Curate, Asheville NC

Curate

Lardo and Paprika Crostini

Brandade

Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Chicken Croquettes

Eggplant with Local Honey and Rosemary

Pistachio Cake with Blueberry, Lemon Thyme Ice Cream

Were it not for GQ I’d have never guessed that there was a young American woman turning out impeccable authentic Spanish tapas in Asheville North Carolina but having read the article and investigating a little further her small restaurant, Curate, immediately climbed to the top of my ‘must visit’ list – and really, to those who don’t know the story I’d strongly suggest checking out the “About” section on the restaurant’s website. A family run affair with ties to both Jose Andres and the team at El Bulli the layout of Curate is rather simple with a large marble bar lining the open kitchen up front and a small, heavily wooded seating area in back – my lunch taking place at the former by choice so that I could watch Chef Button and her team work first hand on a collection of thirty or so plates as the restaurant slowly filled to capacity. A lively space, with excellent service my meal consisted of a half dozen items and beginning with eight pieces of crispy bread draped with lardo onward to supple pork meatballs in spicy tomato sauce and then transitioning to some of the most creamy brandade I’ve ever experienced the meal was largely excellent, only the oily overly salted croquettes anything less than I’d have expected given the chef’s pedigree – a small aberration I was happy to forgive moments later when crispy, thin eggplant drizzled in honey arrived followed by a light sponge of pistachio topped with whole pistachios, a dense cake of the same, and local blueberries both raw and cooked all brought to a bright, herbal exclamation point by Lemon-Thyme ice cream.

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