Stoney Knob Cafe, Weaverville

Note: Although this review was written by me (Sweet Tooth), Fat Kat, Carb Boy, and Zippy Spice were also there. I just have the time to write these things, so that's why nearly all the reviews have my name on them! :)

Anyway, the four of us had been looking forward to trying Stony Knob Cafe (www.stoneyknobcafe.com) for a few weeks. Folks on the South region of Chowhound (www.chowhound.com) have been singing its praises for quite some time; but because it's north of Asheville, I sort of put it on the back burner. It just always seems easier to stop at Asheville where there are several great choices. Lately though, we have been actively seeking out more mid-priced places that are easier on the wallet, but still have great food and cool atmosphere. Sooo that, plus the fact that Stoney Knob had recently changed up their menu, prompted us to go. Boy are we glad we did! I will say upfront that we all thought it was fabulous! The food was fantastic (an overall Greek slant, but many other domestic and international options), the decor was positively funkalicious (look in the dictionary right next to funkadelic), and the service was great!

For various reasons, we opted to go on a Saturday night. The traffic gods were were smiling down on us as it only took 35 minutes to get there, exactly as Google maps professed it would. I had called ahead and made a reservation for 7:00pm. Probably not necessary, but made me feel better. I requested that we sit in the "Red Room" which is a very cool newly designed space to the left of the main dining area (you can see it on their website). It has, surprise, red walls and lots of funky features like colored tulip lights, lava lamps, a gorgeous little bar, a fireplace with a couple of comfy chairs, and just an overall dark, sort of sexy look. Unfortunately, they sat us next to the large front window. Normally, you would think that would be prime real estate, but this window just overlooks the parking lot where, had the window been open, we could've touched our car parked outside. Not sexy. So, really the ONLY suggestion for improvement we had would be to put up a something like a shoji screen or window treatment that would block the less-than-picturesque view of the parking lot and rather industrial looking background. Also, Carb Boy thought tablecloths would be a nice touch.

But, enough about decor - on to the food. The menu online is their old one, but it will still give you an idea of the types of dishes that they serve and price ranges. The new menu also divides the entrees up by cuisine types (Greek, Asian, Latin, Italian, American, and chops). Prices for entrees generally run $12 - $18, with most of the chops section and the Burgundy Tenderloin running into the mid $20s. They also offer several appetizers, salads, and some wraps if you're in the mood for something light. We weren't!

They brought out a nice basket of bread which was warm and delicious. For an appetizer, we shared the Greek Sampler ($9), which was big enough for everyone to have a taste. Tyropita (2), Spanakopita (2), Hummus, Pita Bread, Greek Olives, Tzatziki Sauce, and Zucchini Fritters. They were all excellent.

Their wine and beer selection was more than enough for us. In fact, they had some very different and interesting beer choices including some high gravity, which was a nice surprise. Fat Kat, Carb Boy, and Zippy Spice all happily indulged. The list has changed somewhat from what's posted online, but many are the same.

We all skipped a salad and went straight to entrees. Fat Kat ordered the Kobe Beef Burger ($13) which had Havarti cheese, honey bacon, fried onions (although Fat Kat did not find any on his), tomato, romaine, a horseradish aioli sauce and came with French fries. Because he missed the part about the fries coming with the burger, he ordered a side of sweet potato fries ($3.50). We ended up with enough fries to feed a small country. The sweet potato fries were especially good - thinly cut and seasoned perfectly. Fat Kat said the burger was excellent although admitted that he'd be hard-pressed to pick it out in a line up with other high quality "regular beef" burgers. It was huge though and thus, he had to beg off for dessert.

I ordered the Pollo Gorgonzola ($16 and is shown on the old menu too), which I was disappointed to learn no longer comes with gnocchi. It now comes with penne. Apparently, there are not nearly as many gnocchi fans out there as there are pasta fans, hence their decision to change. I was pleasantly surprised that the penne worked just fine - was delicious in fact. The dish has (besides chicken and penne) spinach, pine nuts and a sun-dried tomato gorgonzola cream sauce. Not a fan of the nut, I requested those be left off, which they were. I have to say, this dish was SOOOO good!! It really contains many of my favorite food groups... I ate half and had the second half boxed up.

Carb Boy got the Moussaka ($16). If you're not familiar with it, it is layered eggplant with seasoned beef, red wine, herbs, and a Bechamel sauce (a very generous layer of Bechamel sauce!). I had a bite and it was delicious, but neither Carb Boy nor I are experts on Greek cuisine, so I will not comment on authenticity. All we know is that it tasted really good! It came with a side of bread. It also was a generous serving, but Carb Boy was feeling generous and finished it off!

Zippy Spice had a tough time deciding on her entree (as did we all!). She is generally not a huge fish fan, but loves tuna with sushi. So, she debated between some meat items and taking a chance on their Seared Tokyo Tuna ($18). Finally, she and I hammered out a deal. I ordered the chicken and she ordered the tuna. I told her that if for some reason she didn't like it, we would swap entrees (I know I like tuna). When the tuna came and she took a bite, I knew there would be NO swapping! She loved it. We all tried a bite and we ALL loved it. The tuna was yellow fin sashimi grade and came seared with a sesame seed crust and curried cream sauce, served with fried spinach and asian rice. It was fabulous! She ordered it rare and it was cooked perfectly. Although all of our entrees were delicious, hers was the star of the evening.

After working through our entrees and drinks, we discussed dessert. Zippy is not a big dessert eater and Fat Kat was too full. "No room for dessert" is rarely in my vocabulary, so Carb Boy and I debated and settled on two desserts to try. He ordered the Chocolate Spoon Cake and I ordered the Chocolate Mousse, which was rumored to be excellent. We also made a tentative verbal agreement between us to trade bites. In the words of Friends, "Joey doesn't share" (for us, that applies most definitely to desserts!), but we did agree to "trade". To give up some dessert, I must get some back in return! In a nutshell, both were very good. My mousse was dark and chocolatey. The spoon cake, while good, threw me a bit. Apparently, I don't know what spoon cake is. I envisioned a very pudding-y gooey cake, but what arrived was simply chocolate cake. Very good cake, but simply a layer cake, nonetheless. I must do research.

So, we left Stoney Knob vowing to return. It was definitely worth the moderate trek from "south of the city". According to their website, they have a great outdoor patio/music scene in the summertime. In fact, I can't wait for warmer weather to try the patios of several restaurants! The loss of a half fork was simply for the unattractive parking lot view and the fact that the main dining area did not seem as warm and cozy as the sexy Red Room. So, go for great food and service and just request the Red Room - away from the window!

Stoney Knob Cafe
337 Merrimon Ave.
Weaverville, NC
828-645-3309

Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 11:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 9:30pm
Sunday Brunch: 9:30am - 3:00pm
Closed Mondays