Dining out in the Capital of Cuisine

This last weekend I ventured off to one of my favorite spots in North Carolina; Asheville. Why do I absolutely love Asheville? Well the reasons are endless. Art, entertainment, music, shopping, the mountains, sight seeing, oh, and the food.

OMG the food is amazing. No matter your dining preference, Asheville's got it. What does that mean exactly? Well, Asheville not only has a vast selection of restaurants but numerous restaurants meeting everyone's diet and palette preference. Being a vegetarian I often am limited when finding dishes on the menu that suit my diet. Usually I am creating my own dishes making menu items "vegetarian friendly". Asheville is the exception. 

Over my time spent in this gorgeous mountain city; the capital of cuisine; I was able to enjoy blackened tofu, grilled tempeh, and organic fresh produce from the farmers market. Every meal was top notch and did not disappoint! I now have a few new favorites and am excited to share what I discovered with you.

Here is Part 1 of my Asheville Eating Adventures: 

Because I am a food-aholic I enjoyed all my meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, yep.) out and about in Asheville. 

Here are a few of my favorites for lunch and dinner...

First stop is "Universal Joint"...

Located in West Asheville, this place (like most of W. Asheville and Asheville) has the best atmosphere. My sister and I only had to wait approximately 20 minutes for a table. So not bad. We went by the bar for a beer before. The selection for beers on draft is great and has a wide variety of local craft beers. We sat outside on the patio under an umbrella while enjoying the perfect weather. 

What's on the menu?: sandwiches, burgers, salads, and tex-mex cuisine. 

To start off we shared an amazing appetizer that had homemade (yum!) hummus and a pimento cheese dip. What made this appetizer spectacular is the veggies and toasted baguettes that came with our dips. The options were endless and made this a real treat! So good! 

I ordered the blackened tofu tacos. They came in soft tortillas with fresh lettuce, tomato and a jalapeño aioli drizzled on top. 

These tacos were delicious! Ok, delicious is an understatement. These tacos changed my life and my relationship with tofu. Let's just say I woke up the next day wanting THAT blackened tofu again. Pretty perfect. 

My sis ordered the black bean quesadilla. It was a good size and had black beans, cheese, and onions nestled inside a soft tortilla. 

The beers we enjoyed were the Highlands Gaelic Ale (my favorite Asheville beer) and a seasonal IPA by Foothills Brewery out of Winston Salem. 

Overall? Will definitely be going back!! This meal had everything I love in it making it the perfect vegetarian spread. The atmosphere was casual with some sophistication. 

Next time? I will be trying the homemade veggie or black bean burger ( I am a sucker for a good homemade vegan burger) OR I might just go with the tacos again. Yep. THAT good! 

Next Stop is "The Local Joint" 

For lunch one day Laura decided to take me out to a gas station. Yep. A gas staton. You can only imagine my reaction. Well, let me just say yes, this small diner is next to a gas station, but oh my goodness is it anything "but" a "gas station diner". 

We had no wait time for a booth yet the place was very popular and filled with customers. 

This hidden treasure of a restaurant is actually located right outside of Asheville in the town Fairview. When we decided to eat here I was unsure of what would be on the menu and if there would be anything up my "alley". Well trust me there was plenty to choose from.

What's on the Menu?: Breakfast (omelettes, biscuits, and everything you could ever imagine), sandwiches, salads, burgers. 

I ordered the grilled tempeh melt sandwich with a side of homemade sweet potato fries. My sandwich (which I ordered without cheese) came with marinated grilled tempeh topped with mashed avocado and onions on toasted bread. I added some garlic aioli. This sandwich did just the trick! It was fantastic and filled me up without leaving me with any leftover greasy guilt.

Laura ordered the French toast with an egg and cheese biscuit on the side. The French toast was "beyond words". I was able to try a bite which was mouth watering with a little crunch and a soft center. Absolutely devine!

So overall? Loved this place! The atmosphere is family friendly with a hip vibe. This place would be great for a group of friends to go to for brunch and mimosas or Bloody Mary's (be wary: due to a no liquor ordinance their Mary's are made with wine; according to the waitress) 

Next time? The black bean patty on a salad sounded intriguing. I also was very interested in the entire front of the menu that was filled with breakfast items. 

Well those were two new faves that I discovered (thanks Sis!) while visiting Asheville. Def. go check them out!



Other favorites of mine? 

-Tupelo Honey (southern home style cuisine meets city style) 

-Wicked Weed (local brewery and pub food taken up a notch)

-LAB-Lexington Avenue Brewery (great spot for nighttime dining, sophisticated cocktails, brews, and delicious high quality dishes) 

-The Local Taco- (top shelf margaritas and unique Mexican dishes) 

**Look next for where I ventured off to for breakfast and brunch while in Asheville...

Until next time!

~Crago