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Restaurant Feature: Nectar

Restaurant NectarNectar, the sugary secretion in plants that attracts pollinators, is a vital component in the cycle of life. Promoting a healthy and joyful lifestyle through food, Nectar is a café and juice bar in North Asheville that offers organic, plant-based, living, and gluten-free cuisine.

Tim Boissy, who has lived a vegan lifestyle for about 30 years now, says he’s always focused on preparing vegan and minimally processed foods. His mother prepared home-cooked meals for the family and Tim began cooking at the age of seven (big batches of french fries were his specialty). During college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, some friends he was moving in with wanted to create a vegan household, so he thought he’d try it out. “I started being vegan before I had any real reason why. From there, it kept going and snowballed. I felt better and started learning why.”

Restaurant NectarAfter this change, Tim began working in delis at natural food stores. As time went on, he found himself cooking more and more often. In 1992, he and then business partner William Najger launched Veg-In-Out, a weekly vegan meal delivery service and catering company. They moved the business from south Florida to Los Angeles. After that partnership ended, Tim continued to follow his interests in vegan food preparation.

During a 14-year stint in Los Angeles, Tim met and married his wife Pippin. Shortly after, she gave birth to their son Miles and they moved the family to northern California. It was there that Tim helped launch Easy Living Foods, a vegan food company. After about 18 months, they decided to relocate to Asheville.

Restaurant NectarJoining with Tim’s brother Dan and other like-minded individuals, Tim and Pippin launched Nectar last September. The upstairs sister business, Veda Studios, opened earlier in the year as a movement studio featuring classes in yoga, meditation, and a variety of dance, such as belly dancing and salsa. There’s also a practitioner room for massage and other modalities.

Tim says that the idea was to create a holistic wellness center with Nectar covering the nutrition and food side of health. “We’re going to start nutrition and cooking classes and classes in things like fermentation and juicing,” he says, adding they will soon be incorporating support programs for lifestyle changes.

Restaurant--Nectar-6 copy_HorizAmong these upcoming offerings is the maple syrup lemonade blend for the Master Cleanse. “It gives you enough energy for the day, but also clears out your system,” he says. Juice packages will also become available for customers hoping to do juice fasts. By spring there will also be a twice-weekly nut milk and juice delivery service. “It will be like an old-fashioned milk delivery,” says Tim. They also hope to hold a spring and summer farmer’s market behind the building.

Tim works with head chef Eric Lindstrom on recipe development. He says they always keep things simple so that the menu is easily accessible. Choose a pizza or build your own with cashew cheese and marinara or pesto sauce. The pasta is zucchini and yellow squash spirals with either walnut pesto sauce or rich marinara, and your choice of two vegetables. “It’s finding what people really relate to and what they come back for,” says Tim.

Restaurant NectarOne dish you must try is the Southern comfort plate—a combination of mac and cheese, chili, and collard greens. Pastry chef Lauren Amerson creates the raw desserts, which include tarts, tiramisu, and chocolates, among others. Order one of the nutrient-rich cold-pressed juices, or nut milks, such as chocolate, chai, or vanilla.

Nectar was created to inspire joy and wellness. A private banquet room is available for events and Nectar is also available for catering opportunities.

Nectar is located at 853 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville. For more information, visit nectaravl.com, their Facebook page, or call 828.412.3277.

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