TEDDY’s RATING: 
Asheville is quite a culinary town. It’s even referred to as a “Foodtopian Society.” There are so many restaurants to choose from. No matter what your taste buds crave, you’ll find something to please your palate.
One of the best ways to sample all the fantastic food Asheville has to offer is to take the Asheville Food Tour. As their slogan says, “Asheville Food Tours introduces you to the city bite by bite.”
It’s a two and a half hour walking tour of downtown, stopping at 7 to 10 different restaurants and/or specialty food shops to savor their flavors. We went to a total of 8 places, each of which gets a separate mini paw rating from Teddy.
Our guide’s name was Chris. He and his wife created Asheville Food Tours. And what’s great about it is that you get to sample more than just a few bites of food. You get to try items right off the restaurants’ menus or dishes specially prepared for the tour. By the time the tour is done, you’re full! And you get a discount card to use when you visit any of the stops at a later date.
Here are the 8 stops we made:
The Chocolate Fetish (3 mini paws) http://chocolatefetish.com/
Here we tried three different samples of chocolate: truffle, caramel and plain dark chocolate. And we got to see behind the scenes of their chocolate making process. It’s a nice place with lots of exotic chocolate options, but I still love the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. The owners, Bill and Sue Foley, are very nice people and they led the tour through their shop.
The Green Sage Café (3 mini paws) http://thegreensage.net/
This is one of Asheville’s “Green” restaurants. They recycle all paper products and compost all leftovers. And they pride themselves in being a restaurant that buys locally from local suppliers. We had zucchini soup and a vegetable hummus wrap.
Strada (3 mini paws)
http://www.stradaasheville.com/
This is one of the newer stops on the tour. Strada is an Italian bistro. We were served goat cheese pizza and a fig stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto, along with red wine.
Olive & Kickin’ (2 mini paws) http://www.oliveandkickin.com/
This was a most unusual stop. This shop sells different types of olive oil and balsamic vinegars. And to taste the different olive oils, we did shots of them. Yep, shots of olive oil. Pretty odd. No dipping bread in the oil, just drink it up.
Mr. Frog’s Soul Food and Creole Kitchen (3 mini paws) http://mrfrogsavl.blogspot.com/
This was another fairly new restaurant. The chef talked at length about his history and why he started the restaurant. We had cucumber water, ribs, an oyster, and a Cheerwine truffle.
Chorizo (3 mini paws) http://www.grovearcade.com/shopping-dining/chorizo/
I’m not big on Latin food, but the pork quesadilla and fruit drink were very good. After the trip, I made the fruit drink (orange juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice and club soda) at home, adding in some pineapple/coconut rum.
Karen Donatelli Cafe (3 mini paws) http://www.donatellicakedesigns.com/
By the time we got to this bakery, we were already pretty full of food. We sampled a pecan caramel square. Karen Donatelli mostly creates cakes, but she has some very creative desserts available as well. Wish we weren’t so stuffed!
The Spice & Tea Exchange (3 mini paws)
http://www.spiceandtea.com/north-carolina-asheville-ezp-17.html?chapter=1
The final stop was the Spice & Tea Exchange. They feature a huge variety of spices, teas and flavored sugars. I bought an orange creamsicle tea sample to try along with maple syrup sugar and raspberry sugar.
Overall, the tour was great fun. Great experience, great food, great town. I’d do it again since Chris doesn’t necessarily go to the same stops each time.
Some things to keep in mind about the tour. They are held rain or shine. Wear comfortable shoes. There are no substitutions for dietary restrictions. Tours are limited to 12 people, so book early. Tours are held March through November, Tuesdays through Fridays at 2pm. The tour costs $39 per person.
There is a second tour offered that takes you through Biltmore Village, a quaint collection of shops and restaurants just outside the historic Biltmore estate. We plan to try that one next time.
Dates of Visit: May 4, 2012
http://www.ashevillefoodtours.com/
If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog: http://ilovebritishtv.com
MEXICO: Mariachi Cobre, a 12-piece Mexican Mariachi band, performs at the Mexico Pavilion. Originally formed in 1971, the group has been performing at EPCOT since it opened in 1982. With 3 guitars, 2 trumpets and 7 violins, they bring to life sounds of Mexican folk music.
JAPAN: Matsuriza performs on the huge Japanese Taiko drums at the Japan Pavilion. This percussion troupe was formed in 1998 and they play traditional works as well as their own compositions. You know when a Matsuriza performance is going on. You can hear it and feel it all the way across the World Showcase Lagoon.
There are actually two theatres. The original Flat Rock Playhouse is south of Hendersonville and was “born” in 1952 when Robroy Farquhar and his Vagabond Players made it their home. It’s next door to another historic site in Hendersonville, the poet Carl Sandberg’s home. The architecture is reminiscent of its summer stock beginnings back in the 1940s. Today the facility has been completely updated with state-of-the art lighting and sound and seats 506 patrons.
Say Goodnight, Gracie is a wonderful production. It’s a one-man show about the life of comedian George Burns and his relationship with his partner and wife Gracie Allen. George Burns was portrayed perfectly by Joel Rooks. He’s been playing this role for a long time, starting on Broadway in 2002.
me in the most was the mountain éclair. Your normal chocolate éclair is about five or six inches long and filled with a bit of cream. This is not your normal éclair. This one is about six inches in diameter and filled with an ocean of cream. Super yummy. We get one, or two, every time we visit Asheville.
Sweets include: baklava, tiramisu, crème brulee, carrot cake, sour cream lemon and cranberry pound cake, chocolate raspberry bars, cinnamon streusel cake, key lime tarts, chocolate fudge cake, various cookies and now a mini version of the mountain éclair.
their collection of signature artisan breads including challah, wheat, demi baguettes, Italian batard, olive oil and rosemary, and sourdough.
the pool constructed. Upon his return, Hemingway was not pleased with how much money she spent and is said to have yelled, “You might as well have my last cent.” This penny is embedded in concrete near the pool.
