AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER

Pick of the Month:

chestnut

As most of you know I am a big fan of the beltway drive through the Blue Ridge mountains to get to Asheville, NC. There is just no prettier spot close to home for a quick getaway for this foodie and her brood.

This time of year is particularly nice to explore with the chilly weather driving you and your mittens and hats into warmer spaces for hot drinks sipped by fireplaces with bowls of steaming good food. I have several haunts in this artsy hipster neighborhood, but I always visit one of the best which is Chestnut.

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN LOCATION

Located in the historic downtown district at 78 Biltmore Avenue, this cozy-vibe favorite has been impressing the locals since 2012. It’s close to some great venues like the Fine Arts Theater, Diana Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, and The Orange Peel with some pretty impressive acts in the line up.

Partners Joe Scully and Kevin Westmoreland might have seemed unlikely as restauranteurs. Both met at a program for boys and their dads at the local YMCA. Both have sons named Matthew who are now grown. Both became fast friends with different personality styles that complimented each other so why not open a restaurant together, right?

Kevin gave it his usual thoughtful consideration. He did his research, read his books and said heck yeah and the Corner Kitchen (or CK’s as they like to call it) was born in the Biltmore Village area in 2004. But more about that sister restaurant later. Let’s get to the star of the show first.

COCKTAILs & First Courses

Joe and Kevin like to say “lots of people do farm to table….the difference is what happens in between.” I like that. You can’t just talk the talk….you’ve got to walk the walk. These two are committed to purchasing from local cheese makers, ranchers, farmers and dairies.

They make all their own desserts, sorbets, ice creams and demi-glace. They cut their own fries, smoke their own fish and meats and pickle their own vegetables. This is a big deal because all of this allows them to change their menu up every month. Yes, you heard that right. I mean I have seen some spots manage to zhuzh it up but not change it every month.

While I might tell you about items we had on our visit, you might not get that on yours, but that’s a good thing. This allows the creative juices to flow from the kitchen and you’re the one benefiting the most from it. Having said that, you could enjoy a beautiful bowl of mussels with a lovely bit of cracker bread to soak up all that tasty juice and a fresh sprinkle of micro greens on top or some bacon wrapped scallops with sweet potato puree and blood orange gastrique.

You might first scour their signature cocktails menu where the drink titles have been given as much thought as the cocktail recipes themselves. Check out Why so Serious, the Lickety Split, the Blueprint or my favorite, Where the Bears At? Their drinks are just as pretty as they are tasty so you can’t really go wrong with any of them.

second COURSEs

I got the feeling the crew has been with the partners for a while and they know the menu well. Like they have eaten it themselves kinda well, which makes for better recommendations in my opinion. Our server sold my husband on a little piece of heaven on a plate with an Indian slant in that it had a nice spicy vindaloo sauce with fall squashes, chickpeas and peppers served over basmati rice and some papadum crackers.

I couldn’t really get him to verbalize what he was thinking as he was eating. He just kept holding up his finger in a wait-a-minute sort of way until he cleaned the plate up. He rarely does that so I can only surmise how good it was as he loves a spicy dish more than anything on a cold or wet night. He also slid his plate away when I tried to reach for a fork full. Hmmmm…..

third COURSE

I took the recommended wild mushroom gnocchi dish and oh my goodness. These were some of the best I have ever had being light and fluffy mixed with a savory rich brown sauce filled with bits of lovely mushrooms, cheese, pine nuts and fresh micro greens. No sharing for me either!

Had I not gone for this dish, I would have tried the short rib pappardelle made from Brasstown short ribs and local oyster mushrooms or the duck confit risotto with sage and leeks. I love hearty Italian dishes during cold weather, but I could have just as easily gone for the shrimp and grits. Meat lovers will find excellent choices of steaks and charcuterie made in-house. If you have a taste for seafood, you might opt for the pecan crusted trout with crispy parsnips or the salmon with brown butter and maple butternut puree.

dessert

Right now the dessert menu has fall and winter in mind with S’mores Brownies, Apple Crisps, Gooey Butter Pumpkin Pies and Banana Pudding with Bourbon caramel sauce. When we were there, we simply told our server to surprise us and he asked if we liked chocolate. Of course we responded.

What arrived was sheer delicious perfection with chocolate three ways and lots of goodies sprinkled round for pops in texture and flavors allowing the star of the show to shine through. We shared after all we had before and it was more than enough to finish off a great meal.

sister restaurant

A word about that sister restaurant, Corner Kitchen. This was the first spot to open with Joe working as Head Chef and Kevin doing his management thing helping to make every visitor feel special and appreciated.

Joe’s background includes some places you will recognize like the Cherokee Town Club, Indigo Coastal Grill and Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta. While the menu carries some similar dishes you’ll recognize from Chestnut, there are some differences with a little more country casual attitude to them like red beet hummus, crispy fried oysters and mushroom dusted scallops.

Try the Moroccan lamb shank for a burst of beautiful spices and roasted pistachio nuts. The pumpkin curry is a lovely dish for the vegetarians in your crowd while a crab crusted halibut with a lobster sherry cream sauce will deliver in the finest way for seafood lovers.

social responsibility

While I’ve told you some things that make these restaurants a stand out, I would most like to emphasize the way these two guys run their business in general. They take care of their employees by paying a living wage and offering health insurance. Two things that most restaurants either can’t or won’t provide.

This is a real family run business and as pointed out before, they believe in the farm to table concept and use local as much as possible. They also give back to a variety of businesses including Manna FoodBank, Eliada Homes, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, and Asheville Community Theater.

They have had a thriving recycling and composting program since they opened becoming a model for other high-end restaurants around Asheville in their dedication to the environment and its challenges. A quote on their website by Winston Churchill sums it all up nicely: “"WE MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET, BUT WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE GIVE.”

CONCLUSION

I like these guys. I love their business model. I’m obsessed with their food. Don’t miss either of these restaurants on your next exploration of Asheville. They will keep you coming back just to see what new magic they have created for you in their kitchens.

If you enjoyed what you read, you might also enjoy other posts under Edible Fare. There you will find restaurant reviews, recipes, foodie tips and best spots to eat in a variety of cities. I also put emphasis on food experiences in my travel posts under Explore the World. Check out the next post from one of my adventure loving Guest Bloggers from a trip to Africa. Until next time…

Cheers!

ArtsyChowRoamer

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