There is plenty to do in Asheville for a nice weekend retreat, any time of the year. We started our visit on New Years Eve with a trip to the Biltmore House for the candlelight tour. I would have to say that even though it was beautiful with all of the Christmas decorations and live music, it is better to visit in the summer to take advantage of the gardens and grounds of the huge estate. The ticket gives you entry for the next day, but since it was raining, we didn’t spend any more time there, making the $60 per person visit a little steep. We stayed at the Doubletree near the Biltmore Village, an easy 10 minute drive south of downtown and right outside the entrance to the Biltmore grounds and house. Biltmore Village is home to shops housed in the small old buildings are fun to browse, especially New Morning Galleries, which was surprisingly large and filled with unique art – from pottery to home furnishings.
Our New Year’s Eve dinner was at Razaz Mediterranean, also in the Biltmore Village, whcih was upscale without being pretentious. We love good food and a nice atmosphere if we are going to eat out. The combination of a great wait staff with good suggestions, starting with the wine through the main course, a warm setting and interesting food complete a perfect dining experience. The menu had a great variety of food and everything we tried was excellent. My husband loved his spinach salad with apple and bacon, and Sarah and I ordered the crab cakes and squash ravioli for starters. The main courses (grouper, mahi mahi and steak) were all so good we didn’t want to share.
Downtown is an easy trip from here, and also packed with interesting shops and restaurants. We browsed Malaprops Bookstore, and had a fabulous lunch at Salsa’s, which features Latin food and lava bowls. It was still packed for lunch at 3:00. Then we hung out at the Biergarden to watch football and chat with the locals about their favorite beer and restaurants. They recommended Mayfel’s for breakfast, a small place on the square that features homemade bread and food with a Cajun accent. In the summer they open a pretty outdoor patio in the back, something to look forward to.
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