"Standing room only virtually every lunch and dinner. Started in a small back room, the diner-style restaurant, meat market, and bakery has sprawled... go for the Thunder Road burger." -- NYT Read more.
The fried green tomatoes with grits, ginormous homemade biscuit with jam with a tall glass of stout is a good as life gets. Except for the blueberry cheese pie. Oh my, my!
"The listener-supported station WDVX-FM, multiple winner of the national title Bluegrass Station of the Year, hosts the Mon-Sat Blue Plate Special show, offering free live music from 12-1." -- NYT Read more.
"A cinderblock dive lit by a flickery, old-timey TV... sources grass-fed beef tenderloin and pork belly from the stellar Hickory Nut Gap Farm, ramps and mushrooms from forager friends." --T+L Read more.
Sells Farm and Sparrow's wood fired pastries: "Croissants stuffed with kimchi and an open-faced pear, Gorgonzola, and bee pollen confection..." -- NYT Read more.
This is the best place in Asheville. Grab a book, order yourself a glass of red wine and pet all the puppies wandering around.
Great brew pub. Be sure to try the cask ales served with love from their traditional english beer engine. Once you go cask you can't go back!
They have a downstairs tasting room, an upstairs tap room and a restaurant. I tried to move in but they didn’t have a bedroom.
This Whole Foods sells Meadow Creek Dairy cheese, according to Meadow Creek Dairy's website. Plus there's an upstairs tap room with a view. Read more.
"Jamie and Amy Ager’s organic cured and fresh meats are sourced by the area’s finest kitchens. Find both at their superb farm store. Local artisanal honeys, cheeses, and jams, too." --T+L Read more.
2015 Season: May 2 to September 12 (Su 12-5:30, Mon 10-5:30, Tu closed, W-Sa 10-5:30); September 13 to November 1 (10 to 6 every day). Read more.
"The chef and front-of-house manager worked in Los Angeles at Suzanne Goin’s Lucques and AOC restaurants before they decided to move to Gardner’s hometown of Burnsville, North Carolina." --T+L Read more.
"One of the most iconic spots on the Parkway, this curved, elevated roadway is as beautiful as it is fun to drive." -- Jason Frye, Moon Blue Ridge Parkway Roadtrip
Chapters sells Meadow Creek Dairy cheese, according to Meadow Creek Dairy's website. Read more.
"Sophisticated and dry, lavishly acidic with understated fruit, they’re like a brisk mountaintop breeze with a hint of spring." --T+L. Open Sat 11-5 & Sun 12-5, Apr-Dec. Read more.
"Pancakes come in buckwheat, cornmeal, sweet potato, and plain old pancake. You must order a stack." -- Jason Frye, Moon Blue Ridge Parkway Roadtrip
"Unwind at this farmhouse retreat, nestled into hills and pastures." -- Jason Frye, Moon Blue Ridge Parkway Roadtrip
"Year-round you can count on music and dancing every Friday evening, Americana music every Saturday afternoon (12-3) and a traditional mountain music jam every Sunday." Read more.
Harvest Moon sells Meadow Creek Dairy cheese, according to Meadow Creek Dairy's website. Read more.
TTs is one-of-a-kind! It's been around for more than 80 years and is open 24 hours a day! The Cheesy Western is a cheese burger with a fried egg on it!
"Nosh on classic, casual American fare on the ground floor of a historic home." -- Jason Frye, Moon Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip
"Chef James Harris’s take on mountain comfort cooking finds local ingredients playing a French tune." --T+L Read more.
"George Bowers Grocery Stocks some of the region’s finest foodstuffs, including craft beers and farmstead cheeses." --T+L Read more.
Best chicken biscuit to be had. You can only walk up to the window or drive thru though; no sit-and-eat space. Closes at 2pm!
"Ed Mitchell, the legendary master of the eastern North Carolina art form of whole hog cooking... Dig into pilgrimage-worthy chopped or pulled pork... with two sides and hush puppies." --NYT Read more.
"House-made colas and syrups are mixed into cocktails like the Sweet Home Carolina (Cruzan light rum, sweet potato simple syrup, an egg and autumnal spices; $10)." --NYT 36 Hours Read more.
My friend Marissa says, "My favorite cocktail: A cross between a pina colada and a Ramos gin fizz."
You haven't officially "done Asheville" until you've had a Sweet Potato Pancake from Tupelo Honey.
Some of the best coffee in Asheville, true coffee nerd status. They serve Counter Culture beans, and you can't go wrong with that.
Amazing home-made ice cream flavors: Avocado, Salted Caramel, Longan Chinese Fruit Sorbet ... Read more.
Try the Brie BLT: your classic bacon, lettuce and tomato with melted brie, basil aioli, and granny smith apple slices on a toasted sub roll. It's perfection.
Best place to eat in Boone. Try the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich if your taste buds aren't feeling too adventurous but still want something awesome. Great waiting staff too!
