Vinnie’s
Neighborhood Italian
641 Merrimon Avenue
Asheville, NC 28804
828.253.1077
OK, so you may not want to drive the 8 hours to Asheville, North Carolina just for the Antipasti alone but you could take in a side trip to the 230 room Biltmore Estate while there if it would make you feel the trip was more worthwhile.
Asheville is a happening place and town full of fiercely independent restaurants and art / craft galleries. With well over 100 downtown great eateries and many more on the periphery I counted a total of three franchise restaurants – a Bojangles, Hardees, and a McDonalds and you would never know the latter two from the low key signage compared to what they exhibit elsewhere (it’s also the only McDonalds I have ever seen a real grand piano in). You may be in the South but you’ll swear you are in Seattle or Vancouver or even Montreal for the nightlife scene and mix of redneccks, grunge, wealthy touristas, and lost souls. It’s a place where you can get an artsy draft beer for $9 or a 16 oz. tall boy can of PBJ anywhere for $3 (that’s Pabst Blue Ribbon y’all and why it is king in Asheville I don’t know … yet)
So after two nights of swank fois gras, elk tenderloin, and sweetbreads at some very nice 5 star restaurants we were ready for a real Italian meal and casual dining. Thank heavens we chose to cross town to stumble upon Vinnie’s on Merrimon Avenue. It’s the real deal for real Italian food. Not fancy but a very friendly place with a menu that just won’t quit with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin singing in the background. If I lived in Asheville I’d be there at least once a week and never get bored with the great regular selections and specials.
They start you with some nice fresh bread and an infused olive oil and some balsamic vinegar for dipping. From a large selection of reasonably priced wines I chose a Montepulciano for our meal and the wonderful Antipasti di Famiglia appetizer. Fortunately, Debbie does not enjoy many of the pickled delights on the Antipasti, leaving them for me and they are so many I have to list them: 3 meats, Sopressata, mortadella, & genoa salami. There is romano, and provolone cheese; cherry peppers, huge marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, assorted olives, and pepper berries. Itsa masterpiece!
Not expecting such a large Antipasti, I had also ordered a bowl of Pasta Fazool. I couldn’t do it justice and still eat my entrée as well but the wonderful combination of pasta, sausage and beans was very flavorful and on another day would make a stand alone appetizer or even lunch of its own.
For our dinner entrees we chose the Veal Parmigiana and Veal Piccata. The Parmigiana was a large serving with a marinara sauce over spaghetti done perfectly. The Picatta was in a light olive oil and lemon caper butter sauce with the pasta in the same sauce along with a serving of sautéed spinach. A few more capers wouldn’t hurt matters any.
The residents of Asheville are fortunate to have such a great Italian eatery among all the choices there. Yes, we have good Italian restaurants in Washington and Baltimore but I cannot remember the last time seeing such a spectacular Antipasti for two with so much variety and a wine list that didn’t have bottle prices that exceeded the entire cost of the meal.
Asheville is worth the trip. Just don’t miss Vinnie’s when you go.
