So-So Sweet Onion – Waynesville, NC

Unlike onions, which most people either love, hate, or love to hate, The Sweet Onion is quite the crowd pleaser. There’s plenty that’s pleasing on this menu, whether you’re craving carbs, crabs, or just some good old sweet southern comfort. But like the variety on the menu, there are many varieties of onions and not all are created equal.

I started to unwrap The Sweet Onion with the Cornmeal Encrusted Avocado appetizer, which I hoped would be like a red onion. Eccentric in appearance, with a real bite of character underneath, red onions add flair to every dish. Unfortunately, the fried avocado in this dish was unripe, and while it did possess a distinct flavor, this flavor was about as appealing as onion breath. The crab topping was fine, but the preparation preserved none of that blue crab sweetness, ironic at a restaurant called SWEET Onion. The so-called sriracha aioli was indistinguishable from chipotle mayo, and the caramelized onion didn’t go with…well…anything.

Like a sweet, perfectly caramelized Vidalia onion, the Pink Sunburst Trout could have pleased even the biggest fish skeptic, and I dare say even people who hate fish would go for this trout. Firm but soft, cohesive but flaky, all with an herb & garlic butter sauce that was simply to die for. As in I thought I died in ecstasy after the first bite. The side of Sautéed Vegetables made an appropriate accompaniment, but I didn’t love the coarse-ground cornmeal that concealed rather than covered the Fried Okra.

Buddhists believe that onions increase desire when eaten cooked and increase anger when eaten raw. My hotel’s concierge had raved about The Sweet Onion, and after reading some glowing yelp reviews, I had pretty high hopes. Unfortunately, while I found nothing raw at Sweet Onion, I can’t say the way my appetizer was cooked increased my desire to eat there again.

Despite the rave reviews, The Sweet Onion seems to be more of a white onion, the most neutral of onions. It aims to please those who just need an onion, but if you’re not careful, you just might order something that makes you cry.

Cold Feelings for Frogs Leap Public House – Waynesville, NC

You don’t always want hot food during North Carolina’s sweltering summer. The day I went to Waynesville was no exception. After a full day at a whopping 80 degrees, I was dying for something cool and refreshing. If you find yourself in the same boat and happen to be in Waynesville, Frogs Leap is the public house for you.

Frogs Leap seems to understand that there’s nothing like that first sip of a cold beer to break through a sweat, and their decision to use a miniature cast iron skillet like a frozen beer mug clearly reflects that understanding. When I ordered the Devils on Horseback, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with gooey dates covered in crisp bacon, stuffed with melted blue cheese. Plus the decision to add honey to the Frogs Leap version was pure genius. Unfortunately, that genius turned out to be more of an idiot-savant. Thanks to the ice-cold skillet they were served in, these dates could have replaced the ice cubes in my water. Later in the meal, I asked where the name devils on horseback came from and was told that they had nothing to do with the devil. I wish they had - then my dates would have been hot.

My excitement was flowing over faster than the yolk of a perfectly poached egg when I saw the Poached Farm Eggs/Duck Confit. These poached eggs were indeed perfect, the potatoes were well-seasoned, and the truffle hollandaise brought it all together. The problem is, all those great things were still served in yet another ice-cold skillet, which sapped heat faster than a freezer. The good news is, I ate this dish before it froze in the skillet – I scarfed it down quickly because it was so salty I feared that it would pickle within minutes. And although I rarely criticize the pricing on premium ingredients, that dab of duck and couple of eggs better be spouting a golden yolk for 16 dollars.

The Artichoke & Zucchini Flatbread tasted as pretty as it looked and holds the distinction of being the only dish served hot. It was about as cheese-heavy as an extra cheese pizza, but the combined flavor of so many different cheeses kept it exciting, and the veggies kept it light.

I think the food would have been much better at Frogs Leap if all of it didn’t suffer from hypothermia. The skillet may be a fun way to serve a dish but only when it’s done right. I.e. you’re supposed to heat the skillet. It’s really not that hard.

In medicine, when a person with hypothermia has no pulse, the adage is “they’re not dead until they’re warm and dead”. Maybe if Frogs Leap learned to serve their cold dead dishes on a warm skillet, maybe they would cease to be dead to me.