Jake Schmidt

Working at The Signature Room restaurant, perched 95 stories above Chicago, Chef Jake Schmidt thought he knew what constituted a great view. But then he moved to Asheville.

"There's nothing like nature's beauty," said Schmidt as he observed Mount Pisgah from the covered deck of The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa's Edison Craft Ales + Kitchen, one of several eateries he previously oversaw. "I love to watch the weather rolling over the mountains."

The vast mountain vista provides a stately setting for a slower pace of dining; sometimes guests linger for an entire evening on the inn's grand stone terrace. "We'll have people who get here for dinner at 5:30 and stay until 10 p.m.," Schmidt explained.

In the center of the inn, flanked by historic stone architecture, Sunset Terrace offers an open-air dining experience with lunches of lobster Cobb salads and grass-fed burgers and dinners featuring high-end steaks and seafood.

At dinnertime, Vue 1913, serves "French-based food with an American twist," as Schmidt put it. For a true European dining experience try the seven-course chef's tasting menu of creative cuisine with wine pairings.

The inn offers an abundance of fresh, seasonal fare, Schmidt explained, and as an added bonus, downtown Asheville, just two miles away, provides even more exciting flavors. "It doesn't feel big around here, but there's a lot to see and taste," Schmidt said.

Note: As of January of 2025, the following people are chefs at The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa: John Cook, Executive Pastry Chef, Chef Arthnel Barrett, Executive Chef, Vanderbilt Wing, Chef K’leb Williams, Executive Sous Chef, Enrique Galan, Executive Chef, Sammons Wing.