this place is gonna make it!. my wife and i ate for the first time tonight at wicked weed, on high test biltmore avenue next door to the orange peel. my first reaction was, wow, they've done a great job with the space! high ceilings, lot of raw brick walls, glassed-in open kitchen on the main floor, with the tasting room and brewery downstairs. the exterior looks great, too, a much more uptown look than i'd expected.
our calamari appetizer with romesco and coriander ($9) foreshadowed that this place has its act together -- it was nicely fried, not heavy or greasy. my classic beef cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles was one of the better ones in town, and a real bargain with loads of shoestring fries for just $7.50. (a double burger is $12 with fries.) my wife had the brautwurst on a toasted bun with mustard ($9), which she described as good but not knock-your-socks-off good.
with a flight of six four-ounce wicked weed beers ($9) and two 16-ounce full pours ($4.25 each), our bill came to $45 before my usual generous tip. sure can't complain about the price!
service was very good, friendly and prompt, and our only complaint was that it took four requests before we got water ... finally, after we'd finished the meal.
parking is easy in the aloft hotel public lot (free because once again the machines aren't working -- the city of asheville taxpayers are losing tons of money, as if the city bureaucrats have money to burn). the only parking issue is when there's a big event at the orange peel, when the aloft lot charges $7.
even on a sunday evening, wicked weed was nearly full, upstairs and downstairs. the noise level is energetic but not painful.
a lot of restaurants in asheville have been closing recently -- bistro 1896 (what's the deal with that?!), the asheville public, the magnetic field, boca and others -- but wicked weed is a restaurant/brewpub that looks like it will make it.
i'd definitely go back.