Owner Gabriel Attala has done it again, opening his third restaurant, The Ambassador Steakhouse at 175 King Street, Lumberyard District, Brevard. He first opened The Bohemian, 192 W Main St, Brevard. Then Le Parisien, 62 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, taking over the space formerly occupied by Bouchon.
Normally I’ll give a new restaurant at least a month before going for a meal, but I’d been hearing good things about The Ambassador. So even they’d only been open a week, we went for dinner.
As soon as we walked in the door, it was obvious something was different from Vescovo’s layout. There was a host stand and it was in a strange place. That’s because Attala incorporated the space next door that had been used by Farmhouse Foliage, and turned it into the warmest, romantic dining room I’ve seen in quite a while.
Given it had been just a week since opening, I didn’t expect perfection. There were a few glitches which I have confidence will be ironed out quickly.
NOTES:
- Peach and Honey Old Fashioned – still an Old Fashioned, but with just enough peach and honey simple syrup and plenty of bourbon. If you’re familiar with The Bohemian’s bartender Oatmeal, he’s standing in at The Ambassador, getting the bar program up and running to high standards.
- Shrimp Scampi – large shrimp cooked perfectly and very flavorful.
- 8oz Filet (not Prime) – ordered medium-rare, very tender.
- Bearnaise Sauce – something obviously went wrong. It was way too thick, but still delicious.
- White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake – I was surprised to learn it was made in-house. whoever their baker is, they deserve a big high five. DELICIOUS!
- HEADS UP – the “Fuji Apple Salad” did not have any apple in it at all. A runner (or similar) told us the menu should have said Fuji Apple Dressing.
- Our server was awesome.
- See Drink and Food Menus here.
The kitchen is still finding their footing. At one week, food was taking an average of 40 minutes to come out of the kitchen, but we didn’t mind the wait. I’m sure that time is going to improve as quickly as possible without compromising quality.
It feels like good people are involved in this one. Bottom line, GO and welcome Attala’s latest venture, The Ambassador. It’s sure to be a success.
The Ambassador
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175 King Street
Lumberyard District
Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 966-9400
