2/18/2009

4/5 stars

Relatively expensive, and the quality matches the price. And you will not leave hungry or feel a total gluton; portions are just right.

The Almond Crusted Brie appetizer starts with a lot of flavor and the quantity leaves you wanting just a bit more as an appetizer should. The Habanero Fig BBQ Glazed Pork Chop is smokey with its spice balanced against sweetness. I can't remember my wife's dish; I was too busy enjoying mine. Except I do remember the fried parsnip slices. Very, very good.

Local beers and ales are available. This is Asheville. Drink local.

The chef and owner visited many tables during dinner, including ours. He's nice and seems very interested in your opinions.

Yelp tags: American (Traditional)

2/18/2009

4/5 stars

Yes! The cupcakes themselves are great. Moist, cakey, and with a nice chewy crust. The flavors aren't extreme like, say, Citizen Cake, but that's not to say they're boring. The Guinness cupcake captures the richness of Guinness without losing the quality of the cake itself.

Yelp tags: Restaurants Bakeries

2/18/2009

4/5 stars

The pizza, not so much. Ok crust with a kinda bland sauce and a vague (not browned) cheese. If it were a review of the cheese pizza, my benchmark, only two stars would shine above.

The beer… That's the point. I couldn't try any of the cellared beers; I still had to drive. But the selection of local and microbrews on tap and bottled is excellent. The focus of quality clearly is the beer, and there they succeed.

Yelp tags: Pizza Pool Halls

2/18/2009

5/5 stars

This is a B&B where you can relax. It's gorgeous without being a museum. And the innkeepers are excellent cooks. Bear's Sunday waffles are perfect, as is Patti's yogurt sauce for the fruit. The rooms and the public lounge areas are great for relaxing after touring around town. There are enough public areas that you can mingle with other guests or sit by the fire and read on your own.

Downtown Asheville is a quick drive away, so you will need to cope with parking down there. Someone really, really in shape may be able to bike between the two, but I wouldn't suggest it after dark. Being able to drive just a few minutes to get away was worth it to us. Plus, you get to see some local landmarks. You pass the governor's western residence and Seely Castle on the way to the inn.

There are walking paths through the trees and hillside and a nice outdoor sitting area. We were there in February, so the trees were bare and still beautiful, but it was a bit too cold to sit out.

Yelp tags: Bed & Breakfast

2/18/2009

4/5 stars

Great books and very good coffee. There is a large regional section, which also is the source of my only complaint. The regional *poetry* is scattered within the poetry section and not gathered in the regional section. But on the flip side, the poetry section is large and up front…

Yelp tags: Coffee & Tea Bookstores

2/18/2009

4/5 stars

Perfect roasted parsnips. That alone makes them excellent. And it's yet another reason why you should pay attention to the current specials.

Overall, very good, fresh, and as local as reasonable food. The dishes are tight and well prepared. The mountain trout was amazing, with the substance of salmon but pure trout flavor. The cheeseburger's meat was juicy and flavorful, the basil mayo balanced well, and the cheese was a nice accent.

The service was good, but there were few enough parties that service is easy. Our waitress was somewhat knowledgeable

Yelp tags: Vegetarian Vegan Southern Breakfast & Brunch

8/16/2009

4/5 stars

Ok, I still haven't tried the cats, but the NC-style pulled pork BBQ sandwich is a joy. I keep heading here when I'm coming through Asheville and need solid, quick eats, so I must be a fan The three-bean salad side is fantastic.

2/18/2009

0/5 stars

The base is good. Beef dogs, basic buns. Nothing astounding, but good. (Hint to others: Any bad dogs or buns wouldn't qualify even for one star.) The extras are great. The Alsatian and Cuban versions are really good, even though it's Miami-style Cuban and not the real, Tampa style.

This review may well improve next time I visit. We only tried the "dawgs" part and not the catfish. I'm a sucker for catfish…

Yelp tags: Hot Dogs Sandwiches

3/6/2010

5/5 stars

Update at Octane, update of review. I think their new (ok, not *that* new) extreme focus on quality is brilliant. Other places suffice for a quick coffee and mail check or long, cheap sit&study&work. People at Octane tend to stay there for a while, so why not serve *only* better, freshly brewed coffee? I hope it helps Octane by adjusting the amount people spend upwards, too.

(Only possible problem is over-extraction from sitting in the press pot too long… I, alas, haven't held back long enough for this to be a problem.)

The espresso-based drinks still are incredibly good. *All* the baristas are skilled in both quality and presentation. The Thursday Night Throwdown's a hoot; wish I could make it more often.

The sandwiches are great light lunches. They're fun, flavorful, and filling. The doughnuts are Sublime (ha!) and the opposite of light… The serious selection of beer and liquor along with desserts is great for non-work relaxation, too. Regional beer selection still is light, but that's because they have a wide variety on tap. I've only been to a few of the beer tastings held with Hop City, but I've come away having learned each time. Rotating art is taken seriously; Octane hosts openings for their artists' displays. Seems reasonably priced, but unfortunately I'm not in the market right now.

And the people who work/live/dream/play/laugh/talk there top it all off like the perfect foam art.

2/18/2009

0/5 stars

Joy Division was playing when I first walked in. And the coffee is good. It's Counter Culture, so it's Counter Culture. The baristas are now regional champions. And they have Nutella muffins. A decent beer selection for the evenings, although the local and regional selection is slight.

Good place.

Yelp tags: Coffee & Tea

2/19/2009

4/5 stars

This place gets a bonus for the great company who took me there, but the food was quite good. Definitely southern influences throughout. Some were direct, like the shrimp and grits I had. And others just include a bit more salt, a bit more sweet than a dish otherwise may have. The scallops with pork bellies is a great example. The scallops are a bit too gentle in flavor, but they add a wonderful texture under the salty pork and the sweet molasses. The shrimp and grits main course was exactly what I wanted. The grits were fine and creamy while still substantial enough to soak in the sauce. And the shrimp were wonderfully firm and about as flavorful as expected given the state of shrimping and of shrimp. A good wine selection and an attentive staff pretty much ensure I'll return.

Yelp tags: American (New) Southern

2/19/2009

4/5 stars

I had been aching for good chocolate, and this place satisfied. The truffle with the saffron seemed not enough, but my wife thought it was perfect. I don't recall which she tried, but it was excellent. Definitely will return and try more.

Yelp tags: Candy Stores Chocolatiers and Shops

2/19/2009

4/5 stars

The meat in the burgers is typical, but the rubs and sauces are strong. Expect to cut your burger in half just to handle the sauces. The Big Jerk treats you much better than its name suggests and was a great reminder of jerk seasonings. The Vortex is a loud, funky joint and plenty of fun. I do wish they carried more local beers and food, but I'm spoiled.

Yelp tags: Burgers American (Traditional)

2/19/2009

4/5 stars

I've turned into a chocolate snob. They Bay Area gave me access to tons of high quality chocolate to work with and to eat. SW Virginia, well, not so much. Just over the mountains lies Asheville, where chocolate is good again. This lounge would be a great place to wallow in chocolate, except we visited on Valentine's Day. No room to lounge.

The French lavender truffle is heavy on the lavender on the first bite, but the honey smooths out the floral aspects quickly. The maple isn't my typical preference, but I wanted to try something new. The little notes of salt make that truffle great.

The coffee is ok, but not great. And seeing "local bottled water" on the menu makes me angry. Otherwise, a very good place.

Yelp tags: Desserts Chocolatiers and Shops

2/15/2010

4/5 stars

On a quick digestive pass through the upstairs, the art quality seems to have improved, or at least aligned more to my tastes. The $17k table was honestly impressive but a bit out of place. And the Carolina BBQ reuben was *great*. Definitely a great quick lunch stop when passing through town, and worth a closer look when you have the time.

2/19/2009

0/5 stars

Maybe I'm revoltingly picky, but many of the works here bordered on tacky. A few artists had excellent work, but for some reason they were downstairs and not at all obvious. The idea is fantastic, and the place definitely gets traffic. We didn't try the soda fountain, and it was off-season, so my review may not be indicative of the place at peak.

Update: Ok, this time we ate there. The food is surprisingly good! And the milkshakes look dangerous.

Yelp tags: Art Galleries