Since things are starting to open in up a bit, my friend Pete and I decide to head out of town for a long weekend in Asheville, NC. We somehow managed to time our trip for the first weekend they had fall weather. Between the perfect weather and all that Asheville has to offer we had all the makings for a great weekend. Our biggest challenge was deciding what to do and where to eat.

We stayed downtown and it was a great location for our home base. There are lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance and it is only a short drive to a variety of other activities. Our first morning we walked over to Early Girl Eatery on Wall St for breakfast. Despite all of the great food in Asheville, this ended up being my favorite meal. (I love breakfast, so I guess that is no surprise.) I had the spinach & potato cakes with tomato gravy & eggs. In addition to being yummy it gave me plenty of energy for our visit to Biltmore Estates that afternoon. If you go to Early Girl for breakfast or otherwise find yourself near the Flat Iron building, stop by Trade & Lore for coffee or tea. They make a great matcha latte. (Note: Due to COVID, Trade & Lore is to-go only – use your phone to order line for pickup.)

As you explore downtown, if you have a sweet-tooth or just need a break stop by Old Europe Pastries for an apple cider macaroon or French Broad Chocolate Lounge for a chocolate fix. Note: A box of truffles from French Broad Chocolates makes a great gift – if you can get home without eating them.

Not too far from downtown is the South Slope neighborhood. It is a great place to spend an afternoon. For the beer aficionados, it has a lot of breweries to explore. Due to COVID, most places have set up tables outside so which creates opportunities for some great people watching. If you are going to make the rounds of the local breweries, I suggest you start your afternoon with BBQ from Buxton Hall.

If you are not a beer drinker or need a break from the beer, there is still plenty to do. There is a glass blowing studio, conveniently located next door to Sunshine Sammies, a local ice cream sandwich shop. You can get your ice cream plain, but why would you do that when you can get it sandwiched between two amazing cookies? The Peach & Ginger Sammie – peach ice cream on a ginger molasses cookie – was to die for.

If you are looking for an edible souvenir from your trip, bring a cooler and stop by South Slope Cheese to pick up some local cheeses. (They also have wine and cheese tastings.) I picked up some local burrata, chive goat cheese from Three Graces Dairy, and Looking Glass Creamery’s Ridgeline. I can’t think of a better souvenir from my trip!

Another great neighborhood to explore is the River Arts District. In addition to the many artist studios and sprinkling of restaurants & watering holes, there is a nice bike & walking path next to the French Broad River. I enjoyed looking at the artist studios, but my favorite thing was just walking around looking at the amazing graffiti on all of the buildings. Clearly some talented graffiti artists call Asheville home.

Even thought Asheville is surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest and all the outdoor activities that go with that, the food was a highlight for me. The area around Asheville has quite a bounty to offer and the chefs in Asheville do a great job of highlighting these local ingredients. We had lovely farm-to-table meals at Posana in downtown and Copper Crown a short 10-min drive from downtown (but well worth the drive). We ended our weekend a lovely dinner of French comfort food on the back deck at Bouchon. Their profiteroles were a delicious finish to both a wonderful meal and our weekend in Asheville!