When you are on the road for three days in the wilderness you have to eat. Oh, it isn’t all dehydrated meals (which I will talk about) as Glen and I visited a few restaurants on the road and at Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). The first place we ate at was one I am familiar with...Neo Burrito. I had visited the original location on Parkwood Road in West Asheville a couple of times but I had never been to the second location at Biltmore Park across from REI (there is now a third in East Asheville). Since we were visiting REI we decided to cross the street and try out this Neo location. The first thing you will notice that the Biltmore location is a little more polished and not as much Asheville.The one thing they share is excellent food. I had my usually...a spinach wrap burrito with chorizo. The also had the same great salsa bar and what made the meal complete was a two dollar draft beer (Green Man Rambler). I like the West Asheville location a bit better this will make a good pit-stop when I go to REI.
The second restaurant I visited on this trip was one of the two on the NOC campus, Big Wesser BBQ & Brew. This was our go to for lunch during our two-day wilderness survival course. Since it is a barbecue place I had the pork sandwich. I will say it was pretty good BBQ, while not the best it was solid. With the sandwich came two sides, the first I chose was baked beans. These weren’t bad, but no where close to the ones at Ridgewood. Maybe the most surprisingly good dish was the braised kale. It was made like collard greens and the girl at the counter said it was good and she was right. Oh, I almost forgot beside Wesser (on the otherside from the counter) in a little trailer is Corner Coffee Company. I had the Double Espresso, it was good.
The final restaurant that we ate at was the other one at NOC and it was a more traditional sit down kind. The River’s End which is apt named as it sits above the Nantahala. Since it was a long day I was hungry and so I decided to play it safe and get a hamburger. The one I has was called the Bull Sluice a burger with grilled mushrooms and Swiss cheese. It was good and so were the french fries. Since the Appalachian Trail cross right in front of the restaurant I washed it down the meal with the apt named App Trail Xtra Pale Ale from Nantahala Brewing.
The last eating entry is not a restaurant, but the dehydrated camp food we had for two meals (one dinner and lunch). First we had was for dinner on night one and these dehydrated meals were courtesy of Good-To-Go. I knew the quality of these a head of time because I tried them at Appalachian Trail Days in Damascus back in May. The sample Good-To-Go has, Thai Curry and the Herbed Mushroom Risotto. These meals produced in Maine are the best trail meals I had ever had. So much so that I bought one of the single serving mushroom (they were out of the Thai Curry by that point). I and already ordered some Thai Curry from REI before the trip, but when we went to the store in Asheville Glen bought a Classic Marinara with Penne. So, for dinner we cooked that and one of my Thai Curry. We soon discovered that the two person bags has enough food for two people. Anyway, the Penne was very good, just like the others I have had from Good-To-Go. Still, the best offering I have had is the Thai Curry. I am not joking but it is better that some I have had in a restaurant. As tasty as Good-To-Go is we were brought back to earth by the Mountain House we had for breakfast, the scramble eggs and bacon. Mountain House is what you expect from dehydrated meals, something to fill the belly. It doesn’t say this on the package, but after you add the water and let it sit, you must drain it before eating. I will say it did taste like bacon and eggs. You pay more for Good-To-Go, but it is worth it.
