Last weekend in the mountains was just SO GOOD. On Saturday morning, some girlfriends and I drove up to the Boone/Banner Elk area and had the best 36 hours. No kids, no agenda and the most gorgeous weather. There is just something about that fresh mountain air that always does wonders to the soul. We stayed at my friend Allie's mountain house which was a little slice of heaven!
We arrived around lunchtime and made a pit stop for lunch at The Cardinal, which came highly recommended by a friend. We sat on the back deck of the restaurant and kicked off our girls weekend with gourmet burgers and local beers. PERFECT! This is where I discovered Boonshine Brewing (which we hit up for lunch the next day!) The Farm Burger was everything.
Our next stop- Grandfather Vineyard Winery. This spot was so quaint and perfect for an afternoon with the girls. You also cannot beat the backdrop. The view of Grandfather Mountain from the patio was beautiful. The wine was so, so good. We shared two bottles from the tasting room- The Pinot Gris (my favorite-perfect for summer), and the Cabernet.
Dinner was a treat and we had all been waiting for this meal for months! We had reservations at Artisanal, a restaurant in Banner Elk that is open seasonally. I cannot express how much we all LOVED it. The restaurant itself is so stunning. It's elegant but rustic and still has that homey mountain feel. The back deck area of the restaurant was a lovely spot to enjoy our pre-dinner cocktails. I could have sat out there all night in front of the fire! The food, the service, the company- everything about our dinner that night was just wonderful and I want to go back!! If you are local to NC this place is a must.
Before we headed out of town and down the mountain on Sunday, we had lunch at Basil's Fresh Pasta + Deli/Booneshine Brewing. This was such a cute spot! I had the most delicious BLAT and left with a full belly AND a four pack of their IPA.
Clearly, we ate and drank our way through the weekend, but I couldn't have asked for anything more! So thankful for these friendships! (and the dads that held down the forts at home to make this moms weekend away possible)
If you are not celebrating Friendsgiving, you are missing out. In a big way.
It is one of my favorite traditions and although this was the third year that our close group of friends celebrated together, this is the first year that Mark and I were able to join- with little Will in tow! He was our official mascot.
I love, love, love this tradition and it is a true blessing to have such wonderful people in our lives.
Our meal this year was stellar and everyone contributed something delicious. Our meal was complete with perfectly smoked turkey breast, sausage stuffing, butternut squash mac and cheese and plenty of other deliciously different sides. We even had a signature cocktail and plenty of Pumpking!
I made a batch of my favorite cranberry sauce, and this incredible Brussels Sprouts Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing from the Thanksgiving issue of Southern Living. If you like brussels sprouts, MAKE THIS SALAD. And if you don't like them...well...make it anyways. I'm convinced that if you don't like brussels sprouts, you just haven't had them prepared in a tasty way. This salad is sure to shake up your Thanksgiving table.
It was a wonderful afternoon spent with so many of our favorite people. Cheers to the holidays, cheers to 2014 and cheers to friends who feel like family.
Similar Recipe Links:
Butternut Squash + Apple Soup (this Apple- Butternut Squash soup from Martha looks yummy and with the addition of a jalapeno, has a little spice!)
