The Artist Kitchen - Marshall

This is a five star restaurant in one of the few authentic, gracious small towns remaining in the American South. Admittedly, Asheville is a great city for food and drink, but Star Diner is worth the exceptionally scenic drive from Asheville. Escape the tourists and enjoy an evening in a wonderful small town on the French Broad River. Our dinner on Saturday night was so good that we went back for brunch on Sunday. (Okay, I admit we spent the night just down the street at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel, but we had other options.

What a surprise! We were in town to visit family and just wandered in to one of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had.

Former Tupelo Honey chef has his own restaurant in downtown Marshall. Creative menu in old gas station with only outdoor seating. Hot night nearly ruined experience. But fried chicken saltimbocca was delicious .

Star Diner is a standout in our community. It has always been the go-to restaurant for special celebrations or for an evening to impress visitors. Now they're serving lunch and it measures up with their dinners and brunch. Worth a trip from Asheville or beyond.

It was a beautiful evening and lovely to sit outside for dinner. We had the scallops special and the angel hair alio olio with vegetables. The scallops were perfectly seared, moist and flavourful. The pasta vegetables were really delicious. Nice wine selection and great service. Looking forward to a return visit.