Welcome to our new blog! We are delighted to provide a closer look into our lives in the greater Asheville area. We are constantly looking for new local experiences, as we are situated between Brevard, Hendersonville, and Asheville - how lucky are we! We hope these can inspire our guests to find even more reasons to visit western North Carolina.
Since we cook a three course breakfast every day, there is nothing better than allowing someone else to cook dinner for us. We like to be inspired by great food, and hey, we have to be concierges for our guests, right?? Craig, Lauren, and I have always been huge lovers of food, and through our travels, we have had the chance to explore foods of many different cultures. We count ourselves as very fortunate to have so many amazing restaurants in this area.
A Visit to Chai Pani - Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation
When our daughter attended summer camp with her cousin in 2022, we had the opportunity to go out with my brother in law and sister in law (a date night with them is very rare!). We decided to try Chai Pani, named an Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. An unassuming restaurant tucked into a small space on Battery Park Avenue, it had a long line of eager diners from around the country. Once the restaurant officially opened for dinner seating, we were ushered into a casual and funky atmosphere with a surprisingly inexpensive menu.
Having never eaten Indian street food, we took suggestions from our waiter, enjoying bhel puri and uttapam, and of course, classic butter chicken. But the unbelievable hit was the matchstick okra fries! Absolutely delicious. We loved the food so much, Craig and I went back the very next day! We also took Lauren after she returned from camp, because we knew how much she would love it too.
Chai Pani is STILL a favorite, and we celebrated my birthday as well as Lauren’s birthday in their new location on Banks Street. The decor is colorful and eclectic, and their lobby is full of Spicewalla chai mixes, as well as herbs and spices which I now use regularly. And Boti Walla, their West Asheville offshoot? When Craig was in NYC singing at the Met, Lauren and I might’ve figured out that they will deliver to the house with Uber Eats. Long live the okra fries.
I had the great honor of playing for several pre-season concerts for the Brevard Music Center, both this May and last. BMC invites two returning alums to visit various locations in the community, showcasing immensely talented students and providing locals the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming season. It also gives the audience the chance to hear first hand about the incredible educational experience students gain from attending the many programs at BMC. In fact, we were able to host one of these preview events at Tiffany Hill, and we had a wonderful evening of music, food, and community right here in Mills River! We are so very grateful to have a connection to a world class music festival, which happens right in our backyard.
Our second concert was held in a private home just north of Asheville, so I invited Craig and Lauren to go out following the concert. Lauren got her driver’s permit in February, so she is eager to practice her driving! Before the concert, I asked Alex Lane, Assistant Director of Artistic Operations, to share some of his favorite places to eat in Asheville, as we are always looking to discover new places. He suggested Nine Mile, a Caribbean inspired restaurant in West Asheville.
Nine Mile: A Caribbean Inspired Restaurant in West Asheville
West Asheville is a very hip and fun neighborhood (it reminded us of Montrose, a
neighborhood very close to our former home in Houston TX) that was full of life on a Friday night. I met up with Craig and Lauren at Nine Mile, and we were quickly seated in their laid back dining area. I ordered the Soul Rebel, a delicious salmon dish in a massaman curry. Lauren chose the Mayfield Falls, an entree with Mahi Mahi with linguine and a delicious mango jicama mint salsa. Everything was incredibly fresh and full of unique flavors.
Craig chose the restaurant’s namesake, the Nine Mile, which says on the menu, “Please specify heat.” After some discussion with our waitress, he felt confident ordering “hot,” which was not the spiciest level he could have chosen. For the record, I’m pretty sure the heat sensors in Craig’s mouth died a long time ago. He can eat some darn hot food, but this was the first time I have ever seen him defeated! There was some righteous sweating going on across the table from me, so much so that I had to take a picture to mark the occasion.
After telling my friend Alicia about what a great meal we had, she reminded me that Nine Mile is also in the Biltmore Park Town Square, which means we can go more often. Maybe Craig will learn from his past mistake…or maybe not!!