As an Asheville restaurant tour guide, probably the question I get asked most by our Foodtopia food tour goers is “What is your favorite restaurant?” I have discussed this question with my fellow culinary adventure leaders and it seems that we all have a fairly diplomatic response along the lines of, “well, I like this place for this, that place for that, and the other place for something else.” Of course everyone really wants a specific answer, they want to know the best restaurant in Asheville. Well, unfortunately it really isn’t that easy. The diplomatic answer may be unsatisfying, but it really is the truth.
Asheville has over 260 independent restaurants these days, and based on our population and the number of visitors dining out, the numbers break down to Asheville being one of the most competitive markets in the country. For any Asheville restaurant to make it more than a year or two in such a saturated culinary scene, they’ve got to be doing something right. So with so many Asheville restaurants and bars to choose from, a local like myself faces the same challenges that a tourist would. You can only eat out in Asheville so many times per week, per month, per year, and where to spend one’s dining dollars is a big decision. So the dilemma faced by travelers coming to Asheville is really no different than what we locals go through every week.
If I knew one place that was the best, then I would be there all the time, but since I like so many things about so many places, I’ve got to categorize who is the best based on what I am looking for at that moment. If I want a quick meal, Chai Pani, Tod’s Tasties, White Duck Taco or Mamacita’s are the ways to go. For a quick snack I can eat on the street, Gourmet Chip. For breakfast, Bomba. If I want a tasty lunch with patio seating in downtown Asheville, Rhubarb Modesto or Isa’s Bistro are great options. If I want to get some reading or computer work done while I eat, it is Sovereign Remedies or The Imperial Life all the way because of their amazing sunlit atmospheres and comfortable bar seating. If I want a pizza or some Italian cooking that reminds me of my days up north, I’ll be at Strada. If I want casual comfort food, you might see me at Nine Mile, King James or Twisted Laurel. For Asian cuisine, my go to’s are Korean House and Ghan Shan Station. If there is a game I want to catch, I’ll definitely be at Buffalo Nickel where I can get elegant farm to table Appalachian food in their amazing lounge. If it is date night, Isis Restaurant and Music Hall could be the way to go, where I can eat local fare and catch a show in the historic theater, or there is Nightbell, with amazing service, cutting edge cuisine plus a DJ, or I could do Zambra on the weekend with live jazz and the most romantic dining room in Asheville. Then there are the places that always expand my perspective on Asheville cuisine, the places that are always trying something new, like Table, Cucina 24, MG Road and Rhubarb.
On top of all of that, there are more places and more categories that I can’t even begin to get into. This is the course that my mind goes through every time I get asked the question, “What is the best restaurant in Asheville?” and every time I try to decide where I am going to eat. Complicated agreed, but it is the truth living and eating in a great and growing culinary city like Asheville.