 160 million people.
Beginning in 2019 Virginia lost 65 pounds and has kept it off for over 2 ½ years. Her inspiring health journey – with her trademark good and good-for-you recipes – has been featured on the Rachael Ray Show, in Eating Well magazine, All Recipes, AARP, and Woman’s World.
She is an James Beard award-winning cookbook author in addition to many other awards and accolades. Her cookbooks include Fresh Start; Secrets of the Southern Table; Lighten Up, Y’all’; Bon Appétit, Y’all; Basic to Brilliant, Y’all; Okra; and Grits.
Virginia has embraced her new outlook on life and has become a cheerleader for those wanting to make their own life changes, “If a French-trained Southern chef can do it, you can, too!” Learn more about Virginia and follow her good and good for you recipes and traveling exploits at www.virginiawillis.com.
Viv Lee is the owner and chef of Leftie Lee’s, a bakery and sandwich shop in Avondale Estates, GA. Her professional background includes cooking and baking at notable restaurants in NYC, Boston, and Atlanta. Accolades include cooking at the James Beard House in NYC, winning Best Baked Good in Atlanta Pastry Live, and Best Pie at a local farmers market pie contest (Buttermilk Pie with Peaches and Blackberries).
For William Goldberg, co-founder & head distiller at Oak and Grist, the intrigue of creating something from scratch developed at a young age in the kitchen and garage of his childhood. It eventually led him to Warren Wilson college where he received a B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture. His college studies led to several years as an artisan cheese-maker for a small family creamery in western North Carolina. Building on a growing passion for value-added agriculture and a desire to pursue that interest through distillation; he took a trip to visit his mentor in the Speyside region of Scotland in 2010. William returned with the inspiration, drive, and mentorship to craft a regionally inspired American Single Malt Whiskey. Working exclusively with locally grown and malted grains, Oak and Grist established itself in Black Mountain, North Carolina with a focus on the flavors and aromas of Appalachia. For more than six years the 100% grain-to-glass distillery has been crafting award winning Genever-Style Gin and American Single Malt whiskey.
Yunanda Wilson, born in Yangon, is paving the way to introduce authentic Burmese flavors through new lens. With a collective experience in hospitality leadership of a Forbes Five Star establishment, and the Culinary Arts program at AB-Tech, she is leading a popular pop-up series. “aThoke Lay”, which translates to “little salad”, emerged last spring at various events in Asheville.
Myanmar, also formerly known as Burma, is nestled in Southeast Asia with strong culinary influences from its neighboring countries such as Laos, Thailand, China, India, and Malaysia. Chef Yunanda describes Burmese flavors as a playful balance of “chin ngan sat”, a Burmese phrase which means sour, salty, and spicy.
Asheville Tea Company crafts farm to teacup blends for a vibrant taste of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We’re on a mission to redefine how herbs and botanicals are sourced. We partner directly with regional farmers for unique botanical brews for a sense of place you can experience in every cup.
As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires the brilliance of life. With a performance objective of being the world’s most admired and fastest growing premium spirits company, we’re driving growth through quality craftsmanship, consumer connections and entrepreneurial spirit.
Community-centered, women-founded, and values-driven since its founding in 2009, Buchi is united in purpose to craft delicious, high-quality, nutrient-dense living drinks; invest in the regeneration of the planet, and use business as a conduit for positive social impact.
Bull City Ciderworks was founded in 2013 in Durham, NC. The company has expanded to its primary production facility in Lexington, NC, and added taprooms in Greensboro, Cary & Wilmington. Bull City is NC’s largest independently owned and operated cidery producing over 60 varieties of cider!
Founded in 2015, CANarchy is a disruptive collective of innovators, committed to producing superior quality and great tasting beverages that satisfy any occasion. The portfolio of craft breweries includes Oskar Blues Brewery, Cigar City Brewing, Squatters Craft Beers, Wasatch Brewery, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Perrin Brewing Company, and Revitalyte. In 2020, CANarchy experienced dollar growth trends that doubled that of Top 20 Vendors in retail scans; increasing total shipments by 2%. The collective provides craft beverages throughout the United States and 21 countries and US territories.
The first legal distillery in the state of Mississippi, Cathead was founded in 2010 by friends and blues fans, Austin Evans and Richard Patrick. Located in the heart of downtown Jackson, the distillery currently produces seven award-winning, small batch spirits—Cathead Original Vodka, Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, Cathead Bitter Orange Vodka, Bristow Gin, Hoodoo Chicory Liquor, and Old Soul Bourbon Whiskey—as well as a line of canned cocktails, Cathead Sparkling. Cathead Distillery was named a 2020 James Beard semi-finalist for Outstanding Spirits Producer and is celebrated not only for its authentic products, but a strong commitment to their community.
We are a small batch brewery located in the heart of West Asheville, right off Haywood road. Our focus is wood fermented lagers, saisons and wild beer. Come enjoy a pint in our open air taproom or our large covered beer garden.
Cook’s Mill Whiskey is a straight bourbon whiskey inspired by the proud tradition of farming and distillation in North Carolina. Our bourbons are aged in American White Oak barrels and distilled only from North Carolina corn. Our namesake is Cook’s Mill, a pre-revolutionary grist mill located in Alamance Co. And once a well-known meeting and trading post for farmers, distillers and early settlers. It served an important role in the American Revolution, most notably through the Regulator Movement and the Battle of Alamance. In homage to this 250-year whiskey-making heritage, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Cook’s Mill Whiskey will be used in the restoration and preservation of the mill.
Cooperative Coffee exists to unite, inspire, and serve people who share a deep love for the magic of coffee and the Earth from which it grows.
We source high quality green coffees through transparent relationships with our producing partners. We roast each of these coffees to their best unique expression. We deliver these coffees to our customers with personal care, attention to detail, and a high level of customer service.
Coffee you can trust from seed to cup.
We curate and roast coffees of exceptional quality with unmatched attention to social and environmental responsibility.
| Cùrate Spanish Wine Club is a monthly wine delivery service, designed by the curators of Cùrate Bar de Tapas’ award-winning wine list. And every subscription comes with (extra) special perks. |
Darë Vegan Cheese is the dairy-free cheese you’ve been waiting for. Through time-tested techniques and rigorous exploration, Darë defies expectations while upholding traditional craft. Our plant-based cheese collection offers texture, flavor, and satisfaction for plant-based people and those who just love a really good cheese. At Darë, limitations inspire us, while our passions push us beyond expectations. Let us show you what cheese can be.
Devil’s Foot Beverage uses organic roots and fruits to brew farm-to-can craft sodas out of Asheville, NC. Blending regional honey and organic cane sugar and using farm-fresh ingredients from local and certified organic farms allows these sodas to contain half the sugar as corporate brands.
Est. in 2019 this eccentric brewery produces all styles of beer that are true to style. Located at 63 N. Lexington Ave. in DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE.
It was at Camp Sevier in 1917 that the Duke’s Mayonnaise legacy began. Eugenia Duke of Greenville, SC, made sandwiches in her home kitchen to sell to army canteens during WWI. Eugenia’s sandwiches (and the mayo that gave them their special flavor) were so unforgettably delicious that years after they’d left the camp, soldiers wrote to Eugenia begging for her sandwich recipes and jars of her delectable spread. She began bottling it as a product on its own in 1923.
Over the past 100 years, Duke’s has continued to cultivate and celebrate its commitment to family recipes and bold, southern flavors.
In addition to the flagship mayonnaise, which is still made according to Eugenia’s original recipe in Greenville, SC, Duke’s offers light, olive oil, and flavored mayonnaise, tartar sauce, sandwich relish and regionally-inspired Duke’s Southern Sauces, mustards, and dressings.
As the first U.S. female gin distiller inducted into the Gin Guild, Melissa Katrincic’s 20+ years as a marketing executive informs her role as President & CEO of Conniption Gin, a growing national U.S. brand. A Bryn Mawr physics graduate, she is a champion of women’s STEM education.
Ebony Wine & Spirits introduces the world to the rich culture of Africa and the diaspora, one sip at a time. Inspired by her Congolese roots, Camillya Masunda, owner of Ebony Wine & Spirits, created it to celebrate Black cultures around the globe and all the uniqueness they embody and represent.
Eda Rhyne is a small batch distillery that showcases the abundant flora of the Southern Appalachians, and specializing in Amaros. We make award winning spirits using foraged ingredients from the forests of Western North Carolina and whiskey from heirloom NC grown grains.
Embrew created premium grade, lightly-sweetened tea bags so that tea time (and me-time) can be easy and inspiring without the hassle of an infuser or sticky honey. The blends are for a culinary palette who want tea-house quality at home.
Flora’s primary goal is to make the world a more beautiful place and we work diligently to bring this dream into reality. We offer a wide range of products and services that are inspired by natural landscapes and are meant to help our audience cultivate a lifestyle focused on intention, sustainability and botanical living.
Folk Saints specializes in the traditional craft of artisan dulce de leche.
Dulce de leche is a sweet, caramel-like confection made from milk, cream, sugar, and baking soda. It is a popular treat in many Latin American countries.
It is owned and operated by Florencia Sanchez Schilling, a South American native. Florencia is passionate about making dulce de leche the traditional way, which involves slowly simmering milk and cream with organic sugar over the course of 9 hours. This method produces a rich, creamy, silky texture and a deep caramel flavor. You must try it to understand what sets it apart from other caramel-like products.
The name Folk Saints is inspired by the spiritual subcultures of Latin America and the magical realism of our rich storytelling.
It’s not BBQ, it’s Gene’s. We specialize is Texas Style BBQ and Southern Seafood. A place to chill and hang with friends.
Ginger’s Revenge is the first & only brewery in NC specializing in alcoholic ginger beers, all of which are naturally gluten free and preservative free. With two AVL Tasting Rooms and distribution throughout NC, SC, & OH, they’re dedicated to producing beverages that inspire and delight.
Highland Brewing was founded in 1994, establishing it as the pioneer of Asheville’s craft beer industry. The brewery ha a downtown taproom in the S&W Market and a 40-acre production campus in east Asheville with 18-hole disc golf course, 5 sand volleyball courts, live music, and private events.
Hillman Beer is a small, family-owned business with locations in Asheville, NC (opened April 2017) and Old Fort, NC (opened July 2020). Currently a third location in Morganton, NC is in development (Click to read more!). Brothers Brad and Greig Hillman, and Greig’s wife Brandi Hillman, have come together to bring the pub style to the brewery experience. We put an emphasis on quality, service, comfort and community. We know that your experience here will keep you coming back for more!
OUR WHY
To foster an environment where everyone feels safe, cared for and inspired, so that they may experience fulfillment and joy.
CORE VALUES
We put our teammates first, because we believe that attracting, hiring, and nurturing the right people is the best way to serve our guests and achieve the goals of all stakeholders. We consistently earn positive raves, win repeat business, and develop bonds of loyalty with our guests because our teammates are positively motivated, enthusiastic, confident, proud, and at peace with the choice to work on our team.
Kokada coconut spreads are made with simple, organic ingredients. Each of our spreads are refined sugar free, vegan, and peanut free, making them the perfect breakfast addition, school lunch ingredient, or after school snack!
As a minority and woman owned business, we are on a mission to create stronger, healthier communities through our products. We live this every day by committing 2% of sales to community projects in North Carolina and in Sri Lanka, where we source our ingredients directly from farmer owned co-ops!
If there is anything in there that you think we could change, I would love to hear it! Thank you again for this awesome opportunity. Our team is very excited to attend!
For more than a decade Locals Seafood has built relationships with our state’s fishing community, oyster farmers and seafood suppliers. Locals delivers seafood direct to customers through retail markets, area restaurants, grocery stores, nationwide shipping, and more.
100% grown & produced in N.C.-Marked Tree is an award winning vineyard and winery with 2 locations- one located on the Eastern Continental Divide between Mt. Pisgah and Tryon Peak in Flat Rock, North Carolina and the other 14 Aston Street in Asheville. Started in 2015 by Tim Parks and Lance Hiatt.
MOTHER began as a desire to bring bread to the community, selling from the front yard of a Montford apartment home. It turned out to be a mutual desire, and with lots of love and support, a brick & mortar retail space emerged, wine was brought in as a perfect complement, and today a small cafe.
We pride ourselves on truth, integrity, and pure American spring water. Rising naturally from a spring in the Ouachitas, The Mountain Valley spring water filters through granite-based aquifers collecting all the pure, healthy, goodness from the land. Our water is sodium-free with a naturally detoxifying pH and rich blend of calcium, magnesium and potassium.
PURE SOURCE SINCE 1871
Mountain Valley is the same multiple award-winning clean, pure, premium American spring water it’s always been. Bottled right at the source, in The Ouachita Mountains, U.S.A since 1871
NEW BELGIUM’S APPROACH
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Rather than driving for maximum short-term profits at any cost, the Human Powered Business model supports healthy profit balanced with prioritized benefits for our people and planet – generating economic prosperity for all coworkers and supporting the needs of our communities and customers.
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We have plenty of room to grow and improve – but that’s why we built into our business model the incentive to act in a way that promotes fairness, transparency, inclusivity, individuality, healthy families, real work-life balance, environmental stewardship, and an unwavering commitment to craft across every aspect of our business.
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The result? We’re among the biggest and fastest-growing craft breweries in America. New Belgium didn’t lay off a single coworker as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We enjoy incredibly low turnover and high engagement among our workforce. Our team comes to work every day invested in the quality of our product and the success of our company, because the company invests in the quality and success of their life everywhere we can.
From a humble fruit comes a Noble Cider. We started with a simple mission and very little cash! With great apples from Lewis Creek Farm we were able to become Asheville’s first hard cider company. Now we make a variety of things…mead, spritzers, wine, and cider of course!
We started growing tomatoes and peppers in our home garden that led to the creation of specialty foods that bring flavor and taste to everyday meals. Our Southern Chow Chow relish is a spicy crunch mix of veggies loaded with green tomatoes. Our pickled vegetables include: a mild orka, a hot okra, beets, carrots, asparagus, and green beans. We produce a fresh alternative catsup for ketchup lovers. Our nutty caramel brittles finished with Fleur de Sel pair well with coffee and as a delicious snack. The Cacio e Pepe Frico crackers brighten up your salads and charcuterie boards. We enjoy making recipes to share with our customers using our products and bringing these dishes to markets for sampling.
Our small-batch American Single Malt Whiskey and Genever Inspired Gin capture the unique flavors of the region and celebrate Appalachian farmers, producers, and artisans. Crafted from locally grown and malted barley, Oak & Grist spirits reward the curious and excite the connoisseur.
Organic Growers School is the premier provider of practical and affordable organic education in the Southern Appalachians. After 30 years, we continue to build a vibrant food & farming community by boosting the success of organic home growers and farmers.
Riverside Rhapsody is a small craft brewery dedicated to brewing quality beers of many varieties. We use local ingredients and are craft malt certified. Ever evolving, you can find styles of Belgian, lagers and ales on tap and cans to go.
Round Mountain Sauces LLC is owned and operated by Holly G. Duncan and Mark Duncan. We started the company in 2022 to market our products after experimenting and testing recipes at home and found the results were delicious. With encouragement from friends and family, we bottled our first commercial sauces and set out to see if there was a broader market by selling our sauces to the general public at farmers markets and festivals in the summer of 2022. We were thrilled to discover that people do love our sauces and for 2023, we have started to expand into local stores, selling online and at larger food festivals.
What makes our sauces unique?
Smoke! We smoke our sauces with various woods; pecan, hickory, apple, maple which creates an amazing flavor combination with chiles, onions and other spices. We balance the smoke flavors to make sure it’s never too smoky or not smoky enough. All of our sauces are hand crafted, made in small batches with the finest, freshest quality, locally sourced ingredients available. We are a certified Got To Be NC company.
Shanti Volpe is the owner of Shanti Elixirs, a company inspired by the honeybees + dedicated to nurturing the intimate connection between the health of our bodies + the wellbeing of our planet. Shanti + her hive accomplish this by crafting Jun, a sparkling probiotic beverage made with raw honey.
Our founder, Ken Grossman, made a habit of chasing curiosity. His early years of backyard tinkering and covert science projects set the stage for the ultimate discovery: homebrewing.
Fascinated by the alchemy of fermentation, Ken opened The Home Brew Shop in Chico, slowly playing with more hop-forward flavors at a time when American beer wasn’t known for taking chances.
When he finally started a brewery, Ken scoured salvage yards and defunct dairies to find the tanks, pipes, and valves he needed to hand-build Sierra Nevada’s original brewhouse.
On November 15, 1980, he put his first batch of craft beer to the test. That heady stout was a 13-hour labor of love, and after one sip, he knew he had a keeper. The Pale Ale that followed sparked a true craft beer revolution. The adventure’s never stopped, and our curiosity’s still brewing.
Meet Spice Witch. The daughter of a magician and a culinary expert, Sabrina created Spice Witch to spread joy, magic, and inspiration in your kitchen. But Spice Witch isn’t just about cooking; it’s an invitation to savor the rich experience of life and delight in the everyday. Asheville based, female owned company is the hot new kid on the block to the Asheville food scene. Don’t miss this booth.
Our Spices Are…
We source directly from quality suppliers in small quantities, anywhere from twenty-five to one hundred pounds in a delivery. This method of buying and receiving smaller shipments ensures the freshness of the product not only for our benefit, but for the benefit of our customers. This is also why we roast, grind, and pack our spices in small batches.
CHEF DRIVEN
As a spice company founded by a James Beard Award-winning chef, it is our pursuit of superior flavour and taste that drives us. We carry that “taste-making” approach into selecting our spices and creating our Signature Blends & Rubs.
VAST + DIVERSE
From our takes on the classics like Garam Masala and Herbs de Provence, to our Signature Blends like Cowboy Grilling Rub and Chai Masala, professional and home chefs alike can find every spice they need. With over 100 different herbs and spices in our stock, and more than 30 original specialty blends, Spicewalla can fulfill all your spice needs.
The MerTails Elixirs are produced locally in West Asheville in small batches with transparent practices & organic herbs telling a story from seed to vessel. This line of elixirs both champions the cocktail culture, providing a familiar & healthy alternative to pair with spirits, while also serving sober curious folks who crave an alcohol-free drink with the craft & care of mixology. Our community can expect clean, healthy & organic formulas that can be enjoyed daily with easeful preparation.
Sip on a MerTail & ride the wave with us!
More than just your local neighborhood dive bar and restaurant, The Odd is home to a plethora of events including Drag, Comedy, Games, Magic, Burlesque, Rock, Metal, Punk, and more! Brimming with crush-worthy bartenders, deliciously magical drinks, yummy food, and a strangely beautiful atmosphere!
We bring the best beers from around the world to one place. In craft beer jargon, a “WHALE” refers to a sought-after, legendary, and amazing beer. With our locations in Asheville, Greenville SC, and Charleston SC, we offer a sophisticated, fun, and unique approach to craft beer.
Established in 2017, The Winetones, Inc. is a wine importing company, representing 3 standout portfolios into the US and offering a great spectrum of what Spain has to offer.
Urban Orchard Cider Company and Bar brings delicious local hard apple cider to the Asheville masses and cultivates a renewed appreciation for the historic beverage. Our cider is fermented using local apples grown in Hendersonville, not even 20 miles away from our facility.
The American Revolution started with a few folks sharing a beer. So did the Wedge. When the group includes a genius brewer, a visionary artist, a naïve entrepreneur and a few avid fans of the brewers beer, magic can happen. If those players are Carl, John and Tim the magic will be the Wedge.
With four locations in Asheville including three taprooms and a fine dining restaurant, Wicked Weed shows no signs of slowing down. They continue to grow while focusing on innovation, quality, and strong roots in their community of Asheville, North Carolina.
We are actively involved in our community as philanthropists, as a gathering place, and as educators of craft beer culture. We work with core partnerships in Western North Carolina in the areas of people, the environment, and the arts in hopes of supporting the local economy and our fellow neighbors.
Corry Blanc is the founder and owner of Blanc Creatives, a kitchenware + barware brand known for its tried-and-true line of carbon steel cookware, barware, cutlery, garden tools, grilling tools, and more. Based in Waynesboro, VA, Blanc fuses quality materials—like Carbon Steel, Copper, and Walnut, for example—with strong culinary roots to craft enduring products that combine design and functionality. Born and raised in North Georgia, Corry Blanc’s childhood memories are filled with the sights, smells, and sounds of his grandfather’s welding shop. A tinkerer by nature, Corry has always had a deep interest in understanding how things are made, and watched in awe at the care and craftsmanship that went into every hot rod or farm equipment repair. After exploring ceramics in high school, Corry’s foray into metalworking came during a four-year apprenticeship at his uncle’s metal fabrications studio, where he truly fell in love with the craft.
In 2007, looking to carve his own path as an artisan, Corry took his passion to Virginia, where he worked at a local blacksmith studio outside Charlottesville. Here, Corry learned to forge metal, an important blacksmithing skill that went beyond the standard fabrication techniques he was previously taught. A quick study, he went on to start his first company in 2008, Silver City Iron, which focused on the production of hand forged railings and hardware.
In 2012, started his namesake company, Blanc Creatives. Born from his past experiences and drive to create, Blanc Creatives fuses strong culinary roots and an artistic approach to craft enduring products that combine design and functionality to elevate the culinary experience.
Our Sauces can be found in 100’s of the Best Restaurants in Asheville, NC including those
on the Biltmore Estate and collaborate with Wicked Weed Brewery, Pisgah Brewery, and
Hi-Wire Brewing. I grew up loving spicy foods and searched for a hot sauce with the
perfect combination of heat and flavor. Growing up I remember eating a lot of wings and
sampling hot sauce, but always craving more flavor and heat from Mild to Medium to Hot
and beyond! Good times and great food have been my passion for years, but as I got older
I realized that there was something lacking in most hot sauces I tried: they were barely hot
enough to get my endorphins going or were all heat and devoid of flavor. So, I made it my
mission to create what I had been craving. The results are FIREWALKER Hot Sauces.
Crafted from the freshest natural ingredients to enhance every bite, never to overpower.
We are committed to handmade small-batch production with locally grown produce from
our 3 Farms, creating hot sauces with complex layers and depth to brighten and intensify
your food. We are proud to say that we Never use artificial preservatives, low sodium, non
GMO and no added sugar Yet always Vegan and Gluten Free. I am passionate about
making every meal an adventure. If you feel the same and are ready for a truly dynamic
sauce, lets FIRE-WALK together!
Flora’s primary goal is to make the world a more beautiful place and we work diligently to bring this dream into reality. We offer a wide range of products and services that are inspired by natural landscapes and are meant to help our audience cultivate a lifestyle focused on intention, sustainability and botanical living.
Jess Fager is the creator of Asheville Dragonfly. She has a passion for sewing and embroidery.
She started her business with sewing handbags to sell online. As she learned more and more about the effects of single use plastics on our planet, she wanted to make items that would reduce single use plastic waste. She decided to design and sew reusable produce bags. She bought a small embroidery machine to embroider the tare weight onto the produce bags. This is when her love of embroidery was born. She started embroidering kitchen towels and reusable napkins. She sews bags out of reclaimed fabrics, reusable hankies, roll up grocery bags, utensil carriers, and more. She also offers custom embroidery to local businesses.
Dragonflies are a symbol of new beginnings. Every scrap piece of fabric that turned into a bag and every towel or napkin embroidered gets a new beginning. But for Jess, deciding to do what she loves and live where she feels the most at home is the most important new beginning.
LOOM Imports is an artisanal home goods company, based in Asheville, NC.
We work directly with master craftspeople in rural & Indigenous communities around the world, designing collections of custom rugs, textiles, hand crafted home goods & accessories.
LOOM’s goal is to make sure that traditional handmade techniques are not lost to history & continue to thrive & evolve with modern needs & styles, all while
providing stable & sustainable jobs in underrepresented communities.
LOOM offers made-to-order commissions, along with curated collections of kitchen, home & gift items.
Macon York is an artist and letterpress printer in Hendersonville. She creates a colorful and vibrant line of nature-inspired letterpress paper goods out of her letterpress studio on her homestead.
The Moonrise Project puts the sustainability message of Diamond Brand Gear into action. The fabric we use for our American Boro and Rescue series would normally be destined for the landfill; instead we save it and repurpose it into unique handcrafted items. From unused cutting room scraps to old canvas wall tents, we see beauty in these materials and want to give them new life and new meaning. We hope you like what you see!
Poetry On Demand by Eddie Cabbage has been a staple of the Asheville Art,Music and Craft Beer scenes since he began typing custom poems for locals and tourists on his vintage typewriters in 2013. You can typically find him along the AVL Ale trails, or setup at a myriad of locations across the country at different times of the year in his ever evolving adventures. Just give Eddie any subject and within a couple minutes he will type,read,sign and deliver to you, an original piece of art.
Sarah and her husband live on a beautiful 10-acre farm just outside of Asheville, in Candler (Hominy Valley), NC. Their property has been in her family for over 100 years. Sarah has a degree in Ecology & Environmental Biology from UNCA. This is when her love of farming & wildcrafting really began. In 2014 she started Well Seasoned Table, a seasoning company that grows, wildcrafts, and locally sources 80% of the ingredients that go into their products. Well Seasoned Table was recently featured in Edible Asheville, and Taste of the South Magazine just named Well Seasoned Table one of the top 50 Influential Tastemakers in the South.
Sow True Seed is a small, dedicated employee-owned cooperative committed to making gardening approachable for everyone. We provide high-quality, open-pollinated seeds in support of sustainable food production and regenerative agriculture. We strive to help our customers cultivate a sense of empowerment and connection in an era of disengagement from nature, food, and community. We’re proud to call Asheville, North Carolina home.
Meet Spice Witch. The daughter of a magician and a culinary expert, Sabrina created Spice Witch to spread joy, magic, and inspiration in your kitchen. But Spice Witch isn’t just about cooking; it’s an invitation to savor the rich experience of life and delight in the everyday. Asheville based, female owned company is the hot new kid on the block to the Asheville food scene. Don’t miss this booth.
