2008 Asheville Visitor Guide - Any Way You Like It - (Page 63) fresh is best When you eat out in Asheville, chances are good that the food on your plate was produced right here in Western North Carolina. Many area restaurants partner with local farms to provide innovative cuisine on their menus, whether it’s mountain trout or fried green tomatoes. Likewise, farmers support restaurants by helping them serve up the freshest, best-tasting food possible. Here, food is cause for celebration. Members of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association show off their culinary creations at Taste of Asheville, an annual event held in September. Visitors can take home a taste of Asheville by visiting local Tailgate Farmers Markets or picking fruit at area farms. There are nearly three-dozen tailgate markets throughout Western North Carolina, selling everything from herbs and flowers to organic produce, goat cheese and fresh fruit preserves. U-pick farms offer apples, strawberries, blueberries and more. Many area farms also provide educational, hands-on farm tours, but don’t forget to call ahead for availability. For area u-pick farm locations and hours, visit buyappalachian.org. You can taste the freshness of locally grown fruits, veggies and meats at many of Asheville’s independent restaurants. Most have a Slow Food approach to dining as their manifesto and are committed to buying from local farms. “A couple of great places for experiencing the farm-to-table movement are Early Girl Eatery and The Market Place, both on Wall Street,” Elizabeth Sims says. “Early Girl has fare that’s imaginative, homegrown and unpretentious. And Mark Rosenstein was one of the first fine restaurant pioneers in Asheville,” she says of the owner of The Market Place. “Today, he continues his commitment to featuring local products in innovative cuisine that reflects our mountain heritage.” Even Biltmore has a farm-to-table philosophy at its four restaurants. The estate is also a working farm, raising all its own produce, beef and grapes for winemaking. elizabeth sims Elizabeth Sims is a board member for Southern Foodways Alliance, an organization dedicated to preserving the traditions of the South and the diversity of the region through food. FOR MORE southernfoodways.com slowfoodasheville.org buyappalachian.org exploreasheville.com 63 http://www.exploreasheville.com/foodtopia/index.aspx http://southernfoodways.com http://slowfoodasheville.org http://buyappalachian.org http://exploreasheville.com
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