Our thoughts are with Tupelo Honey Cafe!

Tupelo Honey Cafe, one of Asheville's most popular restaurants, is temporarily closed due to flooding in its basement from a broken City of Asheville water line. The expected re-open date is May 6th at 9am. You can more about the situation, and get updates, on their home page.

We're looking forward to seeing you guys back in action, Tupelo! I'm always craving their Eggs Betty plate (2 poached eggs on a buscuit - I substitute asparagus for ham - and homemade hollandaise. YUM, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it).



Of course there are many other places to tide you over until then! If you're looking for a deal (who isn't these days?), we're offering Corner Kitchen and Zambra gift cards with many of our Carolina Mornings packages and specials.

Carolina Mornings wants to help you celebrate motherhood

Celebrate Moms the Entire Month of May!

Relax Mom

Different Packages Available for Mothers Needing Value!

Carolina Mornings is looking for Moms who are stressed out, tired of schlepping the kids, dogs and friends all over town, soccer games, dance, making dinner for your family of 19, cleaning house, and looking at an endless list of chores and errands.

If you - or your loved one - suffer from these symptoms, please call Carolina Mornings and let us help you escape to the mountains. We have the perfect remedy for getting moms back into a healthy mind and body.

How do we do it?

Add any of the following Mother's Specials to any of our luxury mountain log cabins!
Our Specials include: massages, Biltmore tickets, and/or dinner to local area restaurants (which means you save money and your mind!).

Choose your elixir of life....

• Add Two Biltmore Tickets and Southern Season Sweet Treat for $100 (a savings of $25).

• Add a $50 Gift Certificate to Zambra's for only $25 (a savings of $25).

• Add a $40 Gift Certificate to Corner Kitchen for only $20 (a savings of $20)

• What Women Want: One hour relaxing aromatherapy massage at Relax and Rejuvenate followed by a spa manicure and pedicure. Delicious strawberries dipped in chocolate and spring flowers in a gift box. Add to any reservation for $129.

Visit our Web site to look at our selection of vacation homes available during the month of May. Then give us a call (800-770-9055) to book your Mother's special!

2009 Biltmore Festival of Flowers

The theme of this year's Festival of Flowers at Biltmore is Preservation, to reflect the corresponding opening of the restored suite in the home.

As always, Festival of Flowers will include thousands of blooms, plus music, demonstrations, seminars, and more. A complete list of activities is on the Biltmore Web site.

Festival of Flowers begins this Saturday, April 4 and goes until Sunday, May 17. Carolina Mornings can help you save $65 by adding our Biltmore festival package to any reservation.
Here are the details, which you can also view on our Web site along with our other specials:

Save up to $65 on our Biltmore Festival of Flowers Package!

Experience the beauty of springtime in Asheville! Breathe the mountain air and catch the intoxicating scent of spring flowers. Relax in any Carolina Mornings vacation rental and add our Biltmore Festival of Flowers package to your stay. This year, Festival of Flowers also corresponds with the opening of a new suite of rooms. These four rooms have been through a complete, nearly three-year long, restoration to their original grandeur.

See the sights and smell the flowers of Biltmore Estate in leisure with your special Carolina Mornings two-day admission ticket. You will appreciate the extra time, since the annual Festival of Flowers boasts over 90,000 blooming tulips, daffodils, hyacinths ... and more! Plus there will be many events including music and seminars for cooking, gardening, and wine. The winery will offer demonstrations, tastings, music, and a red wine and chocolate matching workshop. Weekend events will include dance, crafts and grape stomping!

Use your Corner Kitchen gift certificate to start the day with an energizing, delicious breakfast, or rejuvenate after a big day of sightseeing. Corner Kitchen, featured in Southern Living Magazine, is located in Biltmore Village right down the street from the entrance to Biltmore Estate, and is recommended by locals and visitors alike.

Package includes:
$80.00 Gift Certificate to the Corner Kitchen
2 tickets to Biltmore Estate, valid for 2 consecutive days
Add to any reservation for only $128.00, a savings of up to $65!

The Chef's Quarter - Biltmore Village

Thanks to our friends at Hendersonville Epicurean for this tidbit of tasty information.

There's no question that several of Asheville's best restaurants are located in Biltmore Village. Three Biltmore Village chefs - Joe Scully (Corner Kitchen), Reza Setayesh (Rezaz Restaurant and Enoteca) and Bill Klein (Fig) - have teamed up to provide 3 course dinners for just $25.

All three restaurants are offering this Chef's Quarter special from Feb 15th - Mar 31st.


Complete the Biltmore Village experience by relaxing in luxury at the Biltmore Village Villas, while taking advantage of Carolina Mornings' community packages and property specials - including Corner Kitchen gift certificates and discounted tickets to Biltmore Estate.

A short trip to Asheville

Although I still consider myself an Asheville 'local' - envisioning myself there on a daily basis - I actually relocated to our Chapel Hill office about 2 months ago. Since Carolina Mornings has our home base in Asheville, those of us here in the center of the state get to regularly spend time up in the mountains. It's a pretty nice arrangement (and it keeps me from leaving here and running away back to Asheville for good)!

I was lucky enough to be in town about a month ago, and stayed in one of our East Asheville hideaways, Deer Run. This time around I'll be with Asheville friends from Monday evening - Thursday evening, and thought I would share my personal itinerary, all the favorite things I'm dying to do as a former local and some new things I haven't gotten to try yet.

Martini Mondays at Temptations
Temptations has pretty good specials each night of the week, but Mondays are my favorite - $5 martinis all night long. They make a really great dirty martini with garlic stuffed olives, and also have a list of intriguing novelty martinis (of which I enjoy the Dirty Girl Scout).
Location: Downtown on Biltmore Ave, near Pack Place

Eat, drink micro brews, and watch a movie
Option 1: Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company. Highlights include great pizza, micro brews, and $3 movies. There's an open restaurant in the front, or a theater in the back where you can order from the full menu while you watch the movie (staff shouts your name when food is ready). Who can resist that combo? Movies change weekly and can be found on the Web site.
Location: Merrimon Ave - look for the big building painted with movie scenes. Photo from the Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company Web site.

Option 2: Cinebarre. Highlights include amazing popcorn, beer & wine, and newly released movies. A 'fancier' version of Asheville Pizza (higher prices too). Multiple theaters means multiple movies, and a waitstaff to take orders from your seats and bring you food and drinks during the movie.
Location: Biltmore Square Mall, West Asheville

Eat out. A lot.
Tupelo Honey Cafe is, hands down, my favorite place to eat. (I also love Sunday brunch at Corner Kitchen, which I'll miss this time around. Carolina Mornings offers a lot of specials with Corner Kitchen, as it's regularly recommended by national publications, locals, and visitors.)
Instead of my favorite regular sushi restaurant, Green Tea, I'll probably try Kubo's (see the Sushi post).
Since I haven't been yet, I'll try the French Broad Chocolate Lounge for their famed liquid truffles.
And finally, I will definitely go get an éclair (the size of my head!) at Well-Bred Bakery in Weaverville.

For more to do in Asheville and the surrounding area, see links in the sidebar and scroll through our previous posts!

Biltmore Condos: Package Rates!

Carolina Mornings is offering two awesome packages for the Biltmore Luxury Condos.

Included is the condo rate, a Corner Kitchen gift certificate, and Biltmore Estate tickets or an in-house massage. Biltmore tickets are $40 through Carolina Mornings ($45-51 through Biltmore) and guests get 2 consecutive days at the Estate, an offer not available through Biltmore!

The Biltmore Bed and Breakfast Package is available until the end of August.
Enjoy the best the Biltmore area has to offer - relax in luxury at your Biltmore Condo, enjoy great, homestyle food at Biltmore Village's Corner Kitchen, and enjoy all that the Biltmore Estate has to offer with your special two day admission!

Start your morning with a delicious, hot breakfast one short block from your condo. Featured in Southern Living magazine, Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village is recommended by locals and visitors alike. After breakfast, travel across the street to the Biltmore Estate entrance, and spend the day touring America's largest, private home.

Tip: Use your tickets to spend one day on the house tour, and the next day around the gardens. This way you'll still have the energy to experience everything else Asheville and WNC has to offer!

Package details: June - $760 + tax, double occupancy (save $80!)
2 night stay at the luxury Biltmore Condos in the heart of Biltmore Village
$40 gift certificate to the Corner Kitchen
2 tickets to Biltmore Estate, valid for 2 consecutive days

July & August - $1352 + tax, double occupancy (save $150!)
4 night stay at the Condos
$80 gift certificate to the Corner Kitchen
2 tickets to Biltmore, valid for 2 consecutive days


The Luxurious Rest and Relaxation Package is available for a limited time only!
Enjoy ultimate relaxation, surrounded by the quiet charm of Biltmore Village, when you stay at the Biltmore Luxury Condos. Add a massage and a warm meal at the Corner Kitchen, and you're sure to leave Asheville refreshed. Sit back and let Around Town Massage come to you, with their hour-long aromatherapy massage.

Package details:
June - $752 + tax, double occupancy (save $85!)
2 night stay at the Condos
$40 gift certificate to Corner Kitchen
One 60-minute aromatherapy massage in the comfort and privacy of your condo

July & August - $1344 + tax, double occupancy (save $135!)
4 night stay at the Condos
$80 gift certificate to Corner Kitchen
One 60-minute aromatherapy massage in the comfort and privacy of your condo

To book a Condo with package pricing please call to speak with a Vacation Specialist.

Have you planned your Memorial Day getaway yet?

Carolina Mornings has several offers to take advantage of this upcoming Memorial holiday.

2 night minimum. We've reduced our nightly minimum for all vacation rental reservations to just 2 nights. This means those who have to work Friday but still get the Monday holiday off can have a Memorial get away (book with us Saturday - Monday) with us in the Asheville area.

Biltmore Luxury Condos. Live in luxury for less this Memorial Day weekend. We're offering our Condos for up to $150 off the regular rental price:

The Chateau A-100, The Retreat B-102, & The Villa B-100
2 Nights: $602 plus tax (Savings of $100!)
3 Nights: $863 plus tax (Savings of $150!)

The Hideaway A-300
2 Nights: $502 plus tax (Savings of $50!)
3 Nights: $713 plus tax (Savings of $75!)

The Biltmore Luxury Condos are located across the street from the entrance to Biltmore Estate, in the heart of Biltmore Village (read this previous post to learn more about the Condos).

Free Activities. All of our reservations include Asheville's Mountain Discovery Pass, which provides free passes to golfing, rafting, Asheville Historic Trolley Tours, Lake Lure Boat Tours, and Fun Depot.

Reserve Today! With only a week left, we have several properties (including Condos) still available. But book quickly to ensure you get your desired rental!

Ask about our Corner Kitchen restaurant gift certificates and discounted Biltmore Estate tickets (valid for 2 consecutive days - for the price of only 1).

Biltmore Festival Package - only available until May 17!

Stay in the Biltmore Condos anytime from now until May 17 to take advantage of a great Biltmore package, valued at $130, for just $8 above the regular rate for 2 nights at the Condos.



For $8 extra dollars on the 2 night rate, guests receive:
--2 tickets to Biltmore's Festival of Flowers valid for 2 consecutive days. (Regular priced Festival tickets are $45-49, and are only valid for one day.)
--A $40 gift certificate to the Corner Kitchen.

To read more about the Biltmore Luxury Condos, see this post from Feb 24.

Biltmore Festival Package Description:
Enjoy the best the Biltmore area has to offer - relax in luxury at your Biltmore Condo, enjoy great, homestyle food at Biltmore Village's Corner Kitchen, and enjoy Biltmore Estate's Festival of Flowers at two days for the price of one!

Start your morning with a delicious, hot breakfast one short block from your condo. Featured in Southern Living magazine, Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village is recommended by locals and visitors alike. After breakfast, travel across the street to the Biltmore Estate entrance to see over 90,000 blooming tulips at the Festival of Flowers.

To read more about the Biltmore Estate's Festival of Flowers, see this post from Mar 26.

Tip: As I wrote in the Biltmore Festival of Flowers post, the 2 day tickets to Biltmore Estate are awesome. Use your tickets to spend one morning or afternoon on the house tour, and the next half-day around the gardens. This way you'll still have the energy to experience at least some of the other wonderful activities and sights Asheville and WNC has to offer!

Package Pricing:
For parties of 2: $710 plus tax
(Package savings of $130, condo rate without package $702)

Available Condos:
The Chateau A-100
The Hideaway A-130
The Retreat B-102
The Villa B-100

More Asheville Restaurants

Sometimes the venture into downtown Asheville for lunch or dinner can be overwhelming - finding parking, paying for parking, walking in search of where you're going, long waits once you get to the restaurant. After a long day of driving or hiking or other adventures you may not want to experience the extra hassle, especially if you've planned another day to 'do' downtown. Several restaurants in Asheville are located outside of downtown, take reservations or have shorter lines, and are just as tasty...

Marco's Pizza
Two locations in North & South Asheville.

Great Italian family restaurant straight from NYC - awesome pizza but plenty of salads, sandwiches and entrees to please everyone's taste buds and rumbling stomachs. The most popular pizza place in Asheville with locals, but lots of seating so there's hardly ever much of a wait.


Urban Burrito
Four locations each side of Asheville

Huge, tasty, customizable meals - burritos, tacos, quesadillas, salads, chili... the list goes on. Inexpensive, filling, and GOOD. Great lunch fare, or good for a quick dinner.


Pomodoros
Located in East Asheville.

Another great Italian and Greek family restaurant, but pricer than Marcos (jeans and tees are still welcome, but the atmosphere, dishes, and prices are a little more upscale). Best for dinner, and a regular spot for locals so expect a longer wait for dinner. Insider tip: they take reservations, sometimes even as close as an hour before your planned arrival!


Corner Kitchen
Located in Biltmore Village.

Possibly the best Sunday brunch I've found in Asheville (and I've cultivated a critical taste for brunch!). They also serve breakfast & lunch (entrees under $11) and dinner fare (entrees $18-25). Really popular with locals and visitors, so expect a pretty significant wait during peak eating times. Another insider tip: they also take reservations and will accept them fairly close to arrival!


We welcome comments from our readers. If anyone else - locals or visitors - would like to share their favorite Asheville restaurants, please do so below!