• Purchase A Taste of Asheville Passport

  • $50 donation saves you over $600. What a deal!

  • Asheville Independent Restaurants (AIR) will celebrate a big evening of what makes Asheville a culinary destination beginning at 7 p.m. November 18 at The Venue. Not only will 27 talented chefs dazzle attendees at AIR’s Taste of Asheville event, but it will also launch a new look, direction and focus for the organization.

    Entry to the event is a bargain. Attendees will simply purchase AIR’s new Taste of Asheville Passport, a coupon booklet representing over $600 in dining savings at AIR restaurants. The cost of the Passport is $50 per person and serves as a ticket to the Taste of Asheville. Couples will receive one passport (and admission for two to the Taste of Asheville event) for $75.

    Fans of Asheville’s many independent restaurants will want to purchase a Taste of Asheville Passport, regardless of their ability to attend the November 18 event since the $600 in savings – a tremendous value — is good for one year. Passports are available here by clicking the paypal button below and at The Asheville Store in the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 36 Montford Avenue .

    A portion of the proceeds from the event benefit AIR’s Chefs of Tomorrow Scholarships for culinary students at AB-Tech. All proceeds from the silent auction will benefit the foundation.

    “We have a lot to be excited about with the event this year,” said AIR President Kevin Schwartz, “and we’re eager to share our new direction and initiatives as an organization. I think our community will
    embrace our renewed commitment to Asheville as one of the nation’s top culinary destinations.”

  • Taste of Asheville Passport and Event Admission

  • Your coupon booklet will be available at Will Call at the Taste of Asheville event. If you choose not to attend the event, booklets will be mailed November 23rd.

    Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. The passport is good through 2011, except for holidays and noted black-out dates.

  • Participating Restaurants

  • The participating restaurants in the 2010 Taste of Asheville Passport are:
    ~ Bistro 1896
    ~ City Bakery
    ~ The Green Sage
    ~ Bouchon
    ~ Vinnie’s Italian
    ~ Corner Kitchen
    ~ Gianni Panini
    ~ Mela
    ~ Frankie Bones
    ~ Laughing Seed
    ~ Tupelo Honey Café
    ~ Vincenzo’s
    ~ Curras Nuevo Cuisine
    ~ French Broad Chocolate Lounge
    ~ Pomodoros, Blue
    ~ Ridge Dining Room at Grove Park Inn
    ~ Sunset Terrace at Grove Park Inn
    ~ Horizons at Grove Park Inn
    ~ Jack of the Wood
    ~ Laurey’s
    ~ Blue Water Seafood
    ~ Zambra
    ~ The Market Place
    ~ Pack’s Tavern
    ~ Burgermeister’s
    ~ Luella’s Barbecue
    ~ Lexington Avenue Brewery
    ~ Olive or Twist

    The event features wines and beer from AIR industry partners.