Thursday, July 3, 2014

Posana Cafe - Asheville, North Carolina

My husband and I took a day trip to Asheville, North Carolina today.  The main reason I wanted to go was to have dinner at Posana Cafe, a 100% gluten free, farm-to-table restaurant that features a locally sourced , seasonal menu.  It isn't often that I have the chance to dine at a restaurant where I can order anything off the menu and not have to worry about cross contamination, so when we visit my parents in Greenville, South Carolina, I love to drive up to Asheville to go to Posana Cafe.


Posana Cafe is located in downtown Asheville, and serves contemporary American cuisine sourced from over 30 local farms.  They are open for dinner between 5pm and 10pm Tuesday to Sunday, and serve brunch on the weekends from 10am to 3pm.


You can dine outdoors on the patio, which we did on our last visit, or enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant inside.


Before we even walked in the restaurant, I knew I wanted to order the Lobster Mac & Cheese appetizer, which features ricotta gnocchi, Maine lobster, chives, and aged cheddar.  It certainly wasn't your traditional mac & cheese, but it was delicious!


My husband and I also shared an order of the rosemary-sesame breadsticks, which were just heavenly.  They were slightly salty, and had just the right amount of rosemary.  Eaten with some butter, I can't think of any gluten free bread I have had in a restaurant that was better than these breadsticks.


For a main course, we shared the Braised Painted Hills Short Rib with ricotta gnocchi, spring onions, and braising jus.  The short ribs were so incredibly tender, they just melted in your mouth.  I couldn't get enough of the braising jus, which perfectly complemented both the meat and the gnocchi.  


We were pretty stuffed after our entree, so the plan was to just get one dessert.  The problem was, we couldn't agree on a dessert.  


My husband made the better choice than I did, though we liked both desserts.  His popover with South Carolina peaches, buttermilk ice cream, and bourbon caramel was divine!  It wasn't anything like what I expected, but it was so good, I ate half of it.


We also shared the Lemon Olive Oil Cake with honey caramel, lemon-thyme ice cream, black pepper ricotta cream, and Luxardo cherries.  My favorite part of this dish was the lemon-thyme ice cream, which was sitting on a bed of something ridiculously good.  It was kind of graham crackery, kind of nutty.  I loved the cherries and honey too, but the cake was not as moist as I would have liked, and I would have preferred it to be a little less sweet.


Here are some pictures from our brunch last year.  I had a delicious dish with salmon and grits,



My dad, my daughters, and I shared a scone and coffee cake.  I remember the scone being really amazing, and my favorite part of our brunch.



I also tasted my daughters' hamburger buns last year.  Wow, the chefs at Posana Cafe know how to make gluten free bread taste as good as the wheat-filled stuff.



If you have never been to Asheville, you have to put it on your bucket list.  There are so many restaurants with gluten free options, it is almost overwhelming.  Be sure to check out Asheville on the Find Me Gluten Free App.  Biltmore and Posana Cafe though, are reason enough to get in the car and head to Asheville, North Carolina.

You can read more about Posana Cafe, make reservations, and view their menu here on their website.

Have you been to Posana Cafe for brunch or dinner?  What were the best dishes you tried?





0 comments:

Post a Comment