Asheville Forager, a combination grocery store, butcher shop, deli, and bakery, opened downtown on Wall Street this week. Whether you’re looking to cook up a full meal or pick up a sandwich for a picnic, this one-stop shop has you covered with a plethora of local options. Here’s a peek at what you’ll find inside.
The produce area is filled with organic, colorful options — many of which you may not find in your average grocery store, like cippolini onions, gorgeous rainbow carrots, fresh bay leaves, and leeks.
As you scour the shelves full of local, regional, and NC-made products, you’ll find clever signs all throughout. There’s a reason for that. Owners Paddy and Heather Collins have the punny and lighthearted signs posted throughout to try and combat the pretentious undertones sometimes associated with health food stores.
Here’s what we added to our cart:
- A fresh loaf of in-house-baked milk bread
- A bottle of kombucha made right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains
- A jar of Lusty Monk Mustard (the best ever, in our opinion)
- A locally-made and very adorable black bear plush toy
- A can of Bianco DiNapoli pizza sauce
And finally, the pièce de résistance, an incredible (and giant) deli sandwich. We opted for the N.E. Grinder, with ham, cotto salami, mayo, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, and oil + vinegar on a fresh-baked hoagie roll. We ordered the half sub for $8.95, but it was still bigger than City Editor Grace’s head.
Very soon, you can expect more seasonal options in the hot bar area. Think: hearty, family-sized meals like shepherd’s pie and sides like twice-baked potatoes.
Additionally, Asheville Forager has big plans when it comes to sustainability, hoping to be the first in NC to earn a TRUE Zero Waste Certification.
Asheville Forager is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 35 Wall Street.
