If you were going on a date in Asheville, where would you want to go? Why?

I don’t know if I can offer a “best” here--there are lots of excellent choices. Some restaurants are great for quiet atmosphere, excellent food, but they’re pricey (Limones, Sugo, Marketplace). Others are more boisterous, less pricey, but still offer excellent food at decent prices (Mela, Chorizo). I, personally, love some of the pub-type places in Asheville where you can sit in a warm corner and talk, drink locally brewed beer, and eat well but inexpensively (Jack of the Wood, Asheville Brewing Company on Coxe, The Admiral). It all depends on what you’re looking for and who you’re with, I suppose.

i know it’s a chain, but i had the best meal ever at the melting pot. is it still there in biltmore? the food was perfect (we cooked the fondue there at the table), the meal was leisurely and the ambience was perfect. we weren’t even aware of other patrons presence ... the service was impeccable and the whole evening couldn’t have been more perfect.

true, we spent over $100 (3 course option: cheese appetizer, seafood entree and dessert, all three courses fondue ...)

but ... for that special occasion ...

lumina - 15 March 2008 07:12 PM

i know it’s a chain, but i had the best meal ever at the melting pot. is it still there in biltmore? the food was perfect (we cooked the fondue there at the table), the meal was leisurely and the ambience was perfect. we weren’t even aware of other patrons presence ... the service was impeccable and the whole evening couldn’t have been more perfect.

true, we spent over $100 (3 course option: cheese appetizer, seafood entree and dessert, all three courses fondue ...)

but ... for that special occasion ...

Yowza, lumina, you need a night out! The Melting Pot has been closed for about two years, I think. But it was delicious!

My favorite place, so far, for a romantic meal is Enoteca. If you get one of the window seats, it feels as though you have the place to yourselves. They don’t take reservations, but we have called and requested one of those tables and they held it for us. We’re vegans- and they were still able to accommodate us nicely. You can choose a platter where you choose 8 different tapas style dishes. Then, you both can nibble off the same plate. You can choose different marinated, grilled veggies, different spreads, delicious olives, etc. and they bring you baskets of french bread drizzled with olive oil and balsamic. They have a great wine selection and we get a bottle that costs $26, and is fabulous. The food is simply wonderful! Great service, too.

Other favorites:

Mela (the best Indian I’ve had in a restaurant, great service, and wonderful atmosphere)
La Caterina Trattoria
Zambra’s

We are going out tomorrow evening (we go out the 16th of every month to celebrate our anniversary)- and I think we are going to try Tupelo Honey.

Another surprisingly nice spot for the romantic couple meal is Jerusalem Garden. Pretty good food and people watching...then you can walk around town or go in somewhere and get a beer. Or wander to Sante for wine.

Edgy Mama - 15 March 2008 08:00 PM

Yowza, lumina, you need a night out! The Melting Pot has been closed for about two years, I think. But it was delicious!

o! i know it’s true! i do get out sometimes but usually in other directions (tricities) or smaller downtowns all over. i have this thing for downtown anywhere ...

when i’m out on a nonoccasion, though, i tend to choose the restaurant more for the quality of its fare than the ambience (celebration’s a different story) ... and that’s where i typically end up at north star diner for an omelet or fisherman’s quarters for scallops ...

and norton’s is a lot of fun for a date, especially a group date. i like to go on karaoke night and listen to everyone else and try to screw my courage up (but never do) ...

I never date restaurants, I much prefer women.

Besides, if you hold your car door politely open for a restaurant, they never get in.

OK, here is a dinner date planner evening for you ... (well it works for me)

Enjoy a great Japanese grill experience at Ichiban’s. It’s one of the best in the region and your date, spouse, significant other etc. will have a great time. After you have enjoyed that wonderful meal, park downtown somewhere and stroll some of that meal off to make room for a couple brews at either Jack or down the hill and under the stoop at the Thirsty Monk. Maybe there is something cool playing at the artsy theater and you can do that .. or ... well, you know, thats up to you or him or her or (in Asheville) it. :)

We try to support as many local restaurants as we can, but we find ourselves eating at Heiwa at least once if not twice a week.

For atmosphere we love Zambras.  Recently we took our kids not knowing how they would react, but they loved it.

Dinner:Heiwa or Rosetta’s
Coffee/Dessert:Old Europe
and if things go well enough,Mediterranean for breakfast the next morning