Greetings fans of food in Foodtopia, Bone & Broth, another is another new Asheville restaurant on the scene, and it is the project of one of our very own hall of fame food tour guides! That’s right, you may not be able to see Kim Murray walking the streets as a fearless leader of culinary adventure any more, but you can visit her nowadays at her new Asheville restaurant and bar located in the King James Building on Charlotte Street, in the space formerly occupied by the gone but not forgotten King James Public House. Murray and chef Jay Medford are looking to spin off the vibe of the former King James which abruptly closed last year; but instead of putting on modern pub fare that is entirely something you have never seen before a la King James chef Steve Goff, they are opting for an approach seldom seen in Asheville these days anymore: straightforward. The food and drinks at Bone & Broth are fresh, local and handmade interpretations of pub classics without losing a sense of familiarity. Nestled at the foot of Asheville’s biggest downtown neighborhood, Bone & Broth provides a comforting oasis for North Asheville.
Familiar and classic you say? Contrary to the meanings of these words, such notions have become novel after being lost in the fray of Asheville restaurants which are always trying do be newer and different from the cornucopia of local eateries we are lucky to have here in the Land of the Sky. As Kim puts it, Bone & Broth is the “anti-Asheville restaurant” in a way. She and Medford are not trying to garner publicity or win awards. Their goal is to create a menu and environment that is familiar, inviting and approachable, while still focusing on modern concepts such as nose to tail butchery and local ingredients and producers. It looks like they have succeeded.
By happy coincidence, Bone & Broth is situated between Asheville’s most established bakery and butchery, City Bakery and The Chop Shop. Accordingly, the menu features bread from the left and proteins butchered a few yards away on the right. Chef Jay Medford is an Asheville native who moved to NYC to attend the French Culinary Institute before earning tenure in the world of Brooklyn restaurants, arguably the hottest food scene in the U.S. today. So while the offerings include mainstays like bangers and mash, mac-n-cheese, steaks, fish ‘n’ chips, roasted chicken and seared trout, the menu is put together by hand on a daily basis, and with a lot of attention to authentic British pub tradition. And yes, they do serve bone broth.
The bar is a comfy den with one TV for important games, but the focus is more on camaraderie and fresh drinks. Asheville restaurant veteran Wayne Norton is slinging homemade cocktails and a gauntlet of regional beer, with eight on the taps of the state of the art glycol draft system. Bone & Broth is an obvious destination for the residents of North Asheville, but with the absence of many concepts in town truly focused on well made traditional fare, it is a destination for everyone. And don’t worry, they have a parking lot and are within walking distance from the center of downtown. We miss Kim on our Asheville food tours, but we are excited about seeing her at this great neighborhood kitchen and bar.