In what might be the best development for local carnivores since 12 Bones came to town, Four Points by Sheraton has launched Asheville’s first serious steakhouse. Hulsing Hotels’ Chop House Asheville Downtown, located alongside the future Sheraton (aka the former Best Western) on Woodfin Street, opened last week for breakfast and dinner. According to a release, the restaurant serves “high quality steaks and fine wine.” Diners, sharpen your knives. For reservations, call 253-1851.
Who’s the best chef in Blowing Rock? For $10, you can find out. The Iron Chef-esque Fire on the Rock Chef’s Challenge, Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13, will pit eight of the area’s best chefs against each other in head-to-head competition. The event, at the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock, is one of many programs scheduled for the Blue Ridge Food & Wine Festival, beginning April 10. To learn more about scheduled wine tastings, dinners and seminars—and to purchase tickets to the Chef’s Challenge—visit www.blueridgewinefestival.com.
No discussion of gaps in Asheville’s dining scene is complete without at least one mention of Ethiopian food. But for one night next month, local culinary kvetchers will have to hold their tongues: Greenlife Grocery’s Community Center is hosting an Ethiopian feast. The Saturday, April 5, dinner, catered by Abaye Cuisine, will feature authentic vegetarian delicacies, injera and a slideshow by Abaye’s owners. Tickets are $12 for adults, $7 for children. For reservations or more information, call 252-8149.
