Foodie – One Day Itinerary

Begin your day in the rolling horse country of rural Mills River at the elegant Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill. At this purpose-built inn — the first B&B inducted into the Southern Living Hotel Collection and on Southern Living’s short list of places to stay in all of North Carolina — luxury feels effortless, and hospitality awaits at every turn. Each day begins in the sunlit dining room with a three–course “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” In the belief that every day is a celebration, even breakfast ends with dessert. A guest favorite is the inn’s signature pineapple pudding.

After a leisurely morning, venture over to Bold Rock Hard Cider. In late 2015, Virginia-based Bold Rock opened its second production facility in Mills River, along with an apple-pressing barn, tasting room and cider garden. The area’s orchards provide a ready source of fresh apples, which helped the Mills River location outpace its Virginia predecessor within the first three years of operation. Take a tour to learn how apples are pressed into juice, which goes through a fermentation process similar to winemaking and is kegged or bottled on-site. Participate in a tasting to try several of the dozen ciders on tap, from the original Carolina Apple to ciders flavored with blackberry, pineapple, herbs and spices. Bold Bites mobile kitchen serves a menu of burgers, wings, nachos, sandwiches and wraps.

After taking in the all that Bold Rock has to offer, head to downtown Hendersonville for the afternoon and pop into Wine Sage Merchant + Wine Bar on Main Street. The wine shop and bar focuses on vintages from smaller wineries, and also sells culinary-related gadgets and gifts, as well as offers tastings and classes.

Make dinner reservations at Postero, located across the street from Wine Sage Merchant + Wine Bar, in a former bank building. The smartly designed dining space features an open kitchen as its centerpiece. The restaurant maintains strong relationships with area farmers, calling them out on the menu when possible. Menu items honor Appalachian food traditions, while incorporating unexpected ingredients and elevating the presentation to something that resembles artwork on a plate.