136888 Tue Nov 04 11:15:48 -0800 2003 6 11 South 0 734277 I will be in Blowing Rock for Christmas. I would appreciate suggestions for the area. Any type of recommendations appreciated. Will travel, of course, for a special place. Thanks! Tue Nov 04 11:15:48 -0800 2003 0 Brent Howard 1 734360 My favorite "fine dining experience" in Blowing Rock is The Best Cellar. It is set in an old log house with intimate dining rooms, some with fire places. Have never had anything but great food and wonderful service. If they have the coconut banana cream pie on the menu, try it out! Other Blowing Rock dinner options to look into would be Crippen's, Twig's and the Artist's Palate. Make sure you stop by Knight's on Main for the best breakfasts in the High Country. A few suggestions for lunch or more casual dinners in Blowing Rock are Storie Street Grill, Manor House in Chetola Lodge and Woodlands BBQ. Try Coffey's in Boone, located next to Wilcox Emporium. They offer s a delightful "small-plate" menu and a broad selection of wines available by the bottle, glass or half-glass. My favorite restaurant in the High Country is Morel's in Banner Elk. I highly suggest this spot for one of the evenings you are in the area. I guarantee the 25 minute drive will be worth it! Mon Nov 10 15:42:39 -0800 2003 734277 0 Windsor 1 734382 The Best Cellar is great. Twig's is great and has the best bar scene in town - live music. Crippen's is good but a tad overpriced and a very noisy room. The Artist's Palate at the Meadowbrook Inn is now Ciao Bello. We had an excellent meal except for the lasagne which had too much meat sauce and not enough cheese for me. Excellent Italian wine list. Chetola Resort is a must-see (the old Coca-Cola corporate retreat circa 1920-30 I think). Storey St. Grill. Rumor has it that Knight's on Main may soon lose it's lease, which would be horrible. It's a mostly "home cooking" kind of place which is weird. Never had their famous breakfast but their Kansas City ribs on Thursday at lunch and the fried oysters on Friday are both to die for! During summer season, waiting time to get a table is looong! Big locals' hangout. In Boone there's also a place called the Bistro at the New Market shopping center. Great blackened filet and creme brulee. New Indian rest. called the Jailhouse, they make their own strange-combo ice creams and sorbets. Be aware that, partly because of the huge student pop., Boone never voted in liquor by the drink, so don't expect mixed drinks there. Banner Elk is worth the trip too. Morel's, also Louisiana Purchase which does cajun and northern Italian and has a great wine list. Sorrento Bistro has great southern Italian. Ask Clarence to make one of his special pizzas. Poppa (straight out of the Sopranos) makes soup. During the summer, you can eat outside. Enjoy! Tue Nov 11 10:32:17 -0800 2003 734277 0 Sooze 1 734459 Just returned from the High Country after a brief visit to close up our cabin for the winter. Wind gusts reported yesterday by one of the local ski hills at 77 mph. Just a few updates to my previous post. The Manor House at Chetola is one of my favorite places for a nice summer lunch overlooking the lake, but is definately worthy of putting on your list for dinner. Chetola has the most spectacular christmas light display in the High Country! As Sooze said, it is a must see! They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and have a special Sunday Brunch. Drove past the Old Jailhouse in Boone yesterday, will have to check it out on my next visit. Will also have to check out Ciao Bello, will miss the Artist's Palate. Our local weekly newspaper is a good online resource for restaurant reviews and information about local music, holiday programs, ski hills etc. Fri Nov 14 21:48:19 -0800 2003 734277 0 Windsor 2 734735 Could you please email me that web site for the local newspaper? Thanks. Thu Dec 11 10:41:59 -0800 2003 734459 0 Brent Howard 1 734569 visit: www.theaveryhomepage.com or, mail me with more specific info. I'll be glad to help. Jim Link: http://www.theaveryhomepage.com Sun Nov 23 19:42:59 -0800 2003 734277 0 Jim Pollman 1 734797 I went to school in Boone, I can tell you the best BBQ place in Blowing Rock is Woodlands BBQ, a great cafe downtown is the Blowing Rock Cafe! Enjoy, I know you will have fun :) Tue Dec 16 17:39:32 -0800 2003 734277 0 Becky