ASHEVILLE – One downtown restaurant opens while another temporarily closes; a River Arts District eatery is rebuilding after Tropical Storm Helene; an Asheville restaurant celebrates 25 years with food and drink deals and giveaways; a culinary discount book goes on sale on Black Friday; Giving Tuesday returns with ample opportunities to support local nonprofits.
Tupelo Honey will celebrate its 25th anniversary throughout December with food and beverage deals, giveaways and more.
Chorizo opens at Grove Arcade
On Nov. 24, Chorizo, a new Spanish tapas restaurant and cocktail bar, opened in the Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave. The hours are 4-9 p.m. Thursday-Monday.
Chorizo’s sister restaurant, Salsas, a Caribbean and Mexican fusion eatery, temporarily closed on Nov. 17 and remains closed at 6 Patton Ave.
For more, visit chorizonc.com and salsasnc.com.
Guajiro rebuilding after Tropical Storm Helene
Guajiro Cuban Comfort Food is preparing its River Arts District comeback after flooding from Tropical Storm Helene. The food truck’s Cuban kitchen is being rebuilt, better than ever, at Cotton Mill Studios.
In the meantime, diners can still get Cuban sandwiches, yuca fries and more from the food truck, parked at Hi-Wire Brewing’s Biltmore Village taproom at 2A Huntsman Place. Guajiro serves breakfast and lunch daily, from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday.
Follow the progress at @guajiroavl on Instagram and view the menu at guajiroasheville.com.
Tupelo Honey turns 25
It was 25 years ago when Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar made its grand debut in Asheville. It’s since expanded to more than 25 dining rooms across the U.S., including two locations in Asheville.
To celebrate the silver anniversary milestone, Tupelo Honey will offer specials throughout December and host an all-day “birthday party” on Dec. 7 at locations nationwide.
On Dec. 7, Tupelo Honey will host its 25th “birthday” with all-day parties at its locations nationwide, featuring meal deals, giveaways and throwback music from the early 2000s.
Tupelo Honey’s anniversary deals include:
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A $25 Tupelo Honey classics prix fixe menu, featuring fan favorites like fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits and banana pudding minis.
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25% off online orders of $25 and more, with code TUPELO25 (all December).
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25 Days of Giveaways on social media, with prizes including Tupelo Honey swag, cookbooks, honey, jam and gift cards.
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A Birthday Cake shot. The limited-time drink special is available in all restaurants.
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Special-edition pint glasses, available in all restaurants while supplies last.
At the Dec. 7 birthday party, guests may receive free biscuits and a chance to play a “spin to win” game for prizes like a free dessert and BOGO entrées or the grand prize: Golden Ticket access to free meals for a year. As a throwback to the early years, listen to jams from the early 2000s.
Visit Asheville’s Tupelo Honey restaurants at 12 College St. and 1829 Hendersonville Road. For more, visit tupelohoneycafe.com.
AIR Passport prepares to take flight
Begin your 2026 travels with a tour of Asheville’s local restaurant scene and discover why the city has earned a national reputation as a food destination.
The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association has launched sales for its 2026 AIR Passport, a booklet of discounts and freebies at more than 40 participating establishments in Asheville and Buncombe County.
As part of a Black Friday-to-Giving Tuesday deal, AIR Passports will be available through Dec. 2 for $65. On Dec. 3, the cost will increase to $75.
Posana offers farm-to-table dining, celebrating Western North Carolina agriculture.
“The Passport is a great way to step out of your comfort zone and try new restaurants, and with our holiday sale, it’s the perfect gift for anyone on your list,” Meghan Rogers, AIR’s executive director, said in a news release. “It’s also an important fundraiser for AIR, allowing us to provide critical education, advocacy, collaboration, and marketing support for our independent restaurant community.”
Participating restaurants include The Bier Garden, Biscuit Head, Botanist & Barrel, Botiwalla, Chai Pani, Chestnut, Corner Kitchen, Cúrate, Farm Burger, French Broad Chocolate, The Funkatorium, Gan Shan AVL, Gemelli, Grey Eagle Taqueria, Hail Mary, Jack of the Wood Pub, The Lobster Trap, Luella’s Bar-B-Que, Pack’s Tavern, Posana, Quench Wine Bistro, Red Fiddle Vittles, RendezVous, Rye Knot, Salt Face Mule Brewing Company, South Paw AVL, Strada Italiano, Sunny Point Café, Terramonga Deli, Twisted Laurel, Tupelo Honey, Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian, Well Played Board Game Café, The West End Bakery, West Village Market, White Labs Brewing Co. and Wicked Weed Brewing.
For more details and to purchase online, visit airasheville.org.
Giving Tuesday and beyond
Look beyond Black Friday big box store deals to days dedicated to investing in the community.
Giving Tuesday is on Dec. 2, a nationwide day of charitable giving to nonprofit organizations. Keep an eye out for social media and other online and in-person fundraising campaigns and events for those working to improve and uplift the community every day.
For example, Farm Burger will donate 10% of its sales to the Irene Wortham Center to support its programs serving children and adults with developmental disabilities. For more, visit farmburger.com and ireneworthamcenter.org.
The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is accepting donations to continue its work aiding farms across Western North Carolina at asapconnections.org. The organization’s work has included providing emergency disaster relief grants after Helene, providing farmers market tokens when SNAP benefits were unavailable during the government shutdown, and hosting the annual ASAP Farm Tour.
Equal Plates Project’s new kitchen and campus
As food insecurity continues to affect residents across Western North Carolina, the Equal Plates Project’s dedication to feeding individuals and families strengthens, leading to the expansion into a new permanent flagship kitchen and campus in Haw Creek Commons.
The relocation, planned for early 2026, will feature upgraded equipment to improve cooking efficiency, additional space for volunteer food prep, and the capacity to triple farm support and meal production.
Through Dec. 2, Giving Tuesday, the Equal Plates Project will host a fundraiser in which a donor will match every dollar donated up to $10,000. The fundraiser will continue as the nonprofit pushes toward its $500,000 goal.
Donate and learn more about the Equal Plates Project’s work to provide nourishing meals to seniors, low-income families and communities facing food insecurity at equalplatesproject.org.
Utopian Seed Project Project
In the season of giving, the Utopian Seed Project is asking the community for support of the nonprofit’s agricultural and culinary work, trialing crops and varieties to cultivate and celebrate food and farming diversity.
Funds are to help develop its new farm site in Leicester, which is planned to feature a community seed-processing barn, event space, seed and root storage and a test kitchen.
The Wanda and Jim Moran Foundation has pledged to match up to $50,000 by the end of the year.
Donate and learn more about the Utopian Seed Project’s work to create biodiversity in the farming systems, in collaboration with growers, gardeners, farmers, chefs, cooks and other food enthusiasts and professionals at theutopianseedproject.org.
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. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville’s food scene features Tupelo Honey’s 25th anniversary, more
