It’s fall in the mountains which means everyone and their mother (literally) want to come up to Asheville and leaf-peek, hike, eat and drink.

And I get it, my home is beautiful– especially when the leaves turn. I often get asked for recommendations on places to hike and things to eat and drink. I love to get outdoors, but admittedly I am a bit of a hermit and I don’t eat out much. But I do have a few favorites! Here goes!

Downtown
Chocolate Fetish – The best chocolate truffles in Asheville. They even do a tour at 1:30 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. (We got our wedding cake from there!)

Tupelo Honey – Tupelo Honey serves up Southern Comfort food and an all-day brunch menu. The wait can be long wait, so call ahead.

Mayfel’s – A brunch spot featuring Louisiana-style comfort food and also has dog-friendly seating. Their breakfast burritos are as big as your head! (I always recommend Mayfel’s if Tupelo Honey is too crowded.)

Curate – Curate is a fancier dinner option with authentic Spanish cuisine. If you’re into wine, Curate was named one of America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2018.

Southslope (Brewing District)
Buxton Hall BBQ – Good bbq and a popular spot for both locals and out-of-towners. They also have alcoholic Cheerwine slushies!

Vortex Donuts – Vortex Donuts is a donut shop with standard and specialty donuts. Mango chili pepper, anyone? It’s actually right next to Buxton Hall!

I don’t drink beer, but Asheville is becoming known as “Beer City” and as such, there’s tons of breweries in that area including, but not limited to: Asheville Brewing, Burial Beer, Greenman, and Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium which is dedicated solely to sour beers.

West Asheville (Hip and less crowded than downtown)
Early Girl Eatery – A good option for brunch– or try it for dinner, if you don’t like crowds. Their Gluten Free fried chicken is the best I’ve ever had!

Urban Orchard Cider Co. – if you get sick of beer, Urban Orchard is a cidery with more cider flavors than you can shake a stick at! I like their ginger option.

Forage – A charming plant boutique, flower shop and coffee shop with botanical-inspired seasonal specials.

River Arts District
White Duck Taco Shop – Fresh tacos and dog-friendly outdoor seating. There is also a location downtown, but this one is less busy and next to a popular Instagram mural opportunity. Haha!

River arts is just cool to walk around. A lot of the artists open their shops on the weekend and you can see people doing pottery, blowing glass, etc.

North Asheville
Omni Grove Park Inn – In my opinion, the Grove Park Inn has the best view in town. In the winter, they flip GIANT logs in the fire and they’ll let you just get a drink and hang out there. F. Scott Fitzgerald actually lived in the hotel for a while. (Sidenote: I’ve been wanting to do this mycology, foraging tour from No Taste Like Home and sometimes they meet at the Grove Park Inn.)

Plant – The best vegan food in town. They have a small, rotating menu with lots of organic, locally sourced and gluten-free options. Only open for dinner.

Whit’s frozen custard – My favorite place for ice cream in Asheville. They have different flavors all the time, but their pumpkin flavor is the best I’ve ever had!

Biltmore Village
Biltmore – It’s America’s largest private home and Asheville’s most popular tourist attraction. Even though it’s very touristy, I’d still recommend it, especially if you’re into historic homes and gardens. We actually have annual passes, so we can just go and hike around. Biltmore has some beautiful trails, but it will take you a day or more to see all the sites.

Antique Tobacco Barn – If it’s raining, which it does here all the time, it can be fun to look at old stuff. Antique Tobacco barn is a giant barn full of vintage and antiques. They also have a small architectural salvage area.

Regeneration Station – Regeneration Station is a warehouse full of “repurposed treasures.” They have more of a midcentury style than the Antique Tobacco barn.

Slightly Outside Asheville (Fletcher, NC)
Sierra Nevada – If you want to see a giant brewery, Sierra Nevada is like a theme park for adults. The place is huge. The food is pretty good and you could spend all day walking around there and nerding out on beer if you’re into that.

Hiking
The best hiking is a bit outside of town.

Graveyard Fields – Don’t be fooled by the creepy name. Graveyard fields is up on the Blueridge parkway at Milepost 418.8. It is a gorgeous spot, especially in the fall. You’ll see wildflowers, waterfalls and it’s not too difficult.

Hooker Falls/High Falls/Triple Falls, Dupont Forest – This hike through Dupont Forest is a harder hike, but worth it. It features three gorgeous waterfalls and you can even swim in the lowest one.

Frying Pan Mountain Outlook Tower – If you aren’t scared of heights, it’s a fairly easy hike to get to this old fire lookout. And the view is unbelievable. Located at Milepost 409.6 on the Parkway.

Ok, phew! That was a long one! I hope to see you all in my neck of the woods soon!