Asheville Eats
One of life’s more delightful dilemmas is deciding where to dine in a foodie haven like Asheville. Should we try something new, or return to a favorite spot? What’s more, our home in Asheville had a well-appointed kitchen that Steve enjoyed using very much, so most of meals were delicious home-cooked ones.
All of our favorite restaurants were in Downtown Asheville, and we could walk to them easily from our condo.
Chai Pani still holds the top spot in our list of best Asheville restaurants. Last year, we loved the Sabudana Vada Tots. This year, our favorite dish was Disco Bhel, a savory, crunchy puffed rice dish that the menu described as “a sweet, spicy, salty, tangy party in your mouth.” YES! We also loved the Saag Paneer Thali, served traditionally on a metal platter with several tasty sides, papadum and chapati for dipping, and gulab jamun for dessert. And we drank plenty of Jal Jeera, a wonderful lemonade flavored with toasted cumin, ginger, and chili peppers.
One day we walked past Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive and thought, “That’s a great name and a nice patio, we should try it some time.” And so we did, with our good friends Hope and Dave, and enjoyed it so much we went back for more. It was Southern food, cooked from scratch, with a contemporary spin. The pulled pork egg rolls were surprisingly delicious. The tacos were excellent, too - we were told the tacos were created by the chef of the (much pricier) restaurant next door, Xico Cocina de Fuego.
White Duck Taco Shop had awesome frozen Coconut Lime Margaritas, addictingly good chips and queso, and a nice selection of tacos that we could mix and match. We liked the Bangkok shrimp tacos best. Friendly warning, these are large tacos; start with two and see how you feel!
