Asheville Eats

I recently spent a few days enjoying some beautiful fall weather in Asheville, NC. In between rafting Class III and IV rapids on the French Broad, riding ATVs around Pisgah National Forest, running zip lines in Nantahala George, and commiserating with hippies, I managed to eat some really good food. There seems to be a focus on two general themes in Asheville restaurants, one is organic, local, farm-to-table eating, and the other is craft beer. Both of these things we were able to experience often during our trip. I look forward to a return trip for some more good eating and drinking.

Tupelo Honey Cafe hit all the right notes, including the fact that you can have breakfast for dinner at THC. The biscuits are Tupelo Honey are complimentary and flow like tortilla chips at a cheap Mexican restaurant. They are ridiculously good; some of the better biscuits I've had in some time. Slightly crisped on the top, soft, buttery, and airy inside.

The fried chicken BLT with slabs of Benton's was tasty as was the mac and cheese side. We also enjoyed the rich and homey goat cheese grits on the side.

Other highlights from the trip include stops at Earl Girl Eatery on Wall Street where brunch is the thing.

The Earl Girl Benny pictured below is menu favorite. A decadent late morning hangover cure, it features grit cakes topped with tomato, spinach, poached eggs, tomato gravy and avocado, served with toast or biscuits. A good dish for sobering up and getting one ready for whitewater rafting.

 

We also had a great meal at Lexington Avenue Brewery, one of Asheville's many brewery/restaurants that dot the downtown area. With more time, I'd have hit each brewery, but I'm glad we made the stop at LAB.The restaurant also has a thriving late-night scene with live music and after midnight eats.

 

With an expansive front patio that looks right on to the bustling Lexington Avenue, it's a great place for people-watching, drinking, and eating. I didn't get a great pic of the dish below, but it was probably my taste of the weekend. A blueberry and jalapeno biscuit "sandwich" stuffed with pimento cheese, a fried green tomato, and Goodnight Brothers country ham.

Also quite tasty were the chorizo nachos with ancho-guava sour cream.

  

The beef sliders with blue cheese and truffled frites.