Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Going to visit my mama who lives in Morresville, NC! I leave 3am so I can be there for an early dinner time, and I'm there all weekend (leave NC to IL around noon, Monday). I understand Asheville is awesome, and it's within driving distance of my mom's house. What should I do, where should I go? Is there something else I should do/see in the area? I really know nothing about the area, my mom moved to NC after I had grown up and moved to Chicago.

Tips & Tricks, please!

(I did a search and but only found the meetup thread).

Rosetta's kitchen is nice http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=3013

So is Laughing seed http://laughingseed.jackofthewood.com/

http://plantisfood.com/ Plant seems to be all vegan, but I don't know for how long they exist.

Plant just opened, so I haven't tried it. I only ate at Rosetta's once about 5 years ago and didn't like it, though lots of others apparently do. Laughing Seed is OK, though I LOVE their coconut cream pie. I also sometimes eat at Earth Fare (a grocery, but has lunch items ala carte)...often they have vegan fare on the food line. This weekend you may see some fall color, though you may have to go to higher elevations to get real color. I think this weekend the color in the Boone/Blowing Rock/Banner Elk/Grandfather Mountain area is supposed to be pretty great. If you go up that way, there are also some vegan-friendly restaurants...in Boone, Melanie's, Our Daily Bread, Hobbs Farm Cafe (I think that's the name, it's on the main street downtown), Coyote Kitchen (near Wal-Mart), and a couple of coffee shops for vegan coffee...in Banner Elk, I just tried the Frog and the Monkey (yum!).

The Hop has several vegan flavors daily. Call them to see which ones. I can get an espresso milkshake there.

The best thing at Rosetta's is the tempeh wingz. However, I am far from a health food person so take that into consideration. Linanil and Bergedy love the Family Favorite there which is peanut tofu, mashed potatoes, sauteed kale and gravy. We go there every year at Veganstock.

The Mellow Mushroom in Asheville still uses cheezly on their pizza.(Tempeh and onion pizza is the bomb.) Also, most of the places in Asheville use locally made tempeh which is the best stuff on earth.

If you have time, visit Amazing Savings. They are a discount health food type store which is sort of a Big Lots version of Whole Foods. They sometimes have things like .99 Marmite.

If you like hiking or running, head out to the parkway or bent creek. Lots of great trails to bop along. I am down with Rosetta's for a sandwich or mountain. Firestorm is the vegan anarchist cafe that has a lot of great options and baked goods.

Hobnob Farm Cafe! Definitely eat there if you're ever in Boone; it's amazing.

+1 (yummy) to Rosetta's Kitchen, The Hop, Amazing Savings, and Earthfare. Chai Pani is another favorite (they do "Indian street food," with lots of vegan options: uttapam! okra fries! pakoras! magic!). If you get to West Asheville, try Lucky Otter, Digable Pizza, and Sunnypoint Cafe for brunch (they make amazing gluten-free pancakes and "huevos" 'fucheros).

Plant is great- I've liked it better than Laughing Seed with my 2 trips. Its fancy expensive veggie food. Still love rosettas too too much.

I adore Rosetta's Kitchen. I ate at the Green Light Cafe once, and it was delicious too. I don't know about its vegan-friendliness, but the Chocolate Lounge is supposedly something not to be missed. I find Lexington Street (where Rosetta's and Green Light are to be) lots of fun to wander on with plenty of cool stores. Jack of the Wood is a pub that has live music and nice atmosphere, I managed to eat there without too much trouble, though I don't recall any foods actually marked as vegan. They're nice people though, and great music, Sunday afternoons/evenings are Irish sessions, if you're into that sort of thing (I am). There's also bluegrass and old-time on other nights.
For going to school near Asheville I don't get downtown nearly as much as I'd like, though.
I completely second the recommendations for Hobnob Cafe in Boone, it's wonderful.

Chocolate lounge is awesome. They have a few vegan truffles and some great vegan hot chocolates.

Chocolate Gems (a new-ish chocolate shop, on either Lexington or Broadway. . . I forget which. . . ) is definitely worth checking out, too. It doesn't have quite the atmosphere of the Chocolate Lounge, but they have some vegan truffles, and they offer almond milk for lattes/ hot chocolate/ what have you. I tried the dark chocolate peanut butter truffle, which was great, and I really want to go back and try their other vegan offerings.

http://plantisfood.com/
Plant is an amazing restaurant, had one of the best meals of my life there about a month ago. I am vegan and was there dining with three carnivores, and everyone LOVED it! One of those places you can take folks to and they will have an epiphany - realizing vegan food is delicious. Highly recommend!!!

http://laughingseed.jackofthewood.com/
Laughing Seed is also very good.

Basically I found Asheville to be a vegan mecca, with just about every place offering vegan options.

I'm surprised I never see Firestorm Cafe mentioned. We went there last time we were in Asheville and it was really, really good. All vegan, and cheap, too. I'm conflicted about Laughing Seed; the food is always good but we have consistently gotten the worst service there.

I'm also jump on the very late train of recommending Hob Nob in Boone. I've only managed to go once (which is silly since I go to App.) but it was really, really good. Hmmm, I may go there tonight...

But the real reason I popped in here--does anyone know if there's a VegFest this year? I can't find anything on the internetz so I'm guessing not?

I haven't heard anything on the Asheville veggie groups, or from Carmon the organizer last year so I'm assuming not.

I am pretty sure there won't be a vegfest this year.

That is a bummer. I had a good time last year.

Bekki, you're right, Firestorm is really good and I tend to forget about them even though I went often when I was there. I thought they had the best baked goods in town.

hey guys,
I should know this - but who's living in Asheville these days? My really awesome god-daughter and her husband and their two little daughters moved to Asheville last year. They are in their early twenties, and they are both vegans. They both work at that natural foods store (greenway???) that is secretly a whole foods. I think they could use some cool pals. Anyone interested? I promise they are fun and spunky and kind people. And their little girls are SUPER cute.

I'm still here! Greenlife is the store! I drive by every day!

cool!! Yeah, Greenlife is a super cool store. Well, I don't know if you want any vegan pals - but if you do, send me a PM and I"ll get you in touch with my peeps! Plus, next time we come visit Asheville, we should have a little meet up! :)

I live here in the 828 also!