How did you get into the food industry?
The food industry got into me, both figuratively and literally. My first dishwashing job involved an angry burnt-out line cook throwing Italian food at me. So it was part desperation, part passion.
What brought you to Asheville?
My partner, Laura, took a job as a professor at Western Carolina University. Three days after moving here, I left home to shop at Target. I took my resume with me and ended up at the Laughing Seed. I started the next day and still have so much to do here.
What is your food philosophy?
Food is plant based.
What is your specialty, and what is the story behind it?
My specialty is vegan food, because that’s my ethic.
What sets Laughing Seed apart from other restaurants in the area?
The cuisine is definitely unique to the Laughing Seed. The restaurant started as a juice bar almost 20 years ago, at a time when Asheville was drastically different than it is today. Today, the restaurant serves only vegetarian food and features house-made foods like vegan yogurt and seitan.
Does your restaurant use local products?
We grow some produce and herbs on our farm, which is now in its second year. In 2009, it’s necessary to grow food, both as a means of assuring quality and to protect the right to do so. Local products feeding local people and the pursuit of civil rights—that’s our concept!
How you would describe Asheville’s food scene?
Those in Asheville’s food industry are determined to keep Asheville on the map, so imagine a shrunken metropolis with ethnic food identities, eager entrepreneurs and a sense of infatuation for all things food related.
Interactive Foodtopia |
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