Asheville Review Roundup

We recently visited Asheville for the first time in six-plus years. The trip gave us a chance to revisit old favorites and discover new ones. In addition to everything reviewed below, Malaprops, The Chocolate Fetish, DSSOLVER, Moonlight Makers, Downtown Books & News, Nine Mile (previous review here), Bagatelle Books, Orbit DVD, House of Black Cat Magic, Urban Orchard, Ginger’s Revenge, and French Broad Chocolates are all worth a visit.

Mission Pizza Asheville

Housed inside of Terra Nova Beer Co. at 101 South Lexington Ave in South Slope, Mission Pizza specializes in Roman-style rectangles (pizza al taglio) from 12-8 Wednesday and Thursday, 12-9 Friday and Saturday, and 12-6 on Sunday. Terra Nova offers indoor and outdoor seating. Online ordering and delivery are available.

The sister restaurant to Winston-Salem’s acclaimed Mission Pizza Napoletana, Mission Pizza Asheville (aka Mission Pizza Romana) is decidedly not your typical neighborhood slice shop. The Roman squares are made of a thick dough that looks like focaccia but is both lighter and crispier. They come in single 5” by 7” rectangles (spuntino, $8-$10), 5” by 13” pies (mezzo, $15-$19), or 9” x 13” party size portions (tutto, $30-$38). While you can build your own custom pizza, the default options include a Calabrian with pepper jam, a funghi & charred tomato, a sfincione with breadcrumb topping, a patate with potato cream, and a rotating special. A few dips, an arugula salad, cauliflower cacio pepe, and meatballs are also available.

Wanting a few slices to commemorate Pi Day, my wife and I shared a Calabrian, a funghi & charred tomato, and a daily special. Ordering was easy, and Terra Nova’s “green industrial” vibe (check out that moss wall) made for interesting ambiance. Our pizza was not cheap, but it was very satisfying, and Mission uses high-quality ingredients. The Calabrian offered a good combination of sweet and spicy while the funghi & charred tomato delivered creamy (ricotta) and smoky. The crust was done perfectly: crisp without being overly charred.

There are many places in Asheville where you can grab a pizza and a beer, but none can offer you the same experience that Mission does. Unless you’re a New York-style pizza purist, you owe it to yourself to give Mission a try.

Double D’s Coffee & Desserts

Located at 41 Biltmore Avenue, Double D’s Coffee & Desserts serves up coffee drinks, smoothies, baked goods, and ice cream from 10 to 8 (Sunday-Thursday)/8:30(Friday-Saturday) out of a converted bus. Courtyard seating is available.

We came across Asheville’s charming coffee bus during our first visit to the city and have made it a point to come back during every visit since. It’s still cash only, and it still draws crowds. However, since the upper deck is no longer available for seating, you no longer have to worry about squeezing past others inside the bus’s cramped confines. The coffee here (courtesy of Notorious Coffee Roasting Co.) is good. My wife remains partial to the red hot chili mocha (the cayenne provides a spicy kick) while I enjoyed a crème brulee latte during our most recent visit.

As a coffee shop, this probably isn’t the best Asheville has to offer, especially if you are pressed for time. But it’s far more than a novelty. If you have a few minutes to spare and cash in your wallet, it’s worth your time.

Blue Spiral 1

Located at 38 Biltmore Avenue, Blue Spiral 1 offers three floors of art from over 100 regional artists. Themed exhibitions rotate regularly. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 11-6 and Sunday from 11-5. Photography is permitted.

Blue Spiral 1 is another Asheville institution that we can’t help but return to. From paintings to pottery to giant spoon sculptures, the gallery has a wide representation of styles and media. Recent exhibitions made use of recycled skateboards and explored the history of tattoos, both of which we found fascinating. Despite its fine arts pedigree (and pricing to match), Blue Spiral isn’t stuffy, and staff won’t give you the stink eye if you’re just there to browse.

Princess Anne Hotel

A boutique hotel/B&B hybrid in a 1920s building listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Princess Anne Hotel is about as far away as you can get (literally and figuratively) from a just-off-the-highway hospitality chain. The location is close enough to downtown so that you can still find food in walking distance yet far enough removed from the noise to give you a bit of quiet. Unlike a downtown hotel, you also don’t have to pay through the nose for parking. Staff are pleasant and knowledgeable about the area. The porch and patio areas make for relaxing outdoor spaces.

The Princess Anne is an old building and though generally well-maintained, isn’t immune to the occasional odd creak. Our room was, overall, fairly spacious (it included a kitchenette and dining/TV area), the bed was comfortable, and everything worked as it should. That said, the bathroom was tiny, even with the sink located in a different room.

If you can abide by its quirks, the Princess Anne offers character, comfort, and charm, all at a fairly good value.

City Bakery

Located at 88 Charlotte Street in Downtown Asheville, City Bakery offers artisan breads, coffees, and baked goods from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday). Online ordering is available.

City Bakery was a short walk from where we were staying, so it became our breakfast spot by default. Fortunately, it proved to be a good one. Bread may be their calling card, but they do have more substantial fare (biscuits, bagels, sandwiches, etc.) as well. We went with a pair of coffee drinks and a chocolate croissant as well as a loaf of Jewish rye to take home. Though they keep busy here, staff were pleasant and accommodating.

The coffee drinks were smooth, and when we eventually broke into the rye, it had a nice crust. The croissant definitely wasn’t bad, but I’ve been spoiled by better options back home.

Whether you’re seeking bread, a breakfast bite, or caffeination to keep you going, City Bakery is a reliable option.

Biscuit Head

Located at 733 Haywood Road in West Asheville (with other locations in South Asheville and the Mission Hospital Area), Biscuit Head specializes in biscuits and breakfasts. It is open Monday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Online ordering is available. Bacon flavors and biscuit specials rotate daily.

Biscuit Head has acquired a lofty reputation since it opened its doors more than a decade ago, and it was only a matter of time before we ended up here to see if it lived up to the hype. One drawback to said reputation: it gets busy, and it gets loud. Best try to catch them during an off-peak hour and hope that you can snag an open table.

That caveat aside, the menu is great. You can keep it simple with a biscuit and your choice of topping, roll the dice with a biscuit sandwich, or step up and take on a gut-busting breakfast platter. There are also sweet dishes and a bar full of complimentary jams.

My wife and I went with the biscuit of the day (Korean fried chicken), a biscuit with mushroom gravy, fried green tomatoes, and a side of bacon. The biscuits were good, but if you get them in a sandwich, don’t expect the sandwich to hold together. No matter: forks exist for a reason. The Korean fried chicken included both Korean BBQ sauce and pimento cheese, an interesting fusion of Asian and Southern that somehow worked. The accompanying tots were crispy and addictive, and the mushroom gravy was creamy and rich. The fried green tomatoes were respectable but would have been better topped with pimento.

Ultimately, Biscuit Head did not disappoint. The biscuits weren’t the best I’ve ever had, but the food here was still satisfying.

Baked Pie Company

Located at 4 Long Shoals Drive in Arden, Baked Pie Company offers hot and cold pies whole or by the slice. Online ordering, gluten free, keto, vegan, and sugar free options are available. Baked is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Saturday (closed Sunday).

We had missed getting an actual slice of pie on Pi Day, so what better way to make up for it than partaking in a Pie Flight the day after? Yes, you read that right. Baked offers three-slice flights, which, given the size of said slices, should definitely not be attempted alone.

While this curio would be enough to get plenty of people in the door, Baked has a lot more going for it. Though the selection varies from day to day, we found plenty of tantalizing options: fruit pies, chocolate pies, custard, pecan, a savory quiche, etc. The inside of the shop is homey and exudes retro charm, and the proprietors are welcoming.

My wife and I opted for the Irish Cream Brownie, Whiskey Silk, and Blackberry Biscuit for our flight. The pies were very sweet, but they were tasty. While the former two were both boozy chocolatey cold pies, they presented different flavors and textures. The blackberry biscuit was good (and probably would have been even better had we gone ala mode), but we should have requested it heated up.

At $15, the pie flight was a good deal given the size of the slices. That said, whole pies go for $38, which is more than many would pay.

Specialty pie shops are something of a rarity, and it would be tragic if Baked’s pies were merely pedestrian. Fortunately, they more than clear that bar.

Taco Temple

Located at 132 Charlotte Street in Asheville, Taco Temple offers tacos, tortas, and drinks from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday). Vegan options and online ordering are available, and the business has a drive-thru.

An offshoot of Mamacita’s, Taco Temple retains the same focus on homemade Mexican eats. The offerings are a bit fancier than you might find at a typical taco joint but not to the point of pretentiousness (they also have breakfast tacos for those who are up early enough). While it occupies a smallish space, Taco Temple does offer a cool vibe, including a vintage Corona machine.

My wife and I opted for a trio of tacos plus guac to go. Our order was ready on-time, and one look at the homemade blue corn tortillas made us anxious to dig in. The tacos were generally tasty and delivered distinct flavors: the loreto (tangerine-pasilla shrimp) was spicy and tangy while the Santa Barbara (ancho-brown sugar rubbed steak) was smoky and slightly sweet. The panela (panela cheese, poblano, black bean, pickled onion) included too much pickled onion and too little cheese, however. The chips, guac, and tomatillo salsa were solid complements to the meal.

Taco Temple may or may not make you a convert, but it’s worth at least one pilgrimage.

All Day Darling

Located at 102 Montford Avenue in Asheville, All Day Darling offers breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, coffees, baked goods, and more. It is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Indoor and outdoor seating, gluten-free options, and online ordering are available.

In need of a breakfast spot that was actually open on Sundays, All Day Darling proved a fortuitous find. The bustling, light-filled environment and focus on Southern-influenced dishes reminded me of a superior version of the old Iron Hen in Greensboro. Though All Day Darling does keep busy, its line to the register (place your order, grab a number – they are friendly and efficient here) moves quickly, and there is plenty of seating.

While I was tempted to order shakshuka, travel with something that heavy on my stomach seemed unwise, so I opted for The Standard (breakfast sandwich with a fried egg and herb mayo) with ham on a roll instead and paired it with a Golden Mocha (chocolate, turmeric, ginger, cardamon). My wife went with a Standard with avocado on a biscuit, and we split a piece of banana bread.

All of the food cleared expectations. The breads and biscuits live up to their homemade billing. The creamy herb mayo was the perfect complement to the salty ham. The banana bread was as good as any I have ever made. Despite its bevy of components, the Golden Mocha was well-balanced and went down easy.

All Day Darling is the kind of place where it would seem hard to go wrong. The next time we’re in Asheville, we’ll be back.

Vinnie's Brick Oven Pan Pizza

 

Located at 61 Main Street in Millburn, Vinnie’s Brick Oven Pan Pizza offers pizza and Italian dishes. It is open from 11-8 Sunday and Tuesday-Thursday, 11-9 Saturday and Sunday, and closed on Monday. Online ordering is available.

 

I promised my wife that we would find good pizza during a trip to New Jersey, and after a bit of searching, Vinnie’s seemed like it would be able to deliver. It’s a small spot – two tables inside, two tables outside – but the stacks of empty pizza boxes mark it as a popular one. They do sixteen-inch pies here (sorry, no slices) as well as sandwiches, pastas, and wings. After describing what we were looking for in a pizza, the young man at the counter suggested the Gramps (sweet Italian sausage, hot cherry pepper, and onions) with olives added, and we were sold.

 

Fifteen minutes later, we were digging into a glorious pie. The crust was thin without being floppy or greasy. The sauce and cheese were both high quality. The peppers added a nice burst of heat. Cheap it was not (upper $20s after the additional topping), but there are some things you can’t put a price on, and a sublimely delicious pizza is one of them.

 

Truthfully, I’m not back up North often enough to say how well Vinnie’s stacks up against other Union County pizza options (I grew up on Cioffi’s), but compared to much of what I’m used to in the Tarheel State (where good pizza is good often by virtue of innovative toppings), it more than holds its own.

PiesOn. Pizza Co.

 

Located at 275 North Elm Street in the Stock + Grain Assembly food hall in Downtown High Point, PiesOn offers New York-style pizza, appetizers, sandwiches, and desserts. It opens at 11 daily and closes at 9 Monday-Wednesday, 10 on Thursday, 11 on Friday and Saturday, and 7 on Sunday. Online ordering is available.

 

PiesOn’s unofficial motto should be “Pizza by people who know what they are doing.” The owner, Stephen, also owns Times Square Pizza in Lexington while his wife’s family owns Elizabeth’s Pizza in High Point. There’s a pizza pedigree here going back generations, and it shows in the final product: quality toppings, good sauce, and a crust that is neither burned nor tastes like cardboard. As a New Jersey native, I often ratchet down my pizza expectations. Here, I don’t have to. I’d go as far as to say that PiesOn. is the one Stock + Grain establishment that is completely worth the food hall’s inflated prices that I often grumble about (12-inch pies are $18-$19).

 

While competent execution would be a strong lure in its own right, PiesOn. also benefits from a tantalizing and creative menu. You can still go classic (pizza margherita, a meatball parm sub, and wings are among the offerings) here, but for those looking to mix things up, PiesOn. also offers Havana-topped (ham/cheese/pickles/mustard) fries, a brie/honey/fig/thyme white pizza, and even an inverted pizza. Several of the menu items are Stranger Things shout-outs (the meaty Vecna and the Hawaiian Surfer Boy), and there are vegetarian options as well.

 

For our first visit, my wife and I opted for the Seek & Destroy (spicy soppressata/grape tomato/chili oil) and the Don Dom (white pizza with roasted garlic cream sauce, mortadella, arugula, pistachio, and burrata). Both were served fresh and were very flavorful. The chili oil wasn’t burn-your-mouth intense, but it added a welcome kick. The garlic cream/arugula combo here is right up there with the Let It Ride (shallot cream/collards) at Sticks n Stones – the pistachio adds a hint of sweetness.

 

There are other places around that offer perfectly decent pizza for less, but if I want pizza that really impresses, I may have to make PiesOn. my go-to.

Amalfi's Pizza Italian Restaurant

 

Located at 503 Nelson Street in Kernersville, Amalfi’s serves pizza and Italian cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Food specials change regularly, and catering is available.

 

Amalfi’s is Kernersville’s iteration of a type of restaurant every town should have: the classic, midrange red sauce Italian eatery. True to form, it looks dated inside (latticework, brick accents, and a big wall painting are at least pleasant if familiar) and out. However, beneath the tired aesthetics lurks surprisingly competent execution.

 

Having been previously impressed with the pizza (it’s not Mario’s, but it’s legitimate New York style that reminded me of what I grew up with in New Jersey), my wife and I decided to give Amalfi’s a try for a Valentine’s Day dinner. We called in a pick-up order and hoped that the wait wouldn’t be horrendous. We arrived to find a long pick-up line, which, thankfully, moved fairly quickly: kudos to the hard-working staff for being able to handle the evening’s considerable demand. Our food was ready and still hot when we reached the front of the line, and it survived the drive back to High Point without any issues.

 

We ended up going with mozzarella sticks, linguine aglio y olio, fettuccini a modo mio, and tiramisu, and there wasn’t a dud in the bunch. The mozzarella sticks had a nice bit of crunch and paired well with the housemade marinara. The aglio y olio, surprisingly hard to find elsewhere, packed a garlicky punch while the fettuccini offered well-cooked shrimp in a slightly sweet pink crab sauce, another rarity. While tiramisu is a whole lot more ubiquitous, Amalfi’s rendition held up well.

 

None of Amalfi’s food is cheap, but it isn’t a poor value, either. The two entrees were $13 and $21, respectively, but both came with a choice of soup or salad as well as bread. Portions were generous, too. Only the mozzarella sticks, at $9.49, felt like a reach.

 

Amalfi’s is unlikely to be the best Italian food you’ve ever had, but if you’re looking for reliably tasty pizza or pasta, keep them in mind (especially if it happens to be a Sunday and you’re anywhere near Kernersville).

Blue Rock Pizza & Tap

Located at 1529 North Main Street in High Point, Blue Rock Pizza and Taps specializes in pizza and beer. It is open for lunch and dinner (and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday), and under normal operating conditions, offers a full bar with daily drink specials as well as a patio for outdoor dining. Delivery and online ordering are available.

As noted in previous reviews, declaring anything the best pizza is a dicey proposition given the variance in pie preferences. Blue Rock, however, is certainly High Point’s most interesting pizza purveyor.

Like Sticks n Stones in Greensboro, Blue Rock offers a music-themed menu and a wealth of creative toppings and combinations. You can get a traditional red sauce and mozzarella pie here – or build your own – but the specialty Headliners are something to behold. From the Little Red Rooster (sausage, bacon, crawfish tails, fried egg, and pepper jack) to the Stairway to Freebird (chicken, prosciutto, figs, arugula, gorgonzola, and a cherry-balsamic reduction) and from Southern to Tex-Mex, there are plenty of creative options to be found here. But pizza is not the only draw: apps include a commendable variety of wings and an appealing selection of fried things while the sandwiches are almost as eclectic as the pizzas (though fewer in number).

Our first (takeout) order consisted of fried pickles, The Last Waltz (alfredo sauce, chicken, prosciutto, sundried tomatoes, artichoke, mozzarella, and basil) and the Zydeco (red sauce, crawfish tails, andouille sausage, and peppers with pepper jack and mozzarella). The pickles were cut to chips, suitably crispy, and came with an addictive chipotle ranch dipping sauce. Both pizzas tasted as good as they sounded on paper. The Last Waltz was like getting a forkful of a favorite pasta dish in each bite while the zydeco offered heat with a touch of sweet. Only the bland, utilitarian crust failed to impress, another attribute that Blue Rock shares with Sticks n Stones.

As expected, prices for the fancier pizzas run higher than your typical chain offerings. Ours were $15 apiece for two mediums (larges would have been $20 each): highway robbery for pedestrian pies, but a reasonable premium for the novelty of the toppings offered.

High Point has no shortage of solid pizza options, and where Blue Rock ranks among them depends on largely what you value in a pie. However, for the adventurous pizza connoisseur, Blue Rock is, at the very least, a must-try.

Lubrano's Pizza & Italian Restaurant

Located at 2431 Eastchester Drive in High Point, Lubrano’s offers pizza and Italian cuisine for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Food specials change regularly, and lunch specials are available on weekdays. Delivery and online ordering are supported.

Housed toward the end of a somewhat dodgy plaza, Lubrano’s looks like the classic, hasn’t changed in thirty years, good for a slice neighborhood pizza joint, the kind of place the locals swear makes the best ______ but first-timers think looks like a dump. There may be shades of truth in this description, but it does not fully do Lubrano’s justice. Get past the dated aesthetics, and you’ll find a higher-than-expected caliber of red sauce fare.

My wife and I stopped by around 12:30 on a Saturday to find Lubrano’s mostly empty. The lone server on duty was new to the job, but he handled himself well. Lubrano’s menu offers pizzas (regular and Sicilian), calzones, and strombolis as well as some promising-sounding chicken dishes, but we were craving pasta. Thus came an order of a fried calamari starter followed by a shared (no split plate charge) Merone’s combination (lasagna, eggplant, and manicotti with sauce and cheese).

The food came out quickly, and there were more hits than misses. The calamari was nicely breaded and neither tough nor greasy albeit fairly bland. A few squeezes of lemon, however, made a big difference. The entrée came with a side salad that was very basic and mostly greens. Complimentary bread, on the other hand, was a lot better: fresh, hot, and seemingly homemade. The tomato sauce (basil notes and no cloying sweetness) and manicotti filling were similarly above average. One thing that wasn’t well above average was the price: our app was $9 and our entrée was $15, and neither portion was small.

Lubrano’s may be a takeout rather than a dine-in option in the future, but no matter what the form, a return is in our future.

Blaze Pizza

Located at 4522 West Wendover Avenue in the Wendover Commons shopping center Greensboro, Blaze Pizza offers made-to-order pizzas. Keto and vegan options (including cauliflower crust) are available as is online ordering.

Like Pieology, Blaze is all about flexibility and speed. You pick your size (11 inch or 14 inch) and then customize the dough, sauce, cheese, meats, and vegetables or choose from eight or so favorites. Everything gets thrown into an uber-hot (“fast fire’d”) oven and comes out in under five minutes. In theory, this would make for an efficient way to quickly churn out crowd-pleasing food. In practice, however, it is chaos incarnate.

My wife and I ordered online for in-store pick-up and arrived to find a line of others who had done the same. Most got their pizzas quickly, but one customer had been waiting for a half hour. Our delay wasn’t nearly that long, thankfully, but there was a noticeable gap between the receipt of our first pizza and the receipt of our second. A roving manager expressed concern and made a good-faith effort to make sure everyone left happy, but his was not an easy task. In fact, the same could be said of the entire crew. Everyone we observed seemed to be working hard pounding out dough knots, lifting pizzas in and out of ovens, calling out orders, etc. And despite all this hustle and bustle, Blaze still struggled to keep pace with demand.

That bit of calamity aside, however, the food was better than expected. We went with 11-inch meat lovers and hot links pies as well as a two-pack of dough knots. The knots were legitimately some of the best I’ve ever had: just the right proportion of chewy and crunchy with plenty of flavor. The pizza wasn’t world-beating, but it was satisfying. The ingredients were tasty, and while the crust was nothing special, it was at least evenly cooked.

For those seeking hot, fresh pizza in a hurry, Blaze could be the answer if you catch them during a slower time. But if you’re in for a wait regardless, go a few miles down Wendover and try Uncle Maddios.

Giannos Stone Oven Pizzaria

Located at 114 Eastchester Drive in High Point, Giannos serves pizza and Italian cuisine (with a few Greek offerings) for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday and lunch on Sundays. The restaurant offers a pizza and salad buffet from 11-2 on weekdays. Group dining and catering (via a mobile oven) are available.

There is something comforting in the familiarity of a local mid-range Italian place, and while Giannos is hardly the pinnacle thereof, it does fit the bill nicely, offering a good assortment of pizzas and pastas at fairly reasonable prices.

Should you go, timing can make a big difference in how your meal turns out. The lunch menu keeps most offerings under $10 and features the pizza/salad bar whereas the dinner menu bumps prices entrée pricing into the teens (salad included), but there’s a tradeoff. My wife and I stopped by between 12 and 1 on a Tuesday, which ended up being the thick of the lunch rush. It was very loud, and staff seemed beleaguered (though our server, Faith, did an excellent job despite the calamity). Once the crowd thinned out and conversation actually became possible, the environment was reasonably comfortable.

My wife opted for the pizza/salad buffet while I went with shrimp scampi and a Caesar salad. At $8.29 and $9.59 ($8.59 + $1 for the salad), both were quite affordable. Of course, “you get what you pay for” is in effect here, but at that price point, things could have turned out a lot worse. While bowtie pasta was a puzzling choice (theirs, not mine) for the scampi, the dish was otherwise very enjoyable: creamy and generously portioned with a nice lemon note in the sauce. A basket of fresh, warm rolls hit the spot as well. On the other hand, the dressing that accompanied the salad was closer to a ranch than a Caesar, and my wife found the pizza to be nothing special.

Given the type of cuisine and the quality of the service, Giannos merits a return visit when a pasta craving hits. But if the parking lot is ever three-quarters full, come back another time.