Breakfast in Madisonville Tennessee

We decided on an early morning drive over to the Tellico Plains Bakery in Tellico Plains Tennessee.  We had company coming and we thought that a selection of baked goods, (with fruit too), would make for a nice early breakfast for the group…

Since we were going out early anyway, I suggested that we should stop for breakfast along the way.

I’d heard a couple of radio ads and I’d noticed a positive on-line posting for Linda’s Café in Madisonville Tennessee.  Linda’s is about a block off the main road (TN Hwy. 68) and it’s easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it…

The décor in Linda’s Café is pretty typical for a small town diner.  There is lots of space between tables.  Some tables have table cloths and others don’t but the lack of sameness provides a certain down home feel to it.

Linda of Linda’s Café must be doing something right.  Despite a less than ideal location plus the fact that this restaurant is only open 35 hours per week, Linda’s has served their customers since 1994!  Twenty-two years of life for a restaurant is an eternity!  

This is Linda’s Café menu.  There isn’t a website to refer you to so we thought that photos of the menu would give the readers a good idea as to what this diner offers.  

Even though we were there during ‘normal’ breakfast hours, Laurie and I were especially happy to note that Linda’s Café serves breakfast all day!  As you may have noted, the menu is pretty basic…which is fine with us as we generally prefer a ‘standard’ breakfast.

I ordered 2 eggs over-easy with biscuits, brown sausage gravy and 2 sausage patties. ($4.99) I like hashbrowns with my breakfast so I ordered a side and requested them ‘crispy’ or ‘done’.  The hashbrowns were $1.99.  Coffee is $1.39.  While the gravy wasn’t my favorite, it was OK.  The eggs were cooked properly, the sausage patties were better than average and the hash browns were just fine…

Laurie ordered the same exact breakfast as I did except that she had bacon instead of sausage.  She doesn’t normally like brown gravy but she thought that this version was pretty good.  The bacon was better than average… We thought that the coffee was above average too.

The waitress was nice and service was just fine.  This breakfast was better than the norm for this neck of the woods and the prices are hard to beat!  We will be back in the not too distant future.  Maybe we’ll give lunch a try…

Linda’s Café is located at 440 Isbill Road just off of TN Hwy. 68 and east of US Hwy. 411 in Madisonville Tennessee.  Phone: 423-442-3343.  Linda’s Café is only open Monday – Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for breakfast!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria – Maryville Tennessee

We are always searching for that ‘new dining experience’ here in East Tennessee.  We’re continuously hopeful that we’ll find a new restaurant that we can add to our list of ‘regular’ places.  I will admit that ‘regular’ to us means that we might eat at a restaurant from between 2 to 8 times a year, hardly enough to really support any particular establishment.

This is Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria in Maryville Tennessee.  There are 2 Barley’s locations with the second one being in downtown Knoxville.

 

Burleson Brands owns Barley’s as well as a number of other restaurants in the Knoxville area.  Aubrey’s, Sunspot, Bistro By The Tracks, Stefano’s Pizza, drink., Fieldhouse Social as well at The Crown and Goose are all Burleson operations…

Barley’s Maryville is an expansive and cavernous building with an outdoor seating and second floor as well.  The bar is large and the draft beer options are almost endless with about 70 on tap!  Then there are the bottled beers, wine and mixed drinks too… For those from the greater Knoxville area, Barley’s occupies the former Roy’s Records Building in downtown Maryville.  

For those who are from Canada or who are familiar with Canadian cuisine, this is Barley’s version of ‘Poutine’.  On the menu this ‘Small Bites’ offering is listed as “Gravy Fries”. ($6.00) In reality, this is not a small bite but rather a meal in itself!  Crispy French fries are topped with gravy, pulled pork and more gravy. 

This meal is a bargain even if it is an artery stopper!  Laurie isn’t into this kind of thing so other than a bite for her to taste it I ended up consuming the Gravy Fries all by myself!  It was very nice and very filling…

Note:

·         As I mentioned above, Poutine is a Canadian dish that originated in the province of Quebec.  The original is made with French fries and cheese curds topped with light brown gravy.

·         There are many variations of poutine.  Some restaurants offer poutine with such toppings as sausage, chicken, bacon, or Montreal-style smoked meat.  Some ‘poutineries’ even boast dozens of variations of poutine.  More upscale poutine with three-pepper sauce, merguez sausage, foie gras or even caviar and truffles can be found.

As another appetizer, one that Laurie would eat, we also order Chips and Salsa. ($4.00) The salsa was excellent but Barley’s needs to upgrade the quality of their corn chips.  They were fairly tasteless and couldn’t even be called ‘average’.

We were going to order the Beer Cheese and Chips for our second appetizer but our waitress told us that we should skip that one.  She told us that no one likes Barley’s version of beer cheese dip.  We appreciated her honesty! 

Well, as it turned out, I’d ordered my entrée before I saw that platter of Gravy Fries.  This is my small Big Daddy Pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham and beef. ($13.00) While East Tennessee isn’t exactly a Mecca for pizza, this offering was quite good with top quality ingredients.  For any one worried about my health, I did take half of this pizza home and Laurie had it for lunch the next two days. 

Laurie ordered Barley’s version of Spanakopita for dinner. ($12.00) This offering consisted of spinach and cheese filled phyllo dough that are served over fettuccini Alfredo with portabella mushrooms and roasted tomato.  She really enjoyed her dinner! 

Barley’s menu is fairly imaginative!  How about an Eggplant Sandwich, Chicken Raj (an Indian offering), or a Coffee Braised Lamb?  Entrees include Salmon Grit Cakes and Three Cheese Ravioli.  A Kale and Brussel Salad is another unusual offering. 

We enjoyed Barley’s and we will return!  Drinks were priced reasonably and our server was very helpful.  Live entertainment is frequently offered in the evening.  Barley’s Maryville is located downtown at 128 West Broadway.  Phone: 865-983-0808.  Website: http://barleysmaryville.com/. 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for dinner!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave 

A New Casual Italian Dining Option in Knoxville TN

I keep an eye on local Facebook feedback on local restaurants, especially one’s that are new to the area.  As a result, we’re always trying someplace new.  In this case, an Ohio favorite for some local transplants came to town and they were elated to have a taste of home in Knoxville…

This is LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria.  As per LaRosa’s website: “In 1954 Buddy LaRosa opened his first family pizzeria on Cincinnati's West Side.  His Sicilian-born father told him he was crazy. "You gonna sell pizza? ‘Med-i-gans' never gonna buy pizza from you," he said.  Who could argue with him?  After all, back then many Americans hadn't even heard of pizza.

If I counted correctly, LaRosa’s franchise operations are indeed a success.  Focused around Cincinnati but reaching into much of south and central Ohio, this 65+ location chain can be found in Kentucky, Indiana and now Knoxville.  Most of the LaRosa’s restaurants are clustered in the tri-state area around Cincinnati. 

LaRosa’s dining area is open, bright and has a friendly feel to it.  Waiters and waitresses take your order and provide needed services.

 

LaRosa’s is more than a pizza parlor… In addition to the obvious, the menu offers appetizers, wings, salads, calzones, hoagies, pasta and desserts.  Catering service is also available.

I didn’t order pizza.  I wanted to try another basic so that I could get a better feel for LaRosa’s offerings.  This nice side salad came with my entrée…

Sorry for the blurry photo… I must have been in a hurry to get to my plate of Spaghetti in meat sauce with 3 meatballs. ($10.74 with the side salad included) I enjoyed my meal.  The meatballs had a nice texture and flavor.  The spaghetti meat sauce was fine if just a little sweet for my taste.  

Laurie loves pizza so she ordered a large 'create your own pizza' with pepperoni and spicy sausage. ($15.99) The crust was fairly thin as we like but there was too much tomato sauce and the sauce was much sweeter than we like on our pizzas.  The meat and cheese were of good quality but the sweet sauce tended to cancel out the flavor of those ingredients.

Of course, opinions on what makes a great pizza are all over the place.  It’s really a matter of personal preference and what you grew up with.  Our search for ‘our’ ideal pizza here in East Tennessee continues…but we’re sure that many folks will be happy with LaRosa’s entering this market.

LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria in Knoxville is located at 9169 Kingston Pike. (The corner of Kingston Pike and Cedar Bluff Road) Phone: 888-527-6727.  LaRosa’s website can be found at https://www.larosas.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Casual Dining Lakeside – Tellico Lake Tennessee

Dinner time…where should we eat?  Our choice needed to be relatively close to home, casual and moderately priced…

We decided to have dinner at the Tanasi Grill which is located in the Tellico Village Golf Club.  The restaurant and golf club are right off of TN Hwy. 444 between Lenoir City Tennessee and TN Hwy. 72.  It’s about 9 miles from our home in the woods…

This is the Tanasi Golf Clubhouse.  The building houses a golf pro shop serving the golf course itself as well as the restaurant.  Both operations are open to the public.

As you can see, this is a popular place for diners from Tellico Village and the surrounding area!  The dining room is fairly spacious and the deck is available for those who like to dine outside.  Another dining area is available for groups…

The view of Tellico Lake from the dining rooms and the deck is not too hard to take…  Talk about ambiance!  Many diners come to Tanasi Grill via boat and they tend to love the outside dining area. 

  

 We like chicken wings but we are picky!  We’ve had so many variations over the years with different flavors, coatings, etc., that anything better than average jumps right out at us.  That was the case with this full order of Parmesan Garlic Wings. (Half-price appetizers = $5.50!) The wings were fried just right…nice and crispy with lots of garlic parmesan flavor!

I ended up eating the majority of the chicken wings so I thought that I would ‘behave’ and stick to a lighter than usual dinner.  So I ordered the Chicken Caesar Salad. ($9.00) The chicken was plentiful and moist, the Romaine lettuce was fresh and the Caesar Dressing was better than average.

Laurie’s entrée came with this nice large side salad…with Ranch dressing.  FYI…there were 3 cherry tomatoes buried under the lettuce mixture. 

For her entrée, Laurie ordered something unusual for her.  This was the 8 oz. Chopped Sirloin. ($9.00) This ground sirloin patty was grilled medium rare as requested and then it was topped with crispy onions and bordelaise mushroom sauce.  Her meal came with 2 sides, one being the big side salad and the other was some nicely flavored French fries. 

We had read that the recent management changes at the nearby Blue Heron Restaurant had also positively impacted the Tanasi Grill.  Having now eaten at both locations within a 4 – 5 week period we can confirm that those positive rumors were right!  We enjoyed our meals at both locations…

The Tanasi Bar and Grill is located at 450 Clubhouse Point in Loudon Tennessee.  Phone: 865-458-9392.  For directions and to check out the menu, just go to http://www.tellicovillagegolf.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to see what was for dinner!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Anyone!?

Laurie and I are always looking for a new dining experience and we don’t limit it to high end or any specific type of restaurants.  In this case, think very casual…and think comfort food or perhaps your childhood!

This is Tom+Chee, a new fast food restaurant that has recently come to Knoxville.  To borrow a quote from their website, “Tom+Chee is the grilled cheese and tomato soup shop for the kid at heart, mixing classic comfort food with fresh ingredients, healthy alternatives, and a flair for the unexpected.” 

The interior of Tom+Chee is bright red and yellow.  Customers order at the counter and the food is delivered to your table. 

Tom+Chee was founded in December 2009 adjacent to Cincinnati’s skating rink in that city’s Fountain Square.  Two couples emptied their bank accounts, bought a tent and started making grilled cheese sandwiches to feed those cold skaters.  A subsequent appearance on TV’s Sharktank netted the foursome needed exposure and an investment deal.  This franchise chain is expected to have 100 locations in operation by the end of this year!  

Yup… It’s all about grilled cheese sandwiches!  I ordered the Italian. ($6.45) This creation consists of pepperoni, ham, mozzarella cheese topped with salt and vinegar potato chips on grilled hearty white bread.  It was very good.  The only question mark was the potato chips.  They kind of ‘got lost’ in combination with the other ingredients. 

The menu offers Fancy Grilled Cheese and Crunchy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches but they also let you build your own sandwiches.  Choices include 5 different bread products, 11 different cheeses, 7 meats, 8 vegetables and a few ‘extras’ such as basil pesto and blueberry compote. 

Laurie also went with the ‘Crunchy’ portion of the menu.  This was her BBQ+Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich. ($6.45) She asked for a few pickles and they gave her this little cup full.  She liked the crunch of the potato chips and she really liked her sandwich!

The menu also includes classic tomato, chunky tomato and creamy tomato basil soup, 4 different salads plus Mac and Chee as a side or on your sandwich.  From what I can gather…but neither one of us dared to try…were the “Grilled Cheese Donuts”.  There are 9 different ‘donut’ choices.  How about the Choco Bacon Bliss…a grilled donut with bacon, chocolate pieces, mozzarella cheese plus chocolate mascarpone! 

We liked Tom+Chee enough that if we were out shopping or on the road at lunch time and an outlet was nearby, we’d stop in and try another grilled cheese…type to be determined!  The Knoxville Tennessee Tom+Chee is located at 9159 Kingston Pike.  Phone: 865-337-5469.  The website can be found at http://www.tomandchee.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for lunch!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Dinner in Madisonville Tennessee

It was time for dinner and we didn’t feel like cooking… So we decided to drive to nearby Madisonville Tennessee and have dinner at one of the most popular restaurants in that town.

This is Bert’s Hometown Grill and Pizzeria.  The signing is at the entrance to the parking area and at the end of the restaurant. 

This house, now transformed into a restaurant, was built in 1917 for Colonel J.C. Spurling, who was the Monroe County Clerk.  It changed hands many times before it was transformed into Stefano’s Pizza House in 1987.  In 1998, it became Bert’s Hometown Grill.  The original structure will be 100 years old in 2017.

Obviously the interior of this former home has been gutted to make room for a kitchen and a couple of dining areas.  The salad bar comes with several of the entrees…

That big table was reserved but otherwise, Bert’s was standing room only.  We had to wait for about 15 minutes before we were seated…

At some point Bert’s added this sun room on one end of the restaurant to provide additional seating.  We were crammed into a small 2 seat table in one corner.  The situation was made worse by the gentleman with his back to Laurie.  He had his chair back all the way obstructing her chair and comfort.  Despite a bit of jostling, he didn’t even look around. 

It was dinner time but Laurie decided to have a sandwich with potato chips.  She ordered the Toasted Italian Submarine Sandwich. ($6.79) This sub consisted of salami, pepperoni, ham and mozzarella cheese on a toasted hoagie bun with lettuce, tomato and Italian dressing.  The sandwich was loaded with meat and cheese and it was very, very good while being a great value too!

I ordered an entrée that included the salad bar.  The salad bar was pedestrian with minimal options but it did feature diced ham and eggs so I dressed it up a bit.  It was very satisfactory…

My entrée was the 10 oz. Flat Iron Steak with steamed broccoli for my side. ($15.00) I had asked for it to be cooked medium rare but it was probably somewhere between my request and rare.  The steak was tough but it had good flavor.  Given the price of steak these days, that was about what I might expect for $15.00. 

Service was OK considering how busy it was… Our waitress did try to drop a hint to the man seated behind Laurie to pull his seat up but it didn’t help.  Laurie’s sandwich was above average and my steak dinner was close to average for the price.  We may return to try the pizza or the sandwich selection. 

Bert’s Hometown Grill and Pizzeria is located at 902 Tellico Street in Madisonville Tennessee.  Phone: 423-442-2222.  Bert’s website can be found at www.bertsgrill.com. 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Celtic Themed Restaurant…in Clarksville Tennessee

Back in June, we were on the road towards home and it was lunch time.  I decided to get off I-24 in Clarksville Tennessee and take our chances…just winging it!

There were lots of choices, but they were all chain restaurants or fast food outlets that we’d seen before.  Then we spotted a new one for us!  This is the Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery in Clarksville Tennessee…

Factoids:

·       The song, “Last Train to Clarksville”, was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, a songwriting team who came up with many songs for the Monkees.  They wrote this as a protest to the Vietnam War.  They had to keep their intention quiet in order to get it recorded, but it is about a guy who gets drafted and goes to fight in the war.  The train is taking him to an army base, and he knows he may die in Vietnam.  At the end of the song he states, "I don't know if I'm ever coming home."

·       The writers “were just looking for a name that sounded good.”  They considered using Clarksdale but then they decided that Clarksville sounded better.  They didn't know it at the time, but there was an Air Force base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee, which actually fit their story line! (Now the Army’s Fort Campbell Military Reservation) But they couldn’t be too direct with The Monkees.  They couldn't really make an out and out protest song out of it so they “snuck it in”.

The spacious interior of the Tilted Kilt features a lot of dark wood, a big bar, Celtic related décor and TV screens… In effect it’s a Celtic themed sports bar.  They list 20 different beers and 1 cider on draft and another dozen plus in bottles.

I discovered that The Tilted Kilt is actually a franchised chain.  They have locations in 29 states as well as in 2 Canadian provinces!  The first Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery was opened in the Las Vegas Rio Hotel and Casino in 2003.  Only 1 hour after the concept meeting, Harrah's contacted the restaurant’s founder and inquired about immediate development.  Currently, the Tilted Kilt has 103 locations open or opening soon.

Factoid:

·         Much to my surprise, Clarksville isn’t just a ‘little’ town.  The city has a population of almost 150,000 and the Clarksville TN/KY metropolitan area includes roughly 275,000 residents!

We started out with something new for us…an order of Scotch Eggs! ($8.00) Basically, soft-boiled eggs are wrapped in sweet and spicy sausage, parmesan breaded and then fried.  They are served with a horseradish cream sauce.  We really liked them and would definitely order them again!

Sticking with the theme, Laurie ordered Maggie Mae’s Fish and Chips. ($10.99) Cod filets are dipped in Samuel Adams Boston Lager batter and fried.  They came with coleslaw on the side.  This wasn’t the best fish and chips platter ever but it was a bit better than average.

Note:

·         Actual ‘Celtic’ dishes on the menu are few and far between.  Many of the ‘themed’ items consist of American pub cuisine with Celtic names…such as the Scottish Philly or the Irish Dip Sandwich.  There is a Sheperd’s Pie on the menu and Guinness stout or Guinness BBQ sauce is used with a few items.

As for myself, I ordered the Big ‘Arse’ Burger with cheddar cheese. ($10.50)  I had the coleslaw as my side dish.  It was a very nice burger, cooked medium rare as ordered and served on a grilled bun.  Grilling the bun adds that little bit of extra flavor!

So…you’re probably wondering why this restaurant chain is named “The Tilted Kilt”!  Good question!  It turns out that the Tilted Kilt is another iteration of a group of restaurants that have one thing in common…  

This was our server, Diana.  Now the meaning of the Tilted Kilt’s name may be coming into focus… I must say that Diana was a good server, very personable and helpful.  As with many of the other servers at this location, her husband serves in the US Army at nearby Fort Campbell.  Fort Campbell is the home of the 101^st Airborne Division!

These young ladies’ photos were also posted on the Clarksville Tilted Kilt’s website. (Incidentally, we didn’t see any male waiters but I understand that males wear kilts too)

 So…The Tilted Kilt is part of the scantily clad restaurant theme genre, which includes such chains at Hooters and Twin Peaks.  We haven’t eaten at Twin Peaks but we both agree that the food at The Tilted Kilt is much superior to the offerings at Hooters.  The menu has more variety as well.

The Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery in Clarksville Tennessee is located at 2790 B Wilma Rudolph Boulevard.  Phone: 931-645-5458.  The company’s website is at www.tiltedkilt.com.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for lunch!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave