Regional food specialties
- The South's Hip Food and Brew Capitol
I'd been hearing good things about the food and drink scene in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina to the point it made me want to check it out soon. That opportunity came when we had a five day time-frame to take a trip. Asheville ended up being our last second decision and we were on the road early afternoon as it would be a 10 hour drive from Chicago. An overnight stay in Lexington Kentucky got us to just about the halfway point so we'd end up rolling into town early Thursday afternoon.
_____________________________________________________________
Downtown Asheville
First thing we did was take a ride into the downtown area for a chance to stroll around and see what was going on. It's a very vibrant community with all sorts of people. Art plays a big part in it as does both food and beer. As mentioned Asheville is a trendy spot for both these days so we did our best to get as big of a glimpse into them as we could. The downtown area isn't big but there's plenty of eating options, many of them with real international flair, and also a few micro breweries amongst them.
Some sights from downtown
_____________________________________________________________Limones Restaurant
California-Mexican Cuisine
I admit I was a little skeptical when I first saw the menu for this place. Though the blood orange margaritas pictured on the website most definitely caught my eye and we were figuring out where we wanted to eat when we walked right by just as they were opening. We decided to stop in for a refreshment and a snack as it was getting hot and we were hungry. While the prices aren't cheap, the lobster nachos that locals praised were actually a steal in my eyes. I was expecting there too be a few pieces of lobster meat or even some sort of sauce made with the shell which there was, but there were also quite a few chunks. Lobster Nachos sound so 90's but this version will always be good no matter what decade it is. The drinks were winners too.
Lobster Nachos
_____________________________________________________________Tupelo Honey Cafe
One of the more popular places in town is this Southern inspired "freestyle" food stop. They have eight locations in North Carolina and Tennessee though this downtown Asheville one didn't feel like a chain. There was pretty much always a wait as they have brunch, lunch and entree portions to the menu as well as local beers and house cocktails. We ate quite a few rounds of both biscuits and grits on this trip and both were said to be really good here. The homemade biscuit with blueberry jam was about as good as gratis gets but unfortunately the grits were the low-point of the rounds we tried. More than a few clumpy spots didn't allow us to enjoy what could have been a great dish as the combination of goat cheese grits with shrimp and a red pepper sauce was very promising, the flavor profile was there but the grits were not.
Excellent Biscuit w/ Blueberry Jam + House Shrimp and Grits
_____________________________________________________________Chai Pani
I found this place recommended in a local publications food coverage and the sound of an India driven bar with snacks and cocktails inspired me to stop in. Good idea as I drank the best cocktail of the trip sitting at the bar while enjoying the most addictive prepared okra recipe I have come across. All they did was split the okra down the middle and season them with Indian spices before a quick trip to the deep fryer. Bar food perfection. I don't remember the name of the drink I got but they use quite a few spirits from India as well as common flavors from there when making them. The result was a very refreshing cocktail with flavors that were new to me.
Fried Okra for the Gods
_____________________________________________________________Curate
Spanish Tapas Downtown
It's always hard picking a favorite meal of any trip where were eating BIG but no doubt next time life takes me thru Asheville I'll be back here upon my return. I'll be honest, I've never had great Spanish food in the States. It's never been something I sought out but after an amazing two week stay there this past May I've been jonesing for more. I'd read how the husband and wife team that run this place met in Barcelona while she was working the kitchen of El Bulli and it immediately was placed in my mental "must visit" list. The menu resembles that of an authentic Barcelona eatery and while visiting Barcelona I had an amazing lamb skewer that I'd wanted more of ever since I ate it. The skewer at Curate sounded similar so I started with that.
Lamb Skewers with Moorish Spices and Homemade Pickles
Fantastic. Pretty much as good as I remember the one at Lolita Taperia to be. The winner for me and maybe my favorite bite of the entire trip was this Iberico pork steak which I think might of been the tenderloin but whatever it was it wasn't bland. So much flavor coming from the perfectly cooked meat I had to contain myself from ordering another round.
Grilled 100% Iberico Pork "Skirt Steak" with Rosemary and thyme
Pork Sausage with Fried White Beans and Aioli
_____________________________________________________________Wicked Weed Brewing
I stopped into a few breweries in the downtown area and this one ended up being my favorite for both beer and atmosphere. They have a huge patio as well as a really nice interior and were pouring some super solid brews. I noticed a trend in cucumber beers going on down there and Wicked Weeds version really hit the spot on a hot humid day.
Part of Asheville's Thriving Beer Scene
_____________________________________________________________
Manute Bol Mural in the River Arts District
_____________________________________________________________White Duck Taco Shop
As you may know I've been on a quite a taco binge since getting my latest blog launched. Tacos are the passion of many right now and they don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. I like to check out the spots best tacos wherever I'm visiting and White Duck Taco Shop in the Arts District was said to be that. Lots of mentions for their Bangkok Shrimp taco which was fried shrimp with some Asian spiced glaze and curried cucumbers on top. I wasn't really feeling this. The shrimp were better solo so I ate them and left the rest. Some places try too hard coming with crazy taco concoctions when they should just be focused on doing the ones that work the right way.
Bangkok Shrimp Taco
_____________________________________________________________12 Bones Smokehouse
Media Renowned BBQ Spot in the Arts District
I like to browse best of lists when they're released but do so purely for entertainment sake. Nine times out of ten the author hasn't been to 9 out of 10 of them. They're made based off online reviews, social media presence, popularity as opposed to an actual taste trial of them all. But I digress. 12 bones is a nationally renowned smokehouse that has a line at almost all times. It's been put on many of these best of lists so I was somewhat weary going in but excited at the same time since I can get my own idea of a place being worth the stop or not. In short 12 Bones most certainly was however I wouldn't rank it amongst the best I've been to. Everything was above average and their famous Fried Green Tomato BLT was one of the best sandwiches I'll eat all year but once you've traveled thru Texas it's hard to top some of those spots.
Fried Green Tomato BLT with Candied Bacon
I don't want to make this review sound like this place was anything short of fantastic I just feel the need to point out how high the bar is set for our one of country's most seeked out national cuisines. The sides with the sandwich were both very good. I liked the collard greens and loved the grits which were the best we ate on this trip that included tasting them from a handful of spots. I loved the fact they offered "little tastes" of each meat at a very reasonable price allowing me the chance to sample some of their above average pulled pork. We got there soon after they opened so there were only 10-15 people ahead of us, the pulled pork seemed to be freshly pulled. They're doing 100% wood smoked meats and you can taste it in the pork.
Taste of Pulled Pork
The baby back ribs are what many believe to be 12 Bones strong point and I had my eyes on them from the get-go. I'm a fan of both spares and baby backs and believe there's a time and a place for both. 12 Bones gives you the option for how you want your ribs with a daily changing selection of how they're made. I'm a simplicity person with my ribs so instead of the fruit glazed options or the sauce driven ones I chose to go with six bones of the brown sugar rubbed ribs. They were a little past done but I still ate every bite. I'd be happy to have 12 Bones as an eating option.
6 bones of Brown Sugar Rubbed Baby Backs
Nice pink coloring in the meat from the smoke
_____________________________________________________________Happy Jacks Biscuits-n-Gravy
I found this spot while trying to find a Walgreens one day and it seems to be somewhat of a hidden gem, it could also be new as there wasn't much about them online but the biscuits and gravy I took to go from here were the truth. Large fluffy biscuits paired with a 22 oz plastic cups worth if real real sausage gravy with the perfect consistency you can only find south of the Mason Dixon line. One of the better breakfasts I can remember having for under five bucks.
Biscuit and Gravy
_____________________________________________________________
Black Mountain, North Carolina
I sometimes like to check out the towns around wherever I'm visiting and did so on this trip. Original reason for visiting Black Mountain which is only about a 10 minute ride from Asheville was due to it being the home of the Pisgah Brewery. The guys there brew one of the best pale ales in the game and I was drinking it on the cheap all trip. Aside from the brewery the town also has a large collection of independently owned business and restaurants which makes for a nice stroll thru on a nice day.
Home to one of America's best Microbrewery's
_____________________________________________________________Blue Ridge Parkway
One of the more appealing activities of Asheville to me was the Blue Ridge Parkway. This 469 mile scenic drive takes you thru the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. We wouldn't be doing the entire thing but I did a little bit of research and found a restaurant doing farm to table food in the small town of Spruce Point. While it's only a 30 minute drive should you take the regular highway, taking the Parkway there takes about two hours. These are some windy roads which in many cases you need to travel slow along as fog and visibility can sometimes become a problem. We hopped onto the trail in Asheville and rode North to Spruce Pine. One of the most scenic rides in the states we saw a black bear and and uncountable number of spectacular views. Hopefully some of these pics will justify taking the ride. You can make it as short or long as you want.
Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway
_____________________________________________________________Spruce Pine, North Carolina
Cool little town with some antique shops and the aforementioned restaurant we would be visiting for an early dinner. The people behind it have also opened a cocktail bar just up the hill called Spoon. We stopped into there for a drink before walking down to the restaurant to eat.
Some sights from town
_____________________________________________________________Knife and Fork
Farm to table dining in the mountainside
I read about this place online in a article about where to eat when driving along the Parkway. It piqued my interest so we called up to see if they could seat us. Earlier the better is what we were told as they fill up every night on the weekends when its nice out. They were indeed full halfway thru our meal. The starters of slow cooked greasy beans with pork and also sauteed mushrooms and green onions with San Tumas on toast were exceptional. The beans maybe the best version of them I've ever indulged in. I love slow cooked green beans.
Starters at Knife and Fork
Entree was easy choice for me as I had to have some trout while in-state. They were preparing theirs grilled with roasted peppers, tomatoes, leeks, basil and fumet. Pretty simple and thats all that was needed. Fresh grown produce paired with the locally raised trout was what farm to table is all about.
Grilled North Carolina Trout
_____________________________________________________________WNC Farmers Market
On the outskirts of town is the Western North Carolina Farmers Market which is open seven days a week year-round. There's some enclosed buildings where many of the vendors setup then there's some stalls outside where many of the peach and melon vendors setup shop. It was hard to gauge what type of product was being sold. Figuring out whether or not the product was grown by the sellers or purchased by them from others wasn't easy. I actually found the jarred and canned goods for sale to be more appealing and left with a big jar of Tennessee chow-chow relish as well as a couple fruit ciders and some stone ground grits.
Walking Around
I spied this lady selling hot dogs as I walked back to the car and with my luck they were indeed North Carolina Slaw Dogs. In these parts they put chili, cole-slaw, mustard and onions on their wieners and I had wanted to try one from a place like this. Not as bad as it may sound I've already had West Virginia Slaw Dog from a place that will make them here in Chicago and enjoyed those so I was expecting the same from these. Nice snack to start the day. I'm on vacation ok.
North Carolina Slaw Dog
_____________________________________________________________Biscuit Head
Popular breakfast and Lunch stop in West Asheville
Part of the Menu and Biscuit Spreads
Lots of biscuit options around town and I'd read up on this being one of the more popular spots to consume them. They're doing biscuit sandwiches of all sorts here. Toppings range from common breakfast offerings like bacon and country ham to both fried green tomatoes and chicken breast. As the name suggests they're not small and in some cases can feed two. We tried the ham with a fried green tomato, cheese eggs and a side of red eye gravy. You need to use both hands to eat these massive things which are heavier than most biscuits which is necessary in holding it all together. The side of red eye gravy was mouth watering good. The free jams they make for you to spread on your sandwiches made so much of an impression I took a bottled peach ginger jam as well as a banana buffalo sauce home with me. The place was packed for a reason I guess.
Country Ham Biscuit
_____________________________________________________________King Daddy's Chicken & Waffles
On our first night in town we were scrambling to find a spot open past 10p until I took a look at my list and saw that this semi new spot specializing in a popular dish was still open. King Daddy's is from the people behind the popular Asheville restaurant Early Girl eatery, we didn't get a chance to go there but were happy we stopped here. They offer a few styles of both the fried chicken and the waffle as well as cocktails, sides and other soul food favorites. The rice with lamb gravy really hit the spot. We went with the cast iron skillet fried chicken option on top of a waffle cooked with pork cracklins in the batter. Fanflippingtastic.
Pan Fried Chicken & Waffles
_____________________________________________________________Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack
Surprise find here. Not the restaurant itself which I had wanted to check out but the idea that went into my head that the fried chicken they're making here might be the best I've ever had. I like to check out all the old school well known spots as well as the old school not so known places and the best do tend to come from them. So I wasn't expecting this not so old Nashville Style Hot Chicken stop in NC to be so sensational but the fact we returned for a second visit tells me it was. Granted we only ate wings but they were expertly fried with the perfect amount of spicy rub applied. Sides were above average too though I thought the mac and cheese was too cheesy but enjoyed the green beans and pimento cheese grits. Banana bread pudding was love. They stay true to the Nashville Hot Chicken style of hot meaning HOT. So eater beware. Don't order them extra hot unless you want to burn bad the next morning. The Mildium spice was just right.
Wings and Brew in West Asheville
_____________________________________________________________The Admiral
I held off eating here as I wasn't that hungry when we stopped in but we did enjoy the ambiance of the small space inside paired with a couple really well balanced cocktails. The food was making me regret I didn't want to eat so I hope to get in there next time I stop thru which I plan to do. Cool town.
Acclaimed Dining in West Asheville
_____________________________________________________________Limones Restaurant
13 Eagle St
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 252-2327
Tupelo Honey Cafe
12 College St
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 255-4863
Chai Pani
22 Battery Park Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 254-4003
Curate
11 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 239-2946
Wicked Weed Brewing
91 Biltmore Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 575-9599
White Duck Taco Shop
1 Roberts St #101
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 258-1660
12 Bones Smokehouse
5 Riverside Dr
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 253-4499
Happy Jacks Biscuits-n-Gravy
84 Mineral Springs Road
Asheville, NC 28805
Knife & Fork
61 Locust St
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
(828) 765-1511
WNC Farmers Market
570 Brevard Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 253-1691
Biscuit Head
733 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 333-5145
King Daddy’s Chicken & Waffles
444 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 785-1690
Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack
1455 Patton Ave
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 575-2260
The Admiral
400 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 252-2541
