Hotel Hot Pick: Residence Inn's New Look

Residence Inn Biltmore Unveils New Contemporary Rooms.

Another Asheville hotel is throwing its hat in the ring to contend with the slew of beautiful boutiques that have opened their doors in recent years. The Residence Inn Biltmore, located in the Biltmore Village area, is one of Asheville's premier extended stay hotels and they just completed a major renovation, transforming each area inside the hotel. Now, not only do you have a ton of space to spread out, but each room is tastefully appointed with a fresh style and contemporary feel.

What's New?

• A welcoming and expanded lobby and breakfast area.
• State of the art cardiovascular equipment in the fitness room.
• New granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances in each guest room.
• Stylish new furnishings that set a contemporary mood during your stay.
• Large flat screen televisions in the living space as well as in separate bedrooms.
• A new bathroom design that feels more spacious and upscale.

Visit the Residence Inn website to make a reservation.

The Residence Inn Biltmore all booked up? Check out other lodging options.

Gloriously Beautiful

TODAY Show Features Asheville: Top Spot For Fall Foliage.

In case you missed Asheville's cameo appearance on NBC's TODAY Show, here is the segment. Executive Director of Fodor's, Arabella Bowen, highlighted the best places to see fall foliage in the country. The Asheville segment starts around 1:43.

Learn more about Fall in the Mountains.

Where to Find The Big Cheese

Asheville Cheese Company Places Second in National Cheese Competition.

Looking Glass Creamery of Fairview, North Carolina (just outside of Asheville) has placed second in the American Cheese Society’s annual competition in the soft-ripened goat cheese category. The cheese is called Ellington, named for the architect Douglas Ellington who designed many of the art deco buildings around Asheville. 

“Ellington is a great cheese. It is a very approachable yet complex bloomy rind goat cheese that pairs well with rich fig preserves and some of the more robust local beers,” said cheesemaker and owner Jennifer Perkins. “When I was developing the cheese six or seven years ago, I walked through the streets of Asheville photographing buildings and really searching for what I wanted the cheese to be from flavor to form.” 

The labeling, designed by Matt Palomares, is perfectly suited to the character of the cheese and pulls elements from Douglas Ellington’s S&W building in Asheville. Inspiration for the flavor profile of the cheese came from the local character and terrain as well as Humboldt Fog, the California goat cheese made by Cypress Grove, one of the pioneers of the artisan cheese movement in the United States. 

Interest and orders for Ellington from New York, Washington D.C., and California have grown rapidly since the competition was held and the cheese will be available for the 3rd year in a row as part of the North Carolina Cheese Collection sold by Williams-Sonoma this upcoming holiday season on the retailers website and via catalog. 

Ellington is also featured on the menu of several local restaurants including Lexington Avenue Brewery, Red Stag Grill, and Santé Wine Bar, and is available for retail sale in Asheville at Earth Fare, Greenlife Whole Foods and Laurey’s Catering.

Want more cheese please? The WNC Cheese Trail has been in the works for several months now and is soon to be ready for visitors. Keep up with all the updates on their Facebook page.

Fall Color Forecast - Sept. 26, 2012

Discover Where To Find The Best and Brightest Fall Color This Week!

The fall color around Asheville is really starting to show itself, especially in elevations around 3,500' and higher. Check out the full fall color report to learn what the experts are saying, and for our recommendations on the best hikes, drives, events and deals of the week.

Fall Color Hunting

This week we turn to Parker Andes, Director of Horticulture at Biltmore, for an update on fall color around the region.

“Around the estate and the Asheville area, Dogwoods and Sourwoods are just starting to color up. This year looks good for dogwood berries – the trees are loaded with them - so you know the song birds will be close by.

We are seeing the first, early color on Black Gums and Red Maple. Both these trees form the backbone of our peak color which builds from the first week of October to the third week of October in the Asheville area. Hickory, Sugar Maple and Oak have lost their summer shine, and will add their color closer to the end of the month through early November, depending on frost.

As usual, autumn tones are picking up in the higher elevations first. A great aspect of WNC is that great color can be seen within a few hours’ drive of Asheville in several directions from early October through early November. In Asheville, our first frost is sometime mid-October, and that seems to be the tipping point for the great color to show up in the latter half of the month.”

Hit the Higher Elevations

Want to take in the best color this weekend? Plan a day trip to the high country and visit Grandfather Mountain, a journey that will take you up 5,946 feet in elevation where fall color is spreading rapidly. Our friends there tell us that Grandfather is a great destination for leaf looking, not only because its high peaks are a good vantage point for looking out across the color on the hillsides below, but because the mountain hosts such a tremendous variety of plant life.

South of Asheville you can travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway to view expansive mountain vistas. Visit Black Balsam Knob, Sam Knob and Waterrock Knob all provide beautiful scenery at elevations over 6,000’. The highest elevation is Richland Balsam at 6,047’ and reports are coming in that color is making its way through the area.

The Max Patch area should also offer a showing of color this weekend. With an elevation cresting over 4,000’ this mountain bald sits close to the NC/TN border and offers 360-degree views. The Appalachian Trail passes through this area and meanders its way to Hot Springs, which is about 18 miles away by car.

Read the full report for the best fall hikes, events and deals of the week.

Rare Coffee Tasting

Dynamite Roasting Company Offers Unique Tasting of Rare Micro-Lot Coffee.

Dynamite Roasting Company (based in Black Mountain) is celebrating their 4th anniversary with a new line of micro-lot coffees. To kick off the release of their new, rare coffee line, Dynamite is hosting a free public Micro-Lot Coffee Tasting on Thursday, September 27 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. at City Bakery’s Biltmore Ave. location in Asheville. 

What the heck is Micro-lot Coffee? 

Let’s just say that having it available to us in WNC is a testament to our amazing food community. Micro-lot is a specifically selected portion of a farm’s harvest that is separated from a larger lot to preserve the coffee’s unique and special characteristics. Typical lots of coffee are blends of beans from multiple farms, often sacrificing quality for consistency. Micro-lots showcase the highest quality selections of a grower’s harvest.

What to Expect if you Go

Local is global when you are selling a food product like coffee. Dynamite is ensuring that global stays local by connecting with farmers in Honduras to bring a fine micro-lot line to Western North Carolina. At the Micro-Lot Coffee Tasting, Dynamite will offer tasting stations for each of their four micro-lot varietals where tasters will learn about the farms and farmers, as well as nuances of each coffee. Tasters will be guided through the process by Dynamite coffee experts, including roaster, Thomas Lussier. City Bakery will offer small bite food pairings with each varietal. Think of it like “a gallery opening for coffee.

Can't make the tasting? Here's a listing of other coffee shops in Asheville to get your caffeine fix.

Keep The Change

Parking in Asheville Goes Mobile.

Don’t have change to feed the meter when parking in downtown Asheville? The City of Asheville has implemented a new pilot program for a sample of on-street parking meters that allow customers to pay parking fees by cell phone or smart phone.

The system gives customers another option when parking in downtown Asheville. There are 104 parking meters along Hiawassee St., Haywood St., Battery Park and Wall St. that are part of the pilot program. They display yellow stickers with instructions showing how to set up an account and pay for parking. Once an account is established, customers can simply pay meters on their phone by entering a zone and meter number.

Customers can also request a text message reminding them that a meter is about to expire. Customers using the pay-by-phone parking service will be billed an additional 25-cent service fee per transaction. A message will remind customers of the fee before they activate a phone transaction. 

If you find that street parking is unavailable, be sure to take advantage of one of the many parking decks located throughout downtown. 

For more information about the City of Asheville parking services, click here.

Smokies Sunset

Photo of the Day: Golden Sunset At Waterrock Knob.

This gorgeous sunset photo was captured at a popular peak along the Blue Ridge Parkway (near mile marker 451). Waterrock Knob is one of the highest mountaintops in NC at an elevation of 6,292 feet. This beautiful shot was taken by local photographer Doug McPherson. Visit his Facebook page to see more photos.

Want to submit a photo for consideration as our photo of the day? Submit a high res image to dholston@exploreasheville.com.

Fall Color Forecast - Sept. 20, 2012

Yellow Trees, Monarch Migration and Two Live Views.

Fall color is starting to show itself. While much of the forest canopy is still lush with green leaves, the trees are definitely beginning to display splashes of color, specifically the yellow from sugar maples, mountain ash and birch trees. In the understory you'll notice that goldenrod has really come out in full force with bright yellow blooms.

FALL COLOR HUNTING 

Colors are expected to creep in very soon: "The diversity of tree species here in the southern Appalachians is one of the things that really sets us apart as far as fall color goes," said Jesse Pope, Director of Education & Natural Resources at Grandfather Mountain. "We are in a unique transition zone between northern and southern species of trees and shrubs. This transition zone really sets us up for amazing diversity in the colors that you see. Areas between 3,000' - 5,000' have the highest diversity of tree species and is the zone that produces the largest range in the color spectrum as a result." 

The higher elevations are still your best bet this week. Plan a day trip to the grassy bald of Max Patch in the Fines Creek area (to the northwest of Asheville), or head south toward Highlands/Cashiers. With elevations ranging from 3,500' to over 4,600' you will definitely see fall foliage starting to cover the landscape. 

A Bird’s Eye View 

The National Forest Service has two live feeds located in two different regions of Western North Carolina. One is in the Shining Rock Wilderness with a view of Cold Mountain and the other is located in the Joyce Kilmer Wilderness. Check these cameras for an idea of how things are transitioning through the season.

Read the full report for the best fall hikes, events and deals of the week.

Biltmore Coffee Company

Asheville's Newest Independent Coffee Shop Opens Downtown.

Looking for a cool place to grab a cup of coffee and a bite to eat in downtown Asheville? The Biltmore Coffee Company is the newest venture in the Vanderbilt legacy. 

The cafe overlooks Pack Square Park and their stylish space  is welcoming with large comfy couches, indoor and outdoor seating and floor to ceiling windows allowing for plenty of natural light.

The menu offers a diverse selection of baked goods, soups, salads and sandwiches (all of it really tasty). The coffee is sweet and fruity with hints of dark chocolate. The beans themselves are Free Trade, organic and single-origin, grown by families living in the mountains of Honduras and Mexico.

Stop in for a treat next time you're in downtown!

Visit their website for more information.

Senior Travel Deals

Great Ideas For Post Retirement Travel in Asheville.

Asheville was recently featured on the television show, Daytime, where they discussed a number of great travel deals for seniors, including the "Turn 100 Together" promotion coming to the Grove Park Inn next year. As the Inn celebrates its 100th birthday in 2013, anyone also turning 100 can stay for two nights absolutely free. Better yet, meals are included. Neat!

Watch the video to see other great content about Asheville's offerings for retirees.

Fort Lauderdale to Asheville

Asheville Regional Airport Announces New Non-Stop Flight.

Residents of the sunshine state have yet another way to directly access the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Asheville Regional Airport recently announced that Allegiant Air was starting a new non-stop flight  between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Asheville, NC beginning November 15. The following is from their press release.

“Fort Lauderdale is one of the most requested routes by members of our region, and the team at Asheville Regional Airport has been diligently advocating for non-stop service to South Florida for several years,” said Lew Bleiweis, Executive Director at Asheville Regional Airport. “We are pleased to welcome the non-stop to Fort Lauderdale at Asheville Regional Airport, offered by a great partner of ours – Allegiant Travel Company. Allegiant is a low-fare carrier, but even more than that – Allegiant offers excellent deals on full vacation packages in their destination markets – which now includes direct access from AVL to Orlando and South Florida.” 

The low-fare carrier will offer flights twice weekly on varying days. To view flight schedules or to book a trip, visit allegiant.com

The Day Carl Sandburg Died

New Documentary Commemorates Carl Sandburg’s Death. 

Explore the controversial life and legacy of Carl Sandburg through archival footage and interviews with Pete Seeger, the late Studs Terkel and Norman Corwin, family, poets, and scholars. The Day Carl Sandburg Died, premieres nationwide Monday, September 24 on PBS (check local listings).

For much of the 20th century, Carl Sandburg (1/6/1878 – 7/22/1967) was synonymous with the American experience, a spokesman on behalf of “the people.” One of the most successful writers in the English language, Sandburg was a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner for his poetry (Cornhuskers, 1918 and Complete Poems, 1950) and part of his six-volume Lincoln biography (Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, 1939). He was also a groundbreaking journalist, folk song collector, children’s storyteller, political organizer/activist, novelist, autobiographer, and captivating performer. 

Yet, after his death, Sandburg’s literary legacy faded and his poems, once taught in schools across America, were dismissed under the weight of massive critical attack. The new 90-minute documentary provides a dynamic examination of Sandburg’s life, work and controversial legacy from a modern perspective.

Fans of Sandburg should not miss the chance to tour his homestead, now a historic site, while visiting Asheville.

Learn more about Asheville's Literary History.

Art Deco on Canvas

Photo of the Day: A Painted Portrait of the S&W.

Asheville artist, Josh Spiceland, was spotted on the street capturing the beautiful S&W Building on canvas. This historical and iconic art deco building, located in the heart of downtown Asheville, was designed by Douglas Ellington, a famed architect whose legacy influenced many of Asheville's most interesting buildings. The S&W opened its doors in 1929 and ran for 45 years. The building has housed other businesses throughout the years and is currently on the market.

Josh has been living in Asheville for eight years. He has helped create murals near Izzy's coffee shop on Lexington Avenue as well as the I-240 bridge mural. You can see more of his work here.

Did you know that Asheville has more art deco buildings than any other Southeastern city outside of Miami? 
Learn more about Asheville's art deco style.

Best River Town

Asheville Makes Outdoor Magazine's List of Best River Town.

Experience fall color by boat.

Outside Magazine recently held an online poll asking for public input on the best river towns in America. Thanks to our loyal fans, Asheville made the ninth spot on the list. Here's an excerpt from the online article:

Two things stood out among Asheville commenters: water and beer.

“Time to marry Beer City USA with the Best River Town Ever,” says local Julie Mayfield.

Stand-up Paddle Boarding along the French Broad River.

“Join a flotilla from the Wedge Brewing Company to the Bywater bar: Is that a perfect day or what?” says political science teacher Tish Szurek.

“There’s a national park—the Blue Ridge Parkway—and two world-famous trails, Mountains-to-Sea and the Appalachian, that run through the city or nearby,” notes Chris Cavanaugh, president of Magellan Strategy Group.

Bellyaks: Photo by Effort.tv

“During or after a paddle, stop off at the Asheville Outdoor Center for some of the best barbecue ever, smoked with Scottish peat,” suggests reader Tom Boeger.

And the recreational opportunities are only getting better: in March, the city will debut its new marathon, which runs through the meadows and gardens of the 8,000-acre historic Biltmore Estate.

Read the full story here. 

A Pool With A View

Aloft, Asheville's Newest Upscale Boutique Opens in Downtown

Asheville's downtown skyline now includes the bright new beacon of Aloft hotel, a member of the Starwood family. This contemporary hotel comes with all the comforts you would find at home... You know, things like an outdoor saline pool and cabana deck on the third floor, plus expansive mountain views from every room.

Okay so maybe you won't find those type of amenities in your own backyard, but that's all the more reason to check into this beautiful new boutique and experience it for yourself.

Every room, from the colorful lobby to the guestrooms, offers modern style and lots of comfy everything for lounging. Even the parking deck has more personality and style than you would expect.

The hotel is pet friendly and better yet, pets stay for free. That's right, no fee - and there is a pet walk on the third floor so you don't have to go far to give your pooch some exercise. There's also complimentary Wi-Fi, local art throughout the hotel, a sweet lobby bar called Wxyz, an outdoor terrace with fireplace overlooking the city called The Ledge and a beautiful blue pool table all cued up and ready to play.

Reservations are now available. You can visit the Asheville Aloft's website for more information and to book a room.

The City View

Contemporary Style in Each Guestroom

Suites Come with a Soaking Tub

Take in Amazing Mountain Views from the Pool Deck

Wxyz Serves up Handcrafted Cocktails and Local Brew

Rack 'Em Up!

The Aloft all booked up? Check out these other lodging options in Asheville.

This Town

An Asheville Fan Shares His Creative Vision of our Mountain Town.

Here's a unique look at Asheville from the eye of Weldon Byrns. Check out the cool color contrasts and the use of color with black and white imagery. He even made his own music for the video. Enjoy!

A look at the funkiest small city in America.

Song "Juxtaposition" by Weldon Byrns

Recipe: Corn Cakes With Cucumber Aioli

A Perfect End-of-Summer Recipe From The Market Place.

Corn Cakes w/ Cucumber Aioli

Bring the taste of Asheville home with this easy end-of-summer recipe from one of Foodtopia's most celebrated chefs, William Dissen. When in Asheville be sure to dine at The Market Place in downtown Asheville to try William's other culinary creations.

Corn Cakes   

Ingredients

• 1 pt. Yellow corn, cut off the cob
• 1 tbsp. Roasted garlic, puree
• 3/4 cup Smoked gouda, shredded
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup Chives, sliced
• 1 tbsp. Sour cream
• 1/2 tbsp.Hot Sauce
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• 3 tbsp. Olive Oil

Method

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• In a food processor, process the corn until it forms a “chunky” puree.
• Place the corn in a medium bowl and stir in the cheese, ½ the bread crumbs, garlic, chives, sour cream, hot sauce, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.  Check seasoning.  Adjust consistency with more bread crumbs if necessary.
• Form the mixture into 4, 3” patties (about 1” thick).  
• Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.  
• Toss the patties in the remaining bread crumbs.
• Heat olive oil over medium high in a large sauté pan.
• Add corn cakes and sauté until golden on the bottom side.  Use a spatula and turn the cake over in the pan.  
• Place the sauté pan in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, or until heated through.  
• Serve immediately.

(yield 4, 4oz. patties)

Chef William Dissen

Cucumber Aioli   

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Duke’s Mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 tbsp. Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1.5 ea. Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and small dice
• 1/2 tbsp. Roasted Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. Chives, finely sliced
• 1/2 tbsp. Frank’s Red Hot
• 1/2 tbsp. Honey
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Method

• Place cucumbers in a clean linen and twist linen gently to squeeze out excess liquid.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk until all ingredients are smoothly incorporated.  
• Taste and re-season as necessary.

(yield, 4 portions)

Check out these other great recipes from Asheville chefs.