Asheville food news: More sushi-burger fusion, charitable culinary successes

Asheville diners can have burger-sushi fusion closer to the city as a relatively new restaurant expands to a second location, and local culinary experts continue to find creative ways to bridge communities through food, drinks and philanthropy.

Here's how to eat adventurously and give generously.

Mad about burgers, sushi

The Madness, a burger and sushi restaurant and bar, opened its second location in early November at 1020 Merrimon Ave., in Asheville. In December 2020, its original location opened at 275 Smokey Park Highway, Suite 251 in Candler.

More: Chefs collaborate on 5-course dining experience to support Asheville nonprofit, ALAS

Salt and time: Fermenti Foods owner hopes fermentation can help solve food insecurity

The Madness is a casual eatery when it comes to the menu but offers a cool, sleek dining room and a vibe ideal for a date night, said Savannah Sharp, front-of-house manager. It's also where sports fans and friends can catch the game on the televisions. Music and art add to the restaurant’s overall ambiance.

The eclectic menu features bento boxes, sandwiches, salads, small bites and more. Sushi options include classic and chef’s specialty sushi rolls, and the burger menu has half-pound classic and creatively concocted certified Angus beef patties.

The Madness stays true to its name by pushing the boundaries with sushi-burger fusion. For example, the bento boxes come with both a classic slider burger and sushi roll options with sides of fries, edamame, ginger salad and gyoza.

Of the full and diverse menu, there is something for everyone, Sharp said. She offered a few suggestions as to where first-time diners can begin on the menu.

“One of my personal favorites is The Rice Crispy on our small bites menu,” Sharp said. “We take some sushi rice and put it in a block form and deep-fry it so it’s crispy on the outside. Then, we top it with some spicy tuna, avocado and jalapeno, and it has some miso sriracha aioli on the bottom. We cut it up and serve it. It’s so crunchy and a little spicy and so delicious. It’s my favorite thing on the whole menu.”

The Hangover Burger comes with bacon, egg and cheese stacked and is “incredible,” she said. Also, the bar offers a selection of signature cocktails, beer and a growing wine collection. One of Sharp’s favorites is the Sunflower, made with gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon.

The hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Aaron Cheng is the owner of The Madness, which is a sister restaurant to Yum Poke Spot. For more about The Madness, visit themadnessavl.com.

Pushing for change

The WNC Fermenting Festival is celebrating a year of growth and impact, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WNC Fermenting Festival is an annual event presented in November by Fermenti, a regional small business living probiotics and fermented foods.

Since 2017, Meg Chamberlain, owner and event founder, has invited local and regional fermenters to sell and educate the public about fermentation products. The event marketplace offers food and drinks from gluten-free sourdough ciders and fruit wines to chocolates to vegan cheese.

In the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, between 30-50 vendors and 3,000-5,000 guests attended the festival, Chamberlain said. In 2020, the festival was postponed, and the fermenters prepared and distributed CSA boxes instead. This year, the festival returned and although there was a smaller crowd — about 2,000 attendees — there were some victories.

“I was very excited and pleased that most of my vendors kept selling out,” she said. “It might be a highly cultivated little market, but it is a buyer’s market. It’s a wonderful expression of fermented food across the counties of WNC, and the state and the region.”

The festival raised nearly $1,600 for the Beacon of Hope Services food bank. This is an increase from the $1,000 raised in 2019, she said.

“I’m proud to see that we’re starting to raise more and more money every year so we hope to keep that traction moving forward,” Chamberlain said.

Charitable giving is a part of the business owner's overall mission.

“My business is structured in a way that we donate 10% of all production directly to the food bank throughout the year,” she said. “I don’t believe any kid in my community should go hungry while I have even the means to counteract that. If I can help a kid get food tonight, that’s my goal."

Learn more about Fermenti, plus fermentation process, recipes and health benefits at fermenti.biz.

Cultivated Community Dinner Series

Early planning is recommended for those who want to celebrate culinary innovation while supporting a good cause.

Cultura is Wicked Weed Brewing's fine dining restaurant, at 147 Coxe Ave. on the South Slope. The restaurant's team is serving up culinary acts of kindness in its Cultivated Community Dinner Series.

In September, Cultura launched the Series, headed by executive chef Eric Morris and in partnership with local guest chefs. The monthly dining experience aims to unite chefs in the kitchen and diners around the table while supporting a different nonprofit each month.

“We were trying to reimagine what kind of restaurant we wanted to be, how we wanted to be represented in the community,” Morris said. “A big focus of that was trying to be an inclusive space that we could use for collaboration to get to know other chefs and talent in town and give them a platform to use our space to showcase them. Also, to help rally the community together for good causes or nonprofits. That’s what we want to make our identity moving forward.”

For each event, Wicked Weed donates $1,000 to each nonprofit, plus guests may make additional donations at the event.

The chef series began with Luis Martinez, who selected Vecinos as the partnering nonprofit. In October, Jonathan Pridgen, head of charcuterie for Cúrate, was the featured chef with Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project as the nonprofit. Silver Cousler's event supported Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s “Trails and View Forever” Program.

The events become an interactive and educational experience as they learn about the cuisine, the chefs and the nonprofits. The menu is set to reflect the guest chef’s culture and background and allows them to showcase their culinary talents beyond what they usually offer on their menus. Sometimes, the partnering chefs don't have restaurants of their own.

“We realized during COVID that we needed to expand our kitchen so during this time we’re operating at a much more limited capacity — just opening on Fridays and Saturdays,” said Candace Dvoran, general manager. “It was an opportunity — we have a beautiful restaurant in a beautiful space that was sitting vacant several days a week. How could we offer that space and give a chef an opportunity to cook in a restaurant where they can create a menu of their choice?”

The dinners include a cocktail, multiple courses, and a drink paired with each dish.

"This series is well done by Cultura as a whole to bring chefs together who we necessarily may not work with on a daily basis. This is a good way to showcase each other, lift each other up for more than just food, and try to bring the community together," said chef J. Chong, who will be co-hosting the next Cultivated Community Dinner Series on Dec. 9, benefiting Campaign for Southern Equality.

The event is sold out but there will be more opportunities to reserve a seat at upcoming dinners.

Tickets are limited and the series has quickly become popular since its introduction. The events are intimate with about 50-60 guests at each. In February, the series will resume and guests can follow Cultura for announcements of event dates and details.

For more information, visit https://www.wickedweedbrewing.com/cultivated-community/ or email culturareservation@gmail.com. Follow on Instagram at @culturaavl.

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Food news: The Madness restaurant expands; chefs unite for charity