Graham and Alexis introduced me to a wonderful, old-style steak restaurant in San Carlos, the Iron Gate. Its roots go back both to fine Continental dining and an earlier, less hectic California.
The meal started, of course, with excellent bread.
Our appetizers were classic: oysters rockefeller, escargot, and stuffed zucchini florets. My florets were rich with seafood and a great blend of textures.
A quick palate cleansing prepared us for the main course.
Alexis and I both ordered flamed steaks, which brought out the flambe table. The show was spectacular and our server very charming.
My steak au poivre was superb. The flamed sauce was smooth, meaty, and creamy, with a touch of pepper.
We ended with souffles. My chocolate version was perfectly executed and downright decadent. The chocolate sauce was smooth and rich, perfectly complementing the souffle interior.
Luella's is a nouvelle BBQ outfit on the north side of Asheville. It is nestled among the trees in a lovely neighborhood. The restaurant has lots of windows for inside seating and plenty of outside seating. Service was courteous and amazingly fast. This is a combination plate with pork and brisket. Both were very moist and tender. For the pork, I tried both the mild and hot vinegar sauces. To my surprise, I preferred the milder one because it didn't assert itself too much. I enjoyed the spicy tomato sauce for my brisket. The hushpuppies were very good. The fried okra was fresh out of the fryer and excellent. The slaw was of the vinegary variety, which I usually enjoy, but this version is heavy on the white stuff and didn't have quite enough variety in tastes for me.









Comments
Post a Comment