A Bit of Italian Food Plus

...continuing with Bill and Bonnie's visit.  Another meal out, this time it was Italian.  Back in May I'd written a post for the blogsite about a new Italian Restaurant in close proximity to our home.  It was promising and, since both Bonnie and Bill really like Italian food, we got dressed up before we headed out the door!

Laurie's sister Bonnie and her husband Bill, ready to head out for dinner...

Yours truly and Laurie (my better half), also ready to head out for dinner.  And yes, I did dress up for dinner.  The man in black with a collared shirt... I generally avoid restaurants where I have to wear long pants.  If its over 50 F, I wear shorts!  It's one of the 'privileges' of retirement...

                          

This is the Fork and Vine in Lenoir City Tennessee.  They now have a permanent sign that replaced that white temporary signage shown in this earlier photograph.  To see my earlier post regarding this restaurant, you can go to https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5617317794624015781/711400631634636564.  As you will note on the faded signage below that temporary sign, this location was previously called Joe's Italian Cuisine.

My bad!  A couple of posts earlier I'd negatively credited the first charcuterie board to the wrong restaurant, "Water into Wine".  In reality, the first board shown above (termed a Salumi Board) was enjoyed at "Fork and Vine" prior to the arrival of our salads and entrees.  At $15.00 it was indeed a good deal and the quality was there as well.  The second charcuterie board is the one that should have been 'credited' to our experience at "Water into Wine".

FYI, Fork and Vines Salumi Board contained an assortment of meats and cheeses plus roasted red pepper hummus, sliced ciabatta bread and tangerine chili olives.  For the record, I'm not a real fan of charcuterie boards but many people are including Laurie, Bonnie and Bill.  I don't dislike them but I'd prefer focusing on the main courses or more singular appetizers...

Another Fork and Vine appetizer was their Drunken Mussels. ($15.00) The mussels were swimming in an amazing vodka and white wine sauce, with basil, garlic, tomatoes, and banana peppers.  They were also accompanied by sliced ciabatta toast points with herb butter.  Bread and herbed olive oil came with the meals and seconds were provided at no cost.  The bread was invaluable for soaking up the mussels delectable sauce...

The only negative was that too many mussels hadn't opened up during the cooking process.  It should have been caught in the kitchen.

Laurie ordered a side 'Julius Caesar' salad with her entree.  Salads with an entree are $5.00 vs $12.00 for a dinner sized Caesar salad.  Laurie really enjoyed her salad.

For her entree, Laurie ordered the Vodka Di Gallo.  The fresh Creste di Gallo pasta came with a pink vodka cream sauce, onions, basil and mushrooms.  Laurie added blackened 'colossal' shrimp to her main course. ($8.00) With the shrimp, her meal cost $24.00.  Other add-on options included chicken, meatballs or Italian sausage. ($6.00) Laurie completely enjoyed her entree...and would order it again.

Bonnie also ordered a side salad with her entree. ($5.00) It came with mixed greens, tomato, red onion, carrots, cheese and croutons.

FYI, a total of 9 starters or appetizers are on the menu at Fork and Vine as are other salads...including dinner salads.

Bonnie ordered the 1809 Risotto...with creamy parmesan risotto, mushrooms, seared scallops and herb broccolini. ($28.00) The base of the cream sauce is a lemon wine cream.  Bonnie enjoyed her entree and Laurie gave a big 'thumbs up' on the risotto.

As for Bill's entree, somehow we missed taking a photo of his 'seafood entree'.  It was the Ciopinno Lenoir with mussels, clams, shrimp and fish simmered in at robust tomato based broth. ($24.00) It was served with grilled Ciabatta bread and Bill also added a Caesar salad to accompany his meal.  He was happy with his choice for dinner and he completely cleaned his plate!

As for yours truly, I started my meal with a bowl of Italian Wedding Soup. No photo yet again. ($9.00/cup $5.00) It was very nice broth and it was loaded with little meatballs, spinach and pasta pearls. 

I had a hankering for pizza so I ordered Fork and Vine's Wood Fired Pepperoni Pie. ($16.00) As per the menu it was made with fresh house made pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and 'loaded with pepperoni'.  Since my favorite pizza is a combination of Italian sausage and pepperoni, I asked that sausage be added to the toppings.  No problem...same price too.  It sure looked good!

As you may remember, Laurie and I have been searching for great pizza ever since we moved to East Tennessee.  Sadly, we're still searching.  My pizza's crust was soggy, the pizza sauce was bland...to me it lacked any Italian seasonings...and 'bland' carried on to the sausage and even the pepperoni.  I took about half of my pizza home and 'dressed it up' a couple of days later.  I added more pepperoni (spicier than than the original), extra mozzarella cheese to help re-moisturize the pie and Laurie sprinkled on some basic Italian seasoning.  It was a much improved pizza with the changes we made...

Fork and Vine shows a lot of promise in a market basically devoid of quality Italian cuisine.  Other than the pizza...and the unopened mussels...we were quite happy with our experience.  We will return in the near future and try some other menu options.  Fork and Vine Restaurant is located at 131 Kelsey Lane (visible from US Hwy 321) in Lenoir City.  This restaurant is open from 11 AM until 10 PM Monday - Saturday and from 10 AM until 4 PM on Sunday.  Phone: 865-317-1098.  Fork and Vine's website is at https://fnvlenoir.com/.  They are also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/Fork-Vine-Lenoir-City-61568667290284/.

We did not eat out for every meal or even every day during Bonnie and Bill's visit.  Laurie took the above photo of myself, Bonnie and Bill enjoying a meal of ribeye steaks (medium rare), corn, sauteed squash, sweet and sour cucumbers and fresh bakery bread...plus a bottle of wine.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit and for those in and from the USA, have a HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SAFE JULY 4th!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Popular Local Diner for Breakfast...

Bonnie and Bill's visit continues... They expressed interest in eating breakfast out one morning and since that is our favorite meal and we love breakfast out too, off we went.

We love diners!  Unlike the eastern and northeastern part of the country, there aren't too many diner style restaurants in the Knoxville area.  Laurie and I chose Nick and J's Cafe for our breakfast.  It is one of the most popular restaurants in the area.

How popular is it and how favorably do customers rate Nick and J's Cafe?  On TripAdvisor it is ranked #6 among all of Knoxville's restaurants.  On Yelp, customers have recorded a 4.6 out of 5.0 rating.  With over 2,100 reviews, Nick and J's scores 4.8 out of 5.0!

Like many diners, the walls are covered with memorabilia, as well as photos of customers and local celebrities.  Both counter service and booths are available for diners.  The atmosphere is bustling and friendly.  The wait staff is efficient and friendly...and most of them seem to have been working at Nick and J's Cafe for some time.

Laurie ordered a breakfast that was a break from her norm, which usually involves eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast.  She did order a side of bacon with her 3 pieces of cinnamon maple French toast with powdered sugar and strawberries. (Total = $18.99) Laurie gave high praise for the quality of the bacon and she really enjoyed her French toast with its topping.

I followed Laurie's example, ordering a breakfast item that I rarely chose...  These 3 plate-size buttermilk pancake behemoths came with butter and maple syrup. ($10.50) They were thick and had a little crust or flat top griddle 'edge' to them.  I really liked them...but this was just too much food for even me.  I managed to finish about 75% of my plate.

Laurie's sister Bonnie ordered the Deluxe Pancakes. ($11.99) They came with your choice of blueberries, strawberries or chocolate chips with whipped cream.  Her choice is obvious based on the photo...unless you're color blind.  She was a little worried that a blueberry compote would just be layered on top of the pancakes and she was pleased that actual blueberries were actually mixed in the batter.  She skipped the whipped cream.  She could only finish about half of her pancakes, but her husband Bill had a few bites too.

Bill went 'southern' for his breakfast.  This was the Clifty Farm's Country Breakfast. ($13.99) It included a slab of country ham, 2 eggs your way, toast or a biscuit and gravy and seasoned or 'dusted' home fries.  Bill ordered his eggs 'basted' but Nick and J's doesn't do 'basted' so he had to settle for scrambled.  We warned him that the ham would be pretty salty...and it was...but he seemed to like it.  His toast was on the side.  

In our opinion, the only negative is that Nick and J's doesn't offer hash brown potatoes as an option instead of 'home' fries.  In retrospect, it is one of the reasons why we didn't order our usual breakfast items.  I will note that a lack of hash browns hasn't hurt Nick and J's business...

Nick and J's Cafe is located at 1526 Lovell Road right at the interchange/exit with the Pellissippi Parkway aka TN Hwy 162 just north of I-40/I-75.  It's open for breakfast and lunch Monday - Saturday.  Phone: 865-766-5453.  The restaurant was named after the owner/operator's children, Nickolas and Jordan.  Learn more and check out the menu at https://knoxvillerestaurantstn.com/.  

I just had to include a photo of the Laurie 'original' charcuterie board that we recently put together for a neighborhood gathering.  It featured 6 types of cheese, salami, sweet ham, pepperoni, grapes and Bear Jam. (The jam includes blueberries, elderberries, apples and raspberries) Not shown...a basket of crackers and toast rounds, a bowl of olives and another bowl featuring pickled mushrooms.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Family Trip, More Food and Miscellaneous Too

...continuing with Laurie's sister Bonnie and Bonnie's husband Bill's week long visit.  Relax, browse, shop, sightseeing, food, and then repeat the cycle.  While we had several meals at our house, (creamy chicken over rice, pork roast and potatoes, plus grilled ribeye steaks with sauteed squash), all of our food photos were taken during restaurant dining excursions.

So, I'll start with food, then sightseeing, furniture shop browsing, a little more food and then a bit of nature's whimsey.  

Bonnie and Bill love dining at waterside...(who doesn't?!)...so Laurie and I ensured that we stopped by The Mudpuppy on Tellico Lake in Vonore Tennessee for a relaxing meal.

We actually started out with an appetizer, the Creamy Queso with Chips. ($11.00) It was OK.  Bonnie ordered a burger.  It was cooked as ordered and she remarked that the French fries were superior! ($17.00)

Laurie ordered the "Bacon me Crazy" Cheese 'Sammie'. ($14.75) Basically this is a grilled cheese sandwich that comes loaded with bacon...and we all know that  bacon makes everything better!  Laurie decided to try the onion rings as her side.

She loves bacon and she loves cheese and this creation was a hit.  She thought that the onion rings were very good too...

For my meal I ordered the Southern Style Fried Catfish. ($18.00) It came with a pile of those great French fries and some of The Mudpuppies signature Mudpuppies, aka hushpuppies.  The fish was nice but I do prefer fried pollack or a similar saltwater fish.  The French fries are the best!

If its upscale seafood, its what Bill would order!  His entree selection was the Grouper Pontchartrain, grouper smothered in Cajun cream sauce, then topped with grilled shrimp and served over rice pilaf and broccoli. ($28.00) Bill reported that it was a very enjoyable and satisfying entree.

To view The Mudpuppy's menu, just go to https://www.mudpuppyrestaurant.com/menu.  To learn more about the related Cherokee Outdoor Resort in Vonore Tennessee, go to https://cherokeeoutdoorresort.com/.  For more photos...there is much more to see other than food...you can check out my previous post at https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5617317794624015781/8258884590672429200.

Hurricane Helene had done considerable damage on the Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains.  Of course the storm had a truly disastrous impact in the mountainous area of North Carolina.

Bald River Falls is a major tourist attraction here in East Tennessee.  However, Helene dumped so much rain that the bridge right below the falls where Bald River feeds into the Tellico river was impacted and the road leading to the bridge and its viewing area was badly damaged.  Repairs and improvements were recently completed and the crowds were appreciative... 

Of course photos were necessary...and Laurie took this selfie of her sister Bonnie and herself.

FYI, before the flood vehicles and pedestrians/tourists shared the bridge, creating a bit of a hazard.  The re-engineered bridge provides a commodious space for tourists that is our of harms way...

Laurie and your truly will have lived here in East Tennessee for 16 years as of this coming August.  This was the first time that we'd visited the Smoky Mountains at a time when the Rhododendrons were actually blooming.  The banks of the Tellico River were loaded with blooms stretching on for miles!

On the home front, we are remodeling a former breezeway that the original owners had turned into an enclosed space complete with HVAC.  Laurie has been looking around for a pair of comfortable chairs for the new space when its done.  During Bonnie and Bill's visit we perused several furniture stores looking for pieces that might work with the library 'feel' that Laurie is trying to complete.  These chairs at a local consignment shop were very nice but not all that comfortable for me, plus Laurie likes a head rest...

On day while we were out on our furniture browsing trek, we determined that we needed a break from our toils.  So we stopped in at the Water into Wine Bistro and Lounge in Farragut Tennessee.  Our party indulged in a couple of adult beverages and we ordered a Cheese Board with meat, olives, hummus, jam and crostini.  There are never enough crostini with a charcuterie board so we ordered extra.  Not including the adult beverages, this cheese board with the contents shown above...plus a double order of more crostini...came to a total of $42.00.  Yikes!  Thanks for buying Bill!  

Laurie and Bonnie...the sisters are just a little more than a year apart in age...really have a good time when they spend time together!

Bonnie's husband Bill was having a good time at Water into Wine as well... This is Bill smiling!  What...no photo of yours truly?!  I managed to avoid the camera and I am also 'notorious' for not smiling.

Water into Wine Bistro and Lounge's website can be found at  https://waterintowineknoxville.com/.  

I thought that I'd end this post with a touch of nature.  Laurie captured this photo of an excited and stressed Killdeer in this rocky area near a medical office in Lenoir City Tennessee.  Excited because she had a clutch of eggs in the rocks and stressed because the 'feels like temperature' was hovering around 104F.  She was excited because she didn't want to leave the nest/eggs.  She was providing the necessary shade for her expected brood.  

FYI, Killdeer are a large member of the plover family that is found throughout North America and even into parts of South America.  It has a shrill, two-syllable call that sounds like someone saying 'kill deer'.  In 2024, the Killdeer was reclassified as a near-threatened species due to a significant population decrease.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge it...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Family Visit - It's All About Food!

Laurie's sister Bonnie and her husband Bill flew into visit us a little over a week ago.  This time of the year Allegiant Airlines offers low cost flights from the Mid-America Airport near Bellevue Illinois to the tourist destination that is Knoxville Tennessee.  With the Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Dollywood and more, tourists flock to East Tennessee from May through October.  In any case, Bill hates the 8 hour drive from St. Louis so we all welcome the tourist season flights...

So, what did we do during their visit.  Laurie and Bonnie planned some remodeling complete with decor when the work is done, we watched some golf and TV in general, did a little sightseeing, shopped and browsed and of course, we enjoyed a lot of food!

As we shopped and browsed our way from the Bearden area in Knoxville to the Turkey Creek shopping complex in Farragut, we passed "Jim 'N Nick's Community Bar-B-Q" and the group decided that this was where we should eat as we headed back toward Loudon.  

This relatively new addition to the Knoxville dining scene had been on my list for a few weeks.  We've passed it a few times and we both love BBQ.  Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q is a fast growing regional chain that was founded in Birmingham Alabama and is now headquartered in Atlanta Georgia.  The company has 56 locations with restaurants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

I would describe the interior of Jim 'N Nick's as industrial but featuring decor that softens the look somewhat.  Why the gal at the table at the right gave the "V" for Victory sign to Laurie as she took the second photo, we'll never know.

Yes!  This is yet another restaurant that expects the customers to place their orders from order boards or menus.  Jim 'N Nick's did provide us with hard copy menus and the service staff was both friendly and helpful.  The need for minimal floor help/waitstaff, does cut costs.

Since we weren't done eating for the day, we skipped the Sharables as shown above.  Also, while having BBQ ribs was tempting, that volume of food will require 2 hungry diners who want the same thing for dinner.  A full rack of Baby Back Ribs with 2 sides/aka 'trimmings', cost $34.99.

We all noticed the cheesy biscuits listed on that menu board and we were ready to order them...when the order taker/cashier at the counter told us that they would bring some to the table and we didn't need to order any.  Six biscuits to go cost $3.99 with a dozen for $6.99.

We all liked the warm biscuits.  They come with honey butter and they were sweet.  I could see the cheese but really couldn't taste it...but I still liked them. 

Bonnie and Laurie decided that they weren't very hungry so they split a Pulled Pork Sandwich with a side ($11.49) and then ordered a second side.  Bonnie had the baked beans...two thumbs up...and Laurie had the potato salad ($3.99), also a winner.  They enjoyed the pulled pork too.  Sandwiches are advertised as being served on famous "Martin's Potato Bun's".

Bill likes anything that ever lived and thrived in water... Hence, he ordered Karl's Fried Catfish Plate with 2 fillets. ($19.99 with 2/$13.99 with 1 fillet) This entree comes with 2 sides so Bill ordered the coleslaw and the Bar-B-Que Corn on the Cob.  He thought the slaw was good, the fillets were done right and he seemed to really like that corn on the cob...

I'm kind of burnt out on pulled pork and I've never really cared for smoked poultry.  My favorite BBQ items are pork and beef ribs as well as beef brisket.  So I ordered the 'handheld' Beef Brisket sandwich. ($13.49) I had a choice of either lean or marbled brisket so I went for the more flavorful and juicy marbled slices. (They will chop the brisket for you on request...a sin in my mind) For a side, I just went for the French fries.

The brisket was very nice, moist and flavorful, and there was plenty of it.  The potato bun held up fairly well.  My only negatives were related to the French fries and the available BBQ sauces.  The French fries were soft...and I like a little firmness when I have fries.  I like hot spicy BBQ sauces.  The house BBQ sauce lacked any authority and the only hot spicy sauce available was a Honey Habanero.  It was spicy but the honey element didn't tickle my taste buds.  Other available sauces include Morgan County White, Carolina Vinegar and Carolina Mustard.  

All in all, we did enjoy the BBQ at Jim 'N Nick's Community Bar-B-Q and we will return to try those ribs.  But I might sneak in a small container of spicy sauce!

Jim 'N Nick's Community Bar-B-Q is located at 7727 Kingston Pike (US Hwy 11), right across the street from Knoxville's West Town Mall.  This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily.  Phone: 865-224-3760.  If you want to pick up BBQ to go, Jim 'N Nick's has a drive-thru window to provide that service.  Website: 

https://www.jimnnicks.com/locations/tn/knoxville/7727-kingston-pike/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!  

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Break for a Family Visit...

You probably didn't notice when our fall 2024 trip seemed to end in Staunton Virginia.  Well, it really didn't end there and some day in the not too distant future I'll post the ending bits regarding this road trip.  As you may or may not recall, the trip started with our first stop in western Tennessee, proceeded all the way back across Kentucky, into Ohio, touching West Virginia a couple of time, then up to northern Pennsylvania, touching extreme southern New York state, then back south passing through Maryland into Virginia.  The last stop I reported on was at President Woodrow Wilson's birthplace in Staunton.

This week Laurie and I have her sister and brother in law visiting East Tennessee all week, so this is the one short post I will contribute until June 24th.  This stop was one of my favorite roadside 'adventures' from that October 2024 road trip. 

This is Duke's Lexington Antique Center which is just off I-81 in Lexington Virginia.  Laurie and I love to prowl antique stores...especially well stocked large antique 'malls'.  I'd listed Duke's on our travel plans and we made sure we didn't miss it.  This antique center covers over 20,000 square feet and it features over 150 dealers offering a huge variety of antiques and collectables.  We had a fun time just looking...but of course we did end up making a few purchases too.

We didn't take a bunch of photos.  Part of the reason for that failure is that I didn't even get very far down the first aisle we traversed.  We always go to the right in stores and then go up and down every aisle.  Laurie did complete the entire journey but, as the photo above indicates, I got 'stuck' in a vendor booth that specialized in antique and collectable postcards!  Yes, rare though it is, that is a smile on my face!  I was a happy camper indeed...postcard collecting is one of my few remaining vices.

I like postcards dating 1920 or earlier, (ideally 1910 or earlier), used with messages on them and they must still have the postage stamp on them.  I prefer ships and trains but I also like city sights and landmarks as they appeared back 'in the day'.  The messages can be quite interesting as well...projecting what parts of life were like over 100 years ago.  I bought a bunch of interesting postcards with my only regret being that Duke's is over 5 hours from our home, probably more depending on traffic and road work.

When visiting Duke's, keep an eye open for Cooper.  He's the house cat and as far as he's concerned he's in charge.  He is very 'chill'!

Duke's Antique Market is located at 1495 North Lee Highway (US Hwy 11) at 30 Pinnacle Drive in Lexington Virginia.  This antique mall is open from 9 AM until 6 PM 365 days a year!  Phone: 540-463-9511.  Website: https://dukedukeantiques.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave