Day Two: Biltmore Estate
People generally speak about the beauty of the Biltmore Estate and the surrounding gardens. I have to admit I was most excited about the gardens, but I digress. Entry into the Biltmore Estate includes a self-guided tour of the estate, the gardens, the village and the winery. You can save $10 per ticket by purchasing them online at least seven days in advance.
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| Flying Monkeys, anyone? |
To describe the interior of the estate as opulent doesn't even begin to do justice to the excess you will view on the tour. Every room has extremely high ceilings and intricate crown moulding, window hangings, tapestries and other rich decor. As I went through each room, I felt vaguely ill thinking about the cost to build and furnish something on such a grand scale. My thoughts then turned to the effort it would require to maintain such a dwelling. Scaffolding would be required to dust the woodwork and brush the velvet curtains. I don't mind admitting that I was uncomfortable in most of the rooms, until we descended into the working parts of the house. The kitchen was a marvel of technology for the time. Refrigeration! Who knew? The canning room was fascinating to me, as was the baking kitchen. The estate was supported by a large garden, from which the bounty was preserved and stored for later use.
Contrary to the custom of the time, the kitchen and housekeeping staff had their own rooms. These bedrooms were of good size and much more appealing to me than the explosion of toile and tapestry in the family rooms. To learn of concern for social justice amidst the luxury was comforting. This would not be the only time I discovered a philanthropic jewel related to the Biltmore and the Vanderbilts. Aside from the heart of the estate (the kitchens, of course), the lower floors also contain a bowling alley/ music room, a swimming pool and a home gym. Guests and family would not lack for activity options at the Biltmore in its heyday.
As we visited in late May, the gardens were not at their prime. Disappointed, I sought in vain for the lush blooms I had expected. Here and there, I found random wildflowers, but nothing like the gardens would look in full azalea and rhododendron bloom.
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| See the butterfly? |
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| Biltmore trout pond bridge |
Walking trails through the gardens are beautiful, even in the absence of floral glory. The woods are peaceful and serene.
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| Biltmore boathouse |
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| Carolina pulled pork platter |
After meandering around the gardens, we ate at the Stable Cafe, which boasts "hearty fare, great burgers and Carolina BBQ." I will certainly give them coolness factor props for the physical structure of the Stable Cafe, which was once the actual stable on the Biltmore grounds. The window opening and closing mechanisms alone are feats of engineering wonderment. I ordered the pimento cheese & fried green tomato BLT. It was edible. It wasn't pretty and it was a bland disappointment. Order the pulled pork instead. 2.5 Silver Forks
After lunch, we headed to the conservatory and all of my dissatisfaction with the outdoor gardens faded into nothingness as I was assaulted by the incredible beauty of the Biltmore's orchid collection. A wide variety of orchids were showcased, from tiny fingertip size to blooms that would span a woman's palm. The orchids were the highlight of my Biltmore experience.
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| Loved the historic murals |
After doing the winery tour (interesting) and visiting the "barnyard" (goat and chicken petting zoo), we headed back to Asheville for dinner. We walked around downtown, perusing menus and trying to decide what to try. We eventually settled on Bistro 1896 and opted to again dine outside. (People watching is great in Asheville. During dinner, I saw a man dressed in a full nun's habit riding a unicycle down the street).
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| Necco wafers, my mother's favorite childhood candy |
While we waited on our table, we walked down to Mast General Store and delighted in the old fashioned fixtures and merchandise. There is a lot to look at in Mast, and something of interest for everyone, even us "window shoppers."
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| Old school Coca-Cola cooler |
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| Sir Charles |
When our reservation time was close, we wandered back to Bistro 1896 and enjoyed the street musicians performing in front of the restaurant. We made several new friends while waiting for our table. Asheville is a VERY dog friendly town!
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| Beau, who was also a guest at our hotel |
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| Bistro 1896's Cornmeal Dusted Fried Oysters |
After careful deliberation, we ordered Cornmeal Dusted Fried Oysters with celery root, apple & horseradish salad and remoulade. The oysters were perfectly fried, large and succulent. 4 Silver Forks!
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| Bistro 1896's Cajun Seafood & Polenta Stack |
My companion ordered the Cajun Seafood & Polenta Stack with shrimp, scallops, adouille sausage, spinach, tomato and mushroom Cajun cream sauce. This was an amazing dish! The flavors were perfectly balanced and the portion was huge. The polenta wedge was fried to perfection. 5 Silver Forks!
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| Bistro 1896's Brown Sugar & Habanero-rubbed Salmon |
I opted for the salmon--Brown Sugar & Habanero rubbed Salmon, black bean corn cake, mango slaw, pineapple jalapeño salsa & cilantro lime creme fraiche. Mmmmmm....the heat and sweet was the perfect accompaniment to excellently prepared salmon. I couldn't have been happier with the entire meal. 4 Silver Forks!
Tips for First Time Visitors
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| Sidewalk art indicates ares of historical interest |
1. Hit the Visitor's Center FIRST. We stopped on our way out of town. Although we had noticed decorated side walk tiles during our walkabouts, we had no idea they correlated with locations of interest on a self-guided historical tour of Asheville. You can obtain the tour pamphlet from the Visitor's Center. If you're lucky, Chef Brian from Tupelo Honey Cafe may be sampling his luscious pimento cheese dip!
2. Many restaurants don't take reservations. Go early and put your name on the list, then take in the beauty of the area. Don't wait to go eat until you're starving...it won't end well.
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