Owned and operated by husband and wife duo, Eddie Hannibal and Natalie Byrnes, the Glass Onion in Weaverville could be considered off the beaten path, but that’s precisely why I like it. On any given day or night you can find Eddie in the kitchen creating delicious concoctions from locally produced ingredients, whilst Natalie takes care of customers to ensure they experience efficient, yet friendly service that makes all the difference.
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]iven all the great restaurant choices surrounding the Asheville area, you might be wondering why I chose to eat at the Glass Onion? Basically, it comes down to two things: deliciously innovative dishes and plenty of places to park, the latter being one of my biggest frustrations when trying to dine in downtown Asheville. Eddie and Natalie specifically chose to be out of the center, though they are still only a mere 10 minutes from North Asheville. They wanted to bring something different to the quaint main street of Weaverville, which they fell in love with when they decided to make their move from The Hamptons, NY.
The atmosphere they have created is casual fine dining. While the food is of exceptional quality, the ambiance remains informal and relaxed, which is part of the restaurant’s charm.
One of the biggest positives of dining at The Glass Onion was being greeted by a small menu. I don’t know about you, but I get completely overwhelmed when there are more than 30 items on the menu. Not only does it impose too many decisions, but often I feel that the quality of the food suffers. One of the things that sets this place apart is the fact that the deliberately small menu allows Eddie and Natalie to run eight or nine specials each day, depending on the local ingredients available. So everything stays fresh and interesting, and allows them to be more creative.
Sampling several of their dishes, a few in particular had me begging for more. I have never been a lover of beets, but my whole perception changed with one bite of the Bosc Pear and Slow Roasted Beet Salad. The sweetness of the pear mingled with the saltiness of the feta completed the dish perfectly. Natalie was happy to share the recipe of this salad with the readers of Capital at Play (see the link below), so give it a go, I promise it will be worth it.
Another exquisite dish was the fresh handmade fettucini with pork belly, local ramps, oven dried tomatoes and veal stock reduction. Natalie and Eddie explained the reasoning behind calling themselves a global Italian restaurant. Their dishes are based on Italian classics but allow them the freedom to experiment with a variety of local ingredients prevalent in Western North Carolina.
I appreciate the focus on high quality ingredients, as it was the foundation of the traditional Italian cooking of my youth. Though I grew up in the UK, I was brought up in a very Italian home, where food and family were inextricably linked. It was the root of my upbringing and of my love for all things food today.
In closing, I must mention that The Glass Onion has a lovely offer that everyone in Western North Carolina should know about —Wine Lovers Wednesday. Not only is it half-off bottles of wine, but Eddie also makes the pasta fresh in house. Just in case you are wondering, you know where I’ll be on Wednesday nights.
Natalie was happy to share the recipe of the beet salad with the readers of Capital at Play.
click here for Glass Onion’s Beet Salad
