Photo Courtesy of Rezaz
Asheville North Carolina is a mecca for fine dining. One of the top hot spots in town is a Mediterranean restaurant called Rezaz (pron. “ray-zuhs”), located just blocks from the entrance to The Biltmore Estate and which may have been developed with the aid of services like the new hampshire tax id. Chef/ owner Reza Setayesh has traveled and trained widely resulting in a worldly palate. His emphasis in the dining room is on Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, but at his Chef’s Table anything goes. He loves to give free rein to his culinary expertise.
When Sam ( My Carolina Kitchen ) and her husband Meakin invited us to join them, along with BIL and SIL Stuart and Sandy, for a chef’s table dinner we immediately accepted. Meakin arranged for us to enjoy a 5 course French Provencal dinner with wine pairings. The kitchen was warm and inviting on a rainy night.
A nice touch was the pandelier overhead. It is a metal sculpture made from saute pans used during the restaurant’s first decade.
We were fortunate to have a highly trained waiter to explain all of the chef’s dishes to us. Our anticipation was rewarded with the following courses.
The first course consisted of three seafood preparations. At the top left is a Smoked Salmon Rillette served with a toasted baguette and sliced radishes. Bon Appetit has a similar recipe here. Next to the salmon is Moule Curry (Mussels in a curry sauce with breadcrumbs). At the bottom is a Trout and Crab Galantine ( A Trout roll stuffed with crab) with arugula pesto.
Our second course was a Pan Seared Sushimi Grade Cobia (Swordfish) a la Provencal, Sauteed French Gnocchi, Seared Scallops and Summer Vegetable Ratatouille. My, oh my, this was delicious. Summer on a plate for sure.
The next course was one of my favorites. It was a Duck Leg Confit in a Cherry Gastrique Sauce. The duck was moist and crispy from cooking in its own fat. With it were Yukon Gold Potatoes and Sauteed Spinach.
The next entree course was a study of three lamb preparations; a Grilled Lamb Chop, Lamb Navarin (Stew) and Lamb Gigot (Roast with French thyme and wild rosemary). It was served with a Parsnip and Potato Mash, and an Arugula Pesto. It was wonderful, but we were getting full.
For dessert we had a Summer Berry Clafouti and a Lemon and Berry Sorbet with a Touille Cookie. The sorbet was so refreshing and the clafouti was just the right size. Next time I make one, it will be a bright mix of berries like this.
As we drove back over the mountain from Asheville to Lake Lure we were sated, happy and thankful that we could spend such a lovely evening with friends. It was a truly memorable experience.
It truly was a memorable experience and one I’ll remember for a lifetime. We were thrilled you could join us Penny and thank you again for inviting us to your lovely home for an afternoon at the lake before dinner. A fine time was had by all.
Sam
It was our pleasure Sam.
Love the personalized board too.
I am sure I would do that:)
You have such a nice friendship!
Dear Penny, What a beautiful and tasty experience. Lovely. Catherine
I find it a shame..that I just re-entered my email addy to follow you,,I did a long time ago..it refuses my entry and says I am already subscribed..
I know that:)
So I wonder why I don’t get your updates?
You are not the only one..seems about 4 I love to follow don’t come through..:(
MC LaTableDeNana,
I checked, and your email address is indeed subscribed to receive the email updates, and has been since May. Can you try looking in your Spam folder? Maybe our emails just need to be flagged as “trusted”?
Oh my goodness what a feast! I’ve enjoyed Rezaz also – I’d never had a grilled romaine salad until then, it was excellent! Your food looked delicious (although I wouldn’t have eaten the meat/poultry dishes), all was presented so beautifully, and I know must have tasted wonderful.
Nice to see Sam again – it’s been so long since our awesome Blogger party at Penny C’s, how time flies!
Thanks Penny for sharing dining at the chef’s table – always a fun thing to do.
Hugs – Mary
The meal looks spectacular, especially at the chef’s table and it’s always a joy for us to spend time with the Hofer’s and you guys.
Wish you and Bev, and Pat had been with us too Larry.
What fun Penny. That was some delicious looking food.
Madonna
MakeMineLemon
It was Madonna. Thanks for stopping by.
Wish I could have been there, Penny. What a great evening. Just read all about it on Sam’s blog too.
Wish we could have an all blogger party there. Can’t you just see the cameras clicking away.
You had the best seat in the house and everything looked delicious, Penny! Al and I were fortunate enough to eat here one night when they kindly fit us in without reservations. We will definitely be back.
Jane x
So glad you ate there Jane. I am now interested in eating from the main menu. Maybe next time you are here we can do it.
How fun to watch as your meal was being prepared….the food looks delicious.
It was a very calm and organized kitchen Karen.
Hi Penny, great friendships are good for the soul and so rewarding, looks like you have some wonderful friends. I follow Sam’s blog as well.
Yes Cheri, friendships are important. It never occurred to me that blogging would bring such great rewards.
What a delightful dinner and even better, shared with good friends. You have such a wonderful group as do we that enjoy good food and similar activities. Your photos are wonderful!
I just jumped here from Sam’s blog because I couldn’t get enough of that dinner! The two of you covered it beautifully – head-to-toe and now I am hungry. But not for what I have in the house!