More Dessert in Asheville—A Local’s Perspective
Sweets have been on my mind lately. I think it's post-holiday withdrawal. Where has all the hot cocoa gone, I ask you? Where are my sugar plums and figgy Christmas puddings? In this long, cold stretch of January, those warm days of patisseries and chocolate seem like nothing but a hopeful fantasy.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here in Asheville, we’ve got more awesome places for dessert than you can shake a stick out. And by golly, I’m in the mood for some confections.
Whether it's an after-dinner treat or the perfect spot for some R&R amidst your tour of the Paris of the South, here are assembled some of the best dessert spots in Asheville, for any occasion.
West Asheville is known for some of the best breweries, bakeries, and restaurants anywhere in my hometown and so it should come as no surprise that they’ve got the best doughnut places too.
Just down the street from Taco Billy, yet another best-in-class food joint in Asheville, Hole Doughnuts is the kind of neighborhood doughnut spot you’d dream of. Each dough-ring is twisted and fried-to-order, right before your very eyes. Doesn’t get any fresher than that.
One or two of the things with a hot cup of their locally-roasted Pennycup coffee is a great way to put some strength on your bones in these colder months. And once you’ve got a taste for these doughnuts, they make the decision to order a batch-to-go extra-tantalizing, throwing in a bonus doughnut every order. A half-dozen? That’s seven. One dozen. That’s thirteen? The math doesn’t make sense, but when you’re flinging around doughnuts these good, it doesn’t have to.
Hours: 8am to 1pm, Wednesday through Monday. Closed Tuesdays.
Something about going downtown puts me in the mood for chocolate. The theaters, fine dining, the museums and galleries; I think it's that perfect blend of high-culture that makes me say to myself “Oui oui, je voudrais de la chocolat.”
Translated: “Get some chocolate in me, boy howdy.”
One of my favorite spots for this particular compulsion can found on downtown Asheville’s Haywood Street, midway between Woolworth Walk, a fine local art gallery, and Malaprop’s bookstore. The Chocolate Fetish is strategically situated.
Founded by a couple of chocolate-lovers with world-spanning experience, their passion for this confection shows in glittering cabinets of every chocolate-made delight you can imagine, from pecan rochers to dark chocolate-shelled marshmallows.
Choosing your dessert is half the fun here, so be sure to take your time. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out their packaged chocolate selection to find your perfect last-minute gift, anniversary token, and/or stocking stuffer.
Hours: Noon to 6pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
With plenty of coverage for dessert in downtown and west Asheville, I figured it's high-time I lend some love to the east. Not the first part of town most people put on their Asheville itinerary, but once you hear about this standout installment of my favorite local tearoom, I think you’ll find it's worth a visit all on its own.
First thing’s first: the tea. If you fancy yourself some kind of aficionado, then you’ll have a blast navigating their phonebook-sized tea-list all on your own. There really is something for every every palette in there. Sometimes I think they stock every tea known to man.
If you’re less experienced (still a tea-fan, haven’t read the literature), then I recommend something off their specialty menu. Memories of Prague and Sweet Smell of Jerusalem are two of my go-to's; rich, fragrant black teas that come alive with a hearty dose of milk and honey.
On to the main course: dessert. Their brown-butter tea cakes pair well with just about all of their beverages, while a slice of their cheesecake makes for a more maximalist alternative, perfect for sharing.
But truth be told, I like to switch up my order here, keep myself on my toes. Everything in that pastry cabinet is downright delectable. Much of it is even gluten-free, sugar-free, health conscious, which would usually raise my hackles in the dessert-department, but I got to tell you, they are no less delicious for it.
Here at Dobra, you can, in fact, have your tea cake and eat it too.
Hours: 10am to 6pm, every day.
Hot off the presses, this newly-opened west Asheville dessert spot is dead-set on making a name for itself as one of the hippest spots in this already hip part of town, serving small bites, sophisticated cocktails, and of course, desserts.
What really sets this place on the map, in my opinion, is the music-angle. With their listening parties, bring-your-own vinyl nights, and downright groovy selection of ambience, here at Potential New Boyfriend, that age old adage of “We taste first with our ears,” is shown to be all-too true.
With all that said, I think you’ll believe me when I say this is a top-rate choice for a date-night, or to get your fix of that cultural sensibility that gives this here Paris of the South its well-won moniker.
Hours: 2pm to 10pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Growing up, when I wasn’t going to the Hop for ice cream, I was taking a drive to south Asheville’s Biltmore Park shopping district. There’ve always been a smattering of ice-cream parlors in this section of town. It's a matter of that undeniable truth; wherever pedestrians and boutiques are combined, the closest ice-cream spot is never too far away.
So normally, I wouldn’t particularly notice a new-player in this ancient game of south Asheville ice-cream. But here, they’re serving their frozen delights on hot slices of waffle. They’re pulling me back in, you see. Ice cream and waffles? Dang right you got my interest.
And let me tell you, the promise pays off and then some. The combination of doughy and creamy comes off just right, accelerating it to my top choice for an ice-cream stop whether I’m in Biltmore Park for a movie, fine dining, or to sit on a bench while my sister goes shopping.
Waffles and ice cream. So simple, yet such an irresistible dessert.
Hours: 2pm to 7pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Businesses Mentioned
Hole Doughnuts
(828)-774-5667
168 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
The Chocolate Fetish
(828)-258-2353
36 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801
Dobra Tea (East)
(828)-774-5088
1011 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805
Potential New Boyfriend
647 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
The Dolly Llama
(828)-713-8270
2 Town Square Blvd #130, Asheville, NC 28803
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