So I spent four days there. Nice time, but I don’t think I’m moving there. For one thing, everything is uphill both ways.
But nice time! Some recommendations, if you’re thinking of going.
Pinball. I looked at the Asheville Pinball Museum, and… meh. 35 whole old machines for $15!! Skip it. Instead, go to Level 256. Better machines; better beer; $10.
Breweries. They have more breweries per capita than anywhere else. Here are my favorites.
- Burial. Zope, if you go there this is where you will park yourself and never leave. Big, big NEIPAs. As in, three triples and five doubles. And then there are the 14% stouts…
- Dssolvr. My personal favorite.
- Zillicoah. Couple of miles outside the city on a real nice site with food.
Digression here. If you go to Asheville in the summer and decide to do something sane like use Uber to get outside the city – beware of Saturday afternoons! I took an Uber to Zillicoah for $7 at around 1PM; decided to go back at 3PM, and… it was $35. And not only was it $35, but there were no cars available. So I did the only smart thing.
At around 5PM, prices went down and things got normal. I asked, and got this explanation. All of the cool wedding venues are a half hour out of town. So two hours before the wedding, everyone calls an Uber; they all go away for an hour or so, and thus my issue. Makes sense.
Food. As is true everywhere, there is a lack of staff. I went to one place and it was 2/3 empty – and yet there was a 45 minute wait for food. Luckily, it was a tequila bar, so I found something to do with the time.
- Mayfel’s. Excellent NOLA food. I had my weakness, the Oyster Po’ Boy.
- Sovereign Remedies. Cocktail bar with wicked good food. And a killer Vieux Carre. Two blocks from the hotel, thank God.
- Lobster Trap. What it says. Great Cioppino. Excellent live music 6:30 to 8:30.
- Mountain Madre. Mexican with Agave/Tequila bar
- Red Ginger. Absolutely excellent traditional Chinese.
- Jack of the Wood. Irish. I’m a sucker for Shepherd’s Pie made the right way – with lamb. You do not see shepherds herding cows.
- Wicked Weed. Beer was good! Food was… OK! Only time I ate at a brewery. With a city like this – drink at breweries and eat at restaurants.