yo u r l o c a l’ s g u i d e t o a l l p o i n t s s o u t h
Southern
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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
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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
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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