BEYOND ASHEVILLE Dining out in neighboring towns

DINING OUT IN NEIGHBORING TOWNS

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA

COURTESY OF BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA

BY THOMAS CALDER

Yes, Asheville’s culinary scene is well known and nationally acclaimed. But there are plenty of wonderful restaurants, cafes and breweries in surrounding towns. If you’re looking to get out of the city for the day, here are a few fun and delicious options within a 25-mile drive.

• In the mood for barbecue? Head to Swannanoa via Interstate 40 east and find Okie Dokies Smokehouse. Want to keep exploring? Continue east another 10 minutes, and you’ll discover the picturesque and walkable town of Black

Mountain, which has a number of notable eating and drinking venues, including The Dripolator Coffeehouse, Louise’s

Kitchen, Open Oven Brunch & Bakery and Lookout

Brewing Co.

• Conversely, you could take I-40 west to Canton. The town experienced its first boom in the early 1900s, when the Ohiobased Champion Paper and Fibre Co. expanded its operations to the banks of the Pigeon River. The company continued operating for nearly 100 years before Evergreen Packaging took over in 2007. The plant’s paper production process creates a unique odor, but downtown Canton’s distinctive

charm makes up for it. Southern Porch (which occupies the building that once housed the historic Imperial Hotel), Papertown Coffee and BearWaters Brewing Co. are a few local favorites.

• Just north of Asheville, Weaverville’s quaint downtown stretches only a few blocks but is jampacked with food options. For breakfast and pastries, try Well-Bred Bakery & Café. For local beer, pizza and live music, head over to

Blue Mountain Pizza. (Both are Best of WNC Hall of Fame winners.) Other options on the main strip include Tommy’s

Family Restaurant, Glass Onion, Allgood Coffee and

Twisted Laurel.

• To round out the road trip, consider Hendersonville, about 30 minutes south of Asheville. Prior to COVID-19, thousands converged on the city annually during Labor Day weekend for its N.C. Apple Festival. On Hendersonville’s restored

Main Street, which is a leader in the accredited Main Street

America program, options include Black Bear Coffee

Co., McFarlan Bakery, Never Blue (specializing in global plates) and Postero (offering new American cuisine and craft cocktails). Off the main strip, additional popular spots include

HenDough Chicken and Donuts, Fireside Restaurant &

Pancake Inn, Southern Appalachian Brewery and West

First Wood-Fired Pizza.

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA For 17 years the heart of Weaverville