Bistro Roca & Antlers Bar
Every once and a while I come across a great restaurant that is truly worth writing about. This past New Years Eve I happened upon such a place.
Bistro Roca & Antlers Bar is located in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, nestled away in the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains, seemingly inconspicuous yet delightfully local and refined. From the outside, Bistro Roca looks nothing like a spectacular bistro at all. Actually, it looks quite abnormal when compared to the affluent, private neighborhoods and businesses that are strewn all across the Blowing Rock area. This suited me just fine. In fact, it relaxed me to the point where I knew I would be even more at ease once inside. This held to be true. Once inside, I was completely comfortable and at peace. There was no tension. You may understand this point: Sometimes when you walk into a restaurant that isn’t too sure of itself you get this tense vibe from everyone working there and from those eating there as well. There was no tension at the Bistro. I felt like a local. I felt welcomed. And, as it turns out, the Bistro is a favorite of the locals. As for the interior itself, the Antlers Bar was well stocked, long, easy going and ready to please. There was a lovely lounge area with large, over-stuffed sofas and chairs in order to accommodate those waiting for their table or just enjoying the bar. The dining tables were not too small, and the dining chairs were leather and very comfortable!
The service at Bistro Roca was surprisingly wonderful. At first, they had our reservation for 4 when in fact there were 5 of us. However, when confronted with this challenge they did not verbally fire back at us. Instead, they took the mistake as a fault of their own and made seating for us even though all of the other tables were full and reserved well into the night. They made it happen.
The food was stupendous. I had a great North Carolina trout dish, and my wife enjoyed her organic salmon to the fullest. Our waitress made a great wine choice for us, and it complemented all of meals quite well. The room was not large, yet it was completely full. Even though the the Bistro was full I was still able to communicate with everyone around my table with ease. I never felt uncomfortable holding a conversation.
Bistro Roca & Antlers Bar buys their bread locally from a bakery called Stick Boy Bread Company and they sell beer which is brewed locally by Peabody’s. This shows that the Bistro is willing to support other local businesses which is a favorite quality of mine. The atmosphere was smooth and comfortable. Bistro had a genuinely local yet refined feel to it. The service was superb, even on the busiest of nights, and they were extremely accommodating. Overall, I recommend Bistro Roca, and I am anxious to return.
