South Asheville location of Tupelo Honey opens Feb. 2

Press release here:

The new South Asheville location of one of Asheville’s favorite restaurants, Tupelo Honey Café, will open beginning Tuesday, February 2, 2010. The restaurant, located at 1829 Hendersonville Road in Meridian Place, will launch by serving breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m.

“We are excited to open our independent restaurant south of Asheville,” said owner Steve Frabitore. “Folks have been coming by for months and asking when we plan to open, so I think there is some enthusiasm for the sort of field-to-table breakfasts, lunches and dinners we’re known for.

“We have worked very hard to transfer the eclecticism, color and fun synonymous with the original location,” said Frabitore. “The new restaurant is filled with Southern folk art, recycled windows and screen doors and commissioned works by local artists and artisans. We’re also very proud of the fact we’ve created over 100 local jobs in the process,” added Frabitore.

The original downtown location is also getting a kitchen make-over and some updating of the interiors, said Frabitore. “We will close downtown from February 1 until February 8 for the upfitting,” he said, “but will be open for business as usual beginning at 9 a.m. February 9.”

Positioned as “Asheville’s New South Kitchens,” both restaurants will benefit from the culinary creativity of Executive Chef Brian Sonoskus, who has been chef downtown since 2000. Sonoskus will transfer his menus to the new location and will continue to oversee his Sunshot Organics Farm, which provides some of the restaurants’ produce. Chef Sonoskus also works closely with other area farmers to create dishes that reflect the seasonal bounty of the Southern Appalachian region.

The south location is larger than downtown and will enable the restaurant to take reservations with its expanded seating for 170 people. Frabitore also wants to encourage groups to gather at the Hendersonville Road location, which boasts ample parking. Both locations will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday and a brunch on Sundays.

The design team for the new location includes Patti Glazer as lead architect and Kathryn Long of Ambience Interiors as interior designer. A new cookbook from the restaurant is being published by Andrews McMeel Publishing in Kansas City, MO, and is scheduled for release in spring of 2011.

For more information, hours of operation, menus and merchandise for sale, visit www.tupelohoneycafe.com