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.
Twelve years ago, a pizza place opened in the bones of the legendary Silver Dollar restaurant on Clingman Avenue, in the River Arts District. These days, interesting pizza is a dime a dozen, but at that time, All Souls had quite the angle. I remember being confused by crispy kale as a pizza topping, but it was just the beginning of All Souls’ creativity. Let’s face it, hip pizza in an old passenger train-style diner is a pretty great aesthetic concept in itself. I’d not been in a while, so I decided to check in.
This evening, we began with the fired shishito peppers with sumac yogurt, of which I’ve long been a fan. Each time I visit, I’m hoping they’re still on the menu.
Next was the Bibb lettuce salad with sweet potato chips, pecorino cheese and an herb vinaigrette that was perfect.
Now for the pizza
The Honey, a tomato sauce-based pie with pepperoni cups, pepperoncini, mozzarella and local honey was a sweet and spicy delight.
The Greek, a white cheese-based pie with huge chunks of artichoke, green and kalamata olives, onions, mozzarella and lots of garlic, was very tasty.
It’s important to mention that the chewy and tangy, yet somehow light-tasting crust is the crux of the matter, and it holds up. All pizza crust styles are valid, depending on the person, but this is still the best wood-fired style I’ve had. It just may be the only pizza I’ve ever wanted to eat the entire crust of, instead of giving most of the “bones” to my dog.
All bases were covered for apps and pies, but there was a new addition: A soft serve ice cream sundae station. In keeping with the old diner feel, this is romantic to me. You can have chocolate, vanilla or swirl with traditional toppings like crumbles or sprinkles, but we chose the exotic and alluring vanilla with honeycomb and fennel, and that, my friends, created a lasting dessert memory.
There are always special pies and a variety of appetizers. One I’ve had in the past was the smoked mackerel with tomato and pepper salad, and saffron aioli. Delicious.
The food was great, the house red and white wines were very drinkable and reasonably priced, but you can go for different options by the bottle or several local beers on draught.
There is just an elegant simplicity to everything here, even the decor. They’re not trying too hard, and I really like that. It’s cozy inside, and there’s a large patio, as well as plenty of parking, so it’s just as good for date night as it is for a family outing. If you’ve lived in town for a long time, you may even recognize some kind and capable veteran industry folks on staff.
This is an Asheville institution that will stand the test of time. Visit them soon, and help make that happen.
Rating: 🍴🍴🍴🍴
