Chimney Rock – Carpe diem! Dinner at The Esmeralda Inn (https://theesmeralda.com/) with fellow food writer and friend, Cecilia Moreno (Food Diary of a City Girl)? A no-brainer if ever there was one.

Since my re-introduction to The Esmeralda during Hendersonville Restaurant Week this past March, I’ve been wanting to go for a meal. Their dining room is cozy. It could even be called romantic. But I was hoping the weather would be nice enough for dining al fresco on their wonderful deck.

What better way to peruse the menu than over cocktails! In honor of one of my sisters, a complete lemon freak, I ordered a Lavender Lemon Drop (left). You can choose vodka or gin (I went with vodka), with lavender syrup and fresh squeezed lemon juice. I do lean toward sweeter cocktails, as opposed to tart, and this one was right up my alley.

Cecilia decided this was as good a time as any to try her very first Classic Old Fashioned. It’s described on the menu as made with Jim Beam, Angostura Bitters, Regans#6 (orange bitters), Simple Syrup, Orange, and Lemon Peel.

I was a little concerned about having to shoo insect annoyers away. No need. It might not be this way all the time, but we were essentially insect-free throughout our meal.

There’s a beautifully subtle waterfall with a stream effect on one side of the deck and the view from pretty much every table just can’t be beat!

My Caesar Salad ($7), topped with a Parmesan Crisp, was as good as any I’ve had.

But the most photogenic salad award goes to Cecilia’s Chimney Rock Iceberg ($8) salad. Not only beautiful, the flavor and texture combinations of crisp baby iceberg lettuce, heirloom grape tomatoes, red onion confit, Applewood smoked bacon, house-made buttermilk blue cheese dressing, and croutons were lovely.

Talk about seriously good entrées. Really. Regular readers know I’m a sucker for a good Filet Mignon. It’s my go to, especially when I have confidence in the kitchen. This 7oz beauty (Angus Filet Mignon $32) was cooked just as requested – medium rare – with a perfect sear. Crispy horseradish potato rosti and perfectly grilled asparagus framed the steak that was resting on a scrumptious Dijon-shallot cream sauce and had been topped with bacon-onion jam.

One of this evening’s specials was a Surf and Turf ($40) that added a luscious crab cake made with NC-sourced crab to the Filet entrée. If you’re a crab lover like me, you’ll be happy that this cake has very little filler.

Dessert? Why yes we will. We ordered both desserts offered this evening with sharing in mind: a Chocolate and Pecan Torte and . . . 

. . . a classic Crème Brûlée. I can’t think of one negative thing to say about either. Both were portioned nicely. Not too little. Not too much. Especially after a big meal. The Torte structure happily surprised us both with the crunchy layer of pecans and caramel. It was nice to have the whipped creme quenelle on top to cut some of the very rich chocolate every few bites.

As for the Crème Brûlée, do not hesitate. Order it. It’s the perfect way to end a meal. We both thought the flavor was exceptional. Cecilia followed up with Chef Keith Chinn, asking what ingredients were used. And what do you know? When it’s good, vanilla is very good!

I’d like to give a shout out to our server, Chris. He was exceptional, anticipating our needs, attentive without hovering. Kudos to you, Chris!

Epicurean Notes:

• None of the tables we observed were rushed through their meal. This is a relaxed dining experience to savor as you enjoy your dinner companions and the view.
• As I write this review, The Esmeralda Inn is under mandatory evacuation due to road closures and outages. A large tree came down, along with a mud slide just beyond their driveway during recent WNC heavy rains and flooding. My heart goes out to everyone in our area affected by terrible weather and flooding.
• Although I fully expected to pay for my meal, the folks at The Esmeralda generously covered it. Thank you very much!

The Esmeralda Inn & Restaurant (https://theesmeralda.com/)
910 Main Street
Chimney Rock, NC 28720
Phone: (828) 625-2999
Toll-Free: (888) 897-2999

Asheville – Hey guys! Quick one here about a new Asheville find you’ll want to know about: The Waterbird (https://www.thewaterbirdasheville.com/), located at 197 Charlotte Street, sharing a building with Ultimate Ice Cream.

Coffee Shop by day, Cocktail/Wine Bar by night, it’s a place for community to gather, work, and/or relax. 

It’s light, airy, and beautiful inside! Just look at this bar set up. Note the fresh fruit stacked under the left-hand hanging shelves. Those are used for zesting and juicing.

“We thoughtfully create all syrups, tonics, sodas, teas, & mixers in house. All juices are squeezed & pressed in house. Taste the love.”

And don’t even get me started on the loungy seating area. The only problem is that there aren’t more seats. Blue can be considered “cool” or “warm”, depending on the hue. This back corner seating area definitely feels warm and welcoming.

Small-scale, but with enough variety Breakfast, Lunch, and Late Night menus are available. See all menus here.

My friend Marilyn and I met up at Waterbird for lunch last week. We’re both suckers for deviled eggs, so couldn’t pass up sharing this Deviled Egg Flight ($5) of Traditional, Pickled Beet, Wasabi, and Smoked Trout. And of course, I had to do my latte test. Passed!

Our favorites were the Traditional, Pickled Beet, Wasabi, and Smoked Trout. Never mind.

Marilyn had the Cheese Board ($14). SO understated on the menu: “Rotating Cheeses, Roots & Branches Crackers, Accouterments. Really people. Look at that spread! By the way, that’s house-made, beautifully reduced fruit jam front left. 

What better to have with that Cheese Board than a Vodka Highball ($10) made with Vodka, Yellow Chartreuse, and Rosemary Thyme Shrub. Not sure how I feel about describing a cocktail as having a shrub in it, but it was pretty tasty.

My Roast Beef Sandwich ($10.50) was delicious. I paid attention to the meat, in particular. The flavor and doneness were perfect, but was it hard to bite through easily? Was there any gristle? No to both. Without opening the sandwich up to actually check, the meat seemed semi-chipped.

Beyond the Roast Beef, spreading the Multigrain toast with Whipped Horseradish Goat Cheese was inspired. Especially when you consider the layers of pickle slices and lettuce. I chose their flavorful (with a slight kick) Mac & Cheese for my side. 

I already told you about the Cheese Board, so focus on the Pear, Ginger, Cardamom Soda ($6). It’s non-alcoholic and listed under “Elixers” on the menu. Really good! Pace yourself. It was all I could do to not down this baby in one go.

There’s a fairly good-sized parking lot which had plenty of space when we were there, but might get crowed once word really gets out about Waterbird.

The Waterbird is definitely Epicurean recommended. Get yourself there as soon as you can!

P.S. Their Grand Opening is Saturday, May 26th. They’re offering “drink & food specials in addition to some fun activities.”

The Waterbird (https://www.thewaterbirdasheville.com/)
197 Charlotte St
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 552-3662

Asheville – “Easygoing edgy” is how I think about AUX Bar  (https://www.auxbar.com/), Asheville’s latest food & drink joint. Why? Because in my head that oxymoron goes to the heart of Aux Bar and its ownership.

Chefs Mike Moore and Steven Goff are both pretty chill guys. At the same time, they’re guys who lean toward edgy and pushing creative boundaries. Wives Darlene Moore and Samantha Goff are co-owners. I don’t know too much about “Sam”, but Darlene is an incredibly gifted graphic artist. She designed this AUX Bar logo:

Moore and Goff are well known in Asheville and beyond. They both have a history of successes and are loved and embraced by locals. A partnership between the two of them and their wives sure seems like the perfect storm.

Moore previously owned Seven Sows Bourbon and Larder. The food was amazing, but not “safe” enough for the average diner, IMO. He, along with Darlene, also founded Blind Pig Supper Club, tag-lined “creative cuisine – bridging community”. Each dinner benefits a local or national charity.

“We produce events which impact local community in more ways than one. We are also a unique fundraising organization and community building catalyst established through a network of chefs and volunteers. The Blind Pig Supper Club offers personalized catering services, pop ups and concept driven charity fundraising events working with local and national charitable organizations.” ~ Blind Pig Supper Club

Goff has led a pretty edgy life, so it’s impressive that he’s as chill as he is. I think fate played a part in his landing in Asheville Buncombe Technical College’s (AB Tech) culinary program. It’s where he met his wife, Sam, and eventually did a stint as an instructor. My take is that he was born to work with food. He’s best known in Asheville as co-owner/chef of King James Public House.

When King James closed (there’s a story there, but I won’t go into it here), he and Sam headed to Raleigh where he worked as a butcher at Standard Foods with well known executive chef Scott Crawford. When Standard Foods closed, the Goffs launched Brine Haus Meat + Provisions Food Truck after totally tricking it out.

Now the Goffs are back in Asheville with their truck and partnered with the Moores at AUX Bar. Here’s hoping they’ll both be creating wonderful food together for a long time!

The Food
AUX is billed as Modern-American. Think of it as taking Southern, as good or better than you’ve had (Fried Chicken, Country Ham, Vinegar Pie), throw in a few not-so-Southern (Baba Ganoush, Smoked Pork Curry Poutine, Tempeh) and you get creative, yet constructed with purpose dishes.

Not sure where Goff got the fermentation bug, but it’s his thing. He might have some other “things”, but when I think of Steven, I think “king of fermentation”. Watch for his creations on AUX’s menu like Pickled Bar Eggs in three flavors and California Frites. And he’s known for adding his pickled garlic juice to whatever he can.

AUX also does their share of smoking, pickling and preserving.

The Drinks
The bar program at AUX is pretty killer. Of course they have all the usual suspects: beer (local and others), wine, and well drinks. BUT their Bar Manager, Jennifer Gordon, who is also Event Beverage Specialist and Sommelier at The Blind Pig Supper Club, does a fantastic job creating specialty cocktails. Keep reading to see which one I chose.

The Space
Not a huge space inside, the bar area draws your eye the minute you walk in. I love the red lighting! The picture above just doesn’t do it justice.

That said, there is the almost obligatory glass garage door that opens in good weather onto one of the best patios in Asheville. It’s covered, has plenty of seating, it’s pretty, it’s great for people-watching as they pass on Lexington, AND coming this summer – a wood-fired grill and special Wood Fired Patio Menu! I can’t wait! There’s a peek at the patio in the gallery at the end of this article.

Our Dinner
The boys each had local brew. Love that they’re using Blind Pig glasses. Not a bad way to advertise, either.

I went for one of their specialty cocktails. Fairytale in the Supermarket ($10) is made with Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, Frangelico, Carrot Juice, Peppered Honey, Lemon, Devil’s Food Fuego, and Ginger Beer. You all know I love Ginger Beer, right? Well this was a delicious way to incorporate it into a cocktail! The name’s a bit silly, but creative!

Again, the boys stuck together, both ordereding Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($18). A classic served a little differently – in a bowl with Brown Gravy on (very) Whipped Taters and Fried Herbs under the superb fried chicken.

I wasn’t too hungry, so ordered a “single” Animal House Burger ($8, Double $12). Take a patty of Fresh Brasstown Ground Beef and top it with American Cheese (Cheddar not available this evening) lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and special sauce. It’s cooked to order and served with Hand Cut Fries.

Next time I’m going to get the Smoked Pork Shoulder ($15) with Carolina Rice Porridge, Wild Mushrooms, Smoked Jus, Soft Egg, and Cracklings. OMG, I really wanted to get this Small Plate, but opted for the Burger from “The Hits” menu.

All images below are credited to Sabrina Kolton Photography.

When you go, plan some time for street parking, or opt for one of the nearby city garages. I usually go right to the Rankin Garage and walk the two blocks.

*This is a long post, but I wanted to express fully how special these folks are. 

AUX Bar (https://www.auxbar.com/)
68 N Lexington Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 575-2723