Asheville is Cool.

Robert and  I walked the streets of Asheville , North Carolina yesterday after a long winding detour drive to the city.  We were amazed at the courteousness of the drivers when we crossed the street! We literally stopped traffic! No horns, no revving engines…amazing. Robert was so shocked, he waved every time we crossed the road!

We are staying in an efficiency condo located above a Ruth’s Chris steak restaurant! The gentleman who owns the Ruth’s Chris restaurants here in Asheville renovated several of these rooms for clients and business people.  I will take some pictures today and post here later.

Biltmore  Village is jammed with galleries, indie shops, clothing stores and jazzy little eateries.  We enjoyed a short tasting of balsamic vinegars and olive oils at The Tree and the Vine. Bottles of  unique and traditional flavors of vinegars lined the counters for curious palates to savor.

The Art Galleries are amazing!  One stop recommended by our artist friend, Drew, was The New Morning gallery. Furniture, glassware, pottery, interesting garden sculpture and functional kitchen accessories filled two floors of the building! As we left this gallery, the  corner window had a Game of Thrones exhibit which I know Marianna would love. We may  stop back for one of the large mugs. I like what seemed to be a crystal ball.

After resting  a bit in the condo, and  sneaking down to the restaurant to get the WI FI password,  our tour guide , Jack, picked us up for dinner. We dined at Chestnuts, a trendy  downtown eatery with a seasonal  menu. The drink menu was curious, I chose the “High Five” of gin, orange bitters, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice served in a martini glass complete with a high five from the server! The beet salad was delish, and the 3oz petite filet medium plate was perfect with slightly undercooked green beans and garlic mashed potatoes.  All plates were empty when the waitress inquired about dessert. No thanks.. A stroll up and down the hills of downtown, then off to bed.

Our hosts have a busy day planned tomorrow.  A Doubles tennis match, lunch, trout fishing and a photo session at an Asheville mansion complete with “coffee table book” garden!

See you.

ML