Lunch

Wednesday’s photos were awkward in numbers. I debated on whether I should break them into two posts or three, but 38 photos in one post seemed excessive, so three it is!

If you’re catching up, here are my previous Asheville posts:

• Asheville and the Piano Man at Vincenzo’s
• Breakfast and Books & Breadboard
• Biltmore Gardens – Spring 2012
• Jerusalem & Dobra Tea
• Visiting Biltmore & A Box of Wine
• Homegrown & French Broad Chocolate

We had another tasty breakfast at the B&B, starting with a baked apple topped with a dollop of vanilla yogurt and cinnamon. I’m going to have to try re-create this one for the blog sometime – it was really good!

Here’s hubby trying to swipe all of the blueberry muffins.

And we had tomato quiche for the main event with sausage and potato. It was a great, filling start to the day.

My dad really wanted to see the Grove Park Inn, so we took a quick trip over for a peek.

Grove Park reminded me of a mountain-themed Disney resort. It was huge and had tons of themed decorations around.

Mom really wanted to take us to the terrace to check out the view.

She had a dinner here once after a work conference and remembered how gorgeous the view was. Just look at it!

Dad gave us pennies to make wishes into the waterfalls and pools behind the main building.

I had considered staying at the Grove Park Inn when I was researching places for Asheville, and though it was pet-friendly, I was looking for something a little smaller and personable. Has anyone stayed here? I bet it’s really nice!

After our trip to Grove Park, we headed to Biltmore Village for lunch.

Of all the places I researched and had heard about when I asked others for recommendations, The Corner Kitchen came up over and over again. I was really excited to try it.

The inside was small-ish, but very bright, open, and airy. It was very refreshing.

I liked the fresh flowers on the table.

Hubby had the crab and corn chowder and shared a bite. It was really good (as was the biscuit, which I also got to taste).

I had the chicken pot pie. Probably not the best choice for lunch (pot pie makes me think dinner for some reason), but I really wanted to try it, and I knew we wouldn’t have time to go back for dinner this trip.

The filling was really, really creamy and had a slight orange tinge to it. My dad thought maybe it was from tomatoes? I thought it was really tasty, as was the side salad that came with it.

Sis had the sorbet with blueberries. I got to try a bite of this one, too, and it was really good and had an excellent after-taste that was almost better than the original bite!

Overall, I really liked The Corner Kitchen. I’d definitely like to come back here for dinner next time we’re in town…and possibly for lunch to try their lavender chicken salad. That one sounded really interesting. Oh, and they do a souffle dessert, but it’s only available at dinner – I’d really like to try that sometime, too!

After lunch, I headed out to downtown Asheville with my sister for shopping. More on that next time!

Reader question: have you been to Asheville before? Where did you stay and would you recommend it? Has anyone out there tried the Grove Park Inn?

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Catching up? I’m blogging about my vacation to Asheville, NC, and here are some of the posts so far:

• Asheville and the Piano Man at Vincenzo’s
• Breakfast and Books & Breadboard
• Biltmore Gardens – Spring 2012
• Jerusalem & Dobra Tea

I’ll return to recipe blogging next week, so if the vacation/life posts aren’t your thing, check back then.

Tuesday began at the B&B.

Since we had so many people, we enjoyed breakfast inside.

We had fresh fruit, cranberry muffins…

…and an egg souffle-type thing that reminded me a bit of one of my egg bakes with Canadian bacon and a croissant.

After breakfast, we relaxed at the B&B for a bit and then headed over to the Biltmore house to see the inside of the house (since we saw the gardens yesterday).

{Alphie?}

Dad wanted to go on the architect’s tour, which wasn’t available for another hour and a half after we got there. So, we decided to go ahead and have lunch. We had originally planned to have lunch outside of Biltmore, but since we were already there, we decided to stay.

We ended up going to the Stable Cafe at Biltmore, which was right next to the house. I’d read about the place on Yelp and heard that it was pretty good, but touristy. It was definitely touristy, reminding me a bit of Disney.

Sis and I had cheeseburgers, which were made with grass-fed Angus beef from the Biltmore house.

We had to wait about 30 minutes for our table, and the environment was a bit crowded and loud for me, but considering the convenience of it all, it was a good choice. Our waitress took great care of us, ensuring my dad’s entree was expedited since he was the one who had to make a tour. She was also really friendly and made sure we always had what we needed. Even though the place was touristy, our food was really good. Dad really liked his chicken salad sandwich, and Sis and I enjoyed our burgers. I can see why people recommend going to Books & Breadboard (which we loved and really is just next to the Biltmore entrance/exit), but since it can take awhile getting in and out of Biltmore (parking, plus a shuttle or 5 minute-ish walk to the house, plus the winding road in and out), the Stables are a good choice, too.

After lunch ended, we came outside to see it was raining. We all ran to the house and went on tours to wait out the rain. Dad really loved the architect’s tour, which I’d love to do next time I visit.

After a quick shopping trip, we decided to head to Antler Hill for more Biltmore fun.

{Shuttle line}

We went to the place I was most interested in visiting – the winery. We went on a tour.

{Clock tower}

{WIP – wine in process}

And the tour ended in my favorite room – the tasting room.

Here you sampled some of the popular Biltmore wines (premium wines being available for tasting for a price in another room). I really liked how they gave you a list so you can add remarks and check the ones you wanted to buy.

I sampled several of the whites and reds and discussed favorites with hubby so we could decide which to purchase. I warned him that I wanted to leave Biltmore with a box of wine.

The last time I came here, I was a broke college student and couldn’t afford any of the wine (a friend even bought my ticket). I remember watching the people load up their cars on their way out with boxes full of delicious Biltmore wine (I remember really loving them when I sampled them the first time). So, I promised myself the next time I went, I’d leave with a box.

Voila!

Okay, one box is for my parents and one box is for hubby and me. Still, mission accomplished!

Reader question: What is your favorite wine or who is your favorite wine maker?

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Cheers from Asheville! We’re winding down from our first full day of fun here at the bed and breakfast. I think I took a few too many photos (I’m having so much fun with my new camera!), so I’m going to try to break our activities up into a couple posts per day.

Catching up? You can check out my first post from our Asheville trip by clicking here {Vincenzo’s & the piano man}.

Today started with our first ever bed and breakfast meal. Check out our amazing and relaxing view. Can’t you just hear the birds chirping?

We started with coffee, water, juice, and fresh fruit.

For the main event, we had french toast, which was topped with a sprinkling of sliced almonds, coconut, and a slice of bacon…plus whipped cream on the side. The french toast was nice and custard-y.

After breakfast, hubby and I headed back to our room to relax and wait for the arrival of my family. We’ve done a big family vacation with hubby’s family the last few years, so it seemed like a good idea to spend a couple days of our Asheville vacay with mine.

My family arrived ravenous, so we quickly headed out to one of the restaurants I researched that I was really anxious to try and thought my family would enjoy – Books & Breadboard.

The restaurant is combined with an independent book store.

My book worm dad was in his element.

I managed to find a couple good reads for hubby and I.

After perusing the bookstore for a bit, it was back to the restaurant area.

I had the mixed berry mimosa with muddled fresh berries to drink.

Our entrees were beautifully presented…on breadboards. Dad had the smoked trout sandwich with a pickle, Terra chips, and Deco Slaw.

I was torn between the turkey sandwich, chicken salad, and the quiche of the day, so I asked the waitress which she suggested. She said their quiche was the best around, and that was a sure-fire bet.

So, I had to try it, of course. Do you see it in this photo? It was a BIG slice…and why they call it “mile-high.”

Our waitress said the quiche was light and fluffy. She was right…about the quiche being the best around and being light and fluffy. It was both…and delish! I’m a big quiche fan.

Here’s a quick pic of Sis’s lunch – the ham sandwich with the mustard on the side.

And since we were sitting close to the dessert display, we had to order a little bit to taste.

Dad really wanted to try the carrot cake, especially after our waitress said this was the best carrot cake around. I was skeptical since they already had the best quiche, but she was right about this one, too! I really did think this was one of the best carrot cakes I’ve had. Not only that, but my dad, who is an experienced carrot-cake eater, proclaimed this to be the best he’s ever had. We really liked how they kept the texture of the fruits and nuts a bit on the chunkier side.

Sis really wanted to try the chocolate bread pudding, and she was not disappointed. I tried a bite of this one, too, and it was good…but not as good as the carrot cake. Though, I’m not sure Sis would agree. She was in love with the bread pudding.

Books & Breadboard was amazing! I highly recommend checking this place out if you’re ever in Asheville. It’s right next to the entrance to the Biltmore House, so it’s pretty conveniently located. But location aside, the food is great, they support local artisans & local food, and the people who work there are super friendly. It’s a must-see!

Up next – our trip to the Biltmore Gardens.

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