Today these old inns and hotels are great gathering places, open to local residents and travelers alike, for sumptuous dining every day. Many renovated beauties are home to world-class chefs whose elegant fare seems quite at home amid the burnished patina of antique surroundings. And there are other innkeepers who take pride in maintaining the family-style atmosphere and good, basic cooking of their ancestors. We have scoured the cities, small towns and countryside in an effort to provide you with a variety of quality-rich epicurean experiences, unique to our area. Our selections may vary greatly in style, from the smallest coffee shop with the best biscuits, burgers and chocolate malt in the area to the most elegant in haute cuisine from a French master chef.
Variety is the spice of life, after all.
Because of the scope of this book, we have undoubtedly missed some locales that would be worth mentioning. There are also plenty of fast-food and franchise restaurants throughout the mountains, but since their menus don't vary from one place to another, we don't cover them in this chapter. As you make your way through North Carolina's mountains, we welcome your recommendations of your personal dining favorites. If they're not included here, tell us about them for next year. The restaurants are featured by region.