TUPELO HONEY CAFE

She says:
While in Asheville, we also re-visited one of my favorite spots - Tupelo Honey Café. As expected, we waited outside for a good 30 minutes before getting in for a late lunch. This is how we found the restaurant in the first place... If there are a dozen people waiting outside, it must be good, right?

Even though the contemporary Southern cuisine Tupelo Honey Café is cooking up is actually pretty healthy and environmentally savvy, it still satisfies the craving for some good old comfort food. My nutty fried chicken was made with organic, free-range chicken scaloppine (cutlets that are pounded so that the chicken is thin for frying), and didn't have the slightest hint of oiliness. It was smothered in creamy gravy and came with some scrumptious veggies - asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes (though the potatoes could have been creamier) - and, of course, a biscuit. Overall, I wouldn't say the food is extraordinary, but comforting and wholesome - yes.

He says:
I had the fried chicken on my first visit to Tupelo, and I agree with Uptown Girl's assessment; it's good but it won't blow your mind. The same thing can be said about the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup I ordered for lunch. The grilled cheese can be ordered with two types of cheese (choices include swiss, cheddar, brie, havarti, gorgonzola, goat, or pimento) on Texas toast. I opted for the Brie and cheddar. The result was pretty darn good - how can a grilled cheese not be? - but it could have been magnificent if Tupelo had used higher quality cheeses. A sharper cheddar would have contrasted beautifully with a rich, double-cream Brie, but Tupelo settles for generic cheeses. Consequently the sandwich doesn't live up to its potential.

A side order of pesto grit cakes sounded promising but didn't properly execute; the pesto wasn't strong enough to liven up the grits. But while my meal was a little shaky, the atmosphere more than made up for it.

She says:
Tupelo Honey is a casual place, bustling with the comings and goings of customers and the informal service of hippie waitresses. We unknowingly got the best seats in the house - the kitchen counter. We took them in order to get seated faster, but sitting next to each other at the wide wooden counter was far more intimate than staring across the expansive tables that fill the café. Plus we got to watch the cooks in action, jovially joking around as they grilled chicken and sautéed vegetables.

We say:
Whether it's the contemporary spin on southern cooking, the relaxed atmosphere of the café itself, or just that it's in a great location and has a great name, there's something about Tupelo Honey that really draws a crowd ... so be prepared to wait!




Tupelo Honey Café
12 College Street, Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.tupelohoneycafe.com/