Bette's Kitchen

a personal look into dining

Wonderful Weekend in Asheville… delicious cuisine! March 28, 2010

For a quick vacation, we visited Asheville, NC this weekend.  We were thrilled to find a dog-friendly hotel, near downtown.  The weather was beautiful on Saturday, so we decided to head to Roan Mountain for the day.  While it is about 1.5 hours from Asheville, it’s worth the trip.  The views are spectacular!  The hiking is not too strenuous, and you can go as far as you’d like!  We’re planning to return sometime, perhaps when the rhododendron bushes are blooming!

Saturday evening we had a wonderful time walking around downtown Asheville.  We decided to try the Laughing Seed Cafe for dinner.  The restaurant is completely vegetarian, with several vegan and gluten free options.  We were extremely pleased with the quality and flavor of our meals.  Chris had the whole grain risotto, and I had the wild mushroom enchiladas.  Both were delicious!  Next time, I would like to try the Tico Burrito… it sounds scrumptious!

For breakfast on Sunday, we decided to dine at one of our favorite establishments in Asheville, Early Girl Eatery.  One reason that we love this place is their commitment to high quality local produce.  These folks are passionate about their ingredients and you can taste it!  ”Made from scratch” is their motto, quite refreshing in my opinion.  To learn more about the owners, John and Julie Stehling and their amazing restaurant, click here.  After sipping on coffee for about 20 minutes (btw so pleased they had soy milk as an option for me), we finally picked our breakfast orders.  Chris chose the Early Girl Benny: grit cakes topped with poached eggs, tomatoes, spinach, avocado, and a scrumptious tomato “gravy.”  I went with the Omelet Special, containing portobello mushrooms and goat cheese.  I must also mention that mine came with home-fries (so good) and a made from scratch biscuit.  My mouth is watering just remembering it!  Although my dish isn’t on the everyday menu, Early Girl consistently has specials that are quite spectacular.

 

Thaiphoon Bistro January 18, 2010

Filed under: Restaurants — Bette @ 3:17 pm
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Tonight I went out with a few of my girlfiends to a new restaurant in Raleigh.  Thaiphoon, a bit of a play on words, is a unique, funky Asian Bistro.  Although I am not an expert on Thai, I am a fan of Pad Thai and just about any curry dish (as long as it’s not too hot!).  From the “reused” dvd cover menus to the unique, “gold” silverware, this place is a combination of hip, urban chic and old world decor.  It’s a great place for dinner with friends.  Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the music consisted of 80s and 90s love ballads — awesome!

Now for the food!  We started off with the Crispy Cups.  My friends prefer meat, thus we ordered 1/2 chicken and 1/2 tofu. They were quite scrumptious and a great teaser!  We each ordered something slightly different, but all the plates were presented with slightly funky Asian flair.  I had the Tofu Pad Thai, which was delicious!  It was sweet, spicy and filling.  I even had a little left over to bring home for lunch.  (Reheated — it was still good).  My friends had the Massaman Curry and the Gang Keow Whan, both with chicken.  They both enjoyed their plates as well.  Since Thaiphoon has a large, diverse menu, I hope to try something else the next time I return.

Have you been to Thaiphoon?  Any recommendations of Thai restaurants in the Triangle area?  Any Thai recipes to make at home?

Visit Thaiphoon’s website for more information: http://www.thaiphoonbistro.com/

 

 
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