Ice Cream & Donuts in North Carolina
Good friends of ours hosted their post-wedding friends weekend celebration in Asheville and we were ecstatic to finally visit the hipster town that has been on the list for years.
Day 1: Charlotte
Asheville isn’t the easiest to get to and because it was going to be my first time in North Carolina we decided to fly into Charlotte and spend a day roaming around the other Queen City — Buffalo, my hometown is also known at the Queen City.
We started the day with one of our favorite things to do when visiting a new place: a walking tour. We opted for the Center City Walking Tour and, perhaps because it was a Thursday morning in mid October, we wound up getting a private tour. We started near The Square (the intersection of Trade and Tryon), saw an old church, Old Settlers’ Cemetery, and fancy Southern houses, learned why the basketball team is called the Hornets, and saw artist Ben Long’s dome mural, “Continuum”, in the Transamerica Square building.
St. Peter Catholic Church
Tour guide showing us “Continuum”… Not the best angle for a photo
After our tour we had a late breakfast at Famous Toastery, one of the highest rated spots in town. It was empty — again, perhaps because it was late morning on a Thursday, but considering that breakfast is my favorite meal to eat at a restaurant, the Toastery may be famous, it was just okay.
Feeling a big underwhelmed by breakfast, we sought out a post-breakfast pick-me-up and boy, was it worth it. I know Jeni’s has locations all over the South and Midwest, but this was my first visit and it didn’t disappoint. It was a hard decision with contenders like Wildberry Lavender, Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam, and Skillet Cinnamon Roll, but I opted for Brambleberry Crisp and was quite pleased. The waffle cone wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, they’re better at our local Jenny’s, but the ice cream was near the top of the list of best. ice. creams. ever.
Brambleberry Smiles
With full bellies we buckled into our rental car and headed west to the mountains.
Day 2: Biscuit Head, Hiking, and Wedding Dinner
Our friends rented a big house in Burnsville, about 30 minutes outside of downtown Asheville. On Friday morning my husband and I trekked into the city in search of biscuits and — rather than waiting in the long line — opted for take out from Biscuit Head. Biscuits are one of those things that I always think I’m going to love but they frequently leave me wanting more. These were good, but I’m glad we didn’t wait in the line in the rain. When traveling I always in search for locally made jams that I save until the next Purim holiday and use to bake hamantaschen. I was excited that Biscuit Head sold their jam, but unfortunately it was confiscated at the airport.
On the drive back to the house in Burnsville we saw a bear! I screamed. It was exciting. In the afternoon we hiked Roaring Fork Falls — it was a descent 1.4 mile out and back trail with beautiful foliage in October.
In the evening we got fancy to celebrate the happy couple with a group dinner at Golden Fleece (permanently closed). The best was the “spread trio” — the only dish we ate that isn’t pictured. Guess we gobbled it down too fast!
Day 3: Eating, Drinking & Playing in Downtown Asheville
On Saturday we roamed around downtown. We started at the Pinball Museum which was entertaining for a few minutes, grabbed lunch at an unmemorable Irish pub, threw back a couple brewskies at Wicked Weed Brewery, had a delicious dinner at White Duck Taco and an equally delicious dessert at Sunshine Sammies.
Bride, Groom & Friend Cheersing
Blue Duck Taco Feast
Sunshine Sammies
Day 4: Brunch and Donuts Downtown
Having not quite had my fill just yet, we ventured back into town for Sunday brunch at Rhubarb. Having minimooned at the amazing Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, I was excited to try chef John Fleer’s Asheville restaurant (see here). Having a bit of déjà vu from Day 1 — brunch was good, not great — we found a to-die-for post-brunch dessert spot.
Fried chicken biscuit
Whole grain and GG mursaki sweet potato hash, and fries
The fried-to-order donuts at Hole were some of the best we’ve ever had. If you’re in Asheville, a visit to Hole is a must.
All in all, North Carolina didn’t disappoint. Especially with their ice cream and donuts.
On the list for next time:
More time in downtown Asheville. Staying 30 minutes outside of town and the rainy weather weren’t ideal. Next time we hope to spend more time exploring the shops, restaurants, and winding streets of the city.
Our favorite: a walking tour!
The view from Pisgah Inn
Fried chicken at Moose Cafe