Austin Inselmann

The Path

Austin Inselmann’s Asheville story has the feel of a career gathering altitude in measured, deliberate increments. He moved to Asheville from Portland, Oregon, in October 2019, arriving in a city where his next chapter would take shape almost immediately. By 2020, he was in the kitchen at Leo's House of Thirst in Asheville, North Carolina, where he began as Kitchen Manager before rising to Executive Chef in 2020. At Leo's House of Thirst in Asheville, that progression reflected more than a change in title; it marked the steady building of a voice, one defined by composure, authority, and a clear sense of direction. As the years unfolded, Austin Inselmann’s role at Leo's House of Thirst in Asheville, North Carolina, deepened further as he also became chef and partner. By 2024, his reach had broadened again: he served as Executive Chef and partner at The Admiral in Asheville, while also becoming partner of Leo's House of Thirst since 2024. Today, Austin remains a partner of Leo's House of Thirst, continuing to shape the restaurant’s rhythm with a seasoned hand and an enduring connection to the house that helped define his Asheville ascent.

The Work Today

"Leo's has always been a wine bar first that happens to have really good food." That line captures the elegant simplicity at the center of Austin Inselmann’s approach. There is no excess in the statement, only a quiet confidence in the balance between glass and plate, between the sociable ease of a wine bar and the grounded pleasure of thoughtful cooking. It suggests a sensibility attuned to atmosphere as much as flavor, to the whole experience of a room as well as the details that make a dish memorable.

Career - Partner — Leo's House of Thirst, Asheville, North Carolina (2024–present) - Kitchen Manager — Leo's House of Thirst, Asheville, North Carolina (from 2020) - Executive Chef — Leo's House of Thirst, Asheville, North Carolina - Executive Chef and Partner — The Admiral, Asheville, North Carolina (from 2024)

Signature

Austin Inselmann creates bright cooking. The phrase feels apt for a chef whose path in Asheville has been marked by clarity and lift, a kind of culinary brightness that reads as lively rather than loud. His work carries the sense of something focused and exacting, yet open enough to let the setting breathe around it.

In Their Words “Leo's has always been a wine bar first that happens to have really good food.”

Acclaim

Austin Inselmann’s Asheville career includes work at Leo's House of Thirst and a 2024 role as Executive Chef and partner at The Admiral. Seen together, those positions trace a trajectory of trust and expanding responsibility, moving from the disciplined pace of the kitchen to leadership that spans both menu and partnership. In Asheville, his name is now closely tied to restaurants that value not just what appears on the plate, but the steady hand behind it.

FAQ What is Austin Inselmann's current role? As of 2026, Austin Inselmann is Executive Chef and Partner. Where did Austin Inselmann work before? Austin Inselmann's earlier career included Leo's House of Thirst, Leo's House of Thirst, and The Admiral.