Asheville never ceases to amaze. Whether the historical background, or cultural wonders, or its bustling food scene, there is always something to discover. During our stay in the Asheville, Tina’s cousins came to the city to explore with us. We talked about food tours, and they told us they have always wanted to try one. And as food tours fans ourselves, we happily joined them in their gastronomic adventure.
We chose the Classic Eating Asheville food tour. We met up with our EA or Expert Ambassador of Asheville Food Scene as they call themselves. The food tour was composed of 5 stops for around 2.5 hours of walking through the amazing sceneries of the city.
1st Stop: The Bier Garden, 46 Haywood St. Asheville, NC
Our first stop was a local pub. They pride their self as “eat local, drink global” place since they offer an extensive menu of local favorites and a whopping selection of beer. They have a total of more than 250 types of beer from around the world to complement with their appetizing foods.
For those who are not a fan of beer, fret not because they also offer a wide selection of fine wines you could indulge. They also have 26 televisions where anyone could watch sports matches. Just imagine how great to hang around this place during the Superbowl.
We had a Beer Porter to go with our samples of their burgers. Their regular Mushroom and Swiss Burger with porter grave and sautéed mushrooms and swiss on top. Then we also had their specialty burger, the North Carolina Bison Burger. It’s made with tender Bison meat and topped with sautéed mushroom, provolone cheese, and fried onions.
This was stop was a hit for most of the people we are with and I can agree since we really had a good time in the place. The food was also great and the beer is just great, I wanted some more actually.
2nd Stop: Blind Pig, Lexington Ave., Asheville, NC
The next stop is another kind-of dive bar restaurant with a rather unique name. We learnt that Blind Pig as a term used in the 19th century to call establishments that sold alcoholic drinks despite having a ban on these drinks. Bling Pigs would circumvent the law by charging customers to watch attractions usually animals and offering patrons a complimentary drink.
We tried a number of their drinks including the King Cobra. It’s made with premium malt liquor, red white, white wine, and jigger. All were equally good and complemented well with our food.
We paired it with their Pork Shoulder and North Carolina Rice Porridge. I loved the porridge so much that I had 2 servings of it. It feels like one of those comfort food that reminds you so much of home. So nostalgic, perfect for cold or rainy days!
3rd Stop: Mountain Madre, 13 Walnut St., Asheville, NC
For our 3rd stop, we headed to a Mexican restaurant. It’s a locally owned restaurant that boasts itself for serving homemade, fresh, and authentic Mexican cuisine. They also have world-class craft tequila selection to go with their delicious dishes.
We had their Chips and Agave tequila to go with it. Ate Grace loves tequila so she enjoyed this stop a lot. We also had their bestseller chicken tacos. And it sure did not disappoint!
4th Stop: Blue Curry Dream House, 81 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC
From world class tequila and around the world choices of beer, we headed to a place of around the world curry dishes for our 4th stop. We had already tried their Penang Curry prior to this food tour but we were just as excited as before.
We had their Vegetable Curry this time, which didn’t disappoint as well. It was very flavorful and tastes really authentic. We loved this place so much and I can highly recommend it for anyone visiting the city.
5th Stop: Underground Café with DoughP Doughnuts, 22 South Pack Square, Asheville, NC
Our last stop is at local café famous for their crafty and delicious doughnuts. The ambiance of the place was really hip and cool. We tried their classic burger which was made with a 28-day dry aged beef patty, topped with onions, tomato sauce, and other ingredients.
In comparison with the burgers we had earlier, this one seems to have a cheaper bun but the meat was really good. As someone described it, the burger on the first one seems like it was designed for the palettes of the elite. This one is the stark opposite. It was more like of the comfort burger with trashy buns and wrapped to go. To be fair though, both burgers were delicious. Only, the meat on this one was just spectacular!
We also had a Ninja Latte Porter to go with it and two doughnuts for our dessert. Albeit striking out from classic flavors, we all loved their doughnuts! And knowing that they are handmade and served fresh daily is a plus. We tried the Chai Glazed Donut which I liked a lot, and the Beets by Jay.
The last doughnut was a creation of Chef J, the chef and owner of the café. I was surprised that I liked this one a lot since I am not a fan of beets. Maybe it’s the beer glaze and the goat cheese on top that made it really good.
We were so happy that we were able to join the food tour despite it being a last minute one. Good thing they had space for 4 more people so we were all able to have fun. The restaurant choices for the tour were impeccable. I am starting to realize that there is no such thing as “not good food” in Asheville.
How to Book
You can book a ticket through their website eatingasheville.com/tours or call 828-489-3266. You can also follow their social media accounts for updates and queries.
Price
They offer food tours almost every day, where you can choose either their Classic Tour or High Roller Tour.
The Classic Tour is priced at $56 per person and a total of at least 6 restaurants to visit. The High Roller Tour is priced at $69 per person with 7 restaurants to try.
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[…] tried two of Asheville’s most prominent food tours (Eating Asheville and Food Tour Asheville). They both gave us the opportunity to explore and eat at different local […]