We
recently visited Asheville for the first time in six-plus years. The trip gave
us a chance to revisit old favorites and discover new ones. In addition to
everything reviewed below, Malaprops, The Chocolate Fetish, DSSOLVER, Moonlight Makers, Downtown
Books & News, Nine Mile (previous review here), Bagatelle Books, Orbit DVD,
House of Black Cat Magic, Urban Orchard, Ginger’s Revenge, and French Broad Chocolates are all worth a visit.
Mission
Pizza Asheville
Housed
inside of Terra Nova Beer Co. at 101 South Lexington Ave in South Slope,
Mission Pizza specializes in Roman-style rectangles (pizza al taglio) from 12-8
Wednesday and Thursday, 12-9 Friday and Saturday, and 12-6 on Sunday. Terra
Nova offers indoor and outdoor seating. Online ordering and delivery are
available.
The sister
restaurant to Winston-Salem’s acclaimed Mission Pizza Napoletana, Mission Pizza
Asheville (aka Mission Pizza Romana) is decidedly not your typical
neighborhood slice shop. The Roman squares are made of a thick dough that looks
like focaccia but is both lighter and crispier. They come in single 5” by 7” rectangles
(spuntino, $8-$10), 5” by 13” pies (mezzo, $15-$19), or 9” x 13” party size
portions (tutto, $30-$38). While you can build your own custom pizza, the
default options include a Calabrian with pepper jam, a funghi & charred
tomato, a sfincione with breadcrumb topping, a patate with potato cream, and a
rotating special. A few dips, an arugula salad, cauliflower cacio pepe, and
meatballs are also available.
Wanting a
few slices to commemorate Pi Day, my wife and I shared a Calabrian, a funghi
& charred tomato, and a daily special. Ordering was easy, and Terra Nova’s
“green industrial” vibe (check out that moss wall) made for interesting
ambiance. Our pizza was not cheap, but it was very satisfying, and Mission uses
high-quality ingredients. The Calabrian offered a good combination of sweet and
spicy while the funghi & charred tomato delivered creamy (ricotta) and
smoky. The crust was done perfectly: crisp without being overly charred.
There are
many places in Asheville where you can grab a pizza and a beer, but none can
offer you the same experience that Mission does. Unless you’re a New York-style
pizza purist, you owe it to yourself to give Mission a try.
Double D’s
Coffee & Desserts
Located at
41 Biltmore Avenue, Double D’s Coffee & Desserts serves up coffee drinks, smoothies,
baked goods, and ice cream from 10 to 8 (Sunday-Thursday)/8:30(Friday-Saturday)
out of a converted bus. Courtyard seating is available.
We came
across Asheville’s charming coffee bus during our first visit to the city and
have made it a point to come back during every visit since. It’s still cash
only, and it still draws crowds. However, since the upper deck is no longer
available for seating, you no longer have to worry about squeezing past others
inside the bus’s cramped confines. The coffee here (courtesy of Notorious
Coffee Roasting Co.) is good. My wife remains partial to the red hot chili
mocha (the cayenne provides a spicy kick) while I enjoyed a crème brulee latte
during our most recent visit.
As a
coffee shop, this probably isn’t the best Asheville has to offer, especially if
you are pressed for time. But it’s far more than a novelty. If you have a few
minutes to spare and cash in your wallet, it’s worth your time.
Blue
Spiral 1
Located at
38 Biltmore Avenue, Blue Spiral 1 offers three floors of art from over 100
regional artists. Themed exhibitions rotate regularly. The gallery is open
Monday-Saturday from 11-6 and Sunday from 11-5. Photography is permitted.
Blue
Spiral 1 is another Asheville institution that we can’t help but return to.
From paintings to pottery to giant spoon sculptures, the gallery has a wide
representation of styles and media. Recent exhibitions made use of recycled
skateboards and explored the history of tattoos, both of which we found
fascinating. Despite its fine arts pedigree (and pricing to match), Blue Spiral
isn’t stuffy, and staff won’t give you the stink eye if you’re just there to
browse.
Princess
Anne Hotel
A boutique
hotel/B&B hybrid in a 1920s building listed in the National Register of
Historic Places, the Princess Anne Hotel is about as far away as you can get
(literally and figuratively) from a just-off-the-highway hospitality chain. The
location is close enough to downtown so that you can still find food in walking
distance yet far enough removed from the noise to give you a bit of quiet.
Unlike a downtown hotel, you also don’t have to pay through the nose for
parking. Staff are pleasant and knowledgeable about the area. The porch and
patio areas make for relaxing outdoor spaces.
The
Princess Anne is an old building and though generally well-maintained, isn’t
immune to the occasional odd creak. Our room was, overall, fairly spacious (it
included a kitchenette and dining/TV area), the bed was comfortable, and
everything worked as it should. That said, the bathroom was tiny, even with the
sink located in a different room.
If you can
abide by its quirks, the Princess Anne offers character, comfort, and charm,
all at a fairly good value.
City
Bakery
Located at
88 Charlotte Street in Downtown Asheville, City Bakery offers artisan breads,
coffees, and baked goods from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed
Sunday). Online ordering is available.
City Bakery was a short walk from where we were staying, so it became our breakfast
spot by default. Fortunately, it proved to be a good one. Bread may be their
calling card, but they do have more substantial fare (biscuits, bagels, sandwiches,
etc.) as well. We went with a pair of coffee drinks and a chocolate croissant
as well as a loaf of Jewish rye to take home. Though they keep busy here, staff
were pleasant and accommodating.
The coffee
drinks were smooth, and when we eventually broke into the rye, it had a nice
crust. The croissant definitely wasn’t bad, but I’ve been spoiled by better
options back home.
Whether
you’re seeking bread, a breakfast bite, or caffeination to keep you going, City
Bakery is a reliable option.
Biscuit
Head
Located at
733 Haywood Road in West Asheville (with other locations in South Asheville and
the Mission Hospital Area), Biscuit Head specializes in biscuits and
breakfasts. It is open Monday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Online ordering is
available. Bacon flavors and biscuit specials rotate daily.
Biscuit
Head has acquired a lofty reputation since it opened its doors more than a
decade ago, and it was only a matter of time before we ended up here to see if
it lived up to the hype. One drawback to said reputation: it gets busy, and it
gets loud. Best try to catch them during an off-peak hour and hope that
you can snag an open table.
That
caveat aside, the menu is great. You can keep it simple with a biscuit and your
choice of topping, roll the dice with a biscuit sandwich, or step up and take
on a gut-busting breakfast platter. There are also sweet dishes and a bar full
of complimentary jams.
My wife
and I went with the biscuit of the day (Korean fried chicken), a biscuit with
mushroom gravy, fried green tomatoes, and a side of bacon. The biscuits were
good, but if you get them in a sandwich, don’t expect the sandwich to hold
together. No matter: forks exist for a reason. The Korean fried chicken
included both Korean BBQ sauce and pimento cheese, an interesting fusion of
Asian and Southern that somehow worked. The accompanying tots were crispy and
addictive, and the mushroom gravy was creamy and rich. The fried green tomatoes
were respectable but would have been better topped with pimento.
Ultimately,
Biscuit Head did not disappoint. The biscuits weren’t the best I’ve ever had,
but the food here was still satisfying.
Baked Pie
Company
Located at
4 Long Shoals Drive in Arden, Baked Pie Company offers hot and cold pies whole
or by the slice. Online ordering, gluten free, keto, vegan, and sugar free
options are available. Baked is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Saturday
(closed Sunday).
We had
missed getting an actual slice of pie on Pi Day, so what better way to make up
for it than partaking in a Pie Flight the day after? Yes, you read that right.
Baked offers three-slice flights, which, given the size of said slices, should
definitely not be attempted alone.
While this
curio would be enough to get plenty of people in the door, Baked has a lot more
going for it. Though the selection varies from day to day, we found plenty of
tantalizing options: fruit pies, chocolate pies, custard, pecan, a savory
quiche, etc. The inside of the shop is homey and exudes retro charm, and the
proprietors are welcoming.
My wife
and I opted for the Irish Cream Brownie, Whiskey Silk, and Blackberry Biscuit for
our flight. The pies were very sweet, but they were tasty. While the former two
were both boozy chocolatey cold pies, they presented different flavors and
textures. The blackberry biscuit was good (and probably would have been even
better had we gone ala mode), but we should have requested it heated up.
At $15,
the pie flight was a good deal given the size of the slices. That said, whole
pies go for $38, which is more than many would pay.
Specialty
pie shops are something of a rarity, and it would be tragic if Baked’s pies
were merely pedestrian. Fortunately, they more than clear that bar.
Taco
Temple
Located at
132 Charlotte Street in Asheville, Taco Temple offers tacos, tortas, and drinks
from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday). Vegan options and online
ordering are available, and the business has a drive-thru.
An offshoot
of Mamacita’s, Taco Temple retains the same focus on homemade Mexican eats. The
offerings are a bit fancier than you might find at a typical taco joint but not
to the point of pretentiousness (they also have breakfast tacos for those who
are up early enough). While it occupies a smallish space, Taco Temple does
offer a cool vibe, including a vintage Corona machine.
My wife
and I opted for a trio of tacos plus guac to go. Our order was ready on-time,
and one look at the homemade blue corn tortillas made us anxious to dig in. The
tacos were generally tasty and delivered distinct flavors: the loreto
(tangerine-pasilla shrimp) was spicy and tangy while the Santa Barbara
(ancho-brown sugar rubbed steak) was smoky and slightly sweet. The panela
(panela cheese, poblano, black bean, pickled onion) included too much pickled
onion and too little cheese, however. The chips, guac, and tomatillo salsa were
solid complements to the meal.
Taco
Temple may or may not make you a convert, but it’s worth at least one
pilgrimage.
All Day
Darling
Located at
102 Montford Avenue in Asheville, All Day Darling offers breakfasts,
sandwiches, salads, coffees, baked goods, and more. It is open from 7 a.m. to 8
p.m. daily. Indoor and outdoor seating, gluten-free options, and online
ordering are available.
In need of
a breakfast spot that was actually open on Sundays, All Day Darling proved a
fortuitous find. The bustling, light-filled environment and focus on Southern-influenced
dishes reminded me of a superior version of the old Iron Hen in Greensboro.
Though All Day Darling does keep busy, its line to the register (place your
order, grab a number – they are friendly and efficient here) moves quickly, and
there is plenty of seating.
While I
was tempted to order shakshuka, travel with something that heavy on my stomach
seemed unwise, so I opted for The Standard (breakfast sandwich with a fried egg
and herb mayo) with ham on a roll instead and paired it with a Golden Mocha
(chocolate, turmeric, ginger, cardamon). My wife went with a Standard with avocado
on a biscuit, and we split a piece of banana bread.
All of the
food cleared expectations. The breads and biscuits live up to their homemade
billing. The creamy herb mayo was the perfect complement to the salty ham. The
banana bread was as good as any I have ever made. Despite its bevy of
components, the Golden Mocha was well-balanced and went down easy.
All Day
Darling is the kind of place where it would seem hard to go wrong. The next
time we’re in Asheville, we’ll be back.
