Food is not only essential to life, but is often a reason to travel. If your taste buds direct your path more often than the appeal of any other attraction, these destinations known for their culinary greatness should be on your to-do list. How do I know these are great culinary destinations? They each have a food tour, meaning, there’s enough great food to put on tour. Plus, there are beautiful bed and breakfasts nearby that are happy to host you and make your reservations. Good eats, good sleeps, win-win.
Taste of the Town Trolley Tours, Abingdon
Abingdon offers Taste of the Town Trolley Tours once per month. Hop aboard and visit four to five locations that incorporate local ingredients into their menus. Previous locations have included Sisters at The Martha, The Tavern, Wolf Hills Brewery, and Figaredo’s Bistro.
Consider Your Historic District Stay:
- Summerfield Inn Bed & Breakfast – Featured in Southern Living
- Copper Lantern Inn – 1873 Georgian Colonial with four beautiful suites
- White Birches Inn – Featured in Southern Living and The Washington Post
When on Charlottesville‘s Downtown Mall, look for the orange umbrella. No, it’s not a sign of rain, but a sign of a delicious Charlottesville Food Tour in progress. Buy a ticket for one of two Saturday tours to sample the delights of such places at Hamilton’s at First & Main and Splendora’s Gelato Cafe.
100 South Street Inn, Charlottesville
Within a Mile of the Downtown Mall:
- Inn at Court Square – The oldest home in downtown Charlottesville; featured in The Washington Post
- 200 South Street Inn – Two homes together comprise one large inn boasting 19 rooms.
- Leathers-Snyder Bed and Breakfast – Newly renovated, well-appointed Victorian
Downtown Harrisonburg is the first recognized “culinary district” in Virginia. Join in the tasty fun when you tag along for the Rocktown Bites! Food Tour in Harrisonburg. Seven sampling locations, such as Clementine, Cuban Burger, Jack Brown’s, and Kline’s Dairy Bar may be on your Saturday or Thursday tour.
Within a Mile of the Culinary District:
- Joshua Wilton House Inn – A Victorian mansion boasting its own renowned on-site restaurant
- Stonewall Jackson Inn Bed and Breakfast – Recently included in The Daily Meal’s “20 Best Hotel Breakfasts in America”
The One Bed and Breakfast, Richmond
Real Richmond Food Tours highlights some of the tastiest dishes in Richmond every Saturday, with each tour being a different theme with different flavors. One example is the Spies to Pies Tour in Church Hill that includes The Roosevelt, Proper Pie Co., The Hill Cafe, Alamo BBQ, and other eateries.
Monument and Fan District B&Bs:
- Grace Manor Inn – This 7500 square foot mansion with a salt water pool is on both the Virginia and National Registries of Historic Places.
- The One Bed and Breakfast – Another National Registry entry, The One is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the home in 2014.
- The Museum District Bed and Breakfast – A 1922 home with two luxury suites (one family-sized three bedroom!) and an adorable carriage house for utmost privacy.
- Maury Place at Monument – This 1916 home has been restored in keeping with more than 100 historic easements protecting it. Featured in Remodel magazine and Small Room Decorating magazine.
The promise is that “you’ll never view or taste downtown Roanoke the same again” after you experience the Downtown Food & Cultural Tour. Line up your tickets for a Thursday, Friday or Saturday to taste what’s unique to Roanoke, like Texas Tavern and Hotel Roanoke.
Historic Roanoke B&Bs:
- Black Lantern Inn – Lovingly restored 1920s home with a dedicated staff and story to tell
- King George Inn Bed and Breakfast – Colonial Revival includes four spacious suites and gourmet breakfast
Which Virginia town or city is your favorite culinary destination? Leave us a comment to boast and tell us if there’s a fantastic B&B nearby, too!
Related:
Virginia is for Lovers.
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© Casey for Virginia’s Travel Blog, 2014
