For those wanting a night in, Asheville businesses are also offering gourmet meal kits and quirky rental options. New to-go options perfect for travelers with safety and flexibility in mind:

  • Ashley Capps, a 2019 James Beard semifinalist for “Outstanding Pastry Chef,” has started New Stock, a weekly, curated box-meal pickup and delivery service, perfect for an extended rental stay.
  • For a quicker pickup, check out Bodega on Broadway, a pandemic-pivot for bar and restaurant owner Charlie Hodge of Sovereign Remedies. Shifting gears on his latest bar venture, Hodge and Sovereign chef Bert Sheffield are offering charcuterie, sandwiches and vegetarian and vegan burritos alongside bodega staples and sundries. The former stage will soon be a Disco Deli with a portion of sales going to a local nonprofit supporting independent businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Chef Katie Button (with six James Beard nominations in the last eight years) has created La Bodega, offering takeout paella, favorites from her restaurant Cúrate and Spanish specialty food and wine. After years of leading trips to Spain, creating award-winning wine lists and building relationships with wineries and importers, Chef Katie and husband and beverage curator Felix Meana have just launched their Cúrate Spanish Wine Club. Members will receive three bottles monthly, discounts on wines available in their online store and a newsletter with recipes and pairing ideas.
  • Forestry Camp has set up Camp Grocery, an extension of the restaurant’s whole-animal program and Chef de Cuisine JT DeBrie’s long-standing expertise in butchery and partnership with local farms. Menu items include smoked chicken salad, whole trout, bacon and whole smoked chicken.
  • Well Played Board Game Café is now offering its 600-game inventory to travelers wanting to spend the night in. Game rental is available online, and snacks and beverages (including beer and wine) are also available for pickup. The café is following strict safety guidelines and all games are sanitized using a commercial ozone generator (used by hospitals). May we suggest Asheville-opoly?
  • Round off the evening with Highland Brewing Company’s Cold Mountain, the perennial holiday favorite with notes of vanilla, hazelnut, dark fruit and cinnamon. This year the release festivities (Nov. 6-14) will look a bit different with 10 days of drive-thru pickup, virtual events, on-site exclusives like holiday packs and Coconut Cold Mountain and timed entries to visit the taproom. If you miss the event, the beer is available in local stores, beer shops and restaurants during the holiday season.