Blackbird Restaurant goes downtown

As construction on downtown’s newest hotel and mixed-use development nears completion, the McKibbon Hotel Group of Gainesville, Georgia has announced that Asheville’s favorite destination restaurant, The Blackbird, will  bring hand-crafted Southern food to Aloft Hotel guests and visitors to downtown Asheville when the restaurant relocates to 51 Biltmore Avenue this September.

The all-new restaurant space is part of an independent retail area on the ground level of the mixed-use development, fronting Biltmore. The bright and airy location will provide chefs and owners Bobby Buggia and Roz Taubman with nearly three times more dining and kitchen space than their previous location. Architect Diana Bellgowan is working closely with the team to create a fresh look for the three-year-old restaurant concept that reflects urban energy and buzz to complement the downtown environment.

“Bringing The Blackbird downtown will provide us with so many new opportunities,” said chef/owner Roz Taubman. “The additional space and presence along Biltmore Avenue will allow us to continue to delight our established customers, along with bringing many new guests in to experience our menu of fresh, Southern foods and exceptional desserts that we’ve become known for.”

The Blackbird’s dynamic new location brings lunch and dinner dining opportunities to both hotel guests and visitors to downtown. The restaurant will also provide room service options to the Aloft Hotel, along with catering services for meetings and special events held in the hotel.

“We have invested considerable effort to find just the right fit for our guests in our preferred restaurant partner,” explained John McKibbon, Chairman of McKibbon Hotel Management, Inc. “I believe that we have found a fresh, hand-crafted food concept in The Blackbird that will not only serve our hotel guests well, but will become its own dining destination in Downtown Asheville.”

The Blackbird has created an affordable and vibrant fresh menu that combines the best of Southern comfort foods andlocal farm products with cutting edge flair. They take great care in serving seasonal items from local farmers and micro-brewers, and will continue to offer both lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch menus, along with periodic special events featuring unique menu items.

The Blackbird joins the mixed-use development at 51 Biltmore Avenue that includes the 115-room Aloft Hotel, along with several additional retail spaces and the new City of Asheville ParkingGarage. For more information, visit theblackbirdrestaurant.com or call (828) 669-5556.