Tomato Jam Cafe

379 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, NC - (828) 253-0570

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Posted By Michael Stern on 11/17/2009 8:05:00 AM

Asheville is to North Carolina as Austin is to Texas: an isle of non-conformity in a culture known more for allegiance to traditional values. It is tempting to use Tomato Jam Cafe as evidence of this proposition because it is a restaurant with a unique personality unlike anything conceived in a McCorporate board room. It is so dedicated to using local groceries that it sports a chalkboard listing suppliers, farms and bakeries with which it deals; its avowed purpose is to make food "a rich part of daily being"; its published philosophy avows, "We at Tomato Jam consider our customer's health and well being as important as our own." None of this is typical restaurant hype; indeed, it is pretty darn unusual for a restaurant even to have an avowed philosophy! But when you think about it, aren't those attitudes and goals the most traditional values of all? Let's just say that this cheerful, kitschy-retro cafe is not only one of a kind; it is one wonderful place to eat.

For nothing other than biscuits we put it high on the Roadfood honor roll – cat head biscuits in particular, so named because they are closer to the size and shape of a big cat's knobby noggin than they are to a smooth and symmetrical hockey puck. Made using whole-grain flour, they are biscuits of color rather than the more familiar lily-white ones; and while they are not lighter than helium, they are quite elegant and deliver serious flavor. Have one plain or lightly buttered and top it with sweet, fruity tomato jam; order it with sausage gravy or milk-smooth creamed chipped beef. We love it as the bookends for a breakfast BLT, which includes apple-smoked bacon and broiled tomato, and preferably is ordered with a side of chunky cinnamon-spiced apple sauce.

As for the amazing meal listed on the menu as Uncle Funky's Grit bowl, Rebecca of Tomato Jam Cafe explained, "Uncle Funky is a friend, who was a culinary student at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College at the time he started coming in. He liked to order basically this meal to get him through on test days. He irritated the snot out of Charlie [Rebecca's partner] the first few times he came (sporting a wiry beard and fauxhawk before they were popular), because he dissected the food he'd order and asked all sorts of questions. He's become a good friend and an amazing chef."

Tomato Jam is a good place for devout vegetarians; you even can have vegan sausage on the side of breakfast (which can be vegan, assuming you resist the creamy, buttery stone-ground grits). At lunch, in addition to hamburgers made from grass-fed cow meat, the menu lists a black bean burger and a pseudo-burger made of a marinated portabella cap. There are lots of different grilled cheese options as well as pimiento cheese, available hot or cold, with or without roasted tomato, and with the option of that good apple-smoked bacon.

Desserts we intend to try when we stop in for lunch include banana pudding, red velvet cake and cashew-studded brownies.

Scorecard

Overall: One of the Best - Worth a Trip

Cat Head Biscuit	Breakfast BLT
Uncle Funky's Grit Bowl	Biscuit & Gravy

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Reviewers Photos [Upload Your Photos]

"A cat-head biscuit, buttered and spread with bright, fruity tomato jam. All you need is a cup of coffee to make this a lovely little breakfast. (Photo by Rebecca Daun-Widner)"
Michael Stern

"Uncle Funky's Grit Bowl is stone-ground grits topped with an egg and roasted tomato, including bacon, ham or sausage, with cheese or gravy. (Photo by Rebecca Daun-Widner)"
Michael Stern

"This pride of cat-head biscuits is enjoying its pre-oven rising. In the background are the cafe's big rooster and -- way back -- Charlie Widner, Rebecca Daun-Widner's partner and 'Chef Proprietress of TJC.' (Photo by Rebecca Daun-Widner)"
Michael Stern

"What a shame there is no practical technology for offering smells along with a jpeg image. These hot-from-the-oven cat heads exude seductive morning perfume. (Photo by Rebecca Daun-Widner)"
Michael Stern

"Tomato Jam is an inviting place for a casual meal. (Photo by Rebecca Daun-Widner)"
Michael Stern