On with the Show
From the food to the clientele, it’s all about a good mix at Savoy
For years, Asheville, N.C., has been known as a casual, hippie-friendly mountain town. But when it comes to food, at least, Asheville has traded in its Birkenstocks for Manolo Blahniks. A handful of fine-dining restaurants have virtually made over the town’s dining scene, and Savoy, located just north of downtown, is one of the most noteworthy.
Housed in what was once a 1930s gas station, Savoy (641 Merrimon Ave., 828.253.1077) is all dim lighting, crisp white table linens, and heavy drapes. It’s the sort of place where a martini before dinner feels not only natural, but mandatory. On any given night, you’re likely to be seated near CEOs, surgeons, and young couples in love. And every night, executive chef Jimmy Ducas (in photo, right, with proprietor Eric Scheffer) is on hand to make sure the food is a match for the scene.
“It’s wonderful that a place like Asheville has grown into fine dining as quickly as it has,” Ducas says. “Hopefully, people will keep demanding it. You can really tell when you bite into a piece of organic lettuce from a local farm that it was grown with a lot of love, that it’s not just what came in on a truck after a five-day trip cross-country.”
In spring, Ducas’ Mediterranean-influenced plates — like soft-shell crabs with fried green tomatoes and shaved asparagus salad, and pan-seared halibut with spring peas and morel mushrooms — are vibrant with organic, seasonal fare, including plenty of freshly caught fish. For the new Chophouse menu, Ducas also uses only the best: natural, grain-fed beef from Painted Hills in Oregon. The deep wine list is carefully selected and nationally recognized.
You’ll be tempted to order from the menu. But to get a glimpse of what Ducas is capable of, the three- or five-course chef’s tasting is the way to go. Ducas is continually building his knowledge and repertoire, as well as his relationships with purveyors who bring him such hard-to-snag local ingredients as truffles from the Appalachian woods.
“These farmers, they’re growing everything here, the climate is so versatile,” Ducas says. “Some mountain farms have been in people’s families for generations, and the ground itself is completely organic, with amazing heirloom varieties coming out of it.
“I believe in supporting the local farming community, which is huge. So a lot of my cooking comes from the very best I can get my hands on from family farms.”
Thirty-year-old Ducas, a Long Island native, learned to cook linguine and clam sauce at the knee of his Italian grandmother, whose influence is felt in Savoy offerings like zuppa de pesce. He began working in kitchens in New York at 14 and later schooled himself by working 100-hour weeks as a line cook in four different states before landing in Asheville.
The heavy rotation of seafood on Savoy’s menu is also a nod to Ducas’ upbringing. “I spent every day in the summer riding down to the bay and fishing,” he says. “At the end of the day, we’d bring fish or crabs or shrimp back to the house. I learned early how to clean, cook, and enjoy whatever we’d caught that day.”
While Ducas provides the upscale flavors, Scheffer sets an elegant stage — a feat that comes naturally to the Hollywood transplant. Before opening Savoy, Sheffer produced films and TV ads, working with such artists as Oliver Stone, Sting, and Cyndi Lauper. Just like working on a film, Scheffer says creating a “dining experience” requires vision and staffwide collaboration.
“Here we work all the time to make the complete experience just right, he explains. “The forks, the lights, the music, the wine list, the service. Just like the saying, ‘You’re only as good as your last film,’ we’re only as good as your last experience [at Savoy].”
That’s why every night, Scheffer and Ducas are truly giving outdoorsy Asheville the red-carpet treatment.
— Alice Bumgarner
Five to Try
1
Fig. Chef Bill Klein turns out minimalist, Alsatian-tinged dishes, heavy on seasonal flavors, light on sauce. 18 Brook St., 828.277.0889
2
Table. With a setting as stripped down as its name, Table treats guests to an ambitious, nightly changing menu loaded with local organic produce. 48 College St., 828.254.8980
3
Gabrielle’s. Feast beneath a three-tiered chandelier in this remote former Victorian mansion. The scenic drive through Asheville’s “high country” is worth the trip. 87 Richmond Hill Dr., 828.252.7313
4
Salsa’s. Sizzling, exotic flavors take center stage at this dressed-down local favorite. 6 Patton Ave., 828.252.9805
5
28806 Deli. Since opening 28806 for dinner hours last year, Chef Eric Backer (formerly of Savoy) has turned this tiny venue into a big contender. 1328A Patton Ave., 828.252.5664 — A.B.
(The Hungry Traveler)
Give Me Three Shakes
Cool down this summer with a sinfully creamy concoction that’s as thick as a drink can possibly be and still be considered a drink. Tip: Bring a spoon.
Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, 1 Ferry Building, No. 6, San Francisco, 866.328.3663. “EAT,” says the red neon sign above the classic barstool-lined diner countertop, and patrons (swarms of them) willingly comply. A malt or a shake may be your best choice here.
Tommy’s, 1824 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, 216.321.7757. After a tofu- and sprout-heavy lunch at this Cleveland favorite, you’re entitled to a whirled-up sweet. The list of flavors — including cookie dough, black cherry, and mint chocolate chip — is as hefty as the shakes themselves are.
Becks Prime, 2902 Kirby Dr., Houston, 713.524.7085. Extra-creamy Hershey’s chocolate milkshakes are legendary at this local spot, where mesquite-grilled burgers rule. — A.B.
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