Asheville and Burnsville
I spent the Labor Day weekend on a “girls trip” to the mountains with a couple of former co-workers. Our home base was in Burnsville, a tiny town about 25 minutes north of Asheville. I wasn’t expecting much in the way of neighborhood amenities (or vegetarian cuisine), but I was pleasantly surprised by the row of interesting shops along the short Main Street. I was even more impressed by the fact that Appalachian Java, the coffee shop where we ate lunch one day, was nicely vegetarian-friendly—definitely moreso than I was expecting. I had a hot vegetarian pita with a side of a truly yummy pasta salad. There was also a cold vegetarian wrap, plus homemade pastries and any kind of coffee beverage you could dream up. If I lived in Burnsville, I would hang out there often.
We took advantage of the proximity to Asheville to drive into town often. Of course we ate at the Laughing Seed (I had the pasta of the day this time, with a garlic-lemon sauce, which was fabulous), but we also ate at a wonderful place I hadn’t been before: Ophelia’s.
Like most Asheville restaurants, Ophelia’s is vegetarian friendly. Taking that even a step further, the menu lists which items are vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free, and which have the option of being prepared that way—now that’s helping out the customer! Everything we had was delicious, well-seasoned and well-cooked. It was unfortunate that the restaurant had only a few customers that day, but perhaps that was due largely to being a Sunday on Labor Day weekend. It certainly deserves to be more crowded!
Here are a few vegetarian items from the menu (I dare your mouth not to water): Tuscan Bean Soup With Grilled Fennel; Grilled S.C. Peach and Local Shitake Salad; Mango and Papaya Cold Vietnamese Spring Rolls; Roasted Eggplant, Portobella Mushroom & Pesto Quesadilla; Local Shitake & Tempeh Crepes; and Chana Masala. Side dishes are also well beyond the run-of-the-mill suspects, with such items as sweet potato bread pudding, roasted summer corn risotto and sauteed local swiss chard.
Ophelia’s doesn’t appear to have a Web site, but it’s at 15 Eagle Street, off Biltmore Avenue just south of Pack Square. Appetizers and salads run from $4 to $10, entrees from $10 to $22. I heartily recommend checking it out if you’re in Asheville (it’s closed on Mondays). I know I’ll be going back next time I’m in town—there are still so many items I want to try!
