National Gingerbread Competition, A New Holiday Tradition

December 31, 2012December 31, 2012 / sugarsitaspell / Leave a comment

This makes the second year that we have visited the Grove Park Inn in Asheville to see the National Gingerbread House Competition. I’m so glad this has become part of our holiday tradition. I love seeing the creativity and craftsmanship that is involved with the competition.

This year I made to visits to the competition. One was with Mr. McB on December 17. We arrived pretty early on a rather mild day. Other than some school groups, we did not encounter a lot of people during our visit.

12 Days of Christmas in gingerbread

The Velveteen Rabbit

Midnight Angel

Elf on the Shelf and advent calendar

Gingerbread factory detail

Gorgeous details on this gingerbread tree

Relaxing after walking around and looking at the displays.
My goodness these chairs are so comfortable. I could have enjoyed a nap.

One of the many decorated trees. This one was a bit much for me with the full-sized peacock roosting in the branches. There is something for everyone and while this tree didn’t strike my fancy, there were many that did. It’s all fun to see.

My second visit was on December 27 when I met my aunt and grandmother. While the winners were traveling to New York for a segment on Good Morning America during my first visit, I was delighted to see them back in Asheville last week.

Amazing detail
Every inch of this is created with gingerbread. Even the parts that look like fondant are made with an innovative “gingergel” created by the winner.

Muppet Christmas

Yellow Submarine

We also opted for lunch on the Sunset Terrace. It was a lovely experience. I was smart enough to plan ahead and make reservations and I think that is how we wound up with this wonderful table by the window.

Instead of having a heavy lunch, we opted for the wedge salads. I enjoyed the original version with bleu cheese dressing and crumbles. My aunt and grandmother opted for different dressing and they were happy to oblige. The lemon vinaigrette, selected by my aunt, provided a light, zesty flavor.

After our delicious salads, we got down to the serious business of selecting a dessert. It was a difficult choice but we wound up with the key lime pie and panna cotta.

547968_10151192035942233_1218613443_n Isn’t this an adorable presentation for the key lime pie? It had a nice creamy consistency and perfect tart flavor.

The panna cotta was so very delicious. I loved the crispy praline pieces and slight tartness from the raspberries. Yum!

I enjoyed our meal at the Sunset Terrace and thought it added something special to the visit.If you are looking for a less expensive treat during your visit, there are holiday drinks and treats available for purchase in the Great Hall. If you can find a table or rocker, it’s a great place to sit and enjoy the roaring fire in one of the two 14-foot fireplaces on either side of the massive room.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend adding this outing to your holiday schedule. Visitors do have to pay to park ($10-$15 depending on where you park) but it is well worth the price to see the displays and the hotel itself.

Sunny Point Cafe

December 29, 2012December 29, 2012 / sugarsitaspell / Leave a comment

Back in August, I had the chance to meet my parents in Asheville for a visit to the WNC Farmers’ Market and lunch. While we enjoy the Moose Cafe located at the market, we wanted something different. Enter Sunny Point Cafe located at 626 Haywood Rd in West Asheville.

Sunny Point has the tiniest of parking lots. Thanks to my dad’s eagle-eyes we were able to nab a parking space but be prepared to park and walk to the restaurant. Actually, there can be a bit of a line so be prepared to let you party out of the car so they can get your name on the list while you find on-street parking.

That tiny parking lot is the only thing that separates the cafe from the lush garden where Sunny Point grows much of the produce used in their dishes. Lettuce, greens, tomatoes, and herbs were just some of the tasty items growing the day we visited.

After a brief wait, we were seated at a table under the partially enclosed patio. We ordered the fried green tomato and goat cheese appetizer. It was delicious, maybe too delicious for its own good since there are no pictures of it.

Dad ordered the burger. From this picture you can see how big and thick it is. You can also seed that gorgeous slice of heirloom tomato from the garden. The beef is free-range, hormone-and-antibiotic-free. It comes on a toasted English-muffin bun.

Mom got the grilled chicken sandwich with cheddar and maple-and-black-pepper bacon. Her bacon wound up on Dad’s burger. He said it was very good. She enjoyed the sandwich and the delicious fries.

I ordered the black bean tostadas. I can’t adequately describe this pile of delicious without going to the menu description. “Two crisp corn tortillas topped with grilled chipotle cheese grit cakes, roasted tomatillo salsa, and baby greens. Garnished with black bean corn salsa, cilantro crema, feta cheese, and fresh cilantro.”

I loved everything about the dish. The contrast between the creamy elements and the tangy tomatillo salsa and the crispy tostadas and the moist grit cakes…my taste buds couldn’t ask for more. It was so delicious. I must admit to waking up craving this dish. It’s so unique and flavorful, I can’t imagine anything that would make a good substitute.

I would highly recommend Sunny Point. Other than the parking lot and the fact that they do not have Sweet’N Low for your coffee, it’s almost perfect.

Tupelo Honey Cafe

April 9, 2012April 8, 2012 / sugarsitaspell / Leave a comment

Last Saturday was our first visit to Tupelo Honey Cafe in Asheville. Mr. McB and I were entertaining a visitor from Ohio and thought that we would try Tupelo Honey instead of going to one of the restaurants on-property at Biltmore. I borrowed the Tupelo Honey Cafe cookbook from the library so I knew that THC has lots of delicious, and somewhat complex, dishes. It has a great reputation so I had high expectations.

We visited the THC South (1829 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC) location. I’m sure some would say that it doesn’t have the same personality as the original but it does allow for reservations so that goes a long way in my book. The restaurant is in a strip mall but it’s a cute little place with fun decorative touches including old screen doors to separate tables, ceiling fans that are run by a pulley system, and pretty bathroom fixtures. They also have a mid-sized patio that was very popular.

We took a table inside and were waited on quickly. Our server was very pleasant and professional. After our orders were placed, we were given a plate of biscuits and blueberry preserves. The preserves were absolutely delicious but the biscuits were a letdown. I didn’t even push Mr. McB to try them.

The mediocrity of the biscuits was quickly forgotten when our entrees arrived. Our friend ordered the Grateful Dead blackbean burger with sweet potato fries. She was pleased with her selection.

McB had a bacon and cheddar omelet with a side of goat cheese grits. The omelet was big and loaded with full slices of thick-cut bacon. Even though he isn’t a big fan of the texture of grits, the flavor was good enough to win him over.

I ordered the veggie bowl. It’s a layered (and mostly delightful) mess of vegetable goodness. The dish’s bottom layer is the goat cheese grits and from there you’ll find salsa verde black-eyed peas, greens (a kale/swiss chard mix), a heaping helping of fried okra, and sunshot salsa to finish it off. By and large, I did like the dish. The black-eyed peas tasted just like “regular” black-eyed peas and that means I didn’t like them. The greens were some of the best I’ve ever had. The flavor was fresh, light and not at all bitter. The okra was tasty. The sunshot salsa would have been good if not for the fact that an unbearably strong onion was used in making it. Our friend’s blackbean burger had a very strong onion on it as well. It’s disappointing that no one in the kitchen thought to taste the onion. It had a strong smell that should have clued them in to the flavor.

All in all, we enjoyed the experience at Tupelo Honey Cafe and will go back to try something different.

Forgotten photos – my solo trip to Biltmore

March 3, 2012February 29, 2012 / sugarsitaspell / Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I got up early and headed for Biltmore Estate. I love the house but I decided that I wanted to spend my time exploring the grounds. Since I have an annual pass, I didn’t really feel guilty about this. The house itself is so overwhelming that it becomes difficult to really explore the grounds if you are seeing the house too.

I am finally posting these pics for your viewing enjoyment.

There was a slight bit of haze but it was still easy to make out the gentle giants in the distance.

The house looks just a bit smaller from this angle. Side profiles must be slimming – at least if you are an enormous manor house.

Love the fleur de lis detail here. It took so many talented artisans to construct the house.

A bamboo forest along one of the many paths leading to the woods surrounding the house. I love the lush, tropical look of these plants.

Gorgeous flame dogwoods provide a welcome burst of color during the winter.

The boathouse by the bass pond. I had the whole place to myself and it could not have been more tranquil. It is a gorgeous spot, even in winter.

Serene

A shot of the pond with the boat house slightly hidden by a tree on the right side of the photo.

This is on the upper side of the bridge/falls. I love the shiny copper under the murky water and wonder how many of those wishes came true.

These blooms had a beautiful ecru tone. They were delicate and somehow the perfect “flower” for a winter’s day.

Christmas in Asheville

December 19, 2011 / sugarsitaspell / 1 Comment

While I love the Upstate on its own merits, its proximity to Asheville, NC only adds to my affection. Asheville is one of the prettiest and most quirky cities in all of creation. It’s known for both Biltmore and bohemians – think of it as the oddly peaceful intersection of high-class and hippy.

When Mr. McB had to take a few vacation days in early December, it seemed like a great time to head north to visit Asheville. Biltmore was the big priority for the trip. We wanted to purchase annual passes and see the estate’s gorgeous Christmas decorations. After doing a little research, we added a stop at the Grove Park Inn to view the National Gingerbread House Competition, a large annual event hosted at the hotel.

Fearing that our hunger might cause us to assault a gingerbread man, we started the day with a big breakfast before hitting the road.

Despite the fog, the trip was smooth and easy. I will take this opportunity to remind everyone that you really should turn on your headlights (normal, no high-beams) when driving in the fog. The GPS gave us a little trouble but eventually we made it.

The Grove Park is lovely, but can be a little hard to navigate. Even with the pamphlet and map, it took us a little while to fully understand the layout and location of the many gingerbread creations. It was a minor bother as we both enjoyed tooling around the property and the staff were quite happy to allow you to do so.

The entries were all amazing in their own way. While the children’s category didn’t have fancy and flawless techniques, the creativity and enthusiasm couldn’t be missed. Each creation represented a good deal of effort and thought and we enjoyed admiring them all.

On the day of our visit, the 2011 winner was in New York City as part of a GMA taping. A few visitors were upset by this but the Grove Park’s site clearly explains this possibility and the “substitute” was an amazing box of ornaments.

After we saw all the entries (or so we think, again the setup is a bit confusing), we hit the road for Biltmore. Our visit began at the ticket center where we purchased annual passes for just $29 more than the daily admission. This was cheaper than the price advertised on the web – yippee! As someone who both worked at a membership organization and held memberships to cultural attractions, I was very impressed by the membership materials. Our cards have our photo so we never have to show a membership card and license. If we lose the card, we pay $2 – the hard cost to have it remade. Take note Columbus Zoo, members feel bad about losing their cards, you don’t have to make it worse by charging a big fee to make a new one. The thing that impressed me most was the special toll-free number for pass-holder services. We even got a little magnet with the number. It was an easy way to make your valued customers feel appreciated.

We have been to Biltmore before but never at Christmas. I had some idea of what to expect but as soon as we turned the corner and saw the first magnificent tree in the billiard room, I knew the experience would far exceed my expectations. Each room had gorgeous holiday decorations. Photos are not allowed so alas, I cannot share the beauty of these trees. I can say that having a professional bow maker on staff would be a great benefit.

We spent a good deal of time on the breezeway. This is one of my favorite spots. On this day we relaxed in the large, comfortable chairs while watching a rafter of wild turkeys (yes, rafter – thanks Google!) strut around the edge of the massive lawn.

After another hour of enjoying the house, we remembered just how big it is and just how easy it is to go from mildly hungry to “low blood sugar – I’m going to pass out.” In an effort to avoid an accident and general grouchiness, we zoomed through the servants’ quarters and headed over to the former stables to grab a bite. We staved off hunger with a stop at the ice cream parlor and then hit the road in hopes of beating the rain and making the best use of our remaining daylight. We didn’t beat the rain but we made it home safely with many happy memories of the day. I suspect that Christmas in Asheville will become a regular part of our December routine.

Here’s the breakdown:
Grove Park Inn
290 Macon Ave.
Asheville, NC 28804
Admission to the National Gingerbread House Competition is free. The parking fee starts at $5 for up to three hours in the garage.
Tips
– Visit the website as viewing is limited to guests on certain days.
– The Grove Park Inn is a great place to explore even without the gingerbread. Take some time to look around.

Biltmore Estate
1 Lodge Street
Asheville, NC 28803
Daily admission during the holiday season – $64-69 per person http://www.biltmore.com
AAA does offer discounted, advance purchase tickets.
Tips
– Eat before you get to Biltmore. I don’t care if you had breakfast an hour before you arrive, take a snack bar and break it out when you first roll into the main gates. By time you have parked you will have downed the sustenance you need to make it through the house tour.
– Buy a book about the house. The soft back copies are less than $20 and you won’t remember everything you saw if you don’t take the time to pick one up.
– Eat before you sample at the winery. The pours are generous and you’ve already walked off the snack bar so just go ahead and grab a bite before you enjoy the many wonderful vintages available at the estate.

Sugar, come sit a spell.

Live gently. Love fiercely.

Asheville