Asheville Restaurant Week, more events celebrating local craft food, beverages this winter

ASHEVILLE – Asheville’s food and beverage industry is fighting to recover after Tropical Storm Helene upended Western North Carolina last fall.

Historic floods, a citywide water crisis, halted operations and drastic customer decline have contributed to the shaken local economy, causing many businesses to close and others to continue struggling to make it through the slower winter months and year.

Erin Leonard, vice president of communications for the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce said Asheville Restaurant Week was introduced as an annual event to give businesses visibility and drive customer traffic during January.

Leonard said the chamber and local restaurants decided to keep the momentum of residents supporting establishments impacted by Helene by extending Asheville Restaurant Week from one week in January to a second week in February.

“Being closed initially and then not having potable water which led to increased costs of water and the impact of tourism ― all of those things have compounded into being hard all season for a lot of small businesses, restaurants included,” Leonard said.

The resilient hospitality community and local supporters have united to introduce new and enhanced events to showcase businesses and satisfy customers’ taste buds, like Asheville Brewers Alliance’s Stout Week, from Feb. 9-15, designed to be a “celebration of delights and community resilience.”

Rally behind Asheville’s culinary and craft beverage community by attending these upcoming winter events.:

Asheville Restaurant Week(s)

Asheville Restaurant Week, presented by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, will afford guests special menu items and pricing from Jan. 21-27 and Feb. 18-24.

This year, more than 45 restaurants will participate, including The Black Bird, Capella on 9, Chai Pani, Copper Crown, Curate, Edison at The Omni Grove Park Inn, French Broad Chocolate, Gemelli, Laila, Laughing Seed, Luminosa, The Market Place, Pack’s Tavern, Regina’s, Rye Knot, Twisted Laural and Zambra.

“When you live in a community and you want to see them continue, then being a part of supporting them ― whether that is going to your local restaurants or shopping at a small business ― all of those things help to create a community that we want. That vibrancy of unique businesses and restaurants that appeal to everyone,” Leonard said.

Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse will offer a special tasting menu of several bestselling dishes served family-style, like crispy rock shrimp and smoked Carolina pork shoulder, for $38 per person.

Lobster Trap will offer a three-course menu that begins with coldwater oysters and ends with diners’ choice of Maine lobster roll, North Carolina scallops or snapper for $50 per person.

The Hop Handcrafted Ice Cream will offer ice cream flights with mini scoops.

Leonard said menus are subject to change from one event week to the next.

View the participating restaurants’ menus and deals at ashevillerestaurantweek.com.

The Love of Craft Festival

The Love of Craft Festival will debut 12-8 p.m. Feb. 22 at Battery Park Hall at the Haywood Park Atrium, 1 Battery Park Ave. downtown.

Asheville Brewers Alliance, a brewery collective promoting and supporting the craft beverage industry, partnered with FIRC Group, an advocate of local businesses, community development and the city’s economic growth, to produce the new food, beverage and art event, designed to showcase products made by artisans and brewers, and bolster the local economy following Tropical Storm Helene.

The Love of Craft Festival will feature alcoholic and zero-proof craft beers and other beverages from local breweries, an artisan market of locally made, handcrafted merchandise, and a Mac & Cheese Showcase with gourmet macaroni and cheese dishes prepared by local restaurants.

Individual tickets cost $40 for general admission and $90 for VIP. The discounted package for two tickets is $75 and $150 for five tickets. Online processing fees apply.

Purchase tickets at simpletix.com.

Stout Week

Asheville Brewers Alliance will host Stout Week from Feb. 9-15.

The program elevates the beer festival experience by sending beer enthusiasts to breweries, bars and bottle shops across WNC to discover stout beers and other craft concoctions ― nonalcoholic options will be available.

Participating venues include Appalachian Vintner, Cellarest Beer Project, Diatribe Brewing, Hi-Wire Brewing Biltmore Village, Local 604: The Bottle Shop, Outsider Brewing Company, Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co., The River Arts District Brewing Company; Salt Face Mule Brewing Company, The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage, The Whale and Voodoo Brewery.

Visit stoutweek.com for the full list of venues, featured beers and a venue map.

Asheville Brewers Alliance also is the producer of the annual Asheville Beer Week, scheduled for May 15-25 at various locations.

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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram/Bluesky.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Restaurant Week, more upcoming food, beverage events