Hangin' in Hendersonville

Passin' through North Carolina, we made a pit stop in Hendersonville, located about 30 minutes from Asheville. Cute, quiet and lush with green forests, this small, American town had some fine places to dine.  Not far from here, Dirty Dancing was filmed, and its no wonder as the calm and peaceful, rolling hills are a slice of American splendor ; )

A way stylish joint with a creative menu, the Never Blue was our first meal in town.  I devoured my home made hummus (yummy with spinach and lots of garlic) along with my fresh beet salad (sans cheese). Some great Spanishy & Asiany culinary action going on here. This place is such a treat for anyone passing through town. For more information, visit the Never Blue website.

Square 1 Bistro felt like chic and hipster Asheville had moved to small town America.  Open for brunch, tapas and dinner, Square 1 prides itself on serving sustainable, green and local cuisine. The menu is based on what is in season and grown locally so that each dish that leaves their kitchen is as fresh as can be. Their garden plate was not only beautiful but tasty too! There is nothing like freshly picked veggies cooked with flare. Do yourself a favor and have a meal and a glass of wine at Square 1 Bistro.

For a great cup o' joe and a killer snack before heading out of town, pop into the Living Room Cafe. Really cute inside, this coffee shop is more then meets the eye. Home made desserts, soups, salads and famous sandwiches are a great reason to come on back through town. The veganized veggie cuban was rad and the service was stupendous. Don't miss your latte or your road snack, head over to The Living Room Cafe at 536 N Main St, downtown, Hendersonville, NC 28792 (828)692-6335.

Some of my favorite finds are in the smaller towns. It's so much fun to discover great food in all sorts of neat locations.  Hopefully your future travels will bring you through good ol' Hendersonville someday!

Charlotte Chowdown

I was quite enamored with the healthy choices I found in the Queen City of North Carolina!  A neat looking downtown, and a southern financial capital, Charlotte had the city feel with plenty of hip and chic spots to boot. Home to NasCar, this North Carolina metropolis takes care of those in search of healthy eats!

Located in downtown Charlotte as well as spots across the Carolinas, & Tennessee, Brix Pizza is a fun place for friends and family to dine.  And no one is left to starve as they offer vegan cheese as well as healthy crust options, available for all varieties of their delicious, wood fired pizzas. They also serve a smorgasbord of salads, sandwiches and more.  I devoured my veggie stacked, vegan pizza and so would you ; )When in the south, hit up Brixx!

Well, I love a good Indian meal but a good Indian meal is an understatement when you dine at Woodlands. Serving 100% vegetarian, super healthy, authentic Southern Indian food, this dining establishment will knock your socks off. Outside of downtown (and with 2 other locations in Florida), this is an Indian food experience like no other.  No oil is used in their cooking and they are incredibly conscious of all special diets when it comes to accommodating their guests. And on top of that, the food just plain rocks!  I ate like a queen, one dish that stands out in my mind is the Dosa. About 2.5 feet long, this crepe like dish is like a paper thin, hollow, rolled cigar made of lentils & white rice, served with tasty sauces.  A definite must, along with a ton of other great treats, to tyr at Woodlands!

In the heart of downtown, you will find Blynk Organic. Open only for the bustling weekday meals of the Charlottian business folk, Blynk has a an innovative, fresh and organic menu. Salads, soups, sandwiches and wraps in all varieties, including awesome vegan selections, this healthy yet quick eatery is just the injection of tasty and good for you food that a busy downtown needs.  Dining in or catering for your function, office meeting or picnic outside of the NasCar museum, check out Blynk! PS, the Thai Sky wrap is bitchin' ; )

Also in downtown, unwind with some wine and tapas at Press Wine Bar. In route to film some other areas, I stumbled into this fabulous looking place to just buy some water. Needless to say I found more then H2O! A gourmet market with cafe type sandwiches, salads and small plates (including freshly made sushi at their sushi bar), Press's big draw is their wine selection and how it is categorized.  Cute icons describe the types of wines they have such as "soft" wines which features a cartoon rear end icon, "lucious" wines found under a pair of cartoon boobs and so on.  Pick your wine based on fun, feel, and cute avatars while munching on some yummy snacks at Press.

Lastly, Cosmo Cafe, cooks up yummy food all day into late night. And the great thing is, they specify what items are vegetarian friendly right on the menu, most of which can be easily veganized. Greek & Asian fusion cuisine, with a dash of American kitsch, you can get everything here from pasta to gyros.I really enjoyed their grilled veggie sandwich and veganized strawberry salad!

I love traveling to cities that surprise me with their numerous healthy options and I so look forward to many, many more surprises ; )

Another Look at Asheville

Here I am again, yappin' about Asheville, NC ; ) There is just to much good food to not tell you about!! So make sure you keep this info handy if you're ever passin' through or passin' time in this healthy, mountainous munch fest of a town!

If you want to catch dinner and a movie, Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company is the spot. And I don't mean, dine and dash to the theatre. I mean dine and eat IN the theatre! This kitschy theatre turned brew and chow house is a fun spot for kids and adults alike. Come order a veggie pizza, healthy sandiwch or whatever you fancy while dining at a tabke in front of the silver screen. Really a great place to hang out and get some fun food with your flick! Find out more at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company site.

Burgermeisters is a cool eatery in West Asheville that caters to omnivores and lettuce eaters alike. My buddies and I all dined happily at this joint while taking in the cool decor. I devoured my grilled tofu philly sandwich and salad. I was delighted to see that they hand cut their own potatoes for fries and mix sweet potatoes in with russets - yum! Their chips are also home made among a variety of other delicious menu items. No one will leave Burgermeisters hungry, just happy!

If you are vegetarian or vegan, The Laughing Seed Cafe is a must. One of Asheville's premiere veg dining establishments, The Laughing Seed deserves its kudos. From great appetizers to their great Sunday Brunch, it's tough to find something on the menu that you won't like, especially with their international menu. As soon as I saw the Cuban Sandwich (i veganized with by ordering it without the cheese), I looked no more - Yummm-o!

I was stoked to find a veggie, late night menu at Rosetta's Kitchen. A late night, veggie, soul food menu to boot! Open till 3 am on weekends, what a great alternative after a fun night out then a greasy spoon diner. I had to go for the corn bread (duh, it's the south), some mac & cheese and a steaming bowl of veggies and greens. The whole menu was calling my name so I will be back for sure!!!

Man oh man, the south took care of my vegan belly and there's more coming so stay tuned!!

Awesome Asheville

Asheville is one of those cities where a health nut need not worry. Most restaurants in this quaint mountain town have options or will easily accommodate almost any special diet with a smile ; ) It was a real treat to be in the hospitable south without worrying about loads of buttery and fried dishes, settling only for dry salads. Amongst the greenery and clean mountain air, you will also find some of the best and healthiest food around!

Brunch (or any meal for that matter) at Early Girl Eatery is a must! Make sure you arrive with plenty of time to hang as this place is always hoppin' and for great reason. The food is fresh and delicious no matter your dietary variety. Husband and wife team owned, Early Girl is the epitome of southern charm and comfort cooking. I had the best tofu scramble ever that included a pile of spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms along side some extra yummy baked tempeh. It was so nice to have my veggies with an appropriate amount of tofu as opposed to the other way around. LOVED it ;) Visit the site fr more info on them, their food and don't miss it even if you are just passing through town!

One thing I have yet to have found is a really great vegan gyro. That's because it has been hiding at Firestorm Cafe & Books! A great space for books, games, internet, socializing and yummalicious treats. A neat co-op business where the workers also own a portion of the biz, Firestorm boasts some great sandwiches, sweet treats for veggies and gluten-free'ers as well as almond milk for lattes which I wanted to do cartwheels over. My buddies and I all tried a different sandwich from the menu and we all left super happy. My gyro rocked and so did my double gooey vegan brownie!

Just outside of the beautiful Biltmore Estate, in Biltmore Village, you will find the fine dining hotspot, Corner Kitchen. Definitley a great spot before or after a tour of the estate for a taste of fine southern dining. I veganized their Portobello sandwich and it was divine. The staff takes a great deal of pride in their culinary selections and are delighted to create meals for special diets. Super cute and quite good!

Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe is the quintessential Asheville locale. Offering local and organic beers, wines, coffees and the same for the ingredients in their dishes, Green Sage IS super green and healthy. Start with a fresh squeezed veggie juice and go nuts on their sandwiches and salads. All veggie, vegan and gluten free items are clearly marked for zero confusion and 100% tasty goodness. I devoured the tempeh avocado sandwich with a tall glass of the Green Monster. So yum and so good for you too!!

If you're in the mood for some caribbean latin fare, head to Salsa's at 6 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 252-9805. Definitely start with the salsa appetizer where they bring out chips with a salsa sampler. The selections change depending on seasonal ingredients but you can healthify or veganize anything by simply asking - after all,it is Asheville ; ) I'm always up for latin food and Salsa's hit the spot!

And I'm not stopping here, Asheville has too much to offer my veggie appetite. See you next week with some more!!