Asheville Food Bites: Cookie shop closing, restaurant relocates, chef dinner series, more

Golden Hour is a full service restaurant and bar at The Radical, a boutique hotel at 95 Roberts St. in Asheville.
Golden Hour is a full service restaurant and bar at The Radical, a boutique hotel at 95 Roberts St. in Asheville.

ASHEVILLE - A local cookie shop to permanently close; an Asheville deli moves to Swannanoa; a speakeasy-style handcrafted cocktail lounge to host a 10th-anniversary dance party; and a local restaurateur rolls out a new dining series at a chic hotel in River Arts District.

Cookie shop closure

On May 4, Morsel Cookie Co., which specializes in thick, “ooey-gooey” cookies, will permanently close at 5 p.m. at 175 Weaverville Highway, Suite D.

The announcement was made on the bakery’s social media on April 20 and stated:

“After 3 1/2 years, we cannot thank you all enough for the ongoing support of our tiny cookie operation. It has been a beautiful and rewarding journey that could not have happened without you all and your love of local sweet treats. We also want to thank the friends, family, and staff that got this operation off the ground and kept the gears going this whole time. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Morsel Cookie Company's shop will close on May 4. Pictured: Oatmeal apple pie cookie.
Morsel Cookie Company's shop will close on May 4. Pictured: Oatmeal apple pie cookie.

According to the post, owner Caroline Dockery, who introduced the business in 2020, “will be moving into a new chapter of her baking career.”

In Nov. 2022, Morsel Cookie opened a location at 45 Rankin St. that closed last August.

For more, visit morselcookie.company and follow @morsel_cookieco.

Restaurant relocation

Zella’s Deli has completed its move from downtown Asheville to Swannanoa.

As of April 22, diners must visit the restaurant at 2372 US 70 ― the former home of Loott House ― for one of Zella’s Deli’s New York-inspired classic pastrami on rye sandwiches or meatball subs.

Hours for the new location are 11 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sunday.

A message from Zella’s Deli’s team posted on its website states that the former downtown deli space, 48 College St., will be used as an extension of Imperial, the second-floor cocktail bar and mezcaleria.

The dining room will be converted into a taproom with cocktails, beer, wine and spirits on draft and food options.

For updates, visit zellasdeli.com and follow on Instagram @zellasdeli.

The Crow & Quill cocktail party

The Crow & Quill will host a 10th anniversary party at the downtown cocktail and whiskey bar, 106 N. Lexington Ave.

The celebration is scheduled for 7-11 p.m. April 28 and will include free food, drink specials, dancing, music by DJ Dr. Filth and more.

Casey Campfield, owner of Crow and Quill, June 21, 2023.
Casey Campfield, owner of Crow and Quill, June 21, 2023.

Admission is on a sliding scale of $5-10. Guests must be 21 or older to attend.

For more, visit thecrowandquill.com and follow @crowandquill.

Dinner with Chef Jacob Sessoms and friends

Chef Jacob Sessoms, the two-time James Beard nominated restaurateur, has announced a new, recurring dinner series called Jacob & Friends at The Radical, the new River Arts District boutique hotel, 95 Roberts St.

Jacob & Friends will launch at 6 p.m. May 6 inside Golden Hour, one of the three food and beverage concepts designed by the chef.

Chef Jacob Sessoms has introduced a new dinner series called Jacob & Friends, launching in May at The Radical hotel in Asheville.
Chef Jacob Sessoms has introduced a new dinner series called Jacob & Friends, launching in May at The Radical hotel in Asheville.

Sessoms will present a curated menu of fresh, locally sourced ingredients ― to be determined based on the availability of the items from local markets and farmers ahead of the event ― and in collaboration with special guests from Western North Carolina’s food and beverage industry.

On May 6, Anna Raymond of Counter Culture Coffee will join Sessoms for an Ethiopian coffee and dessert pairing, and Mike Tiano of Haw River Wine Man will share wines from his April trip to Italy.

The cost is $195 per person, which includes a wine and beverage pairing. Seats are limited. Reserve a seat by emailing [email protected].

For more, visit theradicalavl.com and @theradicalhotelavl.

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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Zella's Deli opens, Morsel Cookie Co. closing, Radical's chef dinners