It was a dreary day and I could not get out to go hiking, so I thought I'd take my son to see a movie. Having lost almost an entire paycheck at the last movie I saw over at the new Biltmore Grande Stadium 15, I decided to try something different.
Cinnebarre is great. It's a restaurant in a cinema or vise versa. Anyways, they also have a great selection of beers. The entrees all have cute movie themed names. I had a Guinness Draught and ordered something called the "Blue Velvet Burger," which had blue cheese and buffalo sauce. My son had a bowl of popcorn and a chocolate shake. The total food bill came to under $25 which is not bad considering I had beer and what would be considered a gourmet burger like the ones you get at a ferns and brass restaurant. The popcorn was about the same as popcorn at any other theatre.
***Three asterisks
Cinebarre
800 Brevard Rd Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 665-7776
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Urban Burrito 02/07/09
So sometimes I just want a quick bite to eat. I'm not in the mood for fine dining. I don't have a lot of money to spend, whatever. On this particular occasion, it was just hunger and a desire not to cook. I opted for that all-American fast food, the burrito. Say what you will, but burritos have become as much a staple of the American diet as pizza, hamburgers, or a ham & cheese omelet.
Anyways, Urban Burrito is on the second floor of this shopping pavilion over on Merrimon Ave. It's got kind of subdued lighting. I suppose you could take a date there if it was a casual type 3rd or 4th date. The thing is, the food is phenomenal. They have a great selection of fresh items for your burrito: meats, veggies, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, etc. They also have a salsa bar that features some interesting choices like pineapple salsa. My personal preference is salsa verde.
I got the chipotle chicken burrito on a whole wheat tortilla with guacamole, black beans & lettuce. I'd eat it again and again if I'd bought five or six of them, but alas, I only bought one.
****four asterisks
Urban Burrito
640 Merimon Ave #203 - (828) 251-1921
129 Bleachery Blvd #M - (828) 298-9802
1341 Parkwood Ave #106 - (828) 225-4101
Anyways, Urban Burrito is on the second floor of this shopping pavilion over on Merrimon Ave. It's got kind of subdued lighting. I suppose you could take a date there if it was a casual type 3rd or 4th date. The thing is, the food is phenomenal. They have a great selection of fresh items for your burrito: meats, veggies, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, etc. They also have a salsa bar that features some interesting choices like pineapple salsa. My personal preference is salsa verde.
I got the chipotle chicken burrito on a whole wheat tortilla with guacamole, black beans & lettuce. I'd eat it again and again if I'd bought five or six of them, but alas, I only bought one.
****four asterisks
Urban Burrito
640 Merimon Ave #203 - (828) 251-1921
129 Bleachery Blvd #M - (828) 298-9802
1341 Parkwood Ave #106 - (828) 225-4101
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Black Forest Restaurant 01/11/09
Since friends were in town, I decided to go someplace reasonably fancy for supper. I was also trying to accommodate my friend's lack of adventure in dining, while entertaining his wife's enthusiasm for new experiences. I thought perhaps German food was the best of both worlds.
The restaurant is well lit, but the decor is dark. I'm not complaining, though. It's typical Alpine motif let's you know what kind of place you're in. I decided to have a beer with dinner, even though I really don't care for German beer. I went with the pork wiener schnitzel. I thought the price was a bit steep, but when it arrived, there were two breaded pork cutlets that more than made up for the price. It was served with sauerkraut, German potato salad, spaetzle, and red cabbage.
My friend decided just to go with a New York Strip, which he claims he doesn't normally like, but he wound up enjoying. His wife had the schnitzel, same as me, so I can't comment on anything else. I'd come back, I suppose, but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I might be.
**** four asterisks
Black Forest Restaurant
2155 Hendersonville Rd - 828-687-7980
The restaurant is well lit, but the decor is dark. I'm not complaining, though. It's typical Alpine motif let's you know what kind of place you're in. I decided to have a beer with dinner, even though I really don't care for German beer. I went with the pork wiener schnitzel. I thought the price was a bit steep, but when it arrived, there were two breaded pork cutlets that more than made up for the price. It was served with sauerkraut, German potato salad, spaetzle, and red cabbage.
My friend decided just to go with a New York Strip, which he claims he doesn't normally like, but he wound up enjoying. His wife had the schnitzel, same as me, so I can't comment on anything else. I'd come back, I suppose, but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I might be.
**** four asterisks
Black Forest Restaurant
2155 Hendersonville Rd - 828-687-7980
Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe 01/11/09
OK, so it took me a week or two to catch up on these. I ate out a lot the weekend of my birthday..
That being said, some friends of mine called up around 11:00AM to say they were coming into town and we should go grab a bite together. I agreed and pointed them to Patton & College, because I thought we'd hit up Mayfel's, who it turned out were closed for 2 weeks. Bummer.
We walked down to Tupelo Honey, but as usual, there would be a ridiculous wait.
After walking several blocks, we decided to duck into Green Sage. I recalled having a decent brunch there once before. I was leery, because the Green Sage caters to the gluten-free and organic crowd, but I think we made a decent choice.
My buddy from out of town is a finicky eater - a real meat and potatoes kinda guy, but he decided on a bacon & egg biscuit. He initially complained about the price, but decided based on the size and the quality and freshness of ingredients that this was, indeed, a $4 biscuit. I had the Farmer's Omelet but had requested it without kale or tomatoes. When it arrived, it had both. I was able to pick out the tomatoes and decided to eat the kale. The omelet was good, and so were the grits, but I'm not blown away by the sweet potato home fries. His wife had the quiche, which I sampled. It was excellent.
The atmosphere of the Green Sage is typical coffeehouse: some comfy chairs and some wobbly tables in a dark room. The cuisine is probably a godsend if you need a gluten-free diet, or if you just prefer vegan & organic meals, but I find the exotic take on regular breakfast staples to be kind of forced and I'd really rather just go to the Waffle House....or Mayfel's if they are open.
*** three asterisks
Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe
5 Broadway Street - 828-252-4450
That being said, some friends of mine called up around 11:00AM to say they were coming into town and we should go grab a bite together. I agreed and pointed them to Patton & College, because I thought we'd hit up Mayfel's, who it turned out were closed for 2 weeks. Bummer.
We walked down to Tupelo Honey, but as usual, there would be a ridiculous wait.
After walking several blocks, we decided to duck into Green Sage. I recalled having a decent brunch there once before. I was leery, because the Green Sage caters to the gluten-free and organic crowd, but I think we made a decent choice.
My buddy from out of town is a finicky eater - a real meat and potatoes kinda guy, but he decided on a bacon & egg biscuit. He initially complained about the price, but decided based on the size and the quality and freshness of ingredients that this was, indeed, a $4 biscuit. I had the Farmer's Omelet but had requested it without kale or tomatoes. When it arrived, it had both. I was able to pick out the tomatoes and decided to eat the kale. The omelet was good, and so were the grits, but I'm not blown away by the sweet potato home fries. His wife had the quiche, which I sampled. It was excellent.
The atmosphere of the Green Sage is typical coffeehouse: some comfy chairs and some wobbly tables in a dark room. The cuisine is probably a godsend if you need a gluten-free diet, or if you just prefer vegan & organic meals, but I find the exotic take on regular breakfast staples to be kind of forced and I'd really rather just go to the Waffle House....or Mayfel's if they are open.
*** three asterisks
Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe
5 Broadway Street - 828-252-4450
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Mela Indian Restaurant 01/10/09
I love Indian food. Mela offers a great dining experience if you love Indian food. They also offer a heckuva nice buffet if you hit them for lunch. I drop in every few Saturdays at lunch to eat way more than I should. They have a great selection of chutneys, salad, soup, rice, breads, and several entrees that are either vegetarian or chicken dishes.
I've been in at night before, also, and their entrees are also excellent. Most of their curries are flavorful without being over powering. The decor is pleasant and subdued. My only real complaint is that I am used to being served by either a Sikh in a turban or a Hindu lady wearing a sari when I go out for Indian. Here, they have pretty white girls in black dresses. I suppose what they lack in authenticity, they make up in aesthetics. It's a minor point. I've not had a bad meal at Mela and I find the prices reasonable, especially the buffet.
**** four asterisks
Mela Indian Restaurant
70 N Lexington St. - (828) 225-8880
I've been in at night before, also, and their entrees are also excellent. Most of their curries are flavorful without being over powering. The decor is pleasant and subdued. My only real complaint is that I am used to being served by either a Sikh in a turban or a Hindu lady wearing a sari when I go out for Indian. Here, they have pretty white girls in black dresses. I suppose what they lack in authenticity, they make up in aesthetics. It's a minor point. I've not had a bad meal at Mela and I find the prices reasonable, especially the buffet.
**** four asterisks
Mela Indian Restaurant
70 N Lexington St. - (828) 225-8880
Asiana Grand Buffet 01/08/09
Back in the day, when I was 30 pounds heavier, I was a big fan of buffet restaurants. Back then, perhaps Asiana would have really been up my alley, as it is, I'm not a big fan. Atmosphere wise, the place is pretty swanky. They have nice decorating and it's well lit. The buffet is clean and well stocked. It's probably the biggest buffet around, offering a huge selection of different Asian dishes. Yet, I'm left feeling like it's missing something.
I certainly always get my fill here. They have sushi, egg rolls and other appetizers, chicken, seafood and beef dishes, soups, desserts, etc, but I have never left Asiana feeling like I had a spectacular meal. It's as though they are trying so hard to be the biggest and offer the most variety, that they forgot how to excel at any one dish. I'm certain I've had better meals at lesser buffets in town. And at the price of Asiana, I could eat twice at some of the other places.
I do appreciate the free meal on my birthday, though. Thanks for the birthday present.
*** three asterisks
Asiana Grand Buffet
1968 Hendersonville Rd. - (828) 654-8879
153 Smokey Park Hwy - (828) 667-0410
I certainly always get my fill here. They have sushi, egg rolls and other appetizers, chicken, seafood and beef dishes, soups, desserts, etc, but I have never left Asiana feeling like I had a spectacular meal. It's as though they are trying so hard to be the biggest and offer the most variety, that they forgot how to excel at any one dish. I'm certain I've had better meals at lesser buffets in town. And at the price of Asiana, I could eat twice at some of the other places.
I do appreciate the free meal on my birthday, though. Thanks for the birthday present.
*** three asterisks
Asiana Grand Buffet
1968 Hendersonville Rd. - (828) 654-8879
153 Smokey Park Hwy - (828) 667-0410
Monday, January 5, 2009
Doc Chey's Noodle House 1/5/09
OK, so I frequent Doc Chey's. It was the first place I really tried when I first moved to Asheville, and I guess I liked it a lot because I eat there about once every 2 weeks at least. I typically order the same thing: Pad Thai with Chicken and Tofu (that's a little extra because you're supposed to pick one, but I like both). One time I did try the Tomato Ginger Noodle Bowl, but I guess it just wasn't the Pad Thai to me. It wasn't bad, though. Anyways, the staff are really friendly at Doc Chey's. I'm sure it could be considered a romantic atmosphere; it's dark with some subdued lighting. It's also very noisy, however, because it is a small room and they have a lot of people in there. Prepare to wait if you are eating in. I usually eat at the bar to expedite being served.
Oh, another thing: they have really interesting iced teas. Inquire about that. It's something different every time. Tonight I had a caramel apple tea. I also ordered a beer. They have a decent beer list that contains some of the local microbrews. I ordered a Highland Oatmeal Porter. I drank my beer, enjoyed my Pad Thai and my tea and I got out of there for ~$14 with a tip.
I feel compelled to mention that someone told me Doc Chey's is a chain. It is not a national chain, but it is also not exclusive to Asheville. I don't make it a habit to eat at chain restaurants, but regional chains can be excepted.
**** four Asterisks
Doc Chey's Noodle House
37 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, NC - (828)252-8220
Oh, another thing: they have really interesting iced teas. Inquire about that. It's something different every time. Tonight I had a caramel apple tea. I also ordered a beer. They have a decent beer list that contains some of the local microbrews. I ordered a Highland Oatmeal Porter. I drank my beer, enjoyed my Pad Thai and my tea and I got out of there for ~$14 with a tip.
I feel compelled to mention that someone told me Doc Chey's is a chain. It is not a national chain, but it is also not exclusive to Asheville. I don't make it a habit to eat at chain restaurants, but regional chains can be excepted.
**** four Asterisks
Doc Chey's Noodle House
37 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, NC - (828)252-8220
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