Hey AVL, Audra here. Get ready for your palate to be virtually pleased in this email. Last Friday Asheville welcomed Noble Cider’s new bar + bistro, The Greenhouse. Located at 49 Rankin Ave. (across from the Civic Center garage), this restaurant features specialty cider cocktails, Noble products on tap, a Michelin-Inspired dining experience, local ingredients, all in a beautiful tropical garden room with a mid-century aesthetic.
Head Chef Gavin Baker and his core team are preparing a Michelin-inspired cuisine with “a range of global flavors made from locally purveyed ingredients prepared to the highest level of cookery and techniques.” And, man, oh man it is good.
I was able to give The Greenhouse a taste last week, and have put together the 411 for y’all. For starters, the atmosphere is light, open + welcoming. The decor is literally my dream apartment – plants, vintage accents, and rose pink + earthy green. Their menu offers a great range for diners with a variety of dietary restrictions + preferences. In this tasting, I chose the fish + vegetarian options.
From four different cocktails, crab toast, a whole head of cauliflower, two desserts + more. Keep reading for my experience at The Greenhouse + plan your visit asap.
The menu is broken down into five main sections – Small Plates, Slightly Larger, Platters, Sides + Desserts. And, of course the cocktail menu is vast, with many wonderful options. The order began with cocktails – a Choose Your Words Carefully (H&H gin, Blue Bard, lavender syrup, dry cava, lemon) and Midnight Rambler 12 (Noble whiskey blend, Golden Arrow, honey + ginger syrup, lemon).
The first of the Small Plates course arrived with the Wheat Gnocchi (fried Brussels sprouts, Chinese BBQ glaze), followed by the Crab Toast (Wonder Bread tuile, larp lump lacquer, black meat tropicale), and Native 25 (a variety of things sourced within 25 miles from Asheville).
Next, we enjoyed a Slightly Larger plate of the Barbecued Sturgeon Chops (Bone-In Marshallberg Farms Osetra Males, smoked fruit BBQ, Kabocha puree, fried shallots).
The Platter of Whole Cauliflower Royale w/ Cheese (kale + roasted garlic, cheddar custard, goat cheese crust, hazelnut “parmesan”) came out beautifully plated. No joke, I am still dreaming about that cauli.
Last but certainly not least came final cocktails and dessert. We had The Knowledge (Laird’s apple brandy, rare Amontillado sherry, dry sake Standard Bearer, apple shrub) and an Afternoon Delight 12 (Noble rum blend, duo of Spice Merchant, lime). For dessert, we dipped into a Chocolate Treacle Tart (warmed vegetarian suet pastry, charcoal salt + pecan crumble, lime whip) and a Rhubarb & Strawberry Pavlova (GF, cucumber + yuzu, coconut meringue, mascarpone cheese).
Okay, you can wipe the drool off your chin. So, if you’re ready to give The Greenhouse a go for yourself their hours are Tues., Wed. + Thurs. 12-10 p.m., and Fri. + Sat. 12-11 p.m. Bonus: A Sunday Brunch is coming soon. And to plan accordingly, check out their full menu here.
