Tupelo Honey Café, one of Asheville’s iconic restaurants, is now selling its first cookbook, Tupelo Honey Café: Spirited Recipes from Asheville’s New South Kitchen, at both its downtown location at 12 College Street as well at its south restaurant at 1829 Hendersonville Road. Before being published, pre-sale orders have totaled more than 800 copies.

Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, the book includes 125 recipes from the restaurant’s executive chef Brian Sonoskus, as well as photographs of Asheville, past and present.

More than two years in the making, the cookbook will benefit both MANNA FoodBank as well as Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project when it is sold locally. The book—initiated by Tupelo Honey Café owner Steve Frabitore — was written by Elizabeth Sims, a long-time Asheville resident and a food writer. She is also past president of The Southern Foodways Alliance.

“The book is something of a love letter to Asheville,” Elizabeth says, “as well as a snapshot of Tupelo Honey and its staff. The restaurant in many ways is a microcosm of the city, synonymous with creativity, free-spiritedness, and whimsy.”

Local book signings—and tastings—will be held at Malaprop’s (55 Haywood Street, Asheville) April 8 at 7 p.m. and at Accent on Books (854 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville) April 10 at 6 p.m. The book will also be sold at the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau (36 Montford Avenue) where Chef Sonoskus and his staff will be serving up samples of Tupelo Honey fare each Friday 4 - 6 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.from April through October.