Asheville, NC - Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar

A glass of bubbly!

Nirvana.  I didn't think I'd ever find it.  But I did find it in Asheville, NC, when I walked into the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar.  It's a beautiful and eclectic book store with thousands of old and new books, a chic champagne bar, that's dog friendly!  I simply love this place.  It's compiled of a maze of rooms filled with walls of books, and intimate seating arrangements for individuals or small groups to sip a beverage, browse through books, or work on a lap top.  It simply has something for everyone.  If you have a four footed furry companion, he or she is welcome as well.

Dog friendly!

My husband, my dog Belle, and I stopped by for a celebratory glass of champagne and a tasty cheese board on the first stop of our cross-country trip to our new home in Bend, Oregon. Now that I've left my day job I'll be able to travel more and visit fun places that serve beer, wine and chocolate.  What an amazing way to start this journey.

Next time, the chocolate cake.

The champagne and wine list is extensive with something for everyone's taste and budget, from very expensive, to our sparkling wine of choice, a very reasonable $7 glass of Italian Prossecco. If we had visited later in the evening we probably would have chosen the dessert special,a glass of champagne and generous slice of chocolate cake for $10. They also offered local craft bottle beer and a full coffee bar.  Did I mention water bowls and special treats for the pups? The folks who work at Battery Park love dogs and provide special attention to every visitor.

This establishment has it all.

If you are ever in Asheville, do yourself a favor and stop by Battery Park. Perhaps it will be your nirvana, too. 

Asheville, NC - Santé Wine Bar



The entrance of Santé Wine Bar.

Santé Wine Bar: is a casually elegant, but comfortable bistro in downtown Asheville that offers an excellent wine selection and a variety of tasty light meals.
What did we have: a flight of wine and a local cheese board
What's fun:  a relaxed yet beautiful venue to enjoy wine, conversation and people watching

Lucky us.  On our weekend trip to Asheville, we discovered  a wonderful brew pub, a chocolate lounge, and a delightful wine bar.Santé is located in the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville and offers cozy but elegant seating indoors, as well as outdoor sidewalk tables.  The art compliments the contemporary decor, and there are large windows near the seating area that look out on the folks strolling by.   The hosts at Santé want you to enjoy your experience and try new wine.  They offer interesting flights of wine (four half pours of different varieties), you can either choose their recommendations, or you can design your own.  The focus is on wines from all over the world, many from small production wineries. They also offer local and imported craft beer and a variety of light bites made from locally grown ingredients.

Our flight of wine and cheese board. 

What did we have:  We chose the featured June Flight of "Sun Worshipers" which represented wine from solar-powered vinyards.  It included Left Coast Cellars (Oregon) Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, Tolosa Winery (California) No-Oak Chardonnay, and Wellington Vinyards (California) Syrah.  Of the four we enjoyed the Pinto Gris and Syrah the best. We ordered the Local Cheese Board featuring some of North Carolinas's best cheeses to enjoy with our wine.  Now I wish we had sampled the Chocolate Flight, which included eight pieces of locally hand crafted artisan chocolate.  I guess we'll just have to go back. 

The conversation nook is perfect for a small group.

What's fun: Santé offers casual elegance, relaxed atmosphere, intriguing wine list and fine fare. It's the perfect place for a romantic interlude, conversation with a group of friends, or a relaxing spot to sit alone with a glass of wine. The menu changes regularly, so there is the opportunity to try new and different wines.  It's a class act in a fun and funky town.

Asheville, NC - The French Broad Chocolate Lounge

The entrance of one of the great places in Asheville.

The French Broad Chocolate Lounge is a comfortable lounge to enjoy a multitude of chocolate desserts, paired with excellent coffee, wine or beer. 
What did we have:  Dark chocolate mousse blended with local black raspberry sauce topped with homemade whipped cream, ruby red Italian Montepulciano D'Abruzzo and Prosecco
What's fun:  Superb chocolate desserts, excellent wine list, local brews, live music, local art and a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy it all

Making a decision on what to have is the tough part.

I know this is a major cliche, but if the French Broad Chocolate Lounge isn't heaven on earth, then I don't know what is.  When it comes to the joys in life, the chocolate lounge scores big.  Located just off the main hub in downtown Asheville, the business looks rather unassuming until you step inside and see the long line of folks waiting to taste the bliss of artisan chocolates and handmade desserts.  No worries, the popular lounge is up to the task of meeting the needs of their many guests.  The line moves fast as you approach the counter, and you'll get a good view of all the daily offerings.  You need the extra time to decide what you're going to have, and it will be a challenge to choose only one dessert.  Everything from cakes, cookies, brownies, chocolate creme brulee, pies, mousses, truffles, etc. etc. etc. All are homemade and there is something that will delight most everyone.  Even if you don't like chocolate, there are a few options that looked tempting including carrot cake and vanilla creme brulee.  Once you finally decide which sweet to choose, you'll have the daunting task to select a beverage.  They offer an extensive coffee bar, many types of hot chocolate and teas,  a lengthy wine list and four local draft beers.  I even saw a few adults and children with full glasses of fresh milk.  The lounge has three levels of seating, mostly tables and chairs, but a nice comfy couch is located by the front window.  The night we visited there was a group playing tasteful jazz, a perfect accompaniment to great food and drink. 

These are truly heaven on earth.

What did we have:  What a tough decision.  I would have been happy with almost everything they had to offer.  But when I saw the dark chocolate mousse with local black raspberry sauce, my decision was made.  My husband also chose the same dessert.  When asked if we wanted it topped with home made whipped cream, we both nodded enthusiastically.  We can always run a couple extra miles to work off this special treat.  To accompany the mousse, I chose a glass of red Piane di Maggio  Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.  It was ruby in color and had hints of pomegranate and a nice smooth finish.  My husband chose a crisp dry La Marca Prosecco and thought it went very well with the dark chocolate.  The mousse was rich in flavor and ultra smooth in texture.  The balance of fruit and dark chocolate was perfect.  Every bite was treat. The French Broad Chocolates' motto is:  small, local, organic, fair and superb.  Perfect.  We sat at a table on the second floor loft, and could look down on the muscians below.  What an enjoyable evening!  I simply can't wait to go back...
What's fun:  It is such an event going to the chocolate lounge, you could plan a trip to Asheville just to experience the place. It's so unique and special, I can't recommend it highly enough. There was an enthusiastic and lively crowd when we were there that always adds to the fun.  We anticipate many additional trips to Asheville in our future, and there will be many new places to experience.   But I guarantee, I will make no trip to Asheville that will not include a visit to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge.

Asheville, NC - The Lab (Lexington Avenue Brewery)

Asheville is like no other place I've ever visited.  If you love beer,wine, or chocolate, it is an absolute must.  On a Friday night in June, you're not likely to find a more vibrant city in the Southeast, or perhaps, in all of the US. Asheville oozes personality.  From the outdoor concerts, to the electric, pulsing drum circle in the heart of downtown, to the street performers, and the fine eating and drinking establishments, it's one big festival, and crazy fun. As I read on a T-shirt, "Asheville, where normal is weird."  Truthfully, you'll see folks with multi-colored dreadlocks strolling next to girls in pearls.  It's a cacophony of color, sound, smell, and taste. No matter what your race, religion, sexual orientation, politics, financial status or fashion sense, everyone feels welcome in Asheville.  The most difficult part of reviewing the festive spots of this friendly city, is where to go first.  No worries, this will not be my only trip to here.  I'll start with a few favorites.  If you know somewhere I should check out, be sure to let me know.

The open air design of the Lab adds to the fun.

The Lab: One of Asheville's lively new brewpubs located in the heart of downtown, featuring a large open air patio with sleek modern decor housed in a historic building
What we had:  White Ale, American Pale Ale and Octoberfest
What's fun: Open air patio offering non-stop people watching, live music, really good beer

The curved bar adds to the sleek modern design.

My husband is a scientist and spends many hours in the laboratory.  But his favorite Lab, is located in Asheville, and offers a fine selection of unfiltered, naturally carbonated, additive free, in-house brewed beer.  Located on a busy street in the heart of downtown Asheville, it's a perfect location to kick back, enjoy a cold beer and watch the world go by. The Lab has only been open for a year and a half, but it's already a popular stop for beer enthusiasts.  Usually, they have at least ten of their own brews on tap, but the evening of our visit, they only had four. They were preparing for their 100 Brew celebration the following week.  Fortunately, two of their offerings were just what we wanted, so we were in good shape. We were fortunate to get a table on their covered patio.  The patio has retractable doors that can be open or shut depending on the weather. The pub is spacious and the decor is modern. The large curved bar is located in the center of the action, and offers wine and mixed drinks.  I was impressed with the lengthy wine list since their selections come from various regions of the US including local vinyards, as well as Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

The beer is why people keep coming back.

What did we have:  I was looking for something refreshing after the three hour drive to Asheville, and the White Ale, a Belgian style beer,with a slight taste of citrus was refreshing and tasty.  My husband had the Octoberfest, a malty ale with a hint of spice. Very nice.  I also sampled their American Pale Ale which had a pleasant balance of malt and hops, and the IPA with a serious hop kick. We shared a pesto and mushroom flat bread pizza which was uncommonly flavorful.   They boast that their menu consists of comfort food with a new slant and included appetizers, sandwiches and burgers and a few special entrees. The prices are quite reasonable, especially the beer which is all brewed in-house.  At this time they do not bottle their beer, but according to the bartender, plans are in the works.

What's fun:  It's a lively place with a great open air patio, and the best people watching. The crowd is a mix of tourists and locals, young and older during the day and early evening. The Lab really pulses at night when live bands are featured and the crowd turns younger and a little more hip.