We had a great breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe so we trusted the recommendation they gave to try CÚRATE for lunch. Big fans of paella, we opted to start with the Rosejat, “similar to paella but made with thin noodles, seafood stock, shrimp.” Delicious! I could have eaten the entire plate myself. For our next course, I had the Bocadillo Seranno, a sandwich with serrano ham, tomatoes and manchego cheese. H. ordered the Ensalada de Tomate y Atún, described as a “Kumato tomato salad with Spanish Bonito tuna, black olives, drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and topped with greens from Jolley Farms.” My sandwich was a little underwhelming and the salad was tasty but not special. I assume the must-try items are the more traditional small plates in the Salteados (sauté) arena. Should I find myself in Asheville again, I would love to try more of those dishes…and plenty of Rosejat.

Interesting side note: With such a vibrant food scene in Asheville, it did take some time to finally decide where to have lunch. While the Tupelo recommendation helped, ultimately, our decision was made when H. mentioned she didn’t get to have Spanish food often. During the meal, I commented that tapas (traditional Spanish and no-so-traditional) are extremely popular in LA and seem to be everywhere! It was only upon my return to Los Angeles that I read up on Cúrate’s owners and chefs and their connection to ThinkFoodGroup and Bazaar. Interesting coincidence, no?

Final thoughts: Recommended

CÚRATE
11 Biltmore Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 239-2946