It’s well worth venturing north of the downtown dining scene to seek out the inconspicuous excellence of Avenue M, long known as a neighborhood haunt. Current owners Ralph Lonow and Tony Creed have thoroughly zhuzhed up the space, service, and menu, bringing on board executive chef Andrew McLeod, an Asheville native with a star-studded resume. McLeod’s obsession with preserving meats makes the charcuterie board a winning choice. Or choose a handmade pasta, such as rigatoni with all’Amatriciana or triangoli with green garlic, pecorino, and preserved lemon. Lonow’s award-winning wine list provides plenty of pairing options.

Simple, artful preparation from Charleston native Will Cisa lets the innate flavors of fresh Carolinas and East Coast seafood shine at Jettie Rae’s, just north of downtown. The menu kicks off with an extensive raw bar, daily ceviche selections, and caviar service — and from there moves into entrees with influences ranging from Spain to Maine to the South Carolina Lowcountry. Customers should try octopus a la planxa, oysters bienville, or Gullah-inspired crab rice — or skip the seafood altogether and go for a steak or the legit double cheeseburger. While waiting for a table, indulge in an oyster shooter or cocktail and a few snacks at the Pearl, a tiny vintage Airstream trailer-turned-bar that serves the restaurant’s covered outdoor patio area.

Recently moved a few doors south of the funky Lexington Avenue space it inhabited since opening in 2002, Rosetta’s still maintains its mellow, hippie vibe and serves the same menu of simple, fresh, affordably priced vegan and vegetarian soul food. The veggie burger and peanut butter-baked tofu are legendary, but you could also try the Buddha Bowl, which manages to feel both healthy and indulgent with its tumble of rice, smoky tofu, avocado, greens, and more (add the house-cultured kimchi for kick). The new location has a spacious patio area and offers the on-tap, locally made Buchi kombucha, cocktails, mocktails, and house-made sodas previously served at the old spot’s downstairs Buchi Bar.

High-end Italian fare meets southern Appalachian ingredients in chef Brian Canipelli’s gorgeous, Instagram-worthy offerings at Cucina 24. Featuring meats, cheeses, vegetables, edible flowers, fungi, and herbs sourced fresh from local farmers and foragers, the antipasti, house-made pasta, and wood-fired pizzas are consistently impressive. But for a truly memorable Asheville culinary adventure, opt for the chef’s tasting menu, which changes daily based on Canipelli’s market finds and inspiration.

Strong ties with western North Carolina’s farmers, foragers, and food artisans are the cornerstones for the simple yet elegant Southern fare that five-time James Beard Award finalist John Fleer crafts at Rhubarb. Count on the pimento cheese hush puppies as a foolproof starter for the ever-changing menu of small plates and entrees that can range from seared goat cheese gnudi with garlic-sorghum glazed baby beets to a whole rabbit for two with wheat berry risotto. Or check out the ongoing Tuesday Table dinner series for fun, three-course, family-style meals with rotating themes.

Since it opened in the early 2000s, Limones has steadfastly remained a darling of Asheville locals with chef and owner Hugo Ramirez’s bright, inventive takes on the cuisine of his native Mexico City. The ever-changing menu always includes a selection of ceviches (pro tip: order them all as a sampler platter) and generous vegetarian options. There are usually about a dozen or so interesting margarita variations on the bar menu, depending on what’s in season.

Chef Dan Silo’s menu at Sawhorse channels the family lore of his great-grandmother, who was a lumber-camp cook, as well as his own memories of the country diner food of his youth in the Adirondack Mountains. With a focus on whole-animal butchery and in-house preservation, the kitchen cranks out masterful takes on stick-to-your-ribs French Canadian classics. Go savory with the meat pie, poutine, or buckwheat pancake with cheddar, duck confit, and fingerling potatoes. Or try the plate-size buttermilk pancake with maple syrup or a maple doughnut or eclair for something sweet. The fact that the space is a lovingly renovated old diner (the Leicester Family Restaurant sign now hangs in the dining room) adds to the homey experience.

Located just a few steps from the Orange Peel music venue downtown, Ukiah’s warm space and Japanese-izakaya-meets-American-barbecue theme make it the ideal spot for a pre-concert dinner with friends. Diners can opt for beautifully crafted bao, gyoza, ramen, sashimi, and tempura — including the showstopping crispy beech mushroom — or meatier items like baby back ribs or prime rib-eye with shiso chimichurri. Ukiah’s outside-the-omelet weekend brunch menu features dishes like a savory shishito pepper-cheddar biscuit with Japanese sausage gravy, and breakfast ramen with tonkotsu-egg broth and maple shichimi bacon.

This offshoot of Wicked Weed Brewing launched in 2019, closed for the pandemic almost immediately after receiving a James Beard Best New Restaurant nod in 2020, and only recently reopened for regular service. Cultura’s focus on cultured foods gives executive chef Eric Morris latitude to wander freely and dive deep with creativity and fermentation techniques. The seven-course tasting menu features dishes like koji-cured trigger fish and duck leg with pink peppercorn gnocchi, and on Sundays, the playful Cease & Desist dinner series serves the chef’s imaginative takes on popular chain restaurant menus. The high-ceilinged dining room offers a lush backdrop with its forest of plants, herbs, and edible mushrooms illuminated by a constellation of glowing orb lights.

The latest Haywood Road cinder block building glow-up from the Admiral owner Drew Wallace, Leo’s House of Thirst, has quickly gained traction as a favorite neighborhood gathering place with its outstanding wine selection and a well-crafted food menu that leans toward shareable, snackish bites. Popular dishes include deviled eggs seasoned with smoked honey and bacon, and chicken liver mousse with blackberry jam and fennel pollen. Also, chef Austin Inselmann’s house-made pastas, like the sunny torchio with cherry tomatoes, shishito peppers, nasturtium butter, mimolette cheese, and lemon breadcrumbs, never disappoint.

Easily overlooked in its unassuming strip mall space on Patton Avenue, Taqueria Muñoz has become an obsessed-over local culinary treasure for its lush and flavorful sopes, tortas, tacos, burritos, tamales, and quesadillas as well as specialties like birria, pupusas, pollo con mole, and caldo de res. The dominant language is Spanish, the dining experience is no-frills, the portions are hearty, and the prices are pleasantly affordable. Most dishes feature choices of pork pastor, carnitas, steak asada, chicharron, cabeza, and tongue, but vegetarians can ask for an off-menu mushroom (and occasionally huitlacoche) version of some offerings. A satellite location, at Zillicoah Beer Co. in Woodfin, provides a pared-down menu with outdoor dining options.

Since it started delivering boundary-pushing American fare in a plain cinder block building on the west side of town in 2007, the Admiral has remained one of Asheville’s flagship upscale-dining experiences. Innovative, skillfully executed dishes and the dining room’s rough, eclectic charm make it a go-to spot for a memorable date night. The charcuterie boards loaded with house-made sausages, terrines, and ferments are a must for meat lovers. Full-service dining is available indoors or on the heated patio by reservation only.

Dip down a West Asheville side street and enter through the back door to discover the warm and utterly unique dining experience that chef-owner Silver Iocovozzi brings to life in a colorful, 17-seat space at Neng Jr.’s. Drawing inspiration from their Filipino roots, the chef delivers a rotating parade of vibrant offerings such as adobo oyster accented with cured quail egg yolk and the subtle, saline pop of sea grapes, crab fried rice, sinigang smoked wings, a sculpted longanisa sausage pithivier, and muscadine ice cream for dessert.