Okay, gluties - listen up! If you are considering relocation because you’re tired of life in a gluten-free-unfriendly locale, consider Asheville, NC - the most gluten-free-friendly place I’ve ever visited! If you are considering a vacation, this is the place, dear readers. It is paradise.
My husband and I dreamed about a fabulous 5-year anniversary on the coast of Northern California for years. In the end, airfare prices hit us below the belt and we decided to find the San Fran of the East coast. Without question, Asheville filled the bill. Food, wine, and scenery. We didn’t fly, drove our own car, and marveled at the foliage en route (about 8 hours plus a Waffle House stop). It beats the pants off of Charlottesville, VA and it is as beautiful as Boulder, CO without the yuppie price mark-ups and the airline tickets.
After surveying the landscape and numerous Google-maps, we looked at citified hotels and ultimately chose to rent a house on a hill called A Bird’s Nest with the idea that the remoteness would relax us. It was $1,200 for the week and we had laundry, a creeky old 1910 hardwood farmhouse floor, a gracious host in ElizabethAnn, not to mention…the highlight..a swing on the rustic old porch suited for late-afternoon wine or general flaking out.
An initial stroll through the downtown streets and scrutiny of many-a-restaurant menu sent a loud and clear message. ASHEVILLE, NC IS GLUTEN-FREE-FRIENDLY. Literally, more than 10 restaurants in the acclaimed foodie-downtown area use a (GF) tag next to entrees, the same as (V) for vegan and (VG) for vegetarian. It’s safe to say I ate myself silly. Seven pounds later (a pound a day) I live to tell you that if you don’t hightail it to Asheville immediately, you are missing out! To be sure, the downtown area is mystifyingly urban. It’s got hills and cement and small city-scrapers. It runs for blocks and blocks and is tucked inside the mountains - so scenery is always at-a-glance.
We spent our days exploring and eating and I plan to tell you more very soon. In the meantime, I invite you to explore asheville.
Tags: 2008 · A Bird's Nest · asheville · asheville nc · boulder colorado · charlottesville · downtown Asheville · gf · gluten free · gluten free dining asheville · gluten-free friendly · gluten-friendly · google maps · nc · san francisco · va · Waffle House2 Comments
2 responses so far ↓
Wow. Sign me up.
[...] you know, I had an amazing time in Asheville, NC. Many people think of Asheville and think of touring the Biltmore Estate. But, there is so much [...]