Asheville eatery closes, national food tour coming, local authors

ASHEVILLE- A sandwich and dessert shop closes; a national food and wine tour plans summer debut for Asheville foodies; and local authors release new books for readers hungry for knowledge.

Ziggy says ‘so long’

An Asheville entrepreneur is closing her deli after more than three years of service.

May 14 was the final day of operations for Ziggy’s Bakery and Deli, 1550 Hendersonville Road.

“Thank you for all of the continued support over the three and a half years we’ve been open, including in the pandemic when we were shut down and those who reached out and offered help and assistance,” owner Robyn “Ziggy” Ziegler said.

“I’m definitely going to miss my little piece of home Philly here in Asheville.”

Ziggy’s was designed as a Philadelphia-style deli, offering bagels, cheesesteaks, sandwiches, sweets and deli ingredients and snacks to-go.

Although Ziegler is closing her business, she plans to pursue “other culinary opportunities.”

“I’m just excited for the next adventure in my life. This is what I need and want to do right now,” she said.

More: West Asheville restaurant announces permanent closure after 10 years of service

Live fire, unlimited tastings

Three Asheville chefs will collaborate for a live-fire tasting experience this summer.

Cochon 555 will present Heritage Fire on July 17 with special guest chefs James Beard finalist Cleophus Hethington of Benne on Eagle, Owen McGlynn of Asheville Proper and Eric Morris of Wicked Weed’s Cultura.

Heritage Fire is a touring food and wine festival hosted in cities across the U.S. with the purpose to celebrate and showcase the region’s sustainably sourced heritage breed livestock and heirloom produce. It will be the first time the event is in the Asheville area.

More: Asheville food, beverage festivals not to miss in spring, summer 2022

The event invites guests to stroll and sample an assortment of dishes and drinks prepared by local chefs.

The Asheville chefs will prepare dishes featuring a variety of beef products from DemKota Ranch Beef, whole pigs, lamb, goat, squab, rabbit, duck, fish, chicken, artisan cheeses and heirloom vegetables.

Story continues

The open-air event will be hosted at Franny’s Farm at 22 Frannys Farm in Leicester – with the Blue Ridge Mountains setting the scene.

The doors open at 4 p.m. for VIP ticketholders and 4:45 p.m. for general admission.

Tickets are $150 for VIP and $99 for general admission, which includes unlimited curated dishes and “free-flowing” beverage pairings, including beer, wine and cocktails. Live entertainment and other surprises will commence through the evening.

The event is for ages 21 and up. For updates and to purchase tickets, visit heritagefiretour.com/asheville/.

Spring and summer reading

Plan for a season of enlightenment and entertainment with new food-centric readings, courtesy of Asheville authors.

“Edible North Carolina,” edited by UNC food historian Marcie Cohen Ferris, is an anthology about North Carolina’s contemporary food movement. The essayists are writers, cooks, farmers, entrepreneurs and food equity activists who provide an in-depth look at the culinary evolution, sustainable agriculture, historic and modern foodways and more from across the state, with a focus on Western North Carolina.

Ferris, who provided the opening essay, is also the author of “Matzoh Ball Gumbo” and “The Edible South.”

The literary work is accented with 46 pages of full-color photo documentation by photographer Baxter Miller’s statewide travels, plus 20 recipes for readers to try. The foreword was written by Vivian Howard, an award-winning chef, restaurateur, writer and native North Carolinian.

“Edible North Carolina” is $35 (hardcover). For more details, visit ediblenc.com.

“Lewis Mumford and the Food Fighters: A Food Revolution in America,” written by Robert Turner, examines issues plaguing the global industrialized food supply chain, including food security and food sovereignty in the Appalachian. Turner is an Asheville-based writer for regional food and lifestyle magazines, an organic farmer and a food politics commentator. He’s also the author of “Carrots Don’t Grow on Trees: Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities.”

“Lewis Mumford and the Food Fighters: A Food Revolution in America” is $18.95 (paperback). For more details, visit roberteturner.com.

A free virtual book event with the author will be hosted at 7 p.m. May 19 by Firestorm Books. To register, visit firestorm.coop/events/2986-food-systems-revolution.html.

“The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Medicine,” by Juliet Blankespoor, is an illustrated reference book on how to plant an herb garden and use the plants in the kitchen and home apothecary. Blankespoor is a botanist and founder of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. In the book, she provides details in areas including soil health, plant diseases, insects and propagation. Plus, the tutorials and recipes for preparing herbs for medicinal use and as healing foods.

“The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Medicine” is $30 (hardcover). For more details, visit chestnutherbs.com.

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Food news: Ziggy’s closes, Heritage Fire food tour, new book releases