Sips and Trips with Paige

Isa’s French Bistro – we enjoyed some sandwiches, and I had a glass of bubbles. A delicious spot to start your day!

Biscuit Head – I will dream about this place until I come back. I enjoyed the Southern Scramble with pork, while Holly enjoyed the Mimosa Fried Chicken Biscuit. They have homemade jam and hot sauce that will have you drooling.

Hemmingway’s Cuba – We enjoyed a rooftop brunch overlooking the mountains before we left. Bloodys and breakfast bowls were just the way to end the weekend.

White Duck Taco – This stop is a must if you love tacos. There are a couple locations around Asheville, but we visited their flagship location right on the river. White Duck offers a huge variety of tacos — some of our favorites were the spicy buffalo chicken and lamb gyro.

Early Girl Eatery – This is a great spot to grab brunch — we enjoyed the Yam Scram and the Goat Cheese & Fresh Herb Omelet.

Sovereign Remedies – A bottle of Tempranillo, Crispy Brussel Sprouts, & The Sovereign Board were just the way to end our night after exploring The Biltmore.

Curate Tapas Bar – I am such a fan of Spanish Tapas, so I was thrilled to experience Curate. This was my third time at Curate, and it was such an amazing experience. We decided to try the Spanish Experience and taste a variety of tapas paired with wine and sherry.

Strada Italiano – Pasta and wine are the way to my heart, so we had to visit Strada. To start, we enjoyed calamari and a bottle of Chianti. We devoured the Grilled Florentine Ravioli and the Tortellini Alla Vodka for dinner.

La Bodega – This spot is a cafe, Spanish market, and wine bar by Curate. If you didn’t happen to make reservations to Curate, this is a great spot to visit with great food and wine. We stopped by for a glass of wine and an order of Patatas.

Battery Park Book Exchange – This was by far my favorite stop on the trip. A champagne bar and book shop… two of my favorite things! This cozy spot is an amazing place to enjoy a flight, glass, or bottle of Champagne. Their boards are also a great lunch to snack on!

5 Walnut Wine Bar – I was so pleased with our experience at 5 Walnut Wine Bar. It has large open windows overlooking the street, and the vibe was great. From bubbles to red, they will have something you’ll enjoy.

Pleb Urban Winery – This urban winery offers flights, glasses, and bottles. Their flight options are from wine on tap.

The Crow & Quill – You all know I love a speakeasy — dim lighting, craft cocktails, and intimate seating. With over one thousand spirits, you’ll surely find something to sip on.

Wicked Weed Brewing – This was my second visit to Wicked Weed Funkatorium. I love their vibe and beer. My favorite was their Fresh Pressed #2 — wheat ale with pineapple, mango, & guava.

Marked Tree Asheville – Marked Tree Vineyard is located on the Eastern Continental Divide between Mt. Pisgah and Tryon Peak in Flat Rock, North Carolina, in the AVA Crest of the Blue Ridge, Henderson County. You’ll find their satellite tasting room, The Grape, in Downtown Asheville! They offer several different tastings of their estate wine.

Botanist and Barrel – This tasting bar and bottle shop feature over 50 offerings from Botanist & Barrel, including drafts, 400+ guest natural wines, ciders, beers, mead, light bites, and great tunes. Holly enjoyed a glass of wine while I had the mulled wine.

Mother – This was my ~new~ favorite spot I discovered during our recent visit. Named after the sourdough starter, “mother,” you’ll find a delicious assortment of sourdough bread, bagels and local cheese, jambon beurre sandwiches (omg), other small bites, pour-over coffee, and naturally-produced wines. We picked up a sandwich and a bottle of bubs and sat outside, the perfect lunch!

Pink Moon Bar – This cool spot is a wine and vermouth bar that can only be found if you know about it. The password is posted on their stories, and if you can figure out the address, you can get in!

Bottle Riot – This wine bar in the River Arts District is a great place to grab a glass or bottle. They have an extensive wine list, import beers, spirits, and small bites. They also have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

A couple other breweries to visit are Burial Beer Co., Hi-Wire Brewing, and Wedge.

Hike — Asheville is located minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, so there are a ton of hikes that offer amazing views. On the first day, we hiked Catawaba Falls, which was amazing. The waterfall was breathtaking! We got to the trailhead around 7am, and barely anyone was there! On the second day, we got on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drove to the Craggy Pinnacle Hike — this one is super short and was supposed to offer extraordinary views, but the dementors were out, and it was so foggy! It was a very creepy hike, but we got in some movement!

• Catawaba Falls
• Craggy Pinnacle Hike, Blue Ridge Parkway

Explore The Biltmore — this was definitely the highlight of our trip. Known as America’s largest home, The Biltmore is a 250-room mansion located on an 8,000-acre estate. It was the family home of the Vanderbilts. We decided to do an evening tour to see the house lit up for Christmas. There are different ticket options, but essentially you get a tour of the house and access to the estate and winery in Antler Village. Since we did an evening tour, we saved the gardens and Antler Village for the following day. If you decided to visit The Biltmore, you need a whole day. There were so many things that we did not see, but we will definitely be back!

River Arts District —The River Arts District, or RAD, is a creative hub along the French Broad River. Former warehouses and mills, many with colorful exterior murals, contain glassblowing, pottery, other artisan studios, and indie art galleries.

The last thing you need to save some time for is shopping! There are so many adorable boutiques and fun shops all around — I found so many fun little things to bring home.