Day Trip: Sierra Nevada in Asheville, NC

It may have been the altitude, or two pounds of chocolate fudge, that helped make the decision to drive an hour and a half out of the way to eat dinner at Sierra Nevada in Asheville.

We knew we would be hungry for dinner within two hours after spending an afternoon in Blowing Rock and Grandfather Mountain. We could have gone home but we were not quite ready to do that yet.

The drive to Sierra Nevada is worth it. The property is beautiful, the beer is delicious, and the food is amazing. I jokingly call the brewery Hogwarts because that's what it looks like to me.

This was our second visit there and a lot has changed since our first visit over a year ago. It was packed and there was an hour wait to get a table at 4 o'clock. The garden was in full bloom, the outdoor stage had multiple artists, and the kids play area was complete. 

My favorite part about the restaurant menu is that it's shareable, a great way to try different dishes without stuffing yourself silly. Here's what we ate:

Duck Fat Fries: thrice-cooked fries, duck confit, aged cheddar, Torpedo hot sauce aioli, rasberry mustard, hops salt.

Green Goddess Kale Salad: Freedom Farms kale, pork guanciale, local radishes, charred red onion, horseradish, green goddess dressing.

Sunburst Farms Trout: seared local trout, grilled vegetable quinoa, lemon thyme vinaigrette, brown butter aioli, citra hop salt.

Flatbread: wood fired focaccia, ramp pesto, shiitake mushrooms, charred ramps, pecorino romano.

Moroccan Skewers: Moroccan marinated Brasstown beef sirloin, chickpea avocado mash, paprika oil, preserved lemon.

Roasted Beet Salad: local greens, roasted beets, green apples, pistachios, Three Graces goat cheese, beet vinaigrette.

Passion Fruit Dessert: passion fruit white chocolate mousse, butter cookie, coconut meringue, Tropical Torpedo apricots, lime foam.

Tres Leches: marscapone cream, basil paint, roasted strawberry compote, shortcake crumble, strawberry-lemongrass gel.

We spent a half hour walking off our dinner and listening to live music before heading home.

We had a lovely afternoon at the brewery and are looking forward to coming back in the fall.

Have you been to Sierra Nevada in Asheville? What's your favorite beer or dish that they serve?