This is Part Two of a recap of our trip to Asheville, North Carolina (Part One is here).
The beauty of a “wandering wherever” approach to visiting a city is that aimless walking justifies second breakfasts, extra caffeine, day drinking and the like, right? That was our approach to our post-Thanksgiving visit to Asheville, North Carolina. We picked a starting point and just wandered. Plus, our cozy farmhouse Air BnB made it so we could return home, blissed out on flaky croissant dough and pillowy doughnuts, to make hearty kale salads and restore the “balance.”
My first recap of our Asheville trip focused on the divine trifecta of biscuits, chocolate & champagne, but this recap follows our wanderings on Haywood Road, in West Asheville, where I could easily see myself living if for nothing more than to make OWL Bakery (Old World Levain Bakery) a regular morning stop.
We couldn’t resist the charms of this bakery. Nestled in what looked like a quaint home was this bright and airy interior. We paired an Apple Pepita Danish with Rosemary Pastry Cream, with a grapefruit Shrub, and a pour-over coffee (plus a few more croissants to enjoy at the farmhouse air bnb the next morning).
Then we wandered Haywood Road, stopping at shops, a coffee shop and whatever caught our eye….
As a food stylist, I couldn’t help but stop and investigate these framed pieces in the window of a building…
I sincerely wish this had been our ride home, but alas. (On the bright side, I have since purchased my own camper!)
Flora Boutique
Floral services + plants & gifts + coffee shops in an industrial space that gave me all the feels
And possibly the dreamiest little corner filled with everything I love…
Our first encounter with this cute corner was but a tease! We arrived on the only day of the week when Hole was closed, but when it comes to doughnut experiments, I am resilient. We returned just before we departed Asheville, making for quite a pillowy, sweet send off.
There was so much to love about Hole:
- The doughnuts are fried to order.
- The doughnuts are fried in non-gmo rice bran oil!
- The staff was SUPER friendly and entertained my doughnut questions even though they couldn’t give away the secret to these light-as-air doughnuts.
- The interior feels like a hybrid of an old schoolhouse and a rustic cabin – so dreamy!
After all that eating and walking, we took a little break at Archetype Brewing. We had wanted to hit the Urban Orchard Cider Co’s cider bar for some research, so this stop at Archetype killed two birds with one not-too-sweet stone.
… and that about did it. We came, we ate biscuits, we sipped chocolates, champagne, ciders & beers, and we were filled with doughnut envy. All in all, Asheville was a warm treat of a retreat, and I hope to return again to experience the city in the light of summer.
Cheers,
I enjoyed reading your article. You captured the vibe of Asheville, beautifully.
My daughter lives in the Asheville area. We enjoy hiking and traipsing the area every chance we get.
You should visit Hendersonville, NC, bout 20 miles sw of Asheville. It’s a quaint little mountain town packed full of history, charm, and creative people. It’s like stepping back in time.
The Apple Festival, a street fair in September, is a must do experience for all things apple.
I would suggest going apple picking at any one of the many local orchards. Walking through acres of apple trees in the fall does a body good.
I’m glad you liked it, and thank you for the recommendation. My sister lives in SC, about an hour and a half away, so I’m hoping to be down south even more and have more excuses to visit Asheville again. It’s such a beautiful region, I would love to explore more of the natural setting, and I have heard about that apple picking! Where I live, the apple picking tends to be tied to hay rides, games and the like, so I’m all about going to a legitimate orchard! Thanks for reading. 🙂