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by Kristin Luna O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 | s O u T h E R n l i v i n g | 6 9

Prime Time in AshevilleWhen the air cools, pack your bags for this vibrant mountain town, where the great

food, drink, and art give the scenery a run for its money

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T r A v e l + C U l T U r e C i T y g U i d e

I n r e c e n t y e a r s , Asheville has traded its Bohemian

reputation for that of a culinary destination. The town has

garnered national attention for the widespread epicurean

talent it cultivates—38 new restaurants opened in 2013 alone.

But that’s not all: With a growing emphasis on indie designers

and artisans, a passion for craft cocktails, and an ever-present

focus on getting out and about in that fresh mountain air,

Asheville is about as multifaceted as a place can be. Plan your

trip this fall to check out these rising stars and see why every-

body’s talking about western north Carolina’s largest city.

biscuit with jalapeño

pimiento cheese,

bacon, egg, and

maple syrup, are

worth writing home

about. the breakfast

spot even has a butter

bar (yes, butter bar!)

with a dozen different

kinds of spreads.

chalkboard menus

and a mishmash of

brightly colored,

distressed wooden

doors fronting the

serving counter give

the whole place a

whimsical vibe.

biscuitheads.com

The Bull and Beggar

the bull and beggar is

so discreetly tucked

away in the river arts

District, you may

have a tough time

locating it. (tip: it’s

on the back side of

the warehouse next

to Wedge brewing

company.) once

inside, the ultimate

seafood lover should

splurge on the two-

tiered seafood

tower—featuring

raw oysters, shrimp,

clams, boiled

calamari, grilled

eel, crab claws, and

more. the-bull-and-

beggar.com

Cúrate

chef Katie button

offers eaters an

alternative to

asheville’s more

ubiquitous

southern-heavy

fare with her

distinctive

spanish tapas

restaurant.

order a pitcher

of sangría, and

try the crowd

favorite: warm

octopus with sea

salt, olive oil, paprika,

and potato puree.

curatetapasbar.com

Isa’s Bistro

this high-ceilinged,

contemporary-style

eatery is one of

downtown’s most

upscale lunch spots.

the rotating menu

consists of fancy

soups and sand-

wiches—like bison

chili, a griddled favorite among the

local crowd. expect

japanese-inspired

cuisine like yakitori

and ramen with an

american twist.

order a flight of the

house-brewed sakes

to sip on the patio.

benstuneup.com

Biscuit Head

Delectable morsels,

like a pulled pork

sustainable produce,

and bottled sauces

and preserves on

Wednesday after-

noons. allsoulspizza

.com

Ben’s Tune-Up

it may seem odd to

visit a noodle bar in

the middle of appala-

chia, but this garage-

themed watering

hole has become a

asheville

A T l A n T I C

O C e A n

N o r t h

C a r o l i N a

v i r g i N i a

g e o r g i a

s o u t h

C a r o l i N a

from left: Downtown asheville; biscuit head; tapas at chef Katie button’s cúrate; fried green tomato biscuit at biscuit head

eat

All Souls Pizza

all souls mills its own

corn for polenta pies

and sources its flour

from partner farm &

sparrow bakery, and

turns them into thin-

crust, wood-fired

works of art. try the

local squash, aleppo

pepper, and goat

cheese pie, and

wash it down with

one of the rotating

microbrews on draft.

all souls’ lawn is also

the new home to

the neighborhood

farmers’ market,

where vendors

set up shop to sell

handcrafted goods,

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t r a v e l + C U l t U r e C i t y g U i d e

pastrami reuben,

and arguably the

best burger in town,

served with pickled

Vidalias and sriracha

aioli. isasbistro.com

Drink

Hi-Wire Brewing

get your game on

at this new circus-

themed taproom

that offers four

permanent brews

(lager, brown, pale,

and ipa), plus a

kettle-corn dispenser,

nintendo console,

foosball, and

shuffleboard.

hiwirebrewing.com

Nightbell

nightbell offers

substantial bar bites

(including oysters,

lobster rolls, and

deviled eggs) and

one raucous dance

party. but it’s the

creative roster of

cocktails that has

spirits lovers lining up

at the door. try the

cold roses: vodka,

st-germain, lemon,

soda, berry ice, and

lavender foam.

thenightbell.com

Seven Sows

Bourbon & Larder

You’d be hard-

pressed to find a

more extensive

bourbon collection

in asheville. if you’re

keen on mixed drinks,

order the brown

betty (rye whiskey,

house-made peach

shrub, vermouth, and

black walnut bitters).

sevensows.com

Wicked Weed

Brewing

though it’s two years

old, wicked weed’s

novelty has yet to

wear off. that could

be because the

branding is on point—

you’ve gotta love

names like ’Merica

gone wild and Hop

burglar. but it’s likely

because the beers

themselves are some

of the best in north

carolina. wicked

weedbrewing.com

Stay

Grand Bohemian

Hotel Asheville

the sprawling tudor-

style resort occupies

prime real estate at

the entrance to the

biltmore. its 104

rooms are some of

the most comfortable

and well-appointed

in town, with plush,

upholstered head-

boards, velvet pillows

and drapery, light

fixtures fashioned

from antlers, and

deep soaking tubs.

art lovers should be

sure to peek into the

grand bohemian

gallery, an on-site

museum. bohemian

asheville.com; rooms

from $209

The Windsor

Boutique Hotel

constructed in 1907,

the windsor was

originally a hardware

store, then later a

froM top: seven sows; Your word against Mine (pineapple-infused gin, sherry, rosemary) at nightbell; tending bar at nightbell

N o r t h

C a r o l i N a

Biltmore estate

asheville

black Mountain

grandfather Mountain

blowingrock

boone

S c e N i c R o u T e

Arts & Culture Hounds

A s h e v i l l e — B lo w i n g R o c k

(8 6 M i l e s)

travel east on i-40 to experience north

carolina’s artisan culture. learn about

the area’s musical and literary

heritage at Swannanoa Valley Museum

(swannanoavalleymuseum.org), and

time your trip for a two-hour pottery

course next door at Black Mountain

center for the Arts (blackmountainarts

.org). on cherry street, dig through

colorful pottery and handmade jewelry at

Seven Sisters craft Gallery (sevensisters

gallery.com). continue an hour, through

pisgah national forest, to Grandfather

Mountain (grandfather.com). photos of

the natural marvel fill galleries throughout

the area; capture an image yourself via a

stroll along the tanawha trail. it’s another

22 miles to boone, where you can wander

curiosity stores like Strand Beads &

Jewelry (strandboone.com) and ArtWalk

(artwalkboone.com). twenty minutes

down the road, in charming blowing

rock, tuck in at the inn at Ragged

Gardens (ragged-gardens.com; rooms

from $145), an early 1900s manor.

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hotel, but abandoned

in 2008. the building

underwent an

18-month renovation

before opening as a

boutique lodging

option in april. the

14 luxury suites all

come with a full

kitchen, sitting

room, and separate

bedroom. each

room is unique with

parisian antiques that

the owners and

interior designer/

general manager

leeann mayes

brought back

from france, and

details incorporate

handiwork from

local craftspeople,

such as the ostrich

leather-wrapped

handrails. windsor

asheville.com;

rooms from $269

Do

electro Bicycle

Tours

try a guided two-

hour tour of the city

by pedal-assisted

electric bike. (the

vehicle does most

of the work for you—

you can’t beat that.)

these lazy rides

explore asheville’s

nooks and crannies

via greenways, quiet

side streets, and

historic neighbor-

hoods. electrobike

tours.com; $55/tour

French Broad

Chocolate Factory

& Tasting Room

With organic, fair-

trade, single-origin

chocolate—meaning

each product is

sourced from a

specific region—

french broad’s dark

chocolate bars are

made from just two

ingredients: cacao

and sugar. guided

tours, offered at 11

a.m. on saturdays,

take guests through

the history of choco-

late and the owners’

sourcing philosophy,

followed by the step-

by-step, bean-to-bar

process, with plenty

of tastings included.

reservations are

recommended.

frenchbroad

chocolates.com

Sadie Mae’s

Boutique

asheville’s first mobile

retail store is a real

S C e n I C R O U T e

The Great Outdoors

A s h e v i l l e — h ot s p R i n g s

(3 5 m i l e s)

for a nature lover’s dream spot, the town

of marshall lies 20 miles up the way, off

u.s. 70, on the french broad river. book

with Sandy Bottom Trail Rides (sandy

bottomtrailrides.net) to see the undulating

terrain via horseback. French Broad

Rafting & Ziplines (frenchbroadrafting

.com) leads daily whitewater rafting trips

through the end of october and has a

series of 10 zip lines crisscrossing the

dense treetops. sixteen miles north, dis-

cover the rejuvenating powers of mineral

springs at Hot Springs Resort and Spa

(nchotsprings.com) with a dip in one of its

12 outdoor whirlpools. ask for tub number

five, which overlooks both the french

broad river and spring creek. check in at

Iron Horse Station (theironhorsestation

.com; rooms from $75), a landmark 1929

inn on the main drag, then grab a nightcap

(more than 20 local microbrews) at Spring

Creek Tavern (thespringcreektavern.com)

on the outdoor, heated patio.

from top: grand bohemian hotel asheville; wares at shelter collective; celeste adams of sadie mae’s boutique

asheville

hot springs

marshall

Biltmore estate

N o r t h

C a r o l i N a

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7 6 | s o u t h e r n l i v i n g | o C t o B e r 2 0 1 4

t r a v e l + C U l t U r e C i t y g U i d e

gem, offering a

hodgepodge of

regionally made

accessories from

gloves to handbags.

owner celeste

adams sets up

shop at festivals,

yard sales, and art

walks from the back

of a 1972 travelaire

camper, and her

whereabouts

typically are

announced on her

Facebook page.

sadiemaesboutique

.com

Shelter Collective

opened in april,

this stunning west

asheville studio and

retail space stocks a

curated collection

of wearable art—

premium leather

bags, craft denim,

handmade metal

jewelry—and is the

high-design answer

to the onslaught of

local crafts shops

north carolina

seems to cultivate.

shopshelter

collective.com

Travelling Yogini

For the ultimate

active types,

travelling yogini

yoga tours allow for

sightseeing while

also getting your

“om” on in parks

and squares around

the city. For the lazier

yogi, there’s the

relaxed bend & brew

series at a handful

of local breweries,

where the reward

for 45 to 60 minutes

of beginner flow is a

beer tasting. yoga

tours.net; $25 for a

tour, $14 for bend &

brew

S C e n i C R o u T e

Food Lovers

A s h e v i l l e — h e n d e r s o n v i l l e

(59 m i l e s)

western north carolina’s booming ale

trail is further solidified with the opening

of the 190-acre Sierra nevada facility

(sierranevada.com) in mills river, just

18 miles south of asheville. mosey

southwest on state 280 to brevard and

grab a bite of comfort food (meatloaf)

at Mayberry’s (mayberrys.co), or an

old-fashioned sundae at Rocky’s Grill

& Soda Shop (rockysnc.com). Drive

40 minutes east along rolling U.s. 64

to Flat rock, where you can pick your

own apples and

savor oven-fresh

pie at Sky Top

orchard (skytop

orchard.com).

stop at under-

ground Baking

Company

(underground

baking.com),

7 miles north

on state 225 in

hendersonville,

for artisan

breads and pastries. make a final

beer stop at Southern Appalachian

Brewery (sabrewery.com), then check

into 1898 Waverly inn (waverlyinn

.com; rooms from $189), a three-story

Victorian with a full farm-to-table

breakfast.

aboVe From leFt: hendersonville street scene; assorted truffles from French broad chocolate Factory & tasting room

Biltmore

estate

asheville

mills river

brevard

Flat rock

hendersonville

N o r t h

C a r o l i N a

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