Asheville City Guide | Travel Diary

Earlier this month I took the most amazing weekend trip across the mountain to Asheville, NC with Laura Leigh from Louella Reese. I've been to Asheville in the fall before, but I always thought October was peak season... wrong! As we continue to stay warmer longer it keeps falling later. November was perfection for fall foliage! We had the most amazing time and I'm going to give you a step by step look into how to plan your next Asheville getaway! Let's dig into my Asheville City Guide.

Where to Stay:

The AC Hotel: Downtown Asheville:

The AC is a new addition to downtown, and seriously doesn't disappoint. From the modern interiors, to the rooftop bar, and down to the little details like a hydration station on each floor the AC has every little thing covered. When I travel I love good clean lines, prompt service, and privacy. The AC checked all of those boxes. It also happens to be smack dab in the best part of downtown. Laura Leigh and I were able to walk to 99% of everything we had on the agenda in less than 5 minutes. It couldn't have worked out better.

The AC happens to also have the most amazing rooftop bar called Capella on 9. We stopped in late our first night and split a couple of tapas. First up were the Patatas Bravas: fried, crushed fingerling potatoes, garlic rosemary aioli, smoky tomato sauce, Fritura: crispy fried cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, capers, smoked pimento dusting, aioli and Artichoke Bread. Laura Leigh and I went hamm on the Patatas Bravas! Since we spent our first afternoon doing the brewery tour... I wanted something light and fresh to end the night. The Mountain Thyme Mule was just the ticket! It was light and fresh, but the honey and ginger make it the perfect fall cocktail!

Where to Eat:

Eating in Asheville is basically a sport. I honestly don't know how everyone who lives there isn't over 300 lbs because the food is all so good... and it's pretty hard to find something that you don't want to eat your weight in. Seriously. I am not kidding around here.

Sunset Cocktail Terrace at the Omni Grove Park Inn:

I have to say, this was by far the fanciest meal we had while in Asheville. Rightfully so, we were at the Grove Park! We started with Roasted Beets: local goat lady dairy fresh chèvre pickled shallots/watercress pistachio vinaigrette, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail: cocktail sauce lemon/horseradish, and Tomato and Mozzarella: fried green tomatoes mozzarella/ argues lemongrass vinaigrette. I'm a huge fan of beets... so you can't go wrong here and the salad paired with the beets was amazing. The fried green tomatoes were lightly fried and I died over the mozzarella pairing! I had actually never had them served this way and now I don't know if I could eat them any other way!

I chose the Lobster Cobb salad for my main dish: applewood smoked bacon / eggs tomatoes / blue cheese / cucumbers basil ranch dressing (sans bacon for me, of course!) I hadn't had lobster since our honeymoon in Martha's Vineyard and I was so excited to try this. It was sooo good! It was also HUGE! I spent about 45 minutes trying to take in as much as I could because I hated to let it go to waste. If you like seafood, try this please!

Laura Leigh got the Crab Cake Sandwich: tomato / lettuce / spicy remoulade toasted bun /fries. It looked amazing!

I had never been to the Grove Park before, and I am now blown away. Even if you aren't going to stay... it's a must see! To be honest, I always thought of the Grove Park as out of reach. Luke and I just started looking into more expensive getaways this past year and when we went to Asheville for New Years last year it was over $1000/night to stay. It isn't always like that though! Just like anything else you have to hit it at the right time. I will definitely be back for lunch, and also to stay!

Tupelo Honey:

Tupelo Honey is a staple in our area. I actually had never been to the downtown Asheville location before, even though Luke and I have been to the Knoxville and Johnson City location several times. I was blown away! Their menu varies by location and I really think Asheville has the best of the best. Keep reading for evidence.

We kicked things off with the Caramelized Squash & Burrata Toast and Fried Green Tomatoes + Cheesy Grits. You can't really go wrong with grits... I mean come on! The toast was on a whole other level though. We didn't leave a single crumb of the Caramelized Squash & Burrata Toast. I am obsessed with butternut squash and I had never had it on toast before. I'm on a serious mission to get back and have this again before it's off the menu. Don't get me wrong, the grits were amazing, but I'm hooked on the toast!

We split a couple of entrees including the Banana Pudding Pancakes {you can get chicken with this!} and the Southern Shakshuka: two baked eggs/ goat cheese grits/ avocado/ creole sauce. Laura Leigh told me she gets this all the time in Charlotte and now I can see why! We literally stuffed our faces and I'm honestly not sure how we walked out of there. I felt like the girl from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that turned into a blueberry. Those pancakes were worth it though. It really is just like banana pudding and vanilla wafers in breakfast form. AMAZING!

White Duck Taco:

This was familiar for me. I had been to the White Duck in Johnson City several times. This place is super low key and something Luke and I love to get on the regular. The vibe is super casual and there are options for indoor and outdoor seating.

I am usually more of a margarita girl, which Laura Leigh had and it looked amazing! This time I opted for Sangria. It was a fall blend and had the perfect blend of apple. It was a great addition to our light dinner. We started with the Salsa Trio. This included a mild normal salsa, spicy smoky creamy salsa, and a sweet tomatillo. I think we both really preferred the tomatillo, but that's typical for me. I prefer light, fresh salsas.

The great part about White Duck is that you can mix and match different tacos. You aren't stuck with one entree. I opted for the Banh Mi Tofu and the Mushroom Potato. The tofu was asian inspired and super light. the mushroom was hearty and perfect for fall. It's a close tie for favorites here.

Sovereign Remedies:

I hate to pick favorites, but this was mine for the trip. I think it was how different the menu was from anywhere else we went during our stay. The atmosphere honestly made me feel like I was in a corner brunch spot in New York City. It definitely screams millennial hot spot. The backdrop for the main dining area is a floor to ceiling bar stocked with the makings of crafty cocktails galore and vintage furniture and of course a thousand house plants. It was basically my dream come true!

We stopped on our final day and split two dishes. We struggled to choose, but The Farmer’s Toast: ricotta, honey, balsamic reduction, fig, pistachio, rye bread and Carnitas Fries: slow roasted pork shoulder, avocado, creme fraiche, cilantro, cotija cheese, sunny side egg {pork on the side for LL} were the winners. I have to say the toast was mind blowing. Figs are my favorite and the pairing with the pistachio was killer! The fries were out of this world too. First off, fried egg topped french fries? Does it get more perfect for brunch? Second, grab some siracha! I promise it makes it all the more amazing! I highly recommend sitting at the bar if you can. The atmosphere is great and honestly I could have sat there all day sipping mimosas. Obsessed with this place would be an understatement.

What to Do:

Brewery Tour: Asheville is called Brew City USA... and rightfully so! It's definitely a beer town! Anywhere you go you can find amazing craft beer! We had the pleasure of spending some time at New Belgium Brewing Company that recently opened in Asheville right outside the city. I had never done a brewery tour before this and I was really surprised at how much I loved it! I have learned a lot about my preferences in the last few years and beer is becoming what I gravitate toward more, but I didn't know much about how it's made... or the different brew types. This was educational to say the least. I learned what sour beer was and that it is absolutely my new favorite thing! On the tour you have several stops and one is centered around La Folie, one of the sour brews from NB. I tried it and at first was not a fan, two sips in and sold. As we finished up the tour over at the bar I tried The Oscar, which is a dark sour aged in a blackberry whiskey barrel. The fact that I love this is crazy. I do though, so that proves you should always try something new!

Others to note are Burial Beer, Wedge Brewing Company, Wicked Weed, Hi-Wire Brewing, and Green Man Brewery. Start at New Belgium and go from there. The staff couldn't be nicer and I love what they stand for. Clean, sustainable energy and giving back to the community are the center of all that they do.

Biltmore Estates + Village:

Laura Leigh and I spent an afternoon at the Historic Biltmore Village. I often forget about this area as it isn't on the same grounds as the Estate, but it is well worth the trip. Everything is so picturesque, especially for this time of year. You will find a little bit of everything here: national chains, local boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops. This would be a great place to take the family if you have a large group to keep everyone happy or a great place to stop in and spend the afternoon before heading off to your dinner plans.

The Biltmore Estates are just across the street . I can't recommend going here enough. I have been to the Biltmore more than 10 times and still plan to go back before Christmas to take in all the holiday decor. You can never get enough. The Biltmore Estates, it is the largest private estate owned in the United States. The estate spans over 8,000 acres and was built in 1889. If you are a first-timer, give yourself an entire day and take the full tour. I also highly recommend this during Christmas so you see all the trees and decor throughout the inside. There’s also a winery, several restaurants, shops, and more. It truly is a must see.

See, Eat, Stay, Do: 48 Hours in Asheville

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