In this edition of Brewpub Nation, we’re heading down south to a beer town that deserves just as much recognition for its food scene as it receives for its beer culture: Asheville, North Carolina.
Meet Head Chef Cardiff Creasey. The 20-year food industry veteran came to the brewery by way of kitchens in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Miami, Florida. Before he started at Wicked Weed, he was the sous chef at The Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina. Here Creasey gives us the gist of Wicked Weed’s seasonal menu and his food philosophy.
Craft Beer & Brewing: Tell us about your approach to cooking.
Cardiff Creasey: As I get older, [my approach to cooking] seems to lean more and more toward the simple side. I try to feature the ingredients as three or four bold flavors at a time rather than overly expansive recipes. I like food to be complex but not complicated, so I try to make everything feel that way, from the menu to the recipes and plating.
CB&B: What inspires you in the kitchen?
CC: Well right now, I think the brewers have a lot to do with it. Those guys are always swinging for the fence, so we try to keep up. Wicked Weed is all about the extra mile. You always want to show up big!
CB&B: What’s on the menu at Wicked Weed?
CC: We source a lot of local ingredients: our bison is from Carolina Bison Farm, and our pork comes from Hickory Nut Gap Farms who are raising some of the best pigs in the country. We also get local trout from Sunburst Farms as well as locally grown and foraged produce. We don't try to confine ourselves to anything specific. We just get awesome ingredients and try to do cool things with them.
CB&B: Do you ever host beer dinners?
CC: We have done five so far. We have done a beer pairing competition between the brewers and the chefs, a molecular gastronomy dinner, and a farm-to-table style dinner party we cooked outside in the beer garden.
If you're visiting Wicked Weed this season, try these pairings, and don’t be surprised if Chef Creasey or the Wicked Weed brewers are already on to something new!
Fish & Chips + Coolcumber Ale
Try Wicked Weed’s refreshing cucumber, basil, and juniper berry-infused golden ale with their equally refreshing and inventive take on fish & chips, a dish that features rye malt vinegar.
Crimson Snapper + France Saison
The earthiness of Wicked Weed's France farmhouse ale will stand up boldly to just about any dish. Brewed with French Aramis hops and Chanterelle mushrooms, France Saison will bring depth to this lighter dish, made with fennel, grapefruit, and lemongrass.
Beef Burger with Red Curry Aioli + Lupulin Lab IPA
Bring an additional element of spiciness into this already complex dish with Wicked Weed’s single-hopped Lupulin Lab IPA. Hopped with Bravo hops, this beer brings bright citrus rind and floral aromas without too much bitterness. It’s a mellow counterpoint to this funky burger, topped with bean sprouts and romaine.