Award-Winning Restaurant in Asheville—A Local’s Perspective
Updated: Jul 30
I was reading an article in the paper this morning about a local chef winning an international vegan-cooking award when it occurred to me that Asheville has a peculiar abundance of exemplary cuisine.
What’s our secret? Is it something in the air? The water? Economic incentives? Is it the tourism industry, paired with the inexorable pull of the materialist dialectic? Maybe.
Me, I’ve been eating spaghetti for the past three nights, as befits a lonesome writer. Are these meals too exemplary, perhaps even award-winning, or does it take more than simply the Asheville atmosphere to turn a plate into a paradise of flavor?
I think it takes a special talent, and for whatever reason, Asheville has a distinct concentration of just that. The restaurants that follow all boast awards as either first-place or semifinalist in the annual James Beard round-up, honoring the legacy of one of America’s greatest foodies, and self-proclaimed “Enemy of the Jell-O People.”
So, if all that whets your appetite, read on and discover five award-winning restaurants, right here in Asheville.
If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: I like tapas. Love them, really. And so, it does me proud to have an award-winning taperia right here in my own corner of WNC, specifically Curate, the recipient of James Beard’s “Outstanding Hospitality Award, 2022.”
What do they mean by “Outstanding Hospitality?” Well in my experience, it means being tucked into a steamy little bed of pan con tomate, floated down a manchego cheese river, through a dream-jungle where jamon iberico hangs from the trees, and later awakening on a beach ankle-deep with steamed clams and sautéed shrimps in sherry sauce, complete with a tarta liquida sunset.
If you want to find out whether all that’s a metaphor or not, you’ll have to visit downtown Asheville’s Curate yourself (reservations recommended). It’s what I’d call fine dining; a place to impress your friends and in-laws.
Hours: 11am to 9:30pm. Open until 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Mondays.
Local favorite Tall John's has been a staple of historic Montford for years now, but only recently has their puissance been properly recognized by Michelin. That's right folks, a genuine Michelin-recommended restaurant right here in little ol' Asheville. It does a local proud.
The intention here is to take high-quality ingredients, and straightforward recipes, and execute them to the peak of their potential. Like many restaurants of this stripe, Tall John's menu changes with the seasons, but as of this summer you can expect roasted NC tilefish, pork chops with snap beans, braised rabbit, fried quail, and peach shortcake for dessert.
In a nutshell, Tall John's lies at the crossroads of homegrown WNC cuisine, and Michelin-star excellence. And if that's not got "Asheville's Best" written all over it, I don't know what does.
Hours: 4pm to 9pm. Open for Sunday brunch 9am to 2pm.
One of the things I like best about Asheville’s restaurant scene is its commitment to local farms, local ingredients, and the old-time flavors of the rural Southeast, home, I might remind you, of the noble biscuit.
Combine this time-honored foodway with a little razzle-dazzle, a little haute culture, a little je ne sais pas, and you’ve got downtown’s Rhubarb, owned by 2020 semifinalist for “Outstanding Chef,” John Fleer. Their foothills-chic menu features cornmeal and benne flour hoe cakes, chicken liver mousse tartine, asparagus and rhubarb tartare, and of course, plenty of local sunburst trout.
Reservations are highly recommended, and note that here haute culture entails haute prices, as is often the case. If there’s no tables free in the timeframe of your journey, fret not: their “Rhu” companion café lies just down the way. They offer breakfast and lunch along the simpler and cheaper side, while no less delicious.
Hours: 5pm to 9pm. Open until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Open for Sunday brunch 10am to 2pm. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
And now, the big guns. Chai Pani’s been raking in the awards for as long as I can remember, most recently James Beard’s “Outstanding Restaurant, 2022,” and a placement on the New York Time’s list of America’s favorite restaurants.
Just standing outside the place I practically feel famous, and to be frank, you will be standing outside, in line, quite a bit if you want to get a seat at this legendary Asheville restaurant. I recommend arriving a half hour or so before they open, preferably on a weekday for the best odds at winning the proverbial culinary lottery.
But while Chai Pani is hard to get into these days, it is certainly worth the wait. Their menu indulges in the delights of Indian street food, making for some entrees that should prove both surprising and delightful to even the most veteran of foodies: vada pav, chicken or kale pakoras, pav bhaji, uttapam, and bhel puri, alongside more familiar entrees such as butter chicken and saag paneer.
Of course, if you’ve made this far, you’d be remiss not to pair your meal at Chai Pani’s with the namesake chai. Or a mango lassi, if you’re feeling fresh.
Hours: 11am to 3pm for lunch, 5pm to 9pm for dinner.
This local favorite has long been my top choice for pastries and baked goods of all kinds, so it's no surprise that their very own Susannah Gebhart made it to the semifinals for James Beard’s “Outstanding Baker,” in 2022.
Personally, I say semifinals-shmemifinals. Or I would, if I could get my mouth around it. On account of their always-exhilarating pastry displays, and excellence in bread, with a daily rotation boasting every variety imaginable, OWL will always be number one in my heart.
With two locations, one in West Asheville, one just north of downtown, OWL Bakery is one of my top picks for a little relaxed sweet treat with coffee or tea in all of Asheville, and a must-see stop of any serious accounting of my hometown’s finest bakeries and cafes.
Hours: 8am to 2pm, closed Mondays.
If you're ready and raring to try out all the best restaurants Asheville has to offer, then all that's left is to find a top-rate place to stay.
At Asheville Cottages, our luxury cabins offer top-of-the-line private accommodations, featuring full kitchens, hot tubs, grilles, and even heated bathroom floors, all while lying just a short drive away from all the restaurants featured in this post.
Book a stay yourself and see just why Asheville Cottages is rated number one on trip advisor, with plenty of five-star reviews.
Businesses Mentioned
Curate
(828)-239-2946
13 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Tall John's
(828)-782-5514
152 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Rhubarb
(828)-785-1503
7 SW Pack Sq, Asheville, NC 28801
The Rhu
(828)-785-1799
10 S Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Chai Pani Asheville
(828)-254-4003
22 Battery Park Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Owl Bakery
295 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806 (West)
197 Charlotte St, Asheville, NC 28801 (North)
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