The Best Cellar Restaurant in Blowing Rock, North Carolina was established in 1975. The original location was in a basement on Main Street, where previous owners sold soups, sandwiches and new and used books. The name was derived from the fact that the restaurant sold books in a basement, hence The Best Cellar. Over the years, the menu evolved from sandwiches and soups to the freshest of meats and seafood.
The Best Cellar prides itself on having provided its customers with the finest of food, wine, and service for 30 years. All dishes, including bread and desserts, are prepared each day on site. Many of our dishes have been favorites for years, but we always have daily specials to satisfy those customers looking for something new. [Tel. 828-295-3466]
The Best Cellar Menus
Dinner Menu
(serving year round)
— — Appetizers——
Crab Cake
Jumbo lump crab lightly seasoned, sautéed and served over a lobster chive cream sauce
9.95
Marinated Brie
Small wheel of Brie marinated in olive oil, roasted red peppers and fresh herbs, grilled and served with gourmet crackers
9.95
Fresh Calamari
Buttermilk fried and served with Cajun remoulade and lemon
10.95
Oysters Rockefeller
1/2 dozen fresh oysters topped with a mixture of spinach, onions, smoked bacon and Parmesan; baked and finished
with hollandaise
12.95
Prince Edward Island Mussels
Steamed to perfection with tomatoes, fennel,
and garlic in a white wine saffron butter broth; finished with
crispy baguette slices
10.95
Caprese Pizza
Grilled flatbread topped with olive oil roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil; baked and drizzled with
a balsamic reduction
9.95
— — Salads — —
Spinach Salad
A bed of baby spinach topped with crispy fried oysters, red onions, hard-boiled egg and smoked bacon; finished with warm vinaigrette.
9.95, served with an entree 6.00
Caesar Salad
Hearts of Romaine tossed with a traditional dressing, served with aged Parmesan and homemade croutons. Topped with anchovies upon request
7.95, served with an entree 4.00
Your salad dressings choices are creamy horseradish, chunky Bleu cheese, sweet onion and basil vinaigrette, and raspberry vinaigrette.
— — Poultry — —
Served with rice and choice of one side
Roast Duckling
Half a duckling roasted until crispy, boned and served with raspberry sauce
28.95
Parmesan and Herb crusted Chicken
Thinly pounded chicken breast, encrusted with fresh herbs and Panko
breadcrumbs, sautéed and served
with herbed sour cream
24.95
Chicken Marsala
Breast of Chicken thinly pounded and sautéed with mushrooms, cream and sweet Marsala wine
26.95
— — Pasta — —
Served with choice of one side
Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Angel hair pasta tossed with zucchini, roasted portobello mushrooms, red onions and tomatoes; in a
roasted garlic cream sauce - add smoked duck,
grilled chicken or grilled shrimp add 5.95
19.95
— — From the Sea — —
Served with rice and choice of one side
Crab Cakes
Jumbo lump crab lightly seasoned and sautéed; served over lobster cream
27.95
Best Cellar Tuna Marinade
Yellow Fin Tuna marinated in light soy, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh ginger; grilled and served with pickled
cucumber ribbons, wasabi, and fried wonton strips
28.95
Pan seared Scallops
Served over wilted spinach and Shiitake mushrooms, finished with toasted sesame
seeds and cucumber wasabi cream
28.95
Almond encrusted NC Black Grouper
Grouper seasoned with lemon pepper, encrusted with toasted almonds; pan seared and
finished in white wine and served over a smoked gouda cream sauce
29.95
Glazed Salmon
Salmon baked with a glaze of Jack Daniels, brown sugar and grain mustard
25.95
Mountain Trout
Tuscan seasoned, pan-fried and served with a garnish of house-made olive tapenade
25.95
Greek Shrimp
Blackened jumbo shrimp served over angel hair pasta tossed with
Sundried tomatoes, red onions, zucchini, and Kalamata olives in a
Feta white wine butter sauce
28.95
— — From the Land — —
Served with either mashed new potatoes or Parmesan dusted shoestring fries and choice of one side
Filet Au Poivre
Eight oz filet coated with cracked peppercorns and grilled; served on a mirror of brandy peppercorn cream
38.95
Grilled Blackened Ribeye
Fourteen oz. Angus Rib-eye grilled and served with Bleu cheese cognac cream
32.95
Filet Oscar
Eight oz filet seasoned and grilled; topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, asparagus, and finished with béarnaise
41.95
Grilled Flank Steak
Memphis style dry rubbed flank steak grilled and finished with
roasted red pepper cream and crispy fried onions
23.95
Veal Picatta
Veal tenderloin pan seared, served with a sauté of capers finished in a lemon butter sauce
29.95
Veal Oscar
Veal Tenderloin pan seared, sliced and topped with jumbo lump crab, asparagus and finished with Béarnaise sauce
32.95
— — Side Items — —
Steamed asparagus with hollandaise
Sautéed garlic green beans
Baked acorn squash with brown sugar cinnamon butter
Stuffed zucchini boat with three cheeses, breadcrumbs,
pecans and herbs
Parmesan dusted shoestring fries
As a courtesy to all of our guests, thank you for refraining from cell phone use in the dining room.
A gratuity of 20% may be added to tables of eight persons or more

Lunch Menu
(May thru Oct
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 7 days a week
)
— — Appetizers — —
Cheese Plate
Assorted artisanal cheeses with fruit and crackers.
9.95
House-made Pimento Cheese
Served hot or cold with Carr’s crackers
7.95
Fried Green Tomatoes
Served on a bed of black-eyed peas, red onions, and tomatoes. Finished with goat cheese crumbles and smoked bacon vinaigrette.
8.95
Vidalia onion rings
House-made, buttermilk fried and served with roasted red pepper ketchup
6.95
Tempura Battered spicy Portobello French fries
Served with seasonal horseradish cream
7.95
Soup of the day
Priced daily
— —Salads — —
Fried Oyster Spinach Salad
Spinach served with hard boiled egg, crumbled bacon, thinly sliced red onion topped with crispy fried oysters and warm bacon vinaigrette
10.95
Caesar Salad
Romaine Hearts tossed with traditional dressing served with aged Parmesan and croutons
7.95
with Grilled Chicken 10.95 with grilled Shrimp or Salmon Filet 13.95
Trio Salad
A bed of greens topped with a scoop of chicken, egg, and tuna salad. Served with fruit and crackers
10.95
Flank Steak Salad
Arugula and spinach topped with grilled flank steak, pickled onions, tomatoes and cucumbers; dressed with
tarragon-radish butter, Goat cheese crumbles and creamy horseradish dressing
12.95
— — Sandwiches — —
All sandwiches are served with a choice of side item
Tuscan Chicken Sandwich
Grilled chicken breast topped with charred tomato jam, grilled
red onion and smoked Mozzarella on a Kaiser with Dijon aioli
9.95
Muffeletta
A New Orleans classic of thinly shaved ham, turkey and salami with
Provolone and crispy pickled vegetable relish
10.95
Smoked Turkey and Brie Melt
Served on sour dough with lettuce red onion and
roasted red pepper
mayo
9.95
Blackened Prime Rib Sandwich
Shaved and served with grilled red onions, mushrooms, on a Bleu cheese
buttered baguette with au jus for dipping
10.95
Chicken Salad
House Made with apple, celery, and pecans in an herbed mayo on sourdough or wheat
9.95
Grilled Portobello Sandwich
Open-faced with caramelized onions, tomato confit and smoked Mozzarella finished with basil pesto coulis
10.95
Southern BLT
Smoked bacon, fried green tomato, lettuce and pimento cheese with herb aioli on sour dough
9.95
Fried Oyster Po' Boy
Served with shredded lettuce, pickled shaved onion and caper tartar
10.95
North Fork Farms Char-grilled Burger
Served with choice of Cheddar, Bleu or Swiss cheeses;
grilled
and accompanied by lettuce,
tomato
and onions on a Kaiser roll
10.95
Signature Burger
Locally grown beef seasoned with ancho chili dry rub,
char-grilled
and topped with crispy fried onions, green chiles, and Pepperjack cheese, dressed with cumin mayo
10.95
— — Light entrees — —
Served with a house salad
Crab Cakes
Served on a bed of sautéed spinach; garnished
with Cajun remoulade
13.95
Local Mountain Trout
Seasoned and pan sautéed, garnished with olive tapenade and served with rustic potato green bean salad
14.95
Grouper Fingers
Served with caper tartar sauce, coleslaw and french fries
12.95
Flank and Fries
Char-grilled flank steak, medium rare or to your liking, sliced and served with house steak sauce and french fries
15.95
Rockefeller Pasta
Linguini tossed with spinach, onions, and smoked bacon in a
white wine sauce with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese 12.95
with Grilled Chicken or Shrimp
15.95
— — Sides — —
Cup of soup du jour
Shoestring fries
Rustic potato and green bean salad
Macaroni and Cheese
House Salad
Cucumber, Tomato, Vidalia Salad


