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Asheville NC: Buxton Hall

Buxton Hall is in the uber-hip South Slope neighborhood of Asheville; I half expected to see an M line subway stop next door. As you can see, the space is very large, as befits a former roller skating rink. The service is extremely gracious and courteous. They also do a good job of clearing tables as people leave to make room for the long lines of patrons.

The main dishes are pulled pork, chicken (BBQ or fried), and the ribs. I wanted to gnaw on some bones so I ordered the ribs. The meat has a nice smoky flavor. The texture is definitely toothy. Overall, I found it to be a bit of a dog whistle experience. I consider BBQ to be a visceral pleasure. These ribs, superbly prepared as they were, still registered as a cerebral pleasure. I loved both the vegetables. The greens were flavorful without being overpowering. The root vegetables were largely sweet potato, perhaps some other things, and covered with a great peppery gravy.

The baked goods are superb. This is my strawberry pie. Being strawberry season, I couldn't pass this up and I was very pleased. The sweetness and tartness of the strawberries came through perfectly; the pie wasn't over-sweetened. The real whipped cream on top was also appropriately sweetened and very rich. All the desserts, on display on the way in, looked superb.

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