Wicked Weed Brewing

My friend CB works at Wicked Weed Brewing, so when she recommended we stop by we couldn't wait to check it out.  After all, Duke loves beer even more than his beard.

When we arrived, we were more than impressed.  The brewery has two floors, with the bottom floor open in the late afternoon as a tasting room/brewery experience.  You can get some of the smaller batch beers in the tasting room, and enjoy the brewery and outdoor space.

Upstairs, there is a full bar and large dining area.  The place was packed for dinner, so I assumed this place was a well-established local joint.  Turns out, it had only been open for about three months!  Incredible!

Not only was there a fantastic selection of beer (you can order a flight, small 10oz glasses, or a pint) but ambience was perfect.  From exposed brick walls to wood/metal furniture and fixtures, I could have stayed there all day and night and camped out, people-watching.

As for the food, Duke and I both ordered their burger with braised short ribs.  Yup, the short rib meat was piled onto the burger!  That, combined with a slice of cheddar and a side of flawless fries, became one of the best burgers I've ever had.  And if you read this blog, you know that's saying something!  I had to asked the server about the bun specifically.  This bun was so good, I could have eaten it plain.  So soft!  He said it came from an Asheville bakery... of course.

Once again, the combo of a seasonal menu and local ingredients really created a winning dining experience in Asheville.  We also tasted at least a dozen of their beers; good thing we were only a block's walk from our hotel!  We will definitely be back here, because it was just that good.

Tupelo Honey Cafe

Tupelo Honey Cafe stood out to me when I was researching restaurants in Asheville.  I heard that it was a great Southern food experience!

Duke and I slept in on our last full day in Asheville, so we thought we'd end up there for brunch.  Instead we chose to have "lunch" instead!

The place was definitely busy.  We had a short wait, but it seemed like they moved pretty fast.  I think we had good timing for the restaurants in Asheville, because it seemed like every time we were seated a big line suddenly formed behind us!

We started off with drinks... I had the house special Rosemary Peach Lemonade.  It was heavenly, like ambrosia.  Duke had the "Ode to Muddy Pond", a Maker’s Mark bourbon, Tennessee’s Muddy Pond sorghum, muddled basil and Blenheim ginger ale.  It got his bartender approval!

They immediately brought us two of the biggest, most delicious biscuits I've ever had in my life, even after years in Savannah, the land of Paula Deen!  The blueberry jam was so good, I tried to buy a jar to take home.  Sadly, they were sold out, so I had to settle for strawberry.  But the blueberry was so unique!

We kicked off our meal with the Appalachian Egg Rolls, which were basically pulled pork egg rolls with greens and fixins inside.  Delicious, though between those and the biscuits we were getting pretty full.  The appetizers were definitely made for a larger group.

Duke and I both love grilled cheese and tomato soup.  So we each chose a variation.  I chose a sandwich with Havarti and pimento on Texas toast to dip into my mug of soup.  Duke chose the house special, entitled the "Shoo Grilled Cheese, Have Mercy"!  It had Havarti, pimento, caramelized onions, maple peppered bacon, friend green tomatoes and basil on sourdough wheat bread.  It came with ham, but Duke doesn't eat ham; even without it, the sandwich was a monster!  A delicious monster.

I was hoping that Tupelo Honey Cafe was worth the hype.  Well, it definitely was!  I think we'll end up here again when we return to Asheville.

Asheville, Day 3: Flurries and Friends

The cold weather in Asheville put a bit of a damper on my vacation; I caught a bit of a bug that wasn't the most fun to deal with.  But I was determined that we would enjoy ourselves, so I loaded up on cold meds and pushed on.

We started our third day with brunch at the Over Easy Cafe. (Check out my review here.)  We just loved how there was so much within walking distance of our hotel, especially good places to eat.

After brunch, we walked around downtown to check out some of the boutiques and shops.  I really liked the walk from Biltmore/Broadway towards the Grove Arcade.  The Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar was definitely a favorite, with its maze of used books.  It was a real gathering place.

We enjoyed our exploration, but the cold weather drove us indoors.  We decided to grab a late afternoon dinner of some warm noodles at Doc Chey's.  (Review here.)  I really liked my noodle dish, though I wished they had some steamed dim sum dumplings.

Since we were meeting up with friends later, we hid out in the hotel for a while so I could try to rest up from my cold.  I think napping became a theme during the trip, but why not take advantage of that on vacation?  We got the munchies later that night, so we grabbed a beer and a slice at Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria across the street.  That held us over before we met up with my friends BU and CB at French Broad Chocolate Lounge.

Chocolate Lounge was hopping!  There was a line to the door for the delectable desserts and more.  Duke got a chocolate stout and chocolate creme brulee, while I got a hot chocolate and lavender creme brulee.  It was such a great place to get comfy and talk to my old high school chums.  It was fun to talk into the night and catch up; how funny to have two girls I ran with in high school in this same town, hours from Indiana!  It was a happy night.