Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
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.
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.
4 editor picks for Foraged ramps in Asheville, ranked by editorial score. All Asheville signature dishes · Foraged ramps across every city.
Katie Button and Felix Meana's Cúrate in Asheville opened on Biltmore Avenue in 2011 and won the 2022 James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding.
OrderThe jamón ibérico with pan con tomate, plus the paella Valenciana for the table.
TipBook on Resy 30 days ahead. Bar seats and the chef's counter take walk-ins from 17:00; arrive at opening.
William Dissen's The Market Place runs modern Appalachian on Wall Street. Mark Rosenstein founded 1979; Dissen took over 2009. 2025 JBA Outstanding Chef semi.
OrderThe Sunburst Trout Farm trout from Canton, plus the seasonal foraged mushroom plate.
TipBook on the restaurant's own reservation page. The walk-up bar pours small plates from the main menu.
John Fleer's Rhubarb on Pack Square has served wood-fired modern Southern since 2013. Fleer is a multi-time James Beard Best Chef Southeast nominee.
OrderWhatever the wood oven is running, plus the Sunday Supper family-style menu when offered.
TipBook on the restaurant's reservation page. Dinner runs Thursday through Monday from 17:00.
Crusco in the River Arts District opened in summer 2025 from Kat Kearney and former Cucina 24 staff, cooking hand-rolled pasta and wood-grilled meats.
OrderWhatever pasta the kitchen is running, plus a glass off the food-friendly wine list.
TipBook on the restaurant's site. Dinner runs Wednesday through Sunday from 17:00. Bar walk-ins for cocktails.
Foraged ramps makes more sense with someone from Asheville explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
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