Asheville Secrets
 

We'll be in Asheville for three days at the end of February--staying at Hotel Indigo. Please give me tips for what not to miss. Do not suggest the Biltmore--not interested. Want to experience Ashevillel--best restaurants, funky shops, bars, etc. Fodorites let me know what I must not miss :-) We like all kinds of cuisine--enjoy high end and hole in the wall places--very eclectic!

For Food: Curate!!!! Check out the bio of the chef. We have had great meals at Bouchon and Fig. There are so many little shops and galleries in the downtown area - have fun!

Go to Sunny Point Cafe for breakfast. Or for lunch. Or for breakfast served at lunchtime. I still have dreams about their fried green tomato sandwich. Wow. I also heard good things about Early Girl Cafe for breakfast, although I didn't make it there. Breakfast seems to be kind of a specialty of the Asheville area.

I had excellent dinners at Market Place, and went back several times in a short visit. But note that the beverage program is rudimentary compared to the quality of the food, so order wine or cocktails conservatively.

There's a bar called Sazerac that does a surprisingly good job at craft cocktails. Asheville isn't really a craft cocktail kind of town, as far as I can tell, and Sazerac seems a little out of place there, but if you're so inclined, you could check it out.

I stayed at the Indigo for one night. It was okay, but I'm really not a fan.

Moose Cafe at the NC Farmers Market is fun for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Get some fresh produce to take home. Corner Kitchen is nice too. President Obama had dinner there.

I like Tupeolo Honey. My favorite is the trout and grits.

You mentioned you don't want to see Biltmore. What about the Grove Park Inn? You can have a drink by the huge ten foot tall fireplace overlooking the mountains. It is an arts and crafts treasure.

Grove Park is beautiful and right now the gingerbread houses from the national competition are on display.

thomas wolfe house tour is fun and costs $1. Catawaba waterfalls 1/2 hour east of town and a really nice hike. tupelo honey grits and biscuits quite tasty. Music at orange peel might be good. tressa's is friendly.