Best of WNC 2008: Eats 2008 | Mountain Xpress

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Intro by Hanna Rachel Raskin in Vol. 15 / Iss. 12 on 10/15/2008

Even in a burgeoning culinary mecca, it's not always easy to start a restaurant. It's an expensive venture, fraught with a whole lot of work and no shortage of risk. It takes experimentation, smarts and a good dose of hope to pull it off -- for any length of time.

But many restaurants somehow figure it out and make good on their promises to serve consistently delicious, sustainable local food for the long haul. Restaurants like Mamacita's, which has single-handedly made downtown-Asheville's southern edge a burrito-lover's Xanadu. Restaurants like The Lobster Trap, where executive chef Tres Hundertmark works with mountain trout as though it were Play-Doh, sculpting it into osso buccos and rib platters.

Those are two among six young restaurants inducted into the Xpress Hall of Fame this year, enshrined by virtue of their winning top honors in a single category for four years running. City Bakery, Wasabi, Rosetta's Kitchen and Sunny Point round out the group, joining perennial winners such as Laughing Seed Café and the Chocolate Fetish in the elite Hall of Famers' club. Maybe getting older isn't such a bad thing, after all.

Barbecue

1. 12 Bones Smokehouse 5 Riverside Drive, Asheville, 253-4499
2. ED Boudreaux's Bayou Bar-B-Que 48 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 253-5812
3. Luella's Barbecue 1950 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 684-2030

Bakery

1. City Bakery Cafe 88 Charlotte St., Asheville, 254-4289 and 60 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-4426
2. West End Bakery & Cafe 757 Haywood Road, Asheville, 252-9378
3. Well-Bred Bakery & Cafe 26 N. Main St., Weaverville, 645-9300

Breakfast

1. Sunny Point Cafe 626 Haywood Road, Asheville, 252-0055
2. Early Girl Eatery 8 Wall St., Asheville, 259-9292
3. Over Easy Cafe 32 Broadway, Asheville, 236-3533

Burger

1. Burgermeister 697 Haywood Road, Asheville, 225-2920
2. Fuddruckers 130 Charlotte St., Asheville, 254-2161
3. Back Yard Burgers 705 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 255-7767

Cheap Lunch

1. Mamacita's 77A Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 255-8080
2. Urban Burrito Various locations (www.urbanburrito.com)
3. Doc Chey's Noodle House 37 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-8220

Chinese

1. Asiana 153 Smokey Park Highway, Asheville, 667-0410 and 1968 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 654-8879
2. China Palace 4 S. Tunnel Road, Asheville, 298-7098 and 1378 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 277-0108
3. Doc Chey's Noodle House 37 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-8220

Coffee/Espresso

1. Dripolator Coffeehouse 144 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-0021 and 221 W. State St., Black Mountain, 669-0999
2. Izzy's Coffee Den 74 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, 258-2004
3. Starbucks Various locations (www.starbucks.com)

Diner/Home-Style

1. Moose Cafe 570 Brevard Road, Asheville, 255-0920
2. Five Points Restaurant 258 Broadway, Asheville, 252-8030
3. Tupelo Honey Cafe 12 College St., Asheville, 255-4863
3. Early Girl Eatery 8 Wall St., Asheville, 259-9292

Favorite Restaurant

1. Mela Indian Restaurant 70 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, 225-8880
2. Laughing Seed Cafe 40 Wall St., Asheville, 252-3445
2. Rezaz Mediterranean Cuisine 28 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 277-1510
2. Tupelo Honey 12 College St., Asheville, 255-4863
3. Salsa Mexican Caribbean Food 6 Patton Ave., Asheville, 252-9805

Fine Dining

1. Rezaz Mediterranean Cuisine 28 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 277-1510
2. Table 48 College St., Asheville, 254-8980
3. Savoy 641 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 253-1077

Greek

1. Apollo Flame Bistro 485 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 274-3582 and 1025 Brevard Road, Asheville, 665-0080
2. Three Brothers Restaurant 183 Haywood St., Asheville, 253-4971
3. Pomodoros Greek & Italian 1070 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 299-3032

Ice Cream

1. Marble Slab Creamery 14 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 225-5579 and 1840 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 277-0575
2. Ultimate Ice Cream Co. 1070 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 296-1234
3. Hop Ice Cream Shop 640 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 252-8362

Indian

1. Mela Indian Restaurant 70 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, 225-8880
2. India Garden 156 S. Tunnel Road, Asheville, 298-5001
3. Jerusalem Garden Cafe 78 Patton Ave., Asheville, 254-0255

Italian

1. Nona Mia Italian Kitchen 807 Patton Ave., Asheville, 505-2029
1. Carrabba's Italian Grill 10 Buckstone Place, Asheville, 281-2300
2. Pomodoros Greek & Italian 1070 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 299-3032
3. Vincenzo's Ristorante & Bistro 10 N. Market St., Asheville, 254-4698

Japanese/Sushi

1. Wasabi 19 Broadway, Asheville, 225-2551
2. Heiwa Shokudo 87 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, 254-7761
3. Ichiban Japanese Restaurant 2 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 252-7885
3. Green Tea Japanese Restaurant 2 Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, 252-8300

Kid-Friendly Restaurant

1. Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company 675 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-1281
2. Chuck E. Cheese 104 River Hills Road, Asheville, 299-3750
3. Mellow Mushroom 50 Broadway, Asheville, 236-9800
3. McDonald's Various locations (www.mcdonalds.com)

Late-night munchies

1. Rosetta's Kitchen 111 Broadway, Asheville, 232-0738
2. Taco Bell Various locations (www.tacobell.com)
3. 51 Grill 51 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 258-1670

Latin American

1. Tomato Cocina Latina 1455 Patton Ave., Asheville, 254-5046
2. Salsa Mexican Caribbean Food 6 Patton Ave., Asheville, 252-9805
3. Papa's and Beer 1000 Brevard Road, Asheville, 665-9070 and 1821 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville, 692-9915

Pizza

1. Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company 675 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-1281 and 77 Coxe Ave., Asheville, 255-4077
2. Marco's Pizza 946 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 285-0709 and 1854 Hendersonville Road, 277-0004
3. Mellow Mushroom 50 Broadway, Asheville, 236-9800

Restaurant still needed in Asheville

1. Ethiopian
2. Vietnamese
3. Jewish-style Deli
3. More Chinese

Seafood

1. The Lobster Trap 35 Patton Ave., Asheville, 350-0505
2. Bonefish Grill 105 River Hills Road, Asheville, 298-6530
3. Red Lobster Various locations (www.redlobster.com)

Sub Shop/Sandwiches

1. Jersey Mike's Subs Various locations (www.jerseymikes.com)
2. Two Guys Original Olde Style Hoagies 132 Charlotte St., Asheville, 254-9955
3. Subway Various locations (www.subway.com)

Sunday Brunch

1. Sunny Point Cafe 626 Haywood Road, Asheville, 252-0055
2. Early Girl Eatery 8 Wall St., Asheville, 259-9292
3. Tupelo Honey Cafe 12 College St., Asheville, 255-4863

Sweets

1. Chocolate Fetish 36 Haywood St., Asheville, 258-2353
2. French Broad Chocolate Lounge 10 S. Lexington Ave., Asheville, 252-4181
3. Old Europe 41 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, 252-0001

Takeout

1. Doc Chey's Noodle House 37 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-8220
2. Asian on the Go 1143 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 299-8282
2. Thai Cuisine Express 1438 Patton Ave., Asheville, 225-6082
3. Greenlife Grocery 70 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-5440

Thai

1. Thai Basil Restaurant 1 Page Ave., Suite 151, Asheville, 258-0036
2. Noi's Thai Kitchen 535 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 251-1960
3. Doc Chey's Noodle House 37 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-8220

Vegetarian

1. Laughing Seed Cafe 40 Wall St., Asheville, 252-3445
2. Rosetta's Kitchen 111 Broadway, Asheville, 232-0738
3. Early Girl Eatery 8 Wall St., Asheville, 259-9292

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