The Foodies Paradise – Asheville, North Carolina
There are stunning mountain views in and around Asheville. In additional to the spectacular scenery, it’s a ‘foodie’s’ dream city. Each restaurant was better than the last. Need some suggestions? Be ready to get your ‘feed bag’ on!
Biltmore Mansion, Asheville, North Carolina
You’ll need to explore the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is known to be one of the most scenic roads in North America! There are many outdoor excursions available such as hiking the mountain trails, whitewater rafting, biking, or zip lining. The winters do get cold, so plan your trip accordingly.
One of the biggest sites in Asheville, the Biltmore Mansion was pricey at $50 a ticket. Against my cheaper judgment, I decided to go and it was pretty incredible to see. It’s the largest personal residence in the US at 175,000 square feet! (3 times the size of the White House.) It was their summer place. Yikes.
Although friends recommended the Omni Grove Park Inn, we decided on The Residences at Biltmore. We stayed in a one bedroom with kitchen, laundry, fireplace, Jacuzzi tub and balcony. Clean and comfortable, a great choice. My husband and I gravitate to apartments in lieu of hotel rooms. I’m a night owl and he’s an early riser, a little hard to work out in one small room. There were reviews about hearing noise from adjoining rooms but I didn’t have that problem. The hot tub area was very disappointing. The literature spoke of watching the sunset from the hot tub. There was absolutely no way this is, was, or ever will be possible.
View from the Biltmore Mansion, Asheville, North Carolina
The Omni is definitely worth going to see if you are in the area. The exterior and main lobby are very impressive! The views of the mountains from the back of the hotel are stunning. I still prefer the apartment, but if you’re in the mood for a full service hotel, it’s really, really nice. They have nightly entertainment, we saw their Dueling Piano show.
Let’s get back to the foodie part… starting with lunch in Biltmore Village, we chose The Corner Kitchen. The menu is definitely different and we loved everything we had. The staff was very personable and service was excellent. Next on the food agenda we checked out Curate, a Spanish tapas bar in downtown Asheville. The food here was incredible. What was disappointing was the sangria, it was bitter and awful. It was so bad I sent it back (which would normally never happen). They doctored it up to be better, but it still wasn’t great. After the first glass, it’s all good anyway! Chestnut’s was delicious, it had the right atmosphere and a great staff. For breakfast you have to try the Early Girl Eatery. There’s a wait but it’s worth it!
Quirks: The mountain roads, coming and going, get pretty scary in bad weather.
Perks: Many! There were so many great restaurants. A beautiful views of the mountains. Several different areas of the city with different ambience. All good!
Hangin’ at the Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina
Been to Asheville? Please feel free to share any suggestions you may have!
