TABLE

He says:
When Uptown Girl and I first stumbled across Table while wandering the charming back alleyways of Asheville, NC last year, this upscale eatery seemed, at least to me, nothing short of a revelation. While most of the other restaurants in the vicinity were folksy establishments serving mediocre platters on heavy china, Table offered itself as a clear counterpoint of smart design and good taste. With its square serving dishes and waiters garbed in avant-garde black, let's just say Table seems more Upper East Side than Cold Mountain.

But great food always speaks for itself, and Table does plenty of talking. The Croque-monsieur I ordered on that initial brunchtime visit was simply stupendous, perhaps the best single dish I had tasted since moving to the Southeast. The combination of grilled ham, Gruyere cheese, and béchamel sauce appears deceptively simple at first, but that stunningly complex first bite will quickly convince you otherwise.

She says:
A year later, we were back in Asheville, and with Downtown Boy's enthusiasm for that Croque-monsieur unwavering, a trip back to Table was inevitable. This time it was for dinner.

We started with a delicious and delicate appetizer of escargot, which came, untraditionally, mixed with a light cream sauce on a small bed of pappardelle (don't quote me on the cream sauce).

I also enjoyed my North Carolina scallops, which were very fresh and flawlessly seared. They came with a fruit puree (my memory is eluding me on the details of this one too), which contrasted nicely with the scallops and really made the dish. But the best part was actually the grapefruit, radicchio and lobster salad. You can probably add lobster to any salad and make it taste great, but the sweet bitterness of the grapefruit and the subtle richness of the lobster meat made a particularly great combo.

He says:
The lamb shank served with kale and potato gratin is a true gut-buster, nearly rivaling Vinocity's "mastodon" pork shank. If the Vinocity's offering was the size of a varsity football, then Table's was the JV version. Bigger isn't always better though, and I would have gladly sacrificed half my plate for a more tender cut with a bolder and more sophisticated braising sauce. I wasn't too wild for the sauted kale either, but the mushroom potato gratin was superb. Chef-owners Jacob and Alicia Sessoms certainly have the skills to perform magic with their cooking, but I'm not sure if it applies to all their entrees ... at least not yet. Ultimately though, I simply cannot complain about the food at Table, especially when they serve such an excellent cup of post-dinner coffee.

We say:
The only thing we can really complain about is the price, which the website mistakenly describes as "moderately priced." Shrinking wallets aside, Table is the fine-dining gem of Asheville.



Table
48 College Street, Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.tableasheville.com/