The Pearl opens at 4:30 p.m., serving a half dozen varieties of oysters. Restaurateur and chef Eric Scheffer had, he admits now, kind of a crazy idea. After opening his seafood spot Jettie Rae’s in north Asheville in 2020, he wanted to try something entirely new, something he hadn’t seen anywhere else.

A dog hangs out on the patio of Universal Joint in West Asheville. ASHEVILLE - Restaurants and bars expect an increase in customers in the warmer season months that include two- and four-legged guests. In the Asheville area, there are places designed with dogs in mind first with many other human-centric establishments taking extra measures to enhance the guest experience for those with and without fur.

More Videos ... In Asheville, foraging tour company founder Alan Muskat offers a unique way to enjoy nature and take wild foods you find to a restaurant. In Asheville, foraging tour company founder Alan Muskat offers a unique way to enjoy nature and take wild foods you find to a restaurant.

What’s next for the Asheville talent after her appearance on Top Chef? Chef Ashleigh Shanti on Top Chef. Oil droplets cascaded from the Leah & Louise fry basket as the golden brown catfish filets rose straight out of the fryer, curled and furled like the lakes the fish once swam, glistening for a brief moment before chefs Ashleigh Shanti and Greg Collier sprinkled them with flaky chunks of sea salt and tucked the fish into foil-lined boxes.

Well Played Board Game Cafe will be reopening soon. ASHEVILLE - A hands-on game hub with an enhanced café is closing in on opening day; a local wine and cider business is set to serve up a full weekend of sips and bites; a craft beer company takes a stand with global partners. The long-awaited return of a local gaming oasis is over.

Tacos from Taqueria Muñoz with selections from the salsa bar. Western North Carolina might not seem like a place that’s a haven for tacos, but dotted around Asheville are some terrific spots serving up interesting things atop tortillas. There’s the spots serving the type of plates you’d find on street corners in Oaxaca, spots serving up tacos stuffed with things decidedly not Mexican, and then the requisite-to-any-taco-list dive-y spots.