Asheville's Culinary Community Gathers After Hurricane Helene
Asheville's Culinary Community Gathers After Hurricane Helene
Chefs and restaurateurs are combining forces to provide food, water, and comfort
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has left its toll after the Category 4 hurricane barreled up the Gulf before it made land in Northern Florida and continued its destruction north.
At least 138 people have died across six states, with the death toll feared to rise as rescue efforts continue.
While cities such as Tampa and Tallahassee, Florida, were devastated by the storm, one city’s devastation came as a shocking and horrifying surprise.
Asheville, North Carolina, a city hundreds of miles from the Atlantic coastline and rising 2,000 feet above sea level, was battered by the storm. Nearby towns and cities such as the charming town of Chimney Rock have been destroyed. In an interview with CNN, Asheville’s fire chief said the city has suffered “a tremendous amount of wreckage” and urgently needs food and water. Roads have been completely demolished by the storm and the subsequent flooding, with first responders having to resort to small aircraft and mules to bring supplies to and rescue people from remote places.
As always, when there is an emergency, chefs and restaurateurs are the first ones to open their hearts and spaces to nourish their community.
Miami-based chefs and married couple Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis just opened their Hendersonville, North Carolina-area restaurant, Root & Bone, this past June. The couple wanted to expand to Western North Carolina for its crisp mountain air, friendly people, and proximity to fresh produce. “It’s like a mini Northern California in terms of fresh ingredients,” says McInnis.
Just three months after opening the restaurant, Hurricane Helene hit. Luckily, the restaurant — about 30 miles from Asheville, sustained little damage. The couple are in Miami and currently can’t get to their North Carolina restaurant, but after learning that their staff were all OK and eager to work, they decided to help their new neighbors by cooking a daily free meal for locals who don’t have electricity or even fresh water. “We just opened, but the community is just amazing. It’s a wonderful area with just wonderful people. We’re new to the community, but we feel like a part of it,” says Booth.
Booth and McInnis have also gathered other local restaurants to form a communication chain to collect food from other establishments to feed the community. They’ve partnered with a sister restaurant, The Silo House at the Horse Shoe Farm, to offer meals and water starting at 2 p.m. daily. "We’re cooking up to 200 meals a day, and people can bring their own containers to fill up with fresh water,” says Booth.
“Most places are without electricity and the cell service goes out. We’re doing what we can to help,” says Booth, adding, “Our restaurant was lucky to have power and we haven’t sustained damage. We’re trying to do our best.”
So far, their efforts have been admirable — and very grassroots. A neighborhood across the street, for instance, brought over 50 pumpkins. “Tomorrow is going to be a big pumpkin soup day,” says McInnis.
They’ve also started a GoFundMe with Horse Shoe Farm to help raise money for the people of the small town of Horse Shoe. where the restaurant is located. The money will help them purchase fresh produce, meats, and other essential items and will help provide volunteers with the support they need to continue their efforts. So far, the GoFundMe has raised more than $16,000 of its $20,000 goal.
Root & Bone and Horse Shoe Farm aren’t the only restaurateurs who have risen to the occasion.
In Downtown Asheville, five-time James Beard nominee, Katie Button has teamed up with World Central Kitchen (WCK) to transform Cúrate’s kitchen into a WCK prep hub for remote distribution of food to isolated locations, choosing to close her restaurant to the public in order to help her neighbors.
Other restaurants are following suit, including Bear's BBQ, Rhubarb, Chi Pani, and Twisted Laurel, closing to the public to prepare hot meals throughout the region in partnership with WCK.
The meals are being distributed at Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ in Asheville. Starting at noon daily, food is provided for all in need of nourishment and some comfort.
These aren’t even the only restaurants helping. A quick note to a contact at Explore Asheville, the city’s tourism board, yielded a spreadsheet filled with restaurants offering to help their neighbors.
According to McInnis and Booth, power is expected to be restored to much of the area by Friday, but fresh water could take longer to restore — especially in nearly rural areas. Then, of course, the cleanup can start in earnest.
I know from experience what it’s like to lose everything in a hurricane. I lived in Miami during Hurricane Andrew — still considered one of the most destructive storms in U.S. history. I remember waiting in line for the National Guard to provide us with water and K-rations, and recall the moment of bliss when I finally got my hands on a cold soda after days of drinking water baking in the Miami heat. That can of Coke, handed to me by a neighbor who had a working generator, was more valuable than any treasure at the time.
The simple act of giving someone a hot meal, a cold drink, or providing WiFi so they can let friends and family know they’re alive means everything. When the chips are down in a community, chefs are among the first to give back to their neighbors.
Donate to World Central Kitchen here.
Additional Asheville area restaurants and resources are as follows:
Cellarest Beer Project is offering charging onsite; opening at noon daily
Daddy Mac's Down Home Dive is offering free meals from noon to 4 p.m. daily while supplies last (According to radio)
Mela Indian Restaurant is offering free meals to first responders
The Hop West is offering WiFi and power
Blunt Pretzels is Providing food and receiving drops from WC Kitchen