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Published: January 10th 2008
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Hot Shot Cafe has closed
The Hot Shot Cafe (on the Right) was the oldest Restaurant in Asheville. It served it's last meal on Sept. 3, 2007. It is right next to our Art Gallery While we're waiting to go on our vacation I figured I would write a few entries about the Asheville Area.
One of the biggest draws for Asheville is
Biltmore Village. Biltmore Village is located down-hill about a mile and a half from downtown Asheville. During the 1970's it was probably the lowest commercial rent area in Asheville, now it is probably the highest commercial rent area in Asheville.
The main draw is the
Biltmore Estate . So many people blog about it that I won't waste any space on it.
The next thing people do is walk around the village, Biltmore Village that is. This is quaintly designed area of about 5-7 blocks that has some nice tree-lined streets in it. Several factors have come together to make it a nice place to eat and shop.
HOWEVER, it is undergoing a cacophany of construction and renewal so during early 2008 and probably until fall of 2008 you are just going to have to put up with some extra traffic and noise. Be patient when looking for a parking place, try on the other side of the rail road tracks, and just walk a 100 feet back to the village.
Feb 2007 - Pedros Restaurant
Pedros was the little yellow building on the far right. It was mexican food and people used to go there to drink There are
two nice places to eat in the village (on the other hand there is also a Hardees and McDonalds if cost and speed are important):
Rezaz's Restaurant : When you go in they will often ask you if you are eating on the right or on the left. On the left is the Fine Dining and I think they often need reservations at night.
The food is very good. It is fresh, tasty but not with overbearing flavours, and the service is impeccable. The call it Mediterranean, but I would call it more: healthy, fresh with a hint of flavours from the Mediterranean, but in a very delicate and light way. On the left side is the more casual "Enoteca" or Wine bar with casual food, prepared by the same chefs. The prices are reasonable, and they have a great lunch crowd, and the parking is usually packed after 6:00 at night. A lot of people park on the other side of the train tracks right next to the building and walk over because the parking lot can fill quickly.
The other place that has a great reputation and service is
The Corner Kitchen. Joe and Kevin the owners
Nov 2007 - Corner where Pedros was
They tore down Pedros, and have started constructing the Annex for the hotel on that corner. Even the street lights are replaced run a high quaility, pleasant refined restaurant with great service and high quality versions of local food. They have a nice outdoor patio and another glassed in patio with a great view of the street.
For more casual food there is
Kismet Cafe and
La Paz Mexican Restaurant, as well as The Depot, located where the old Train Depot used let off passengers on the way to Vanderbilt's estate.
For Breakfast, and lunch, there is
Chelseas which has a great outdoor patio, with tables that have umbrellas. In Spring and Fall this is a great place to eat and catch a view of people walking about.
Arts and Crafts: One of the
best Arts and Crafts stores in Western North Carolina is John Cram's
New Morning Gallery . This is not just low end arts and crafts, but serious high end glass, ceramics, furniture and Jewelry. This place is a
MUST SEE if you like those types of things. John put the words 'Art' and 'Asheville' together and a lot of Asheville perception as a beacon of culture for this area stems from his contributions to the arts. And from what I understand much of it began with New Morning Gallery.
Feb-2007 Tore down Exxon Station
They tore down the whole block where the exxon station was at the entrance to the Biltmore Estate. You can see the Village Church in the Background Our Fine Arts Gallery is also located there. I will have to recuse myself since I am the owner. I will just give the web address and let other people comment on it in their travels:
Bella Vista Art Gallery . By the way one of the reasons we are going to
Bolivia is to look for new artists for our Gallery.
There are also some nice little galleries with custom jewelry like
Blue, and another impressive jewelry store called
Susan Marie Designs I know I am leaving off a bunch of other unique shops and things. You can see more about them at:
Biltmore Villages web site.
Construction: The two big new projects in Biltmore Village are:
- A Boutique Hotel, The Bohemian Hotel ,at the corner of Biltmore Ave and Lodge Street. This is where the Exxon Station and the mexican Restaurant (I think it was called Pedros)
-
- A 70,000 square foot high end retail project which they also call Biltmore Village.
I have some photos of those two projects during 2007. I included those so that when I come back from our trip I can show the progress they made while we were in
Nov 2007 - Where the Exxon Station Was
The construction for the Bohemian Hotel has replaced the whole block where the exxon station was. You can see the tip of the church, on the right, in the background. Bolivia.
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Brooke
non-member comment
Great Travel Blogs
Hi Glenn: Just wanted to comment on your great Travel Blogs. My husband and I are avid travelers like yourself, and I am thrilled to see the many places you have travel to. We are planning our next trip to Peru. We visit Asheville frequently, and enjoy your updates on Biltmore Village since I can't find that information anywhere else. Looking forward to reading about your next trip! Happy travels, Brooke