THEN AND NOW The quaint and Historic Biltmore Village has had many names since its beginnings as the sleepy crossroads town of Best, N.C. in the 1790's. It has been known as Asheville Junction, Swannanoa Bridge, Best, and Bilton; but it was in the late 1890's that it was given the name Biltmore Village and transformed from a rough framed crossroads town into the beautiful planned community you see today. Created, in the manner of European villages, as a charming entrance to the Biltmore Estate, the Village was not only a place to live for the workers on the Estate, but was also its own community "independent and self-sustaining".  The history of Neo Cantina's location has evolved with that of Biltmore Village.  The original building on this location was designed by Richard Morris Hunt- (famous Architect that designed The Biltmore House) to be the "Commercial Center" of the village. This location housed Biltmore Estate Industries, which grew into 'the world's largest hand weaving manufacturing plant'. Originally, run by Eleanor Vance & Charlotte Yale at the encouragement of Edith Vanderbilt. This successful woman-owned business operated at this location for 10 years before being purchased by Fred Seely (son-in law of EW Grove) and relocating to Grovewood (home to the Famous Grove Park Inn). In 1940 after 3 major floods, the original commercial buildings that occupied this plaza were torn down and the new Biltmore-Plaza Recreation Center was opened July 3, 1942. Boasting "dining, dancing & fountain service plus 12 new maple Brunswick bowling lanes". This was the state of the art in recreation at a time when Asheville's communities were experiencing rationing for the war effort, the Biltmore-Plaza Recreation Center provided a much needed place for community relaxation and entertainment. In the early 1980's the bowling alley closed and the building was redefined once again. The "dining room" was converted into retail space, the bowling alley was transformed into a restaurant.  Today, Neo Cantina continues the rich history of the Plaza by bringing you "Handmade Southwestern Cuisine with a twist of Asheville.