Uneven Steven's.

• Author: McKee, Marilyn Spencer
• Position: Steven's Restaurant

If you mention mountain dining to me, it brings back memories from an enchanting evening long ago, spent with friends in a log-cabin restaurant near Boone. A nearby brook babbled in the background. A fire crackled in the grate. But best of all was the food, which came cascading from the kitchen in course after course.

But this time around, we were in Asheville, not on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and my husband and I didn't have time to go off in search of memories.

The next best thing, however, could be big-city dining among the peaks. I would find such a meal, an acquaintance assured me, at Steven's Restaurant. Fine wines, good service and enough upscale accents to please a flatlander.

Still, when we pulled into Steven's parking lot, the sight of the aging Tudor-style building was not exactly encouraging.

With time to spare, we decided to check out the pub, which takes up most of the first floor. It looked cozy and was ringed with patrons, but upon our entrance, all eyes turned toward us. Were we overdressed or crashing a party?

A woman leaped off her stool and rushed toward us. "The restaurant," she said emphatically, "is upstairs." The pub, it seems, is a private club, although no sign is posted to warn unwary tourists. It must not be too exclusive, though. We were soon invited to join the regulars for a drink as their guests.

Instead, we found Steven's separate entrance and stepped into the foyer, which could be your Great Aunt Matilda's Victorian parlor. Vintage antiques, well-worn but prized, lifted our spirits, as did the casual elegance of the dining area, which is up a flight of stairs. With a series of alcoves holding cushioned booths and a few tables, this was dining at its most intimate.

We were within earshot of no one, and except for discreet appearances by our server (who was gracious and capable), it seemed as private as, well, a club. Blush pink walls help mask the building's age. And so what if the ceiling needed a patch job? It added to the patina.

The waitress offered cocktails, but we opted for wine -- a properly chilled white Bordeaux, Maitre d'Estournel ($15.50). Steven's wine list, though not extensive, has good choices in major categories -- a few from $30-$32 and about eight from $14-$22. There are premium wines by the glass and several imported beers. Once ordering was behind us, two hot, tasty rolls brushed with herb butter appeared. Things were looking up. Who needs a fireplace in the summertime, or, for that...