I want Rhubarb to be where the important stuff happens.
I believe in the power of the table, the value of passing food, and of sharing stories and listening. These moments around a shared table deepen the ties between people we care about, in turn strengthening the web of our families, friendships, and communities.
Sharing food is transformative. I have experienced it throughout my life with family and friends and strangers. As a chef, I have witnessed how sharing a meal can reveal insights and discovery – often unexpected – about who we are and why we do what we do. These experiences deepen the connections between us, connections that ultimately elevate our lives.
- Chef & Owner, John Fleer
In his most important capacity, Rhubarb's owner and Chef John Fleer is a husband and a dad to three sons. He is an avid soccer player and fan, so if you cannot find him in the kitchen or with his family, he's either watching or playing soccer.
A native of Winston-Salem, NC, Fleer was named one of the “Rising Stars of the 21st Century” by the James Beard Foundation and is a five-time finalist, most recently in 2017, for the James Beard “Best Chef in the Southeast” award.
Inspired by the “culture of food” he experienced in Italy while a Religion and Philosophy major at Duke University, John began his culinary career humbly, rolling pasta and baking black tie pie at Aurora Restaurant in Carrboro, as a way to pay for graduate school at UNC. His curiosity piqued, Fleer enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America.
Following a fellowship at one of the CIA’s restaurants and a stint as personal chef to Mary Tyler Moore, Fleer joined Blackberry Farm, where he served as Executive Chef from 1992 until 2007.
Chef Fleer transforms local ingredients into world-class dishes.
The unique “foothills cuisine” he helped establish at Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm wandered the line between refined and rugged, fancy and familiar. His cooking focused on interpreting the regional larder through classical and traditional techniques, eventually catapulting the resort to the honor of Relais Gourmand. Under Fleer’s leadership, the Tennessee destination was honored by Zagat Survey in 2003 and 2004 as #1 Small Hotel in America and #2 Hotel Dining in America.
In May of 2009, John took his first step back across the Blue Ridge from Tennessee, to open Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley in Cashiers, NC where his food was enhanced by one of the most beautiful restaurant settings in the country. Fleer left Canyon Kitchen in the summer of 2015 to devote his time to Rhubarb.
Rhubarb is the next step in Fleer’s journey; he brings the relaxed atmosphere of his previous pastoral posts to bustling Pack Square, broadening his approach with a freestyle American cuisine well suited for its location at Asheville’s vibrant crossroad. In late 2015, Fleer added a private event space to the Rhubarb family, providing an opportunity to host workshops, cooking classes, and private events. Shortly thereafter, The Rhu opened its doors, as Rhubarb's companion bakery, cafe, and pantry.
Chef Fleer is actively engaged in creating community, both in Asheville and, more broadly, in the Southeast. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Southern Foodways Alliance from 2003 until 2009. Fleer serves on the Advisory Board for Chefs at Downtown Welcome Table, works with the City of Asheville on downtown development initiatives, and is a proud member of Asheville/Buncombe Adult Soccer Association's Club Watershed.
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2023
EATER Carolinas - 10 Amazing Sports to Eat Brunch in Asheville, North Carolina
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years past
MSN - Why Asheville Should Be at the Top of Your Travel List Right Now
James Beard Foundation - James Beard Award Semifinalists for Outstanding Chef
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Our State - Passing the Plate with Chef John Fleer
National Geographic - A Food Lover’s Guide to Asheville
Goop - The Four Most Underrated American Food Cities
Southern Living - 100 Best Restaurants in the South
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Wine Spectator - John Fleer’s Fish Feast for Father’s Day
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The Laurel - What Makes Asheville a ‘Foodtopia’
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Asheville Citizen Times - Mother’s Day 2019
The Manual - North Carolina Road Trip Itinerary
Plate Magazine - Rhubarb brings tartness to cheesecake, cocktails, and more
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Food & Wine - Kaley Laird: Fork in the Road Moment
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TimeOut - 12 Best Restaurants in Asheville
Mic - From tomato jam to okra fries, Asheville’s chefs are redefining Appalachian food with global flavors
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TODAY - Mongolian Barbecue Lamb Ribs
Asheville Citizen Times - John Fleer opens restaurant on 'The Block' with caveat: it mush honor black heritage
Food News Feed - Top 100 Independents: Farm Foods
Southern Living - The South's Best Food Cities
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NY Daily News - Asheville, North Carolina, is Unlike Anywhere Else in the South
Mountain Xpress - Rhubarb Gets Set to Launch New Bakery, Event Space
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WNC Magazine - Happy Hour
Eater - Destination North Carolina: A Southern Food Road Trip Extravaganza
Our State - Asheville's Rhubarb Revives Sunday Supper
Mountain Xpress - Rhubarb Chef John Fleer Nominated For 'Best Chef in Southeast' Award
Thrillist - The 13 Best Restaurants in the South
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Southern Living - 2014 Ten Best New Restaurants In The South
The Washington Post - Postcard from Tom: Asheville’s More Than Just the Foothills of
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Garden & Gun - The Second Coming of John Fleer
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Bon Appétit - America’s Best New Restaurants 2014
Asheville Citizen-Times - Asheville's Rhubarb Named on Big 'Best Restaurant' Lists
USA Today - Rhubarb Launches Sunday Suppers, Revives Communal Dining
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