January 26, 2022 - Ashleigh Shanti on Top Chef + Lunar New Year

Hello Saturday.

February 05 2022

Meet Ashleigh Shanti: Asheville’s Top Chef

We are once again bowing down to Asheville chef and sommelier Ashleigh Shanti. The 2020 James Beard finalist for “Rising Star Chef of the Year” and former Benne on Eagle Head Chef will star in Top Chef’s 19th season, which debuts March 3 on Bravo TV.

As we (impatiently) await the grand showdown, which pits 15 “cheftestants” from across the country, let’s reflect on her journey as a chef + impact on Asheville’s culinary scene.

In the words of Shanti: “Houston, we don’t want no problems.” | Photo via @foodordeath_

Brought up in coastal Virginia, Shanti “stripped collard greens before she could walk.” After honing her skills at Baltimore International College’s culinary school and cooking at restaurants that ranged in style + cuisine from Northern Italian to Classic French, she met NC chef and TV host Vivian Howard in the late 2010s and served as the culinary assistant at Howard’s two restaurants in Kinston.

In 2018, Shanti hit the road for a five-month road trip with hopes of discovering how she might intertwine her African-American heritage with her culinary career. Around this time, she received a fateful call from local chef and five-time James Beard finalist John Fleer, owner of Asheville’s Rhubarb, who proposed she partner with him to create Benne On Eagle: a restaurant located in The Block, a historic business district + reemerging hub for Black-owned businesses.

Shanti’s oysters with country ham bbq sauce, peanut relish + ham krispies. | Photo via @goodhotfish

She said yes to Fleer, and Benne On Eagle became an immediate success: earning recognition as one of Time’s “World’s Greatest Places” in 2019. In 2020, Shanti left Benne + and has since launched the local fish fry pop-up Good Hot Fish, and we’re more than excited to see her back-in-action on the big screen.

How to watch:

Stream it for free via Bravo’s official website or the ‘Bravo Now’ app. Pro tip: The official app will require that you log in with your subscriber credentials, but the website does not.

How hype are you for this showdown? Use the buttons below to share the dish.

EVENTS

Today

Mikasa Nostra 6 Course Dinner | Wed., Jan. 26 | 6:30-9 p.m. | Botanist & Barrel, 32 Broadway St. | $110+ | Enjoy Peruvian-Italian flavors provided by Chef Santiago Vargas and pommelier + sommelier Amie Fields. 🍽️
Pop-Up Game Nights | Wed., Jan. 26 | 7 p.m.-12 a.m. | Asheville Beauty Academy, 28 Broadway St. | $5 | Play from a large selection of classic board games. 🎲

Thursday

Railroad Earth | Thurs., Jan. 27 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $29 | Check out this bluegrass-inspired New Jersey band’s self-described “amplified string band with drums” sound. 🎶
Jeremy Boger and The Golden Eagles: Albums Release Show | Thurs., Jan. 27 | 8 p.m. | The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave. | $10 | Celebrate the retro-infused Americana band’s latest EP release. 💿
GameRoom Standup Comedy Show | Thurs., Jan. 27 | 4:30 p.m. | Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co., 675 Merrimon Ave. | $10 | Enjoy some adult-friendly comedy entertainment featuring some hilarious Asheville comics.

Saturday

Queer Country Night | Sat., Jan. 29 | 8-11 p.m. | Fleetwood’s, 496 Haywood Rd. | $10 | Straighten up (but not really) and enjoy the sounds of local queer outlaw country.
Town Mountain | Sat., Jan. 29 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $20+ | Listen to the band whose sound has been described as bluegrass spiced with country, old school rock ‘n’ roll, and boogie-woogie.
Beer & Cheese Pairing Masterclass | Sat., Jan. 29 | 4 p.m. | North Carolina Wine Academy, 58 Wall St. | $35 | Learn how cheese and beer can make each other better. 🧀

Sunday

Sip & Plant Workshop | Sat., Jan. 30 | 2 p.m. | 12 Bones Smokehouse South, 2350 Hendersonville Rd. | $15 | Join for craft beers and DIY succulent fairy gardens. 🪴
2022 Venture Asheville Demo Day | Sat., Jan. 30 | 4-6 p.m. | Ferguson Auditorium on A-B Tech Campus, 340 Victoria Rd. | Free | Hear pitches from startups that are investment-ready and actively raising capital.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

NEWS NOTES

Weather

42º | Mostly sunny | 10% chance of rain

Development

This week, developer Hatteras Sky broke ground on the Zelda Dearest Hotel. The adaptive re-use project involves the renovation of three historic homes and will pay homage to the author and artist Zelda Fitzgerald, who lived and died in Asheville. The 20 room hotel is expected to open in 2023. (Lodging Magazine)

Drink

Highland Brewing will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 5, 12-9 pm. with a party and the release of Water Tiger Cold IPA, its third collaborative beer with Seattle-based Lucky Envelope Brewing Company. There will be live music from Laura Blakely & The Wildflowers, food from Bun Intended, and a bonfire. 🍻

Biz

Blue Ridge Rickshaw, a pedal bicycle taxi service, hopes to bring its services to downtown Asheville, West Asheville, Biltmore Village + the River Arts District. After receiving approval from the Public Safety Committee at the Jan. 25 meeting, it will move to Asheville City Council for review + approval. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Ashevillians

Asheville High School students have placed among 57 national winners of the NASA TechRise Student Challenge. For the challenge, the team built an experiment that will explore a reaction of methane with other pollutants in the troposphere. If they win, they’ll get $1,500 and a NASA-funded spot to test the experiment.

Listen

The master soundsmiths at Citizen Vinyl have started a podcast: The Mezzanine. The series will be a place for creative + curious people to share inner worlds and connect deeply about craft. The trailer debuts Fri., Jan. 28 and the first episode launches Feb. 4. We’ll be sure to share the link. 🎧

Stat

13.3%. That’s how much visitation has increased along the Blue Ridge Parkway over the last year. According to National Park Service statistics, 16 million people visited in 2021. One of the reasons behind this increase? The urge for people to get outdoors in a safe way. 🥾 (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Community

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program — a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program — provides up to $50 a month in temporary assistance with connectivity costs. Eligible families can receive discounts on monthly broadband bills, plus devices like laptops. Click here for more info and to apply. 💻

DYK

In addition to serving Buncombe County’s homebound seniors, Meals On Wheels of Asheville & Buncombe County also helps feed pets. Want to help? Check out the org’s Amazon Smile Wish List — all orders are delivered to the nonprofit’s office for local distribution. 🐾

Home

If you haven’t already scheduled your annual HVAC maintenance appointment, the time is now — MB HAYNES has your back. 🏠*

Health

When it comes to prenatal care, women have several options available to them. But how do you choose between a midwife, doula and OB/GYN? Is one better than the others? Susan Cheek-Williams, CNM with Greenville Midwifery Care, explains how they’re different so you can choose the right provider for you.*

*This paid content, brought to you by our advertising partners, helps make this newsletter free.

POST OF THE DAY

Need a positive sign?

📸 @downtownasheville

The Booth Fairy Project has done it again. The organization, dedicated to spreading kindness in Asheville and across the world, has commissioned its latest mural from artist “Peter P” of parpandesign in an alleyway of downtown Asheville.

Wanna see it? Take a stroll down Carolina Ln., which is tucked between Woodfin and East Walnut St.

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Just use #AVLtoday on social media.

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THE WRAP

Editor’s pick: If you’re hungry for more details about the latest season of Top Chef, I recommend reading Food & Wine’s recent preview. One interesting tidbit: chefs will be asked to put their expert take on iconic regional dishes while also immersing themselves in Houston’s diverse + ethnic culinary identity. Yum.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here’s our unofficial pep rally to help you finish Dry January strong: a guide to local mocktails.