Fabulous Food in a Picturesque Setting
Yumm!    [09 May 2005 16:35:23]

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     ­Anonymous   

Still Hungry
The Cafe is loaded with charm. The food is delicious with an emphasis on Southern fusion -- lots of fresh local ingredients combined in unusual ways -- but there isn't much of it. Personally I am a fan of small portions and appreciate a plate that isn't overflowing, but taste bite portions are inadequate -- even though they look pretty. Its location on the Grove Park Inn grounds makes it a good choice to treat out of town guests -- but plan to eat a hearty and late lunch first.    [03 Feb 2008 11:51:30]

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Recommended Dishes: crab cakes, trout

     ­wbellnc   

They Must Have Had a Bad Night
We choose to have Christmas dinner here, Dec 2007. It was a dissappointment. The host was a restaurant manager from across town that was there to help out. She was inatentive, rude and not in control of her station. The meal began with a basket of dry, room temperature bread of which several peices appeared to be either partial or bitten. Yep, we got old bread from another table. I asked for more bread and was told by the waiter it is made to order and will take some time. It came out hot and fresh. Yep (I say again) we were knowingly presented our first basket of bread cast off by another customer. The roasted oysters were outstanding. Then came our main courses. Plated presentation for this special, reservations only, holiday meal was lacking thrill value. My prime rib was typical of a vacumn packaged freezer to convection oven portion. the restaurant was out of product that was listed on their special holiday meal menu, but we were told that the starch replacement was mashed "yukon gold" potatos. Nope, I know yukon gold very well on sight and by taste. I guess they also ran out of their replacement product (or lied about their back up replacement). These mundane potatos were mashed and plated without a single touch of any seasoning. I expected to enjoy fine holiday dinning at a restaurant that prepped for a showcase evening. It was as if they viewed their guests as tourists that they would sell to once and not be concerned with their repeat business. I enjoy fine dinning on a frequent basis and know when a restaurant is on top of their trade. Sadly, Groovewood Cafe got one chance and fell woefully short.
On the up side, The nearby Grove Park Inn has a bar in their grand lobby. It is the place to enjoy a drink either before or after dinner. The staff is warm and personable. The crowd is "vibed" and fun. The building, surroundings and funishings are simply storybook. I will enjoy Asheville again but am wiser by this dinning experience.    [14 Feb 2008 20:42:21]

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Recommended Dishes: Roasted Oysters (then ask for the check)

     ­I'm_Your_Guest