Fig — Restaurant in Asheville

Our favorite in Asheville... and trust me, we've tried dozens upon dozens of restaurants from Table to Zambra to The Admiral and more. But we enjoy fine French cuisine where superior ingredients, delicate preparation and spectacular presentation are mandatory - and Fig delivers on every level. Having been there so many times, I've even ventured to try things on the menu I would not normally try and have been exceedingly and pleasantly surprised. Never a disappointment. Try the Pork Belly appetizer : )

UPDATE 2018-03-03: We still go to fig often, but I'm going to dock it one star for three carefully-considered reasons:

1. The menu really doesn't change much. Having gone there for almost 10 years, the selection names change slightly and the variations change slightly too, but the underlying dish remains largely the same. It's not a large menu (which is OK especially if the chef wants to maintain quality), but with so little change, you do feel like you're eating the same food all the time (and no, I don't get the same thing every time I go.) This is probably only a concern for local regulars, tourists will still love it quite well, I'm certain of that.

2. The level of inspiration has gone down a tiny bit (emphasis on 'tiny'), and the consistency has also gone down just a tiny bit too. Not that the overall experience has degraded, but it is apparent that Jerami Jones is no longer Executive Chef.

3. Desserts. If you think the main menu doesn't change much, the desserts never change. The semolina olive cake seems dry to me (perhaps that is the way it is supposed to be) and the new Panna Cota seems more like a Pots de Creme. We preferred the prior version. The new white chocolate Pots de Creme and the Bread Pudding are still my favorites, but we would love to try something new. And trust me, I completely understand that most great Chefs are not great Pasty Chefs... they are usually two separate roles in a larger restaurant. I understand that Fig is small and probably does not have this luxury. But it is worth mentioning, again probably only impacting local regulars.

FYI, the Pork Belly appetizer is not on the menu and hasn't been for some time. I figured I should clarify that from my review some time ago. Of course, that does not contribute to my rating, there are many other great appetizer options. I now substitute with the truffle parmesan fries. Yum!

Don't get me wrong, we still love this place... just adding clarity to my review. We still go to fig often. We wouldn't if we didn't...

7 pm reservation, 2 waitstaff and they are already in the weeds with too many reservations - restaurants fault not the waitstaff - although our waiter, while nice ,seemed un-trained. While we waited for the waiter to come take our order the host told us if either of us wanted the french onion soup there was only two left and to order it now - so I said I'd have that as an appetizer. Lo and behold I was served the last of the french onion soup IMMEDIATELY - RIGHT THEN - without even ordering our entree or wine (what they couldn't have just put it aside until it was appropriate to bring the appetizers - weird? So how was the soup? (unlike any french onion soup I'd ever had - where's the cap of cheese on top? The only cheese was a small shaving on top of the croton - oh brother - disappointing. Still longer wait time to actually order from the menu - I know, got soup but haven't ordered entree's - yea......oh well. We finally ordered - I ordered the shrimp and grits - OMG - DISGUSTING (I did live in new orleans for a few years- so...) zero subtlty to the dish - overcooked rice and waaaay to much spicy (how much Slap your Mamma spice did they put in there?), gloppy sauce...bleh. My guest had Pasta Bolognese and she liked it - I tried it and thought it WAS pretty good - probably a little too much pasta to the sauce ratio, but not unusual I guess - load em up on pasta to fill em up probably. We shared a panna cotta for dessert - it was reasonably good, but they had to put some compote or jam on top rather than simply let the panna cotta stand on it's own - how about a couple of raspberries, a mint leave? - nope - more gloppy something on top. We ate outside under the patio heaters - that was nice. From my point of view this was not a restaurant/chef that understands food at all - what a dissapointing experience. Nope, nope, nopity, NOPE - cannot urge you to go visit...

Outstanding! 5 stars is not enough. I will have to start by congratulating an exemplary staff... all of them. We were inspired by the genuine interaction with the employees here. I would visit again just for the conversation. The kitchen even returned smiles and even under the pressure of a full house and one very large party, they performed like a very well tuned machine.

The atmosphere here is quite intimate. It is a small space with limited seating. I would recommend making reservations in order to ensure that you get the opportunity to enjoy this gem in the Biltmore Village.

They have a great wine and cocktail selection as well as locally crafted beers.

The food was decadent. Every aspect of each of the dishes we ordered was perfection. I ordered an uncommon delicacy, sweet breads, with my fingers crossed: 1) Because it is an ingredient many are apprehensive about. 2) Because it is extremely rare for it to be prepared properly. 3) Because my wife was trying it for the first time. Many thanks to the local, distinguished gentleman seated beside us who reassured me that the sweet breads were as good as those he has had in France. Note: the sweet breads were a special appetizer so please don't expect them to be on the menu. I just thought it prudent to say that if they can pull off sweet breads this well; it speaks to the skills of the kitchen. Our entrees were equally as exceptional. The scallops were hard seared on one side and this delivered an exquisite crust and a perfectly cooked body... best scallops ever. The pork tenderloin was recommended by a local shop owner and it was melt in your mouth delicious.

This short essay doesn't do justice to the quality of food and service we had at Fig. You will just have to experience it...