kathleen

Good bar seating. Here are three excellent Charleston restaurants which have bar seating as well as table seating. I’ve eaten at all three and they are terrific—all with outstanding chefs.

The first two are owned by the same group, and are located next to each other. Go into the gallery sections of their websites to see the possible seating arrangements. They are located very close to the visitors center on Meeting St.

http://www.holycityhospitality.com/coast-bar-and-grill/

http://www.holycityhospitality.com/39-rue-de-jean/

The third restaurant is relatively new to the Charleston restaurant scene. It’s located on N. Market Street, across East Bay St and off the east end of the historic city market—very central.

http://www.burwellscharleston.com/

Charleston is a great city for food. Enjoy!

Also, I agree that taking a guided tour at Biltmore is a much nicer and more thorough experience.

plambers

curate in Asheville is a must. Spanish tapas (small plates). reserve now-very hard to get a seat.

cat111719

Excellent! Thank you!!!
Oh my gosh! Curate looks amazing! Hoping we can make that work~

plambers

also there is a great casual indian street food place with amazing flavors. forgot name...
food is Asheville is even better than Charleston.

LilyP53

In Asheville, I highly recommend Rhubarb. The food is excellent and it's a very short walk from your hotel. Hope you have a great time!

http://www.rhubarbasheville.com

cat111719

That looks amazing, Lily! Thank you! Maybe we'll check out the Sunday Supper!

LilyP53

I hope you enjoy Asheville. It's a very quirky little town, but there are lots of good restaurants and fun breweries, if you like beer!

cat111719

Not super beery, but the menus I've looked at have all had craft cocktails and that is right up our alley! My mouth is already watering for Tupelo Honey Cafe!

Gretchen

Tupelo Honey is really good--and fun.

brdcollie

There are a number of wonderful restaurants in Asheville. Among the best are The Admiral, Posana, Chestnut, The Market Place, Bouchon, Limones, Isis, Isa's, Bull and Beggar, 12 Bones, and previously mentioned Curate and Rhubarb. There are others, but you can't go wrong with any of these. I would differ from the others about Tupelo Honey. It was good years ago, but now basically a place that tourist go since it has become a chain with outlets in several other cities. For the same type of food, but a better experience try Early Girl around the corner on Wall Street.
For craft cocktails try Nightbell, MG Road, and Sovereign Remedies.
I'm not a big fan of the Biltmore on such a short visit to Asheville. Much more fun to explore the eclectic nature of the center city, the Rivers Arts District, and West Asheville.

starrs

Tupelo Honey is a great choice!

starrs

My favorite wine market is in Asheville. I used to detour by (when working NC) to buy cases of their recommended inexpensive wines. I know you are just there for a few days, but if you want some wine for the trip stop by. Also wander through the Mast General Store nearby. The original one in Valle Crucis is the best but any Mast General Store is a fun stop. Highly recommend a visit to the Biltmore and definitely stop for drinks at the Grove Park Inn. The sunset terrace has a fabulous view but sitting in a comfy chair in front of the giant fireplace with a drink is perfection.

brdcollie

Starrs, Mast General Store, really? You've recommended all the things a tourist would do in Asheville. As a local, I think there are a lot more interesting things to do in our town than that. I do agree with you about the wine store on Biltmore Ave.

starrs

Really.

starrs

Wander through Malaprop's too. One of the best independent bookstores still around. Check out their schedule to see if there is an author in town that you are interested in hearing -
http://www.malaprops.com/

Brian_in_Charlotte

Here's a tip: It's "Biltmore", not "the Biltmore." Biltmore is more than just the house. It's like saying "the Downton Abbey."

starrs

Here's a tip: There is no Downton Abbey to visit. If you want to see where it is filmed, you'll need to go to Highclere Castle. The closest you'll get to Downton Abbey in the southeastern US is their theme weekend at The Cloister at Sea Island.

Here's a tip that's actually useful - You can tour the Biltmore House - the largest private home built in the US - and use the same ticket to explore the Estate in more detail. They are offering a $10 off discount for tickets purchased at least 7 days in advance. You can also buy discounted tickets on AAA's website - but can't buy a AAA discounted ticket on the Biltmore website or their ticket booth.

brdcollie

Hi Cat11719. Didn't mean to hijack your post to debate the merits of tourist attractions, but Asheville is such a great town I hate for visitors to think "the" Biltmore is a must see. If you had more time it is certainly worth a tour, but with just one full day in Asheville it just doesn't deserve the time. The architecture of the old buildings in downtown Asheville is wonderful, especially near Pack Square and around the Grove Park Inn. Your architect husband may find a drive through West Asheville and the River Arts District interesting where builders are integrating new contemporary designs into older neighborhoods. Then stop and get doughnuts and coffee at Hole. Right across the street from your hotel is the Blue Spiral Gallery, one of the best art galleries in the southeast, where you could easily drop tens of thousands of dollars on artwork, but looking and enjoying is free. You could spend several hours visiting artists studios in the Rivers Arts District, or wander though the many eclectic shops along Lexington Ave. The suggestion for Malaprop's Book store was an excellent one. Next door is Karen Donatelli's bakery where you can get some of the best croissants and scones in the world, literally. If you have time for only one dinner in Asheville I would suggest Limones or the Admiral, and then save room for dessert and drinks at Nightbell. Lunch could be at Curate. Katie Button, a very creative and talented local chef, owns both Curate and Nightbell. There is the Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center where they currently have an exhibit on the New Bauhaus Institute of Design. The Grove Arcade is another architectural gem with interesting local shops inside. Or check out one of the many music venues like Isis, Jack of the Woods, or the Orange Peel. Asheville is too genuinely interesting to limit yourself to the usual tourist stops.
By the way, Fulton lane Inn in Charleston is wonderful. Try to get one of their deluxe king rooms.

starrs

"You've recommended all the things a tourist would do in Asheville."

Thanks bordercollie. I take that as a compliment.


Just re-read my last post. I meant to say that you could return the next day using the same ticket to explore the Estate, winery, etc. I adore the Estate and it was planned by Frederick Law Olmstead and I love it as much as I do other areas he designed, including Central Park in NYC and the Druid Hills (Driving Miss Daisy) neighborhood in Atlanta (including the linear gardens).


Obviously, some people say to skip the Biltmore House just like some people say to skip Hearst Castle on your coast. I'm a fan of both. Given that your husband is an architect and given what I know about you, I think both of you would enjoy both the home AND the estate. Only the two of you can decide what you prefer. We drive up almost every year JUST to see the House decorated for the holidays. Hate that you're a bit too early to see that, but yes, seeing the Biltmore Estate and House are among my favorite things to do in Asheville and the surrounding area. It would be at the top of my list. Asheville is a cool town to explore and has fabulous restaurants. You can't go wrong no matter what choice(s) you make.

Just for fun, here's a video of the tree raising-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8vgFNLijDw

Brian_in_Charlotte

Downton Abbey's not real? What an insightful tip.

Cat, you can certainly do a walk through of the house at Biltmore in a couple hours (though many people spend more time there) and then have lunch in town and spend the afternoon there. If you don't expect to return to Asheville soon (or ever) I think it'd be a shame to miss Biltmore as it is quite impressive, but I also don't think you have to spend all day there (though it would be an expensive couple of hours).

We also like Tupelo Honey, especially for lunch, but arrive early.