Asheville, NC ... best Italian restaurant?
 

Haven't been over to Asheville for a awhile so need to update myself! Will be there over 4th of July weekend, definitely will eat at La Paz one night. Want to eat at their BEST Italian one night.... can someone help me? (Any other restaurant recommendations would be appreciated; I love Gabrielle's but not taking fancy clothes with us this time.) Also, the Shindig-on-the-Green downtown? Is that fun? Thanks in advance... :-)

For Italian, I'm partial to La Caterina near downtown, just off I-240 (they used to be downtown on Pack Square).

And yes, go to Shindig. It's great free entertainment on a cool summer Saturday evening, which can't be beat in Asheville. Even if you don't care for bluegrass, clogging, and other native mountain culture, the environment downtown on a weekend evening in the summer is just too great to miss.

Bonnie - Ok - if you are looking for good Mexican I would skip La Paz - unless it is just so you can sit outside. There is a new Pacific Coast/Mexican/organic restaurant in downtown Asheville on Eagle St. behind the Fine Arts theatre which is really wonderful - Limones. As far as Italian - tough. I used to say Caterina but now that they've moved their quality and service seems to have slipped. I went there a couple of times this past summer and once in the fall and had less than stellar experiences.
I haven't been to Vincenzo's downtown in a while but have heard good reports. My other Italian favorite now which we go to about every other week is Tomato's in West Asheville. The chef used to work at Zambra's and the menu is creative Italian, prices are right...

Leah - thanks for your list of places to eat in Asheville. We are looking for a nice place sometime next week. What restaurant to chose, Limones or Vincenzo?
Welcome back from Europe, Leah. I trust you had a great trip. Would like to learn about it.

Wildflower - I would opt for Limones just because have never had a bad experience there and eat there pretty regularly. Great drinks, fresh organic ingredients, excellent bread...food just tastes interesting and fresh.
Had a great trip to Paris and then on to Germany. I posted on the Europe/France forum...thanks for asking!!

Leah and everyone, thanks for your comments and advice! Leah, we will want lasagne, fettucine al Fredo, eggplant parmesan, Caesar salads, wonderful breads........ and I must confess to loving just really good meatballs, sausages and pasta! Which Italian restaurant is more likely to shine on those? As for La Paz, we love it for sentimental reasons as well as having enjoyed the food and Margaritas there twice before, so we will probably still go with it. Thank you again! :-)

Bonnie - Vincenzo's - traditional

Leah, my son will be visiting Asheville with us....... and while I like some of the newer, lighter entrees served in Italian restaurants now, he still goes for his favorite oldies! So I'm bowing to him, in this instance...... :-)

We ate at a greek/italian place called Apollos or Appolos World. It's on the same road as the main entrance to Biltmore just on the other side of the interstate.

It's in a little strip mall, and doesn't have a lot of atmosphere. But the food was excellent

What am I, chopped liver? Why are all the dining questions directed at leah? What an outrage!

Let me say this, too--I like Limones a lot, but comparing it to La Paz is like comparing apples to oranges.

bonnie - Vincenzo's should be good...
Phan - you are too phunny! Absolutely right - no comparison between Limones and La Paz. La Paz is fairly traditional Amerimexican but not bad. Limones is a whole other world. The chef/owner is from the Pacific coast of Mexico so he does a lot with fresh seafood.

Phan, so sorry, meant to tell you ....... that I looked up the La Caterina website, looks great, sent it to my son. But if Vincenzo's is more traditional Italian, maybe that would be better. Both sound nice...... thank you, Phan & Leah, for all your help. As much as we like Italian, we may try both! :-)

In the words of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog...I keed, I keed.

Actually, I do like Vincenzo's, too, and it is more traditional Italian. And Tomato's is also a good bet--I didn't mention it because I knew leah would. ;)

Gotcha, Phan! :-d I realized you were joshing me, but I did want you to know that La Caterina looks really good to me..... In fact, MOST restaurants look VERY good to me as I try to stay with *my program* during this long cold winter! :-)

Bonnie (and Phan) - just went to Tomato last night w/ friends and their winter menu features more of the traditional "comfort" Italian foods like sausage stuffed Ravioli, cheese ravioli, lasagna and spaghetti. My husband and our friend had the sausage stuffed homemade ravioli and pronounced it awesome - they were tempted to lick the sauce off the plate. Friend's wife had the cheese filled ravioli and she did the same. I thad the duck breast which I liked but not as much as the previous menu when it was seared with raspberry and served with creamy gnocchi...yumm.

Wildflower, if you haven't taken a trip to the Valle Crucis/ Banner Elk area outside Boone, you need to visit that neck of the woods.

THE BEST PASTA DISH I'VE EVER HAD was a surprise menu option at the restaurant at the Mast Farm Inn. My friend wanted a vegetarian option and the server offered a dish that wasn't on the evening's menu.

I just found the description on their website -

Pappardelle Pasta - tossed with shitake and oyster mushrooms and white asparagus, four-year-aged gouda cheese and white truffle oil.

Bonniebroad - it isn't in Asheville, but maybe you would take a detour on your drive over west.

I tried a very similar dish at LaGrotta in Atlanta this week, but it didn't come close. I WILL be returning to Mast Farm's restaurant soon...and yes, just for that pasta dish!

Here's a link to their dinner menu - http://www.mastfarminn.com/dining/menu.html

Starrsville, I stayed at Mast Farm Inn before it changed hands three years ago. I loved it back when it was a little more quaint, and the dining was family-style. But your pasta sounds fabulous. I intend to stay there again some day......... it is so beautiful in our North Carolina mountains, especially that area! :-) Thanks for your comments.

Leah, my son LOVES ravioli......... how are we ever going to eat at ALL these Italian places in three days??? :-d

Leah - we talked to the chef at Tomato several weeks ago and he told us he had been forced by popular request to add a few more traditional items like lasagne and spaghetti and meatballs. I suspect they will stay on the menu.

I LOVE his gnocchi..and the marsala cream sauce he likes to serve with it is so good...I have always turned up my nose at cream sauces, but I make an exception for that one.

Last Saturday we had the WORST server at Tomato, it's a shame, that can really affect your perception of a restaurant. Maybe it was me, we had an unforgiveably awful server at Stone Soup in Landrum for brunch the very next day. It was the first time my parents had been there, and since every one's food arrived cold, and side dishes were forgotten, etc., I doubt they think as highly of the place as I do.

Litespeed - we didn't have the best server last nite either. It was a young woman and she kept us waiting for quite some time for no apparent reason before taking drink orders. I'm not surprised about the change in menu - that area (West Asheville) is still not quite ready for a restaurant like Tomato.
I just saw Stone Soup this week but ate at the Mex place in town instead. How is it?