The Chic Life » Travel

Two Breakfasts and B&B Photos

Diana — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:56:12 +0000

Ahh, and so we arrive at the last day of our B&B vacation in Asheville.

Catching up? Here are my previous Asheville posts:

It was a beautiful morning at the B&B. I didn’t feel like I was quite ready to go. Like I hadn’t spent as many lazy afternoons reading on the porch, lounging on the couch, or sipping wine outdoors as I wanted. But, it was time to pack up.

We headed to the front porch of the B&B for breakfast al fresco. We started with fresh watermelon.

Next, we had orange muffins.

And lastly – cranberry-nut pancakes with a mini quiche.

The quiche was like a baby version of that mile-high one I had at the other Asheville restaurant.

Sis enjoyed breakfast, but she had plans for a second. She’d heard about the French toast at Books & Breadboard and decided it was her mission to try it before we left. Since today was our last day in town, we had plans to head over to Books & Breadboard before they stopped serving breakfast at 11am.

The staff (like 5 or 6 people!) remembered us from our trip a couple days before and gave us such a warm welcome.

I had no plans of ordering another breakfast since I was still full from the first one. I just hoped to get a bite of hers. I ordered some mint tea with honey to sip on.

Sis happily ordered the French toast and shared a slice with me when it came out all propped up and gorgeously displayed on a bamboo cutting board.

I must say, I know I’ve used the word “best” a lot when I talk about this restaurant, but this really may have been the best French toast I’ve ever had. The inside wasn’t undercooked – it was nice and firm. The outside was just-crispy. But the flavor was what really won me over – orange-scented with a bite of cinnamon. I’m definitely going to try re-creating this one sometime.

I decided I should try ordering something one last time, but I just got a chicken salad sandwich on pumpernickel for the road.

Here are a couple more photos of our B&B that I snapped over the trip.

My favorite spot of the B&B was definitely this long, open porch. Gorgeous!

Hopefully, we get to return to Asheville soon to revisit some of our new, fave spots and discover others!

Have you been to Asheville? What are your must-sees (restaurants, activities, tourist sites, shops, etc.)?

Cúrate {Spanish Tapas in Asheville}

Diana — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:30:39 +0000

I let hubby make plans for our last dinner in Asheville for this trip. After some time relaxing on the porch, we got ready for dinner.

Cúrate had been on my list (of restaurants I’d researched before the trip), but after a high recommendation from one of the guys working at the B&B, hubby was ready to make reservations.

All the Yelp reviews I’d read said to sit at the bar (or “tapas bar” or “cooking line”) if you could. I wasn’t sure exactly what they meant (like a traditional bar?), but as it turns out, there really is a long “tapas bar” in the middle of the restaurant. On one side are bar stools and a long counter, on the other, a dozen chefs prepare various tapas plates.

{The view to my left from our table}

Hubby had tried to indicate that we wanted to sit at the “cooking line” in his OpenTable reservation, but they must not have had any availability there because they sat us at a four-top next to the bar. We figured it was better for our party of 3 anyways.

{Table setting}

{The menu – it was quite large}

I thought the silverware/napkin/wine list had an interesting presentation.

Even though we read on Yelp that the sangria wasn’t very good, we tried it. I love sangria!

The sangria is prepared table-side with a whole bottle of wine.

The sangria wasn’t really our cup of tea. I know Cúrate is known for serving authentic Spanish tapas, so maybe the sweeter, fruitier sangria I’m used to (and was more what I was expecting) isn’t how sangria is actually supposed to taste? This one tasted like red wine with a splash of fruit juice. I wouldn’t say it wasn’t good…just that it wasn’t what we expected. It did grow on me as we continued with dinner.

We each selected a couple tapas to try. On our first order, we requested three – the bread with olive oil and fresh tomato was one of them. Hubby and Sis really liked this one. I have an aversion to bread when it gets soggy (with the exception of French Toast), so this one wasn’t my favorite. The bread was nice and crispy on the bottom but not so much on top.

Also ordered on round 1 was the cured Spanish ham, which came out with what appeared to be more of the tomato-bread. The ham had a great flavor and was really tender.

I read mixed reviews on the garlic shrimp on Yelp – some people said it was the best tapas on the menu while others said it wasn’t good. We decided to order it anyways in our first order. Personally, I really liked the shrimp. They were very tender, and the garlic slices were really tasty.

Everyone seemed to love the eggplant on Yelp, so even though none of us at the table particularly liked eggplant, we decided to try it. I would have liked it more if it had been more crispy. But, the flavor was really good – fresh rosemary and honey. Oddly enough, it tasted a bit like French toast (doused with honey instead of maple syrup).

We also tried the potatoes bravas, which we all really liked.

And for the first time in my life, I ordered olives at a restaurant. Thank you, Chez Panisse for converting me to an olive fan. There were 3 types of olives in the jar. I thought they had great flavor, and I really liked the presentation, too.

Sis and hubby really wanted to try the sausage with white beans. I’m not normally a sausage fan, but I really liked this one. The sausage had great texture and flavor, and I really liked how the beans were slightly crispy.

All of the desserts on the menu were cold – ice cream, mousse, sorbet. I’m more of a cake, tart, pie and other warm or room temperature dessert type of girl, but the rosemary ice cream with almond sponge cake and candied orange sounded really good. And it was. The cake was really light and airy, but it went well with the ice cream. I especially liked the candied orange peel.

There were a couple other dishes that we wanted to try, but we ran out of room in stomachs. We’ll have to try those dishes next time!

Shopping & Tea Time in Downtown Asheville

Diana — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:55:58 +0000

Note: I’ve tried to post this blog about 10 times now to no avail….so, now I’m trying it sans photos. If this goes up, I’ll go back and add the photos (if it lets me). Silly blogging software…

Note 2: I was able to use my blogging software to get the text up, but I had to manually upload the photos. Sorry for the inconvenience! Hopefully, my blogging software resumes normal processing soon. *fingers crossed*

After lunch, Sis and I headed out for some girl time with plans of shopping and a return to Dobra Tea.

We headed out to what seems to be my favorite street in Asheville – Lexington! This street has Dobra tea, French Broad Chocolate, and some cute boutiques and shops.

Did I mention that I don’t think I’ve seen this much tie-dye or Birkenstock wearing since high school?

Anywho, after checking out a couple boutiques (Minx, a bead store, a hippie-dress shop), Sis and I headed to Dobra Tea (which we visited earlier on the vacay) to wait out the rain that started up while we were shopping.

We decided on a couple snacks – the mochi for Sis…

…the Pita Lebanon (warm pita with olive oil & spices) for me.

Sis ordered The Forest Dragon (from the menu) – “Perhaps our most prolific of chilled teas, the Forest Dragon provides gentle luck and fierce flavor! Powdered Japanese matcha and Chinese jasmine green teas flash infused, to which is added organic rice milk, fresh mint, a generous shake of cardamom and a stream of sweet, local honey.”

We decided to share a taste of each others’ drinks, so we got two small cups for sharing. Her Forest Dragon was really good and unique – I’d love to try to re-create this one at home (mostly because we don’t have a Dobra Tea in town where I can order one!).

I had the Tulsi Chai. I’m a big fan of tulsi teas, and this one was great. It was cozy and warm and perfect to sip while we watched the rain sprinkling down outside.

We had a great spread.

The tea room was a great pit stop – very relaxing!

Eventually, the sun came out and lit the room up.

And since there were a couple more things I wanted to try, and I didn’t want to wait till the next vacation to do so, I got a couple things to go – an iced oolang tea, shaken with sugar (they said on the menu this one looked like beer, and it did!) and a tulsi tea truffle – a marriage of French Broad Chocolate and Dobra’s tea. The tea was great, as was the chocolate, though I wish I could have tasted the tea a bit more.

We visited a couple more shops before calling it a day. Surprisingly, this shopaholic was being very careful and only came home with a new bracelet despite all the shops we visited.

We headed back to the B&B for some downtime. We enjoyed the fresh air from the front porch. I blogged, and Sis read The Art of Racing in the Rain. I had hoped to spend more time lounging on this porch, but I was glad we got this trip in before dinner.

Up next, Spanish tapas in Asheville.

Reader question: are there any must-see shops or boutiques in downtown Asheville that you recommend?

Grove Park Peek & The Corner Kitchen for Lunch

Diana — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 02:29:58 +0000

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:

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?

Homegrown & French Broad Chocolate

Diana — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:11:30 +0000

Dad asked me to find the impossible – somewhere for dinner that was cheap, had good service, had great food, and wasn’t too far away. I really wanted to check out one of the Facebook recommendations, but they were all a little too expensive, unfortunately.

I did manage to find the chupacabra – a local restaurant with delicious food for a low price tag.

For dinner, we visited Homegrown.

Homegrown features a new menu every night. They keep costs down by using ingredients from local farmers.

I think they also save a bit of money by not having full on waiters – you order at the counter…

…plus the decorations are quite simple. I thought the place was cute, and I didn’t mind not having a waitress waiting on me the whole time. I just wanted good food for a low price tag.

After ordering, you get a seed packet with a number so they can deliver your food later.

Hubby had the Philly cheesesteak (which had much thicker meat than traditional Philly cheesesteaks) and dad had the trout with beets and mashed potatoes.

I ended up ordering the buttermilk fried chicken breast with beets and sesame greens. I was really excited that the chicken was actually boneless/skinless with a mushroom gravy. If you’re a die-hard traditional fried chicken fan, you may want to skip this. Personally, I don’t love chicken skin, so with this dish, I was able to enjoy the crispy goodness of the fried chicken breading. Yum!

Homegrown was fantastic. It was a little north of downtown Asheville (only a few minutes), but worth the drive. Definitely check out Homegrown if you’re in town. They have super low price tags (most entrees were around $10-11) and great people working there.

After dinner, we headed back to downtown to check out a place another friend, Gina, recommended – French Broad Chocolate Lounge.

Even though it was Tuesday at 10pm, there was still a line. We were a couple out from the door when we started, but the line moved slowly. I’d read on Yelp.com that the food was worth the wait, so I used the time to select my choices.

I ordered the quintessential chocolate cake…

…and a lavendar-honey hot chocolate. I felt like I should order the organic milk with the chocolate cake, but I really wanted to try the hot chocolate and wanted to try to hit all of my must-tries.

I read a lot about the liquid truffles, but my family wanted to take dessert to go, and I figured the liquid truffles would be better if we were staying there.

We also tried a couple “perfect” chocolate chip cookies, which were good, but would be in tough competition with my dough balls. 3

My friend Gina highly recommended the chocolate creme brulee, but those didn’t seem like they’d be as good to-go.

We left with a brownie, a pecan tart, a couple perfect chocolate chip cookies….

…a lavendar-honey hot chocolate (yum!)…

…and that chocolate cake! Wow – delicious chocolate sweets, and yes….worth the wait.

We loved the great local eats! Yum-yum!

Visiting Biltmore & A Box of Wine

Diana — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:51:51 +0000

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

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?

Jerusalem & Dobra Tea

Diana — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:29:43 +0000

We’ve been quite busy here in Asheville, so I haven’t been able to blog quite as fast as I’d like. I’m trying to catch up a bit now.

After our gorgeous afternoon at the Biltmore gardens, we headed back to the B&B for a quick refresh before dinner.

Then, we headed out to check out a place my friend Dana recommended – Jerusalem Garden Cafe.

The interior was really pretty.

Dana told me about a cool back room where you can sit on the floor, but it wasn’t meshing well with my parents’ knees.

We ended up sitting in the front room.

Sis and I had Moroccan tea.

And we dined family-style, ordering 4 entrees to share among the table: salmon with artichokes and capers, cous cous with chicken, the chicken kabobs and the vegetarian combo.

We had a full table of eats. Jerusalem was in the downtown area, almost across the street from one of the Tupelo Honey Cafes. If you’re in the area and you’re looking for good food, definitely check this place out. I didn’t think their vegetarian combo was as good as the one I get in Charlotte, but it was good. The other entrees were really-really great, so I’d stick with one of those. The salmon was tasty and you got a big portion. The grilled chicken kabobs were tasty, and I really liked the cous cous, too. All in all, you got pleasant atmosphere, good service, and tasty eats for a pretty reasonable price and no wait.

After Jerusalem, we hit up another spot my friend Dana recommended – Dobra tea.

I’d read online their menu was quite large, and it really was – not sure if you can tell from the photo here. Luckily, our waiter was very friendly and helpful in ensuring we made a good selection.

After ordering, Sis and I wandered around the shop a bit.

They have teas on display…plus local pottery and other goodies for sale.

We were most interested in the dessert display, though.

The inside has a great Zen feel. Like Jerusalem, this place has on the floor seating in the back and regular tables in the front.

I ordered the herb tea with a mint flavor.

I also had to try the Lavender blossom cake, which was great.

I really loved Dobra tea – I can see this being a must-stop every time I visit Asheville. I already want to go back on this trip so I can try one of the teas with caffeine!

All in all, we had a great Monday!

Biltmore Gardens – Spring 2012

Diana — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:27:43 +0000

After fueling up on delicious breakfast and lunch eats, I headed with my family to the Biltmore House gardens. We even got to bring Bailey! Take a look at the photos in this gallery to see more. You can click on each thumbnail to view the larger image, or if you select one, you can use the Next and Previous links on the larger images to navigate from one photo to the next. Enjoy!

Breakfast and Books & Breadboard

Diana — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:39:49 +0000

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.

Asheville and the Piano Man at Vicenzo’s

Diana — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:31:21 +0000

Since my 3 year project at work ended last Friday, hubby and I decided to take a long vacation. Since I get a good number of vacation days, but not an enormous one, a one week vacay is pretty long for us.

But first…in very exciting news, I FINALLY upgraded my camera!! I am now the proud owner of a gorgeous Nikon D7000. If anyone’s interested, I can do a post about my research process and why I chose the camera I did. I’ve wanted to get this camera since about December 2010, but I’ve just wanted to wait till I was sure in my decision and had the money saved up.

I decided my very first photo with the camera should be of (you probably guessed it) Bailey!

Anywho, hubby and I took off Sunday Asheville-bound with visions of relaxation and other mountain-vacation visions in our head. The drive was pretty short, and I decided to make the trip productive by reading through the D7000 guide. The book is pretty large, but I tried to focus on the sections on where all the buttons were since they’re very similar to my Canon. It’s more a matter of figuring out where everything is! I’m not looking forward to the learning curve, but I am looking forward to enjoying my new camera.

Once we got to the bed and breakfast, we were greeted by the assistant manager…and cake…and wine.

We decided to enjoy a quick snack on the porch and then take Bailey on a walk through the gardens.

I researched the restaurants of Asheville in the last couple weeks using yelp.com and your recommendations on my blog’s Facebook wall. I made a list of the places I really wanted to visit, but I also like local expertise. So, I asked the assistant manager for recommendations, and we decided to visit one of this.

We hit up Vicenzo’s – a Northern Italian restaurant. They had an upstairs and downstairs and let us choose. We wanted a place that was casual and relaxed, so the downstairs fit the bill.

I shot all the photos on this post with my new camera. Taking photos during the day was pretty straightforward, but working the new camera in extremely low lighting was a bit more of a challenge. I couldn’t quite get it to focus the way I wanted.

Anywho, we were greeted with fresh-baked bread, and olive oil with parmesan.

I once saw Giada make a delicious looking dish on Food TV – arancini. Balls of risotto stuffed with cheese. Yum. I knew we had to order them when I saw them on the menu. They had sundried tomatoes and provolone – tasty!

For the main event – Chicken Marsala, which was great…and I even ate the mushrooms!

And for dessert – tiramisu – made on site. It was fantastic!

But one of the best parts of the dinner – enjoying the music of the piano man – Steve Whiddon.

Steve, without my even requesting it, played several of my favorite songs:

Bohemian Rhapsody
Let It Be
Music of the Night

And Steve even gave me a CD of his original songs! I can’t wait to listen to them.

After dinner, we headed back to the bed and breakfast to relax. Ahhhh….