Maggie Valley/Asheville, North Carolina

[salkowski1]

Rented a house in Maggie Valley at the end of July. Is it worth going out (and if so, where), or should I simply stay put in my rented cabin, cook, and enjoy good wine all week?

[pilches]

I do agree with Salsa, but it is in Asheville which is NOT Maggie Valley. There are quite a few really good restaurants in Maggie/Waynesville. We really like Wild Fire on Main Street. They make a wonderful eggplant and goat cheese napolean appetizer. Their other dishes are consistently good. Maggie Galley has great oysters (very inexpensive). The Chef's Table is very nice for dinner and their lunch restaurant, the Patio, is very good. Heron House, a bed and breakfast, has a one seating Thursday and Saturday price fix dinner that is quite good. You have a choice of three entrees and the rest is the chef's choice. Dinner is served with wine and is $40 per person. We also like Sunset on Main for fairly "healthy" food (NC style). They also serve lunch and dinner. The Old Stone Inn is very nice, but I find the food pretty heavy. My friends all love it there. In Maggie Valley, Joey's for breakfast is an institution. Saratoga's is a fun place, but the only thing I like there is the pulled pork. Butt's on the Creek has decent bbq. There are other restaurants that are okay. Personally, I also enjoy shopping (in Asheville) for food at Earth Fare and the farmer's market and cooking and grilling at home, too. Unfortunately, we don't get to our place often enough, so sitting on the deck and eating in the cool air al fresco, is a real treat. Enjoy your stay. If you have any other "local" questions, you can e-mail me. Have fun!

[fatstern]

ditto on "Salsa" - right in the middle of downtown asheville, its one of my favorite restaurants in the state, easily - all things considered - flavor, excitement, value. mexican-carribean and just plain fun for your mouth.

[detlefchef]

I think Zambras is pretty cool as well. Not as big a fan of the buffet at Grove Park. Clean and well executed as it is, it's still rather typical "big hotel fare", nothing all that exciting and typically more than I feel like eating. That said, I've only attended their high lauded Brunch. Give me a good cup of coffee, and a nice plate of eggs any day. The place itself is quite impressive though.

[ScottWNC]

For the more casual fare, I like Salsa's as well in downtown A'ville. It's been mentioned many times before on this board. It's a bit cheaper for lunch but always great!!

[mattrapp]

Ditto on the Grove Park, not to mention fantastic Craftsman Style Architecture and decor! The only other place in Ashville we found to be interesting was Zambras on Walnut St. It is a tapas restaurant with a good wine selection. The other "must do" in that whole area is the quest for the ultimate BBQ. There are many, and they are all different.

[dat]

Grove Park Inn has the greatest seafood buffet I have ever seen for $50.