Unpacked by AFAR · Friday, July 24, 2026
Sita, a guide for Eating Asheville, explains that Asheville's thriving food scene is due to the availability of high-quality, locally sourced ingredients thanks to a nearly year-round growing season and diverse microclimates. She highlights that restaurants chosen for tours are locally owned, chef-driven, and celebrate diversity, including international cuisine.
“One of the first things that I chefs would tell me when I first started doing the food tours and would ask them, you know, why did you decide to open up a restaurant here in Asheville, was the availability of high quality raw ingredients to work with.”
“We look for locally owned restaurants, chef and family owned or chef driven restaurants, you know, a big part of the community.”
“You don't come to a little mountain town and expect to see so much international food.”