This spring, Asheville’s Katie Button, Executive Chef and co-owner of Cúrate bar de tapas in downtown Asheville (fresh from an internship at Noma, currently touted as the world’s best restaurant) and Gunnar Karl Gíslason, Executive Chef and owner of the restaurant Dill in Reykjavik who introduced New Nordic cooking to his nation, will host a unique dinner on the grounds of Warren Wilson College to explore one of the hottest trends in the culinary world, The New Nordic Kitchen.

The day will begin with a foraging expedition with Gunnar and Katie around the WWC organic garden and farm and its surrounding forest and fields, accompanied by ethnobotanist Jay Bost, a Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at WWC. They will discuss the contemporary Nordic kitchen and illustrate how its tenants can be applied to any region of the world embracing the principles of sustainability, naturalism and locally sourced products.

Co-sponsored by Warren Wilson College, the hosts are grateful to The Seasonal School of Culinary Arts, based on the WWC campus, and The Asheville Wine and Food Festival for helping to bring this event to the college. A presentation of historic Warren Wilson College will be offered to all dinner ticket holders at 5:00pm, meeting at the Garden Cabin.

For those guests staying for dinner, hors d’oeuvres will follow the tour, including specialty cocktails crafted from the birch liqueur distilled and bottled on-site at Dill. The evening will culminate in a festive dinner celebrating the ingredients and techniques unique to Nordic cooking and will include products from the event’s generous sponsors including artisanal beer from Riverbend Malt House, wine from Haw River Wine Man, and sweet rye bread baked using the heat of Asheville’s hot springs from Farm & Sparrow Bakery. The extraordinary night will culminate with a toast of ice cold Icelandic Brennevin, a caraway spiked schnapps embodying the spirit of Nordic cuisine.

Additional Details:

• There are only a limited number of tickets available for the foraging expedition and participants are asked to bring clothing and footwear appropriate for muddy trails with an extra outfit and shoes to change into for the dinner.  
• The foraging expedition, campus tour and dinner will take place rain or shine and all ticket sales are final.
• Parking is limited on campus for all venues; if possible, please use Asheville bus line or carpool to the college.

Date & Time:

Saturday, March 24^th with a welcome reception and foraging beginning at 3pm, cocktails at 6pm and dinner immediately following.

Location & Address:

The Garden Cabin and Lower Gladfelter Café at Warren Wilson College Rd. Swannanoa, NC 28778