Piccolina

WOW! JUST WOW! We had such a lovely and memorable meal at Piccolina! The service was warm and charming. Very welcoming ambience. And the food was incredible! The chopped kale salad and minestrone soup were delicious. The Alfredo and pistachio pasta was amazing, as was the bolongese. The chicken marsala was lightly fried and marsala sauce was on point. The beef stew was divine! I dropped the ball on getting pics of the deserts, and the cheesecake was best Ive had! And have to say, we left feeling well fed but not befuddled by our meals. Bravo PIccolina!

Piccolina, meaning “small one” in Italian, was named for the intimate and charming space in which it dwells. As I entered, semi-famished, I was greeted promptly and seated at a street-facing bar bathed in warm light and enlivened by the wondrous aromas taking flight from the nearby galley window. - Mind you, I consume kale only because I feel obliged to do so. But if one must eat this glamour-challenged garden step-child, the salad here, garnished thoughtfully with pistachios and plump sultanas as well as rich Parmigiano Reggiano and a delightful roasted garlic crumb, can pay one’s debt to healthy living in a most agreeable way. - The pillowy moz and crispy-chewy crust of my margherita pizza were on point. But the standout was the sauce. This sauce, oh my. You could frolic among the vines

WOW - this is the Italian spot Asheville needs. Tucked into a multi-use space on the quiet end of the River Arts district, look for the “Aura” sign and you’ll find this restaurant. Owned by a couple from New York, this restaurant is starting with lunch and a $65/pp weekend tasting menu. A wine pairing or wine by the glass is available. On Sunday night, our tasting menu started with a well executed kale salad and minestrone soup. As a couple, we got to taste both options and it was nice to go back and forth between the two. The star of the night was the pasta course - no boxed pasta here. Again, we opted to get one “Alfredo” and one marinara. Wow - handmade pasta, excellent texture and warming flavor. Next was the chicken Marsala - again, well seasoned, fresh, with an appropriate portion

Spending a long weekend in Asheville from Washington, D.C., Piccolina was our favorite restaurant we visited. Opened just a few months ago inside an old meat packing factory, Piccolina is serving quality Italian food inside a cozy 22-seat space. My wife, eight-year-old daughter, and I visited for lunch around 1:30pm on a December Saturday. Here's our experience. 1) Food: To feed the three of us, we ordered the suppli, kale salad, pizza, prosciutto sandwich, and zeppoles with lemon cream for dessert. Literally every single dish was a home run. The suppli is perfectly cooked and melts in your mouth. My wife and I fought over bites of the kale salad, and the pesto on the sandwich was phenomenal. The sauce on the pizza stands out and the warm bites of the zeppoles will make you want more. Tru

Though she is small, the "little one" is mighty. And delivers one heck of a sandwich. I highly encourage you to try this place out. It's for sure worth any wait. You won't be disappointed at all, I would bet money on it. We visited this time during lunch and everything was delicious and fresh. I highly encourage you to get the latte of the day. We did and it was salted maple. I could take a pitcher full intravenously and die a happy death. The sandwich is made out of pizza dough and served with those really delicious charred spots. It definitely compliments the amazing ingredients within. We got the porchetta and the veggie.comes.with chips. Perfect size to take a half home with you. You can eat both halves if you want,but you better take a tour of the attached art gallery and let it sett