Rezaz Pizzazz

At Rezaz in Asheville, local produce meets Mediterranean cuisine

When Reza Setayesh first stepped onto the tarmac of the Asheville Regional Airport, he thought he’d made a huge mistake. The year was 1985 and the budding young chef had flown in from Los Angeles to attend the small mountain town’s European-style culinary school. “When I picked up my two suitcases I asked for directions to the cab line,” says Reza. “The response was laughter.”