Last updated: December 11, 2023

In the Weeds

There’s the Southern cuisine we see replicated all over the world — fried chicken, barbecue, cornbread — then there’s the new Southern cuisine, emerging out of restaurants in cities like ours. They don’t rely solely on deep fryers and butter like the stereotype. These kitchens thrive on produce and meats sourced from the farms surrounding them.

The Asbury is a leading example of what our cuisine is becoming. The menu changes seasonally, and doesn’t rely on anything more than fresh ingredients and unexpected flavor combinations. Of course, you’ll also find a dynamite fried chicken sammy, with country ham, cheddar cheese, pickles, and a caramelized onion and thyme aioli that counters the grease and adds complexity to the sandwich. The deviled eggs change daily, often bringing a bit more nuanced flavors to the Southern picnic staple.

The entrées are where you’ll find the best of executive chef Mike Long’s cooking, however. This is one of the few restaurants where I’ll order beef. Former executive chef Matthew Krenz’s family owns a cattle ranch, giving the restaurant a respect for animal products grown out of a level of understanding few others have.

Instead of a description, the menu only shares ingredients, and those ingredients usually stray from the traditional. The cornmeal-crusted North Carolina trout, for example, from the late summer menu was served with jalapeno aioli, corn salad, crispy mushrooms, and shrimp beignets — a lot of components for one entrée. Yet those extra components — and the time it takes to cook them — forge a menu of unexpectedly rounded dishes, with big flavors that fit together so well, they’re hard to separate on your palate. I do wish that the restaurant’s interior, which is pretty simple and without much identity, better suited the personalities of the kitchen, the passionate servers, and the menu.

The restaurant recently moved away from separate lunch and dinner menus to create one all-day menu with two size options. This makes prep easier for the kitchen so dishes are served consistently well, even during the rushes. It also enables lighter eaters to dine without feeling overstuffed, or curious diners to try more than they normally could.

Even in its streamlined form, The Asbury is home to a masterclass in ingredient-driven cuisine. The restaurant showcases a true taste of the South, from the perspective of someone who knows just what the North Carolina terrain is capable of nurturing.