The Asheville View: How to support Asheville’s local food scene in phase 2

Website: https://stuhelmfoodfan.com/

 ““Over the last several years, food writer Stu Helm has become an influential voice in Asheville’s bustling restaurant scene. With an almost unparalleled passion for local restaurants, he eats out A LOT and then uses social media to discuss his favorite dishes or deliver a shout-out to beloved chefs. He never wavers from a signature look, black jeans and T-shirt (or a hoodie, when it’s cold) and black Converse shoes, making him easy to spot on the streets of downtown Asheville, usually on his way to or from a restaurant.

While Helm has no formal background in professional kitchens (a fact he does not hesitate to admit), he stays on top of every restaurant opening, tracks the movement of local chefs and can quickly identify trends, as well as tastes and flavors that he likes. But don’t call him a “foodie or a “restaurant critic.” He eschews both titles. Instead, he prefers the term “eater” and “food fan,” a distinction that allows him to avoid the pitfalls into which many “critics” often fall.” 

Excerpt from “Memorable Meals 2019” by Edible Asheville