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Weekly Scoop (March 18-24) - Go Downtown for Authentic Middle-Eastern Flavors


Take a Trip to Jerusalem

"Transport your senses to faraway lands right here in Asheville."
A tasty lamb shank with rice, pita and sautéed vegetables from Jerusalem Garden Café.

You can’t find the healthy and unique dishes at Jerusalem Garden Café anywhere else in Asheville. Owner Farouk Badr brought the recipes used at the restaurant with him from his homeland to help transport patrons to faraway lands when enjoying his food.

“We really wanted to bring the customers a truly authentic cuisine from the Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern regions our family is from,” Badr said. 

Jerusalem Garden actually started way back in 1992 as a small deli restaurant serving up gyros, falafel and other tasty sandwiches to the people of Asheville. It become a well-known restaurant for good, wholesome meals, but Badr desired more.

He wanted the restaurant to grow with the thriving community of Asheville and become a fine dining establishment with a full menu of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern dishes. 

“It was a huge change for us,” Badr said, “and we had to take it in little steps.”

Slowly but surely Jerusalem Garden kept moving and improving — they built a tent room with floor seating, remodeled several times and crafted a menu of the best dishes they had to offer. After 15 years of hard work, Badr now had a full-blown restaurant on his hands.

But the moving and improving didn’t stop there.

“We continue to come up with new desserts, small plates and entrées year after year to keep things new and fresh for ourselves and for our customers,” Badr said.

Besides their fantastic lunch and dinner menu, Jerusalem Garden offers an unbelievable brunch menu every Saturday and Sunday serving all your Southern breakfast favorites with a Mediterranean twist. And just recently the restaurant started serving a new menu of Mediterranean-influenced cocktails.


Don't miss belly dancing every Friday and Saturday.

But the food isn’t the only thing that will take you to a faraway land. Every Friday and Saturday, Jerusalem Garden hosts live music and belly dancing that completely immerses you in the culture.

Making the switch from small deli to huge, successful restaurant definitely wasn’t easy, and Badr is grateful to his family and community for supporting him and his local business. 

“We love being a local business because local small businesses are the core of the economy in this area,” he said. “It is a pleasure to be part of that circle and we are proud to bring a different menu and cuisine to the table!”

Keep up to date with new food specials, menu additions, events and more from Jerusalem Garden Café on their Dig Local profile.

Below you will find one locally curated Scoop chosen for each day this week — but make sure to check out all the Scoops this week on our Dig Local Scoop Calendar.

Monday, March 18

Music Matters: Prince B4 the Reign
with 103.3 Asheville FM
Come discuss the evolution of a teenage musical prodigy becoming a Rock/Funk legend during this lecture in a series of Music Matters appreciation lectures.
More details.

Check out the rest of Monday’s Scoops here.

Tuesday, March 19

Kids Eat Free Every Tuesday
at The Cantina Biltmore

Bring the kids to The Cantina Biltmore this Tuesday! Kids eat free with the purchase of any adult meal.
More details.

Check out the rest of Tuesday’s Scoops here.

Wednesday, March 20

Stu Helm Mac & Cheese Challenge
at Asheville Masonic Temple

Who will win the title for the best Mac & Cheese in all of Asheville? All attendees will receive a sample of the Mac & Cheese from all 10 competitors. Grab tickets.
More details.

Check out the rest of Wednesday’s Scoops here.

Thursday, March 21

Women Get the Job Done/Women Who Move the Needle
at Ambrose West

Women have historically been few and far between in positions producing music, conducting orchestras and engineering audio. In this panel discussion, attendees will examine this sea change with music industry trailblazers. Grab tickets.
More details.

Check out the rest of Thursday’s Scoops here.

Friday, March 22

2019 Fly Fishing Film Tour
at Highland Brewing

Join hundreds to enjoy this year's best fly fishing films at the 2019 Fly Fishing Film Tour, brought to you by Hunter Banks Fly Fishing. Grab tickets.
More details.

Check out the rest of Friday's Scoops here.

Saturday, March 23

Coffee & Convos Singles Mixer
at 10th Muse Coffee
Enjoy getting to know other singles in a quieter setting with ice breaker games and activities provided by Date Play Love. Grab tickets.
More details.

Check out the rest of Saturday’s Scoops here.

Sunday, March 24

Sunday Brunch
at Woodfire Bar and Grille
Enjoy a full bar, free parking and a tasty, hand-crafted brunch from the chefs at Woodfire Bar and Grille this Sunday. Reservations encouraged!
More details.

Check out the rest of Sunday’s Scoops here.
For all of this week’s Scoops and more, visit DigLocal.com or download the Dig Local AppKeep digging local!