Anyone can fry an egg, but it takes a great restaurant to pull off an inspired brunch (i.e. not just last night’s special reconstituted as an omelet.) These restaurants are so remarkably good that they don’t deserve to be pigeonholed as breakfast joints: With the exception of Over Easy, which focuses solely on the first two meals of the day, all of these restaurants serve superb dinners.
Limones
Limones feels like a dreamy version of Old Mexico: if Laura Esquivel was forced to eat in Asheville, she’d probably be happy here. Sunday brunch appropriately gets a late start, since there isn’t a single lazybones dish on this menu: Gorgeous plates anchored by homemade chorizo, lovingly prepared squashes and tangy cheeses demand the diner’s full attention (or as much as can be mustered while sipping on a spicy Bloody Mary).
13 Eagle St., Asheville/252-2327
Stoney Knob Café
Stoney Knob sits on the mimosa end of the Sunday-brunch spectrum, serving bright fruit-spiked pancakes and salty Mediterranean-influenced egg concoctions—the signature dish is an eggs benedict with crab cakes standing in for Canadian bacon—to the customers who crowd into this dark but lively revamped diner.
337 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville/645-3309
Corner Kitchen
This airy Biltmore Village restaurant, whose white-aproned servers and vibrant plates seem ready-made for the pages of Southern Living—the magazine featured Corner Kitchen in a 2005 round-up of its editors’ favorite breakfast spots—, wisely offers its superlative fried chicken and burgers for brunch. But the a.m. is your only shot at golden malted waffles and homemade corned beef hash splashed with horseradish sauce.
3 Boston Way, Asheville/274-2439
Over Easy Café
Even the décor is wholesome at Over Easy Café, a laid-back breakfast nook with an organic bent, where the walls are hung with art contributed by talented local artists. The veggie-friendly kitchen does a steady business in tempeh, tofu and fresh juices, but eaters of all persuasions are sure to enjoy the banana pancakes, which are roughly the size of a tricycle wheel.
32 Broadway St., Asheville/236-3533
Table
The owners of Table, veterans of New York’s restaurant scene, take a city approach to country ingredients, gussying up local greens with smoked paprika and goat cheese for a warm potato frittata. Other brunch favorites served at this well-lit downtown spot (they could have called it “Window") include a smoked salmon hash, vanilla French toast and a hefty Croque Monsieur with fries.
48 College St., Asheville/254-8980
Brunch
Lunch Break
Cheap Eats
Little Plates
Outdoor Dining
Date Places Quintessential Asheville Fancy Food without Fuss
Entertaining Eating Feast for the Eyes Worth the Drive
Family Friendly Vegetarian Dessert Late Night
Beer Wine Sports Bar Grocers Caterers
There are no comments for this article.
