While downtown Asheville seems a bit sleepy towards the end of summer, with tourists shy to return or weary of the recession, West Asheville is thriving. New wine bars, ice cream shops, and restaurants fill Haywood Road. And newcomer Potential New Boyfriend (PNB) checks all these categories. It’s a hangout with record listening parties, sundae desserts, charcuterie boards, and an interesting list of bottles and by-the-glass pours (no commonplace cabs or chards here).
PNB owner, Disco, opened the establishment towards the end of 2024, and it’s become a hangout for locals and a few visitors in the know.
The vibe: It’s like the apartment from Friends, but make it modern and more diverse. Or maybe if early MTV made a comeback in the 21st Century? There’s colorful furniture in sumptuous fabrics, dramatic art on the walls, a top-of-the-line sound system, and an immaculate vinyl collection. In the center of the room, a large group of friends converse on the couches, while on the fringes, couples sit close to each other, sharing bites of dessert and chatting. Even if you go by yourself, you’re not alone at PNB. It’s a safe space to listen to music, explore new wines, and relax with a scoop of very, very good ice cream.
On the menu: Desserts from chef Dana Amromin (also co-owner of Butter Punk) are the main focus of the menu. Like the record selections, the lineup fuses the nostalgic with the new. A classic tiramisu sits next to a twisted peach tea dessert with lapsang semifreddo, bruléed peach, mimosa gastrique, and honeycomb candy. Sundaes come in seasonal flavors like blueberry mint with blueberry compote and lemon cake (and yes, they come in classic ice shop fountainware). PNB owner Disco founded Gospel Artisanal Ice Cream, so frozen treats are heavily featured, with selections like Vietnamese iced coffee, salted chocolate, and Biscoff stracciatella. You can order ice cream as a scoop, bruléed, or as an affogato.
There are savory items to be had as well. Snack-y items like fancy onion dip, panzanella salad with heirloom tomatoes, charcuterie boards, and whipped ricotta with roasted beets, chili crisp, and lemon-pepper crackers. All menu items (even desserts) come with a suggested wine pairing.
What to drink: The drink menu is a choose-your-own-adventure experience with wines, vermouths, amaros, and apertifs. Do you want a “Porch Pounder” or a “Slow Sipper”? Dry or sweet? Herbal or fruity? Following the choices from the flow chart allows customers to feel comfortable with the selections, even if they’ve never heard of a Cocchi vermouth or La Quintinye Royal. The staff is also very helpful in making recommendations. It’s the very opposite of the snobbery associated with wine.
The move: Pre-game your West Asheville evening with a glass of something sparkling at PNB, head out to dinner (Eater Award-winner Neng Jr.’s is right across the street), and then go back to PNB for dessert and a digestif.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source carolinas.eater.com ’
