Valentine’s Day In NC: The State’s Most Romantic Restaurant

Valentine’s Day is days away and if you really want to dazzle your significant other, consider heading to The Biltmore in Asheville, the most romantic restaurant in North Carolina, according to the foodie site Delish.

Here’s what the authors wrote last month about the restaurant:
“If you want a show-stopping Valentine's Day celebration, head to The Biltmore Estate. The food, made from locally sourced fish, meat, and vegetables grown right on the estate, is delicious, but the Blue Ridge Mountain view and stately manor are definitely the highlight.”

Valentine’s Day might be not be a “real” holiday like Independence Day, but it’s an important — and often expensive — date. According to the National Retail Federation, the typical American spent about $143 on gifts last year, up from about $136 in 2017. Nationwide, the total was roughly $19.6 billion and more than half of the country celebrated with an evening out, accounting for about $3.7 billion.

All this to say that picking the right restaurant is important. The Delish report includes posh and rustic restaurants. Some offer a Victorian vibe, others tranquil gardens. Many come with gorgeous views, such as of the ocean or the mountains. You’ll find steak and fish are recurring themes, along with fancy desserts. (Because when else are you going to eat elegant French soufflé?)

In Maine, the most romantic restaurant is actually themed after a wooden barn. The White Barn Inn in Kennebunk Beach also has a special Valentine’s Day menu to complete the perfect night. In Montana, the most serious romantics head to Whitefish, home of Whitefish Lake Restaurant.

“Cozy up in a log cabin dining room (it's one of Montana's oldest log structures still in use) and warm up by the fire, while dining on baked brie in puff pastry, baked Alaskan halibut, white truffle mac & cheese, and prime rib,” the authors wrote.

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Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images