Restaurant Recommendations

My boyfriend and I will be visiting Asheville during Dec. 16-19, visiting the Biltmore Estate, but would like to know if anyone has some recommedations on places to eat or visit in Downtown Asheville. Thanks!

Restaurant Recommendations

Hi,

Try this website for some great ideas: ExploreAsheville.com.

Asheville is a very neat city with lots of culture. There%26#39;s a lot to do downtown. Also, the Blue Ridge Parkway is nearby,it is a beautiful drive and has several places to get out and hike. There are also some beautiful waterfalls. Cherokee is not too far away and has the only casinos in North Carolina. The Great Smoky Mountains Park is there, too. There%26#39;s just tons to do and see. The website above has just about eveything listed, and links to many things. I can%26#39;t remember any restaurant names, but I%26#39;ve never eaten a bad meal in Asheville! The website lists tons of restaurants, too.

Best Wishes!

Restaurant Recommendations

The Marketplace in Asheville. Excellent food.

We had a great time at the Grape Escape - although it%26#39;s more of a wine bar, the food was great, too. We really enjoyed the flights (4 1.5-oz tastes of wines), especially the Spanish reds and Pinot Noirs. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly.

Oh - and I forgot to mention: if you are readers, DO NOT MISS Malaprop%26#39;s bookstore at 55 Haywood (website: www.malaprops.com.) It%26#39;s one of the best independent bookstores in the US.

There are several excellent restuarants downtown in/near Pack Place. Try Cafe on the Square (American), Barley%26#39;s (laid back for pizza), La Caterina Trattoria (Italian), Cottonwood Cafe, Salsa (Mexican and Carribean), Bistro 1896 (American), Laughing Seed Cafe (vegetarian) in the immediate downtown area. Also, recommend the Savoy (seafood and Italian). For extremely upscale, go with Gabrielle%26#39;s at Richmond Hill Inn.

Check out www.ashevillebba.com/dining.html for the nicest places.

Here are some listings for those of you who plan to dine in Asheville in the near future. To give you some bakground on my dining tastes, I live in CA and consider some of my favorite restaurants to include Chez Panisse, Boulevard, and The French Laundry in CA and Gramercy Tavern and chef Mario Batali%26#39;s restaurants in NYC. I lived in Asheville for many years and now go there to visit my parents. Here are our favorite restaurants in and around Asheville (in no particular order):

Downtown:

1. Heiwa Shokudo (Not your usual Japanese - unique - I really like this place)

2. Tupelo Honey Cafe (Southern - good for breakfast or lunch)

3. Zambra (Latin - very fun for dinner)

4. Salsa%26#39;s (Latin - very fun for lunch)

5. The Market Place (upscale - for dinner)

Vegetarian Downtown:

1. Max %26amp;amp; Rosie%26#39;s Cafe

2. The Laughing Seed Cafe

Upscale/Excellent Cuisine:

1. The Richmond Hill Inn (North Asheville)

One of my parent%26#39;s Fave%26#39;s %26amp;amp; very popular:

1. Savoy Cuisine Italiana (Med./Ital.) (North Asheville)

BBQ

1. Little Pig%26#39;s BBQ (Good with kids)

Southern Country Food in a ';downhome'; setting with squaredancing (Outside of Asheville):

1. The Pisgah View Ranch (family style, not fancy %26amp;amp; good with large groups %26amp;amp; kids)(A real experience - we like to go here with out of town guests)

Biltmore Village

1. La Paz used to be good, but haven%26#39;t been in a long time (Latin/Mexican Food)

2. Chelsea%26#39;s Tea Room - Good for a ';ladies lunch'; and sweets.

3. People seem to really like Rezza%26#39;s, but I wasn%26#39;t that impressed. (Classy Med.)

Good with Kids:

1. The Mellow Mushroom Pizza (Downtown)

2. Carrabba%26#39;s (surprisingly good food for a chain, near the Asheville Mall on very unscenic Tunnel Rd.)

Pizza %26amp;amp; Beer:

1. Barley%26#39;s (Downtown)

Destination Dining:

1. The Swag Inn (A fabulous mountain inn)(Located in Waynesville - outside of Asheville)(We like to go here with out of town guests - amazing setting and a real experience)

Hope this helps!

Hi,

I forgot to mention a few great places to shop in downtown Asheville. If you are the least bit interested in shoes and accessories, then you have to go to Tops for Shoes. It is the biggest shoe store I have ever seen and has an amazing selection for adults and kids. Also, Constance Boutique (I shop here every time I go home even though I live near San Fran, CA) for chic women%26#39;s clothing and accessories. Malaprop%26#39;s Independent Bookstore is a wonderful place and Sensibilities right down the street has a great selection of products for the face and body as well as a spa for treatments. Have a wonderful time in Asheville!

If you get done in downtown Asheville, Grandfather Mountain high up in the hills offers a wide array of wildlife to be dazzled by (not to mention the great swinging bridge). There is also the lesser : Chimney Rock which is worth a visit so you can look out over the Blue Ridge. Black Mountain is a bit of a drive, but also something worth seeing.

When I was there this past weekend, I made it to Mount Mitchell (stupid tourist, I forgot to check the gas gauge and was on E when I was almost there - HMMM- thought about turning back to play it safe but decided to risk it and used Neutral heavily going back down only shifting to Drive on upslopes and straightaways - thank God for the Shell at US 70 %26amp; the Blue Ridge Parkway!). Anyway, the restaurant was closed but I was wondering is this any good when I return to Asheville or is it more a burger %26amp; fries place with a view?

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