Two WNC restaurants — Corner Kitchen in Asheville’s Biltmore Village and Zadie’s Market in Marshall — were awarded $50,000 grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The grants are part of the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, supporting independent restaurants that “contribute to their neighborhood’s unique history and identity.”
To help celebrate these awards, we’re dishing on the legacy of the two treasured establishments.
Corner Kitchen
While the restaurant’s story began in 2004, the foundation of the vintage home was laid in ~1895. Right after George Vanderbilt finished building America’s largest home, he set his sights on the town of “Best,” tapping landscape designer Fredrick Law Olmsted, Richard Morris Hunt, and Richard Sharp Smith to create what we know today as Biltmore Village.
For much of the 130-year existence of the house at 3 Boston Way, the space has been a restaurant, evolving from The Biltmore Café to Hot Shot to Hathaway’s Coffee and Cafe to Corner Kitchen.
Corner Kitchen recently reopened after nearly 11 months of restoration and rebuilding following Helene. Go support the team and savor some stellar shrimp and grits — talk about a real win-win.
Zadie’s Market
The market and restaurant opened on the first floor of the Old Marshall Jail in 2021, at the same time rest of the building was converted into a small boutique hotel that incorporated the history of the jail into its design. It was built in 1905 and was the oldest operational jail in NC until 2012.
When Helene tore through Marshall, it left the Zadie’s and the Old Marshall Jail underwater, up to the second floor. Residents and volunteers shoveled out mud and debris, but amid the hard work, the setting gave way to the healing power of music. With the jail stripped back to the bones, 35 regional musicians took to the space to record music, creating The Resonance Sessions.
Zadie’s reopened in the spring, resuming its role as a community gathering place with farm-fresh food and moving music, including a monthly ballad swap. The Old Marshall Jail hotel has also fully reopened.
A previous WNC recipient
Back in 2024, Burnsville’s NuWray Hotel was awarded a grant. The historic spot is the oldest continuously operating hotel in NC, and it recently underwent a renovation, reopening the restaurant in late May. Visit for a hearty breakfast buffet filled with Southern classics, or opt for a supper of small seasonal plates and grilled steaks.
