AVL Food Fans – Asheville Loses Some of Its Flavor, So Long to Chef Steven Goff

I’m sad to report the news that one of Asheville’s most creative and dedicated Chef’s, Steven Goff, is leaving “Foodtopia” for what sounds to me like a really amazing gig in Raleigh, working for multiple James Beard nominee Chef Scott Crawford.

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STU HELM:Hi Steven, I hope all is well, my friend! We’re adding a “news” segment to our AVL Food Fans podcast. Have you found a gig at a restaurant in another town? I heard a rumor, but I don’t want to say anything until I hear it from you. I think it sucks that Asheville couldn’t fucking retain you as one of our top chefs. Lame.

CHEF STEVEN GOFF:Yeah, I will be running the meat program for a chef I have looked up to for a long time, named Scott Crawford. The project is a restaurant connected to a butcher shop with a small grocery inside, we also have a small farm/giant garden on property. So we will be doing the kind of super local community driven things I like to do.

We have worked closely with nc state to build our (actually legal) fermentation room. The meat program entails all fermentation products mostly meats, salami, etc, and breakdown of all animals, and utilization of whole product. 

I am super sad to leave Asheville, I have been here for 10 years, I helped build what we have now, to leave after all that work really sucks but there’s nowhere for me here.

Mike [Moore] and I were trying to open a concept [restaurant in Asheville] but we were just stopped at every corner trying to find the proper space, so when this came through after months of unemployment, I couldn’t pass it up. I’m still not done with Mike either though once I get settled I will start organizing blind pig triangle events to carry the brand out there.

I’m sure this isn’t the last you’ll see of me, I’ll be back for blind pigs and other events.

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Sad news for Asheville indeed, but what an incredible opportunity for this young, thoughtful, talented, and driven chef to really learn and grown. I told Steven that, if Asheville was the band Hawkwind, this would be like when Lemmy left to form Mötörhead.

Something like that.

Anyhoodles…  You can say goodbye to Chef Steven and support his bid to take home the trophy in the Asheville Wine and Food Festival’s Chef Challenge TODAY (Saturday, August 22nd) at the Civic Center right downtown.

I hope I have a chance to say this in person, but just in case, Thanks, Steven!  We’ll miss you and your food, but we certainly look forward to seeing you in the future, and tasting what you been up to in Raleigh.  We know you’re gonna crush it.

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Chef Joe Scully and I will be discussing this and all the other Food News we could gather on the August 25th episode of AVL Food Fans. The current episode, and all of our past episodes are available for listening to with the player below, or by going to www.avlfoodfans.com where you can also download it. It is available for free from the iTunes store as well.