Friday afternoon, in need of a getaway, my littlest brother and I traveled to North Carolina to visit my grandparents. On Saturday, the four of us drove up to Asheville to walk around the city and have lunch.
Cúrate is a Spanish tapas bar in downtown Asheville. As my degree from College of Charleston is in Hispanic Studies, I was excited to experience some traditional Spanish cuisine. Cúrate, meaning “cure yourself” had just what we needed: delicious food and wine.
To drink, my grandmother and I both had a glass of the 2010 Peitán, Albariño, which is similar to a Pinot Grigio. Grandpa had a Highland Gaelic Ale and Jake had not one, but three Coca Colas. Oh, teenagers.
I was so sad when I realized I forgot the battery for my DSLR at home, so I apologize that these pictures are from my cell phone. :( Here we go!
Out of all the tapas, I was most impressed by the garlic shrimp. The sauce was so good, I kept dipping extra bread in it. I also really loved the Summer salad and would like to recreate that at home while watermelon is still in season. The Spanish tortilla tasted just like ones I’d had with friends from Spain. The eggplant was the most unusual dish, and I mean that in a positive way. I’ve never thought to drizzle eggplant with honey or rosemary.
Before our meal, my grandfather was sweet enough to mention that I had a Charleston-based food blog. Thanks to that, two of the dishes (the Summer salad and eggplant) were sent out on the house. The head chef, Katie Button, came out to introduce herself as well. She was sweet and seemed very glad we were there. I was impressed by her generosity and taking the time to come say hello. It’s the little things that make a restaurant special. We’ll definitely be back!
Do you like tapas-style restaurants?
Which of the above dishes would you enjoy most?
