Fig Bistro

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We had a wonderful weekend in Asheville, North Carolina visiting with my cousin Suzanne and her husband Steve who flew in from the Detroit area. My husband and I drove down from Fredericksburg and the four of us went shopping and site seeing, and we talked, and talked, and talked some more. It was a lovely time and I can’t wait for the next long weekend together.

There was another activity we all willingly participated in. We ate wonderful food in wonderful restaurants. Needless to say I didn’t cook this past weekend. So although I don’t have recipes to share, I do have pictures of the yummy, pretty food we ate.

The first restaurant we visited is rated No. 1 on Trip Advisor with 111 reviews. It almost sounded to good to be true so we had to visit Fig Bistro. What a great experience all the way around. We called on Friday and requested reservations for Saturday night. Fig Bistro was booked (because of the Valentine’s weekend thing) but did offer to put us on a cancellation list. They noticed we could be accommodated at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and booked the table of four. They were very nice and helpful and took our number in case an earlier time became available.

We discussed the late dinner plans and decided to see if they had Friday night available. They did and we reserved our table for 7:30 p.m. After a little shopping downtown we decided to head that way and ended up being 45 minutes early. They were so nice and didn’t seem to care at all that we were crashing our dinner reservation. The restaurant was not full so they took us right to our table.

The menu looked great, our waitress Amy was very helpful, so we got started! Since we were within a few blocks of the entrance to the Biltmore, we ordered Biltmore wine to start.

We decided to split a plate of deviled eggs as an appetiser. The eggs had a little horseradish or Dijon mustard that gave them a little attitude. My husband said they were creamy and fluffy, not pasty like some picnic deviled eggs. We all loved them and they quickly disappeared.

I started with the Arugula salad with coppa secca (dry cured pork shoulder butt with special seasonings), balsamic glazed figs, goat cheese and walnuts. I almost feel bad saying that this was my favorite dish! I love salads, but the figs, goat cheese and walnuts made this so much more than just a salad. The small thinly sliced coppa secca added a fantastic flavor. Yummy to the very last bite.

My husband ordered the special – lamb tongue salad.

The tongue was mixed with beets and mango.

My husband said it was very mild and surprisingly good.

Steve ordered the P.E.I. Mussels with spiced chipotle broth and grilled bread.

I didn’t try the mussels but dipped a small piece of bread in the broth.

It had a mild spicy flavor that I really liked. Steve seemed to enjoy them.

Cousin Suzanne and I ordered the Fish of the Day – Spanish Mackerel.

The fish was moist and not overcooked even though the top had a nice crispy crust. It was served on cabbage and potatoes with a fantastic homemade tartar sauce. Amy, our waitress, was right. Chef Klein has a way with the sauce!

Steve ordered the Lamb sausage with french green lentils, piperade (French pepper sauce?), and crouton. Since I sat across from Steve, it was pretty easy to steal a taste here and there. I tried the lamb sausage and thought it was terrific. He seemed to like it too because it was gone.

My husband ordered the Pork Loin, with braised red cabbage, grits, and black pepper apple jus.

I sat next to my husband so I got to taste his too!

My traveling husband said the red cabbage was phenomenal!

He said it was all good but LOVED the cabbage.

Yes, I had dessert. It was chocolate. Oh … was it chocolate.

I ordered the Pots De Creme. If only I could make this! The cookie was light and melted in my mouth. The chocolate cream was terrific. Just beautifully pure and creamy. Seriously one of my favorite things!

I’m starting to drool thinking about it. Uhhhm, can you tell I like desserts?

My husband ordered the Apple Tart with caramel sauce and coconut sorbet.

He liked it but said my apple pie is better – awww, how sweet.

The coconut sorbet was a little light for his taste.

Suzanne and Steve split the Bread Pudding with caramel sauce, and creme anglaise.

Lovely presentation but it disappeared. They loved it.

Who doesn’t love bread pudding?

Would we go back again? I think we would drive out of our way to go again! Very nice evening in a lovely little restaurant. The owner stopped by and joked with me that I wasn’t allow to take pictures of their food. He said he was just kidding. I thought oh well, it’s a little late at this point! I had already taken almost all of the above. My husband took some time to talk with Treavis Taylor who wears many hats at Fig Bistro as Owner/Wine Manager/Maitre d’. They were all great and we appreciate the wonderful food, and fun evening.

Check out their website – and make reservations next time you’re in Asheville. It’s worth the trip.

Fig Bistro

“Fresh, Local, Quality.

Fig’s commitment to quality and excellence is readily apparent in the seasonal masterpieces created by French-trained Chef William Klein. As staunch supporters of local, organic, and sustainable agriculture, we are continually developing relationships with Western North Carolina farmers. This insures that we have access the freshest and finest ingredients available.”

Please check back tomorrow and I’ll post our Biltmore adventure.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia