Road Tripping in the South-Asheville, The Food

     We just returned from a true "road trip" to a few southern states. As always, I think I will blog while I'm on the road and I'm always too tired to move at the end of the day. I did do a post about Biltmore House and Gardens, if you would like to read it, click here. We had a wonderful trip. We went to several places that we have always wanted to, but never took the time to do so. I hope I don't bore you over the next few days while I share some of the highlights. I also have to add that I came home to a different looking Blogger. I'm not sure I know what I'm doing...I don't really like change around here.

     Asheville, NC is about a 9 hour drive for us. By the time we arrived on a Saturday night and checked into our hotel, we were ready for dinner. We decided to go over to Biltmore Village, near our hotel. We saw a cute restaurant called the Corner Kitchen and decided to give it a try. We loved it and we also found out that not only is it one of the most popular restaurants in Asheville, we were very lucky to walk in and get a seat. We sat at the bar (only thing available) and immediately we were talking to the people on both sides of us. They were all locals and made us feel very welcome in their community. I was really impressed with Asheville. It is eclectic, beautiful and a very friendly city.

     These photos are from my phone, my camera was in the hotel room. I started my meal with a cup of the Corn Crab Chowder and it was delicious. My husband ordered the mixed bread basket. My main course was the Fried Green Tomato Goat Cheese Stack with Warm Sweet Potato Salad and Grilled Zucchini. Oh my. It was heavenly.

     My husband had Sweet Mustard Glazed Three Meat Meatloaf with Collards, Cheddar Grits and Three Sauces. He loved it. They certainly know how to cook in the south!

     The dessert list was to die for, but we were so full that we just couldn't do it. However, the man next to me ordered the Bread Pudding and because he knew I was going to write about the restaurant, he gave me the first bite of his dessert! It was almost like a flan with bread pudding on top. Mmm! I couldn't believe I was taking a bite of a stranger's dessert, but we were all friends by the time dinner was over. We were told that this is where the Obamas ate when they were in Asheville.

     We have found that on trips we tend to eat breakfast and then one more meal. We often are snacking on crackers and cheese in our hotel room. On the day we toured the Biltmore Estate, we decided to have lunch in what was once the stables. The picture below is what I could get of the outside of the building. Just ignore all those people...I didn't know them!

     The Stable Cafe was spacious and bright. Our service was excellent and we were more than ready to take a break after touring the mansion. We both ordered the Fried Green Tomato BLT. Which had bacon, lettuce, fried green tomatoes and homemade white pimento cheese spread. Yum.

     Our last day in Asheville I wanted to try a place that I had read about on Tripadvisor. Listed as #1, it was only open for breakfast and lunch and certainly was unique.

     Books and Breadboard is also located in Biltmore Village. It combines food and books...who can ask for more than that? The building was actually part of the original Biltmore Estate and was moved to the current location. The rooms in the house have tables for dining and you can also browse the shelves for new books by local authors and bestsellers. We actually ate at a table for 2 in a hallway. Our waitress was wonderful and made some excellent suggestions for us.

     I had the Mile High Quiche. It was broccoli and cheddar and it made me purr. It was honestly the best quiche I have ever eaten. The food is served on a breadboard and the fresh fruit and edible flower made for a beautiful presentation.

     My husband had a "Chapter 6" which was tavern ham and cheddar on marbled rye. His was served with Terra Chips and a slaw made with zucchini and carrots. His was good, but he is more a burger guy...so he wasn't going quite as crazy about his lunch as I was!

     One other place I must mention that we loved in Asheville was called The Gourmet Chip. I have never seen a place devoted to chips. Imagine an ice cream parlor, only the ice cream is either kettle, sweet potato, taro root or plantain chips and the toppings range from Lavender Honey, Rosemary and Thyme, Truffle Oil, BBQ Seasoning, Sundried Tomatoes and even Belgian Chocolate. I had a simple mix of Kettle and Sweet Potato Chips with sea salt and my husband had Kettle Chips with Smoked Gouda (his were amazing). They were freshly made, crisp and so good. I'm not even a chip eater, but I couldn't resist. This was dinner one night after a big lunch.

     I guess you can tell we didn't go hungry while we were gone...and this is just the first 3 days! Yes, I gained weight and yes, I'm eating a lot of veggies and chicken for the next few weeks.