After leaving the Biltmore Estate, we went into downtown Asheville to check out the local flavor. It was actually a lot like home, certainly a bit different than other Southern cities I have visited. I hadn’t heard much about Asheville except that is was a cool city, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. There were lots of hippies and tattooed, pierced people with dyed black and pink hair, and several crystal (the spiritual stones, not meth) and head shops.
Downtown Asheville
Asheville Side Street – So Quaint!
We wandered around for awhile and looked in the galleries and bookshops and eventually settled down for dinner at a restaurant called The Market Place. Our meal was amazing! Chef William Dissen’s goal is to make healthful food that is locally sourced, and he succeeds! If you ever have an opportunity, GO TO THIS RESTAURANT! I had the wood grilled coulotte steak, duck fat fingerling potato hash, local farm egg, and house made thyme ketchup. My steak was so wonderfully tender! Jon had the Wreckfish, with caramelized mushrooms on a bed of Swiss chard. Wreckfish is so named because they are frequently found in and around shipwrecks – I had never heard of this fish before – but they are apparently also known as Stone Bass. I paired my meal with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc called The Seeker. It was so fantastic that Jon tried to trade his Chardonnay with me. I said no, so he had to order his own glass. We sat outside at our table near the sidewalk where it was warm but not hot, and enjoyed our meal. We felt a couple of raindrops, but it didn’t rain! You can find The Market Place website here, if you want to drool over the other meals you can find there.
The Market Place Restaurant – Amazing Food!
Waiting for Dinner at The Market Place
Jon’s Wreckfish Meal
My Grilled Steak – YUM!
After dinner, we did some more wandering and then went back to our home for the night and had a swim in the pool. We horsed around like kids and swam laps, and watched some cable TV before bed. That’s a real luxury for us, since we only get limited cable at home!
Asheville sounds like a fun city and the food sounds and looks incredible! my kind of restaurant for sure.
It was a fun city! Certainly someplace I would consider living and we want to go back to the area for more exploration! We want to hike those Blue Ridge Mountains!
I dream of the Blue Ridge mountains. They are so beautiful. Maybe a fall trip when it is not so warm
I’m sure the fall colors are awesome! If only they didn’t expect me to work all the time!