Celebration of my birth! continues and I was treated to two meals out this past week.
DD and I are both very vegetarian(see
Phood Philosophy) and thrilled to have a vegan restaurant in Asheville.
Plant.
Even a steak house has at least one Veggie option in Asheville and still, its enjoyable to have options and at Plant everything on the menu is an option!
I like that the menu lists the dishes without feeling the need to categorize i.e., salads, starters, etc.
No one likes to be typed!
We shared the massaged kale with smoky tofu
and
Oyster Mushroom Apricot Adobo with poblano stuffed tamale · sautéed spinach, olives, and chili · cilantro mojo · pickled onion and sour cream.
The kale was just the right chewiness and the dressing a perfect blend of sweet, salty and tart. The candies dried orange slices were a tasty surprise, and I am just getting ready to enjoy winter squash, of which there were a few bites.
We could have passed on the tofu add on, and didn't as I love smoked and it was made in house.
I ate it all, and it was delicious, excellent texture for tofu and no lingering smokey aftertaste.
The mushroom dish has fried pieces of, as far as I know oyster mushrooms. I like to order fried when I go out, as I don't fry at home and enjoy the crunch and taste. These fit the bill for crunch, and the breading(?) was good, tho it could have been anything inside, or nothing!
I love tamales and this one had a good pronounced corn flavor; could have had a bit more poblano.
The greens added color and texture to the plate and were delicious.
Ditto the pickled onions and cream.
Our server was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive and set up our table for sharing, without being asked.
Dessert.
Again let me say how exciting it is to have choices!
Brownie -cherries & cacao · walnuts ∙ chocolate sauce ∙ mint julep ice cream
Yummy for sure, tho there were some hard spots on the brownies that were very hard to chew and rough on the inside of my mouth. The brownie was very rich and moist and I had to take some of it home for later.
The ice cream is coconut based and not too coconutty, so you could take the mint and cookie flavors.
Cheesecake- pecan crust- blueberries- beet swirl ice cream
The cake was excellent, creamy, flavorful and not too heavy.
The ice cream was swirled with yellow and red beet and it tasted like beet; a bit off putting, and we ate it all!
I see they have changed the ice-cream on the current menu.
We ate outside, and as much as I enjoyed our meal, the ambience could be improved. Walking into the dining room, the planters need a green hand, and the flowers on the service bar were limp.
Some well placed plantings and/or screens would enhance the view, or they could park some luxury cars out front!
I also find the chairs uncomfortable and the food is worth it!
Native Kitchen
Native is in Swannanoa and deserves a visit if you haven't eaten, drunk or come for the music yet.
Their are many choices for vegetarians and the kitchen does their best to keep things separate.
There is a new chef and I forgot to ask if they fry their animal and veggies separately, so if that matters to you be sure to ask.
Lunch on a week day found myself and a friend on a lovely patio with well tended plantings and shade cloth.
I didn't get a photo, as it started to rain! just as we finished eating.
Must have are the popcorn brussels sprouts.
Just get them!
The black bean burger had me covered with ketchup , mustard and mayo on the side and a crisp lettuce leaf and slice of summer tomato.
The bun was ok if you like white bread.
The fries were a bit of a disappointment.
They used to serve thick, steak cut fries that were golden and crispy on the outside and fluffy with no extra grease on the inside and perfectly seasoned.
These were a bit limp and greasy, especially after the perfection of the brussels sprouts.
Note- both restaurants use the same plates!
My friend throughly enjoyed her roasted veggie sandwich and cleaned her plate including the potato salad side.
She let me have the last sprout as it was my birthday!
Both plates came with a very good pickle- extra points for that!
The chairs are uncomfortable here too, and the table is a funny height for me.
Our server was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive here as well, which brings me to a short rant.
Both restaurants were very empty.
Service was excellent and we left generous tips, and that still won't pay a living wage to the servers, making $3 or so an hour plus tips.
There must be a better way.
If you have any thoughts on this, leave me a comment.
One of my photos has a glass of water which links us to
T Stands for Tuesday.
Do stop by to see what others are eating and drinking around the world.
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