Editor’s Note: Fork & Dagger is 828newsNOW’s anonymous restaurant review series, written by our independent Grub Scout—no freebies, no press perks, no agenda. Grub Scout pays full price, visits unannounced, and takes notes on food, service, atmosphere, and value. Each review reflects a recent, honest experience rated on our 1‑to‑5 fork scale. We aim to help you discover standout dining spots—from casual diners to white‑tablecloth affairs—one bite at a time.
When your circle of friends contains many career restaurant veterans, you often hear random tidbits about local haunts, as well as new spots. So, for me, when I drive past a restaurant that’s been open for a while, and I’ve heard nothing about it, I’m suspicious. A mystery like that makes me skeptical, especially when I look up the menu and it reads like fine dining, yet it’s in a shopping center. Other cuisine locations like that are commonplace. Cheap Thai food in a strip mall? Sure. Tacos in a hole in the wall? Delicious. But fine dining? What the heck?
Little D’s claimed to be “offering seasonal fare, and shareable plates, with a purpose.” That tag line seemed a bit much to me until I experienced it.
First off, the dining room was rather cozy with just a dozen or so tables and a bar in the corner. Quiet music resonated off the somehow familiar pattern of wallpaper. The server was a laidback, yet professional fellow who knew how to read a room.
Beverages
The Burnt Honey Old Fashioned was just fine, but the Spicy Girl (jalapeno infused tequila, Cointreau, fresh lemon, lime, simple syrup, spicy salted rim) was delightful, as was the glass of Peitan Albarino.
Shareables
The Herb Focaccia was nice, as was the Summer Salad and the Cajun Grilled Peaches.
A couple of the best plates were the Chargrilled Red Beets, prepared with blackberry agridolce, spiced cashews, whipped goat cheese, orange glaze and arugula, and The Blackened Shrimp, which, despite the simple name, was outstanding. This was combined with andouille sausage gravy, trinity (a fancy term for when diced onions, bell peppers and celery are used as a base), local corn, seasoned rice cake and fried okra threads. This dish was a little thing of beauty.
Large plates
We chose to share the Chargrilled Teres Filet. Teres is often called a Bistro Filet. It’s a cut from the shoulder, tastes similar to a filet mignon, but with a richer flavor, which was proven here. The house signature sauce was well thought out, and the crispy fingerling potatoes, blistered tomatoes, grilled squash and tomato pepper butter rounded out a perfect dish. Absolutely no disappointment with this one.
The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the Garahm Masala Fried Gnocchi. While a very clever twist on the traditionally Italian dumpling, these puffs filled with tomato cashew curry, served with cilantro and hibiscus yogurt left something to be desired, that something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was good, but not great.
For dessert, we chose the Banana Puddin’ Cake. Sounds boring, right? Nope, not at all. It was a slice of layered banana pudding cake, with creamy vanilla frosting. Another win! Highly recommended.
And now for the part you’ll love most: the prices were actually reasonable. After stuffing ourselves, it only came out to $65 a person. These days, that’s really not bad.
I’d like to point out that I desperately tried to find something awful … you know? As any self-respecting critic would, anything that I could be bitter or snarky about, but it just wasn’t there.
So, check out this little gem for locals in North Asheville. It’s up Merrimon Avenue near Beaver Lake, where I certainly could have used a walk after as a digestif.
