modesto restaurant

best service. one of the best spots around for quality service is modesto. well, i should say one of the best "servers" around works at modesto. it is rare to find a server who doesn't overwhelm the dining experience with constant interruption, but exhibits strong knowledge of what the menu offers. the last few times i dined there, i requested stephen butler's section, as he knows details about food and wine pairings and other specifics regarding how food is prepared and where it's grown. more restaurants should train their servers to use the informative, friendly approach (and back off the pushy - get you in and out the door kind of service we sometimes experience with restaurants in asheville).

the wait staff was slow to greet table, they only had one high chair and the straps were broken, but the food was good.

slow service and average food, had seafood risotto and it was quite salty. few people had calzone and it was a thin crust but a little zoggy on how it was served, just doesn't go with wedges.

we loved our food and experience here. we had the eggplant parmigiana and chicken parmigiana. both were delicious, and the decor and music was very nice. it was nice and intimate.

took a risk on mufaletta. can be hit or miss at places. was a welcome surprise. crispy and tasty. more food than i can eat. lori got seafood mistook salad, a play on ceviche, an diy is top notch. i'd eat here again. service very good.

meh. slow service, moderate food, smaller portions and high prices.
not worth it. (in my opinion)

the lamb burger was so-so. the 'infused house specialty' ketchup tasted the exact same as the heinz in my fridge. not much of a portion of the grape leaf dish.


-----01 jan, 2015-----

meh. slow service, moderate food, smaller portions and high prices.
not worth it. (in my opinion)

the decision was made through the hostess at modesto calling out to us and offering field-to-plate dishes including pizza. there's a lot in this statement, and parts were appealing to all of us.... my heart was set on the pumpkin gnocchi on their specials sign, and i championed for it until my boys were both willing to try some. there was a huge variety of hearth cooked vegetables, all with a nice smokey flavor and a bit of char on them.

modesto was fantastico. after a friend told us this is her favorite italian restaurant in all of asheville we found ourselves parked right outside it on some downtown errands so we decided to try it for lunch. we know that we like others of hectors restaurants but hadn't yet been here. i've been to italy twice with a third trip coming up and my husband once with me. our lunch experience was incredibly delicious. the restaurant is lovely and we would have like to sit outside but the only tables available were in the sun so we sat inside by the window. we ordered the baby artichokes in orange basil sauce, the caesar salad and the eggplant parm. with spaghetti. the salad was without a doubt the best we have ever had anywhere. just the flavors were perfect, right amount of cheese with tangy dressing. we cleaned the plate. the artichokes had a wonderful flavor and were cooked perfect. the eggplant was breaded more with panko which made it light and crunchy. it was just perfect. sauce excellent. we had a peroni beer with it to top it all off. if anything was missing, it was some bread to sop up the sauce on the artichokes and the salad dressing i couldn't scrape off the plate.
in looking at the menu we realized that we share a lot, but if we had each gotten our own meals it would have been very pricey. there was plenty for us to eat sharing and we left full. we are going to splurge and go back again for sure. the service was great, the food amazing. outside of italy never had it so good.

mr. foodie ate here and loved his meal. and what really impressed him was owner, hector diaz. chef diaz has traveled the world to teach food cultivation. he moved his family to asheville for a better life and decided to open salsa’s mexican caribbean restaurant. the problem? no money, so the community banded together to help him open salsa’s. and here he is, 20 years later with 4 restaurants in asheville. (modesto, chorizo latin fare, salsa, and the newest, bomba). he owns a farm irrigated by the mountain springs, profit shares with his employees, supports over 100 families and says he wants to be a good steward for the community. a local hero in asheville.

get a new hostess. if this person is going to wear a short wrinkled sun dress to represent modesto, she should be the girl from ipanema, not chewing gum while working. your counterpart @ chorizo needs to give her a lesson. the meal did redeemed this; lobster cakes were excellent & piping hot and the scallops in angel hair were almost eclipsed by the appetizer. felicitaciones, don hector!


-----26 jun, 2011-----

perfect meal! venison & sausage appetizer and ahi tuna entree were just right. only negative was the gum chewing hostess.

very disappointing! the ingredients were there but the execution was just poor. this was not italian food. this was american food with an italian spin....if that. i ordered the octopus salad and the lamb ragù. the octopus was very chewy and not meaty as it should be. the ragù was good. the lamb was tender and not overly gamy. the gnocchi were cooked well but the dish came with a heap of arugula on top. i'm not sure what made them think that was appetizing or italian. not worth the amount i spent.

while the menu looks interesting the production of these items is poor. additionally it seems the staff is more interested in the "attitude" business than the service industry.

seafood pasta and steak marsala were a riot of flavors! skip the pumpkin martini and the bread pudding!

delightful lunch. i have eaten at modesto on several occasions. meals have always been delightful. service is knowledgable, friendly and efficient.
menu is varied and interesting. its always hard to decide what to order.
pricing is competitive and fair.
i am surprised the rating isn't higher.
oh well, better chance that it won't be too busy the next time i want to go

wonderful. we were at the grove arcade checking out the shops for christmas gifts. we ran across the modesto and decided to give it a try. we were impressed at the service and the food. felt bad for the poor woman standing in the wind and cold showing folks menus. but a job is a job.
service was fast. my wife had the butternut soup with a caesar salad; i had the calamari and the caesar salad also.
we do not have one complaint about anything at modesto. i was a little worried at first we were the only ones in the restaurant when we walked in and it was 12:30, i was hoping not to pay $40.00 or more some plain not so good italian fare. that was not the case, the bill was less that 40.00 and very good to boot.
by the time we left at 1:15 the line was backed up inside, because it was to cold to wait outside. we will return.