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The Wine & Oyster Opens in Downtown Asheville

A popular neighborhood eatery has set its sights on a new shell in the pearl of the city.

The Wine and Oyster reopens Friday, April 19, bringing bold global wines and fresh flavor-packed oysters to Downtown Asheville.  

“We are excited and love our new location,” said Steve Klein, owner of The Wine & Oyster. 

The restaurant first opened in Biltmore Village as a franchise location of Virgola, a New York-based wine bar in 2017. They shucked the franchise the following year, becoming independently owned and operated as The Wine & Oyster. 

Klein said he hopes the move from Biltmore Village to 3 Biltmore Avenue will give the restaurant a fresh footprint in Asheville’s restaurant scene. 

“It’s such a fun area and we are looking forward to serving the community and to a bright future as part of the Asheville restaurant community,” Klein said.

The new 1,700 square foot space is equipped for hot food production, an aspect that will allow the restaurant to expand their former raw bar and cold menu. 

The Wine and Oyster will now serve a full lunch and dinner menu peppered with fresh seafood dishes, homemade pastas, paninis and po’ boys. 

“Everything from our oysters to seafood specials are flown in fresh daily,” Klein said, adding that they will also use many local, seasonal ingredients. 

Executive Chef Nick Sandford will head the kitchen and serve as the restaurant’s General Manager.  

“He’s very talented and he’s looking forward to the challenge of building a successful restaurant in Asheville among a sea of James Beard winners and wonderful restaurateurs,” said Klein. 

As for the stars of the sea, The Wine & Oyster will feature an array of briny bivalves from cold water classics to rotating funky seasonal specials like Va Va Voom and Sex on the Beach oysters.

They also plan to offer Sunday brunch and happy hour oyster and appetizer specials weekdays from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. 

While the space brings new opportunity for The Wine & Oyster, it was not without its own challenges.  

The move comes after a public lease dispute with the former tenants of nearly a decade, Champa.

Klein said that while the events were an unfortunate dispute between building owners and the former tenant, he is ready to focus on the future, serving his customers, or as he jokes, “changing the world, one oyster at a time.”   

“The community has been so supportive,” Klein said. “Our goal moving forward is to be a good neighbor in downtown Asheville and to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for our community.” 

The Wine & Oyster will be open every week Tuesday – Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for brunch.

For more information visit www.thewineandoyster.com

About Melissa Dean

Owner of Two Birds Marketing, a local marketing firm in Asheville NC. Being a journalist for nearly a decade, I’ve shared thousands of stories. Stories of extraordinary lives, communities, innovative businesses, and my fair share of political pieces along the way.