Wild Appalachian leeks foraged from the WNC mountain forests in April and May. Used in pickles, butters, salsa verde, frittatas and shaved raw over Italian.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Ramps grow in the rich, shaded mountain forests of the Southern Appalachians from late March through May. Cherokee communities have used ramps medicinally and for cooking for centuries; Scots-Irish settlers adopted them as the first green of spring. The annual Cosby Ramp Festival in Tennessee (1954) and the WNC ramp festivals at Waynesville and Cosby anchor the regional spring celebration. Asheville chefs work ramps hard in their short window: The Market Place pickles them for year-round use, Rhubarb runs ramp butter on biscuits, Crusco shaves them raw over hand-cut pastas. Overforaging has become a conservation concern; ethical foragers leave the bulbs and take only leaves.
Common allergens: Allium
Tip from the editors. Forage ethically: cut only the leaves and one in five bulbs from any patch. Ramps take 5 to 7 years to mature; overharvesting wipes out forest patches.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
William Dissen's The Market Place on Wall Street moved here 1990 (founded 1979 by Mark Rosenstein). Dissen is a 2025 JBA Outstanding Chef semifinalist.
Order: The Sunburst Trout Farm trout from Canton, plus the seasonal foraged mushroom plate.
Tip: Book on the restaurant's reservation page. The walk-up bar pours small plates from the main menu.
John Fleer's Rhubarb on Pack Square runs Sunday brunch alongside its modern Southern dinner service. Wood-fired flatbreads, buttermilk biscuits, country ham.
Order: Whatever the wood oven is running, plus a buttermilk biscuit and country ham plate.
Tip: Book Sunday brunch a week ahead. The bar takes walk-ins from 10:30 on Sunday.
Crusco in the River Arts District opened in summer 2025 from Kat Kearney and former Cucina 24 staff. Editor pick on TableJourney with hours, booking notes.
Order: Whatever pasta the kitchen is running, plus a glass off the food-friendly wine list.
Tip: Book on the restaurant's site. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 17:00. Bar walk-ins.
Katie Button's Cúrate on Biltmore Avenue in Asheville won the 2022 James Beard Outstanding Hospitality award. The Pintxos tasting menu at the chef's counter.
Order: The chef's tasting at the counter, with sherry pairings.
Tip: Counter tasting menu at the long bar requires booking 30 days ahead on Resy. The dining room is à la carte.
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