Another Restaurant in a Historic Building (PLUS)

We'd gone to the Loudon County (TN) Courthouse so Laurie could have her driver's license (TSA Compliant) renewed.  While sitting in the parking lot waiting for her, I was parked next to an adjacent building with a long history...and which has served as a restaurant from time to time.  Despite having had the best shrimp and grits there that I've ever had, restaurants had come and gone...and most of those failures were justified.  Still, a restaurant we hadn't tried had been in operation here for 2 or 3 years...so I decided that we'd have to give it a try.

                             

This is the side entrance for the Carmichael Restaurant and Tavern in downtown Loudon Tennessee.  As you can see, the structure is a mish-mash of architecture and age.  We parked here but entered via what some might consider the front entrance... In any case, when we were done with dinner this was our exit.  Warning - the stairs and stair rails are a bit hazardous and need to be replaced. 

We entered through this alternate entrance with a ramp and a partially covered outdoor dining area.  Note yet another architectural type...a log cabin structure.  We were somewhat concerned when we noted 2 tables on the deck area that hadn't been cleared yet and no patrons were present.  It was early for dinner and lunch was long past...

The Carmichael Inn was a key element in Loudon's history.  John Hudson Carmichael, (of Scottish descent), started building what became the Inn in the early 1800s.  The family gradually opened their home to travelers passing through the area.  At that time, this two-story log structure was on the other side of the Tennessee River...opposite what is now the town of Loudon.  The Inn was a stopping place for stagecoaches from both the west, south and north.  Travelers would be ferried across the Tennessee River and then spend their night at the inn before traveling on the next day. There was a dispute involving the Carmichaels and another family, the Blairs, over ferry operations but eventually they just focused on operating the inn.

When patrons of the Carmichael Inn and Restaurant enter the facility from either direction, they will note the historical information mounted on the walls as well as the former outside walls of the original Carmichael Inn.  In addition to operating the inn, John and Margaret Carmichael also raised 7 children.  

The Inn, which was once on the National Register of Historic Places fell into disrepair after decades of use, both as an inn and as a private residence.  In 1987, the Loudon County Heritage Association raised the money to purchase the crumbling structure.  Ironically, a Carmichael descendant was a member of the Association...and at that time, the old log structure was owned by a descendant of the Blair family...the Carmichael's old business nemesis.  The inn had been scheduled to be sold to an out-of-state buyer who wanted the logs for another project.

As part of the agreement, the building had to be moved.  The decision was made to move it to the south bank of the river next to downtown Loudon.  It was reassembled on its current site next to the old Orme/Wilson warehouse.  That warehouse was built ca. 1852 by Richard Thornton Wilson.  Wilson and his descendants went on to fortune and fame, with family member Marshall Orme running the business in later years.  I didn't see any information as to when or why the 2 very different structures were 'married'.  Over the years, the Inn was used as a museum and, as mentioned previously it has served as 'home' for a number of restaurants, with first dining iteration opening in 2006.

This big bar along with booths for diners, is located in the former Wilson-Orme Warehouse, the all brick portion of the 'joined' structure.  It was a nasty rainy day when we dined at the Inn, but I was a bit surprised that there weren't any patrons in the bar area.  

The 'look' or style of the main dining room in the old log cabin portion of the Carmichael Restaurant is striking and quite attractive.  The fireplace at the south end of the room adds an extra layer of calm ambiance.

Of interest is the fact that John Greenway Greer and Betty Lee (Carmichael) were married here in Loudon.  She was a grand-daughter of the Carmichael Inn's builder, John H. Carmichael.  Her husband John founded the Greer Hardware Company in Loudon back in 1890.  That company is now Greer's Home Furnishings.  It is the longest continually operating family business in Loudon.

Now lets talk about the food!  We started out with Carmichael's warm Cheddar biscuits, 4 warm biscuits brushed with garlic butter. ($6.00) They were a bit greasy with all that cheese and garlic butter, but they were also the best cheddar biscuits we've ever had!  With Laurie dieting, she only ate about half of one biscuit.  So, what could I do?!  I was 'forced' to eat 3 and a half biscuits!  The things I do for my wife...

Given her lack of appetite these day, Laurie tries to order entrees that I can use later as leftovers.  We do have a lot of "eat what's handy" meals these days.  So, Laurie ordered the Cajun Alfredo Pasta. ($10.50) It was OK but nothing distinguished it from most Alfredo pasta dishes. There was just a touch of Cajun seasoning by our reckoning.  Before eating it at home, I added Cajun seasoning, some leftover chicken and some cracked red peppers.  It was a good 'made do' or 'want not, waste not' meal for me.  

For my entree I went for the Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwich with sliced roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, all over a slice of bread or toast. ($13.00) I had pinto beans as my side.  

Where to start... It certainly didn't look appetizing.  The roast beef was good...not sliced but rather it was pieces of what appeared to be pot roast.  The toast or bread was really unnecessary, the gravy was too thick and I'm not sure of its origin.  It was passable as were the mashed potatoes.  Seasoning was lacking all around, including in the Pinto Beans.  They seemed like they might have come directly from a can to my plate.  Conclusion...my meal was fuel only.

I'd tell you more about the other offerings at this restaurant...but the on-line menus I could find on their website or otherwise were not close to being up to date.  FYI, the Vodka and Tonic Tall, with 2 lime wedges...using Tito's Vodka...was only $7.00.  These days that is a very reasonable price and it was a good drink as per my bride. 

The Carmichael Restaurant and Tavern is located at 600 Hackberry Street in Loudon Tennessee.  Phone: 865-657-6603.  Website for what it's worth is at www.carmichaelinn.com.  

Now I'll end this post on an upbeat family note!

This celebratory photo of our Omaha family is all about smiles and positive thoughts!  They were all together recently for our daughter-in-law Amy's birthday.  From the left is our son David II, grandson David III, the birthday girl, Amy, and grandson Emmett Lee.  Amy and David have raised a couple of young men who love their family and especially their parents.  Of course, there is nothing like a close mother-son relationship...

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

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Focusing on Railroading...Depots and a Little History (#2)

Railway fans, here is another grouping of my favorite railway depot photos.  As I did the last time, I'm moving back in time...beginning in 2021 and stopping again in February of 2019.  I'll continue to 'mix it up' as regards my blog topics and in the next month or two I will have published a recap of all of my favorite depots...for as far back as my photos go.   

                          

This time I'll start with one of the depots close to our home in East Tennessee.  This is the old Southern Railroad Depot in Loudon.  It was built by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1914.  After it was closed, it became home for the local Chamber of Commerce...but then it sat empty for quite a while.  That big sign said that a small local chain of restaurants was planning to open soon.  The good news is that it actually happened, so the old depot is now occupied by The Monkey Town Brewing and Restaurant.

This huge and impressive Richardson Romanesque style railroad depot is the former Union Station in St. Louis Missouri.  It was completed and opened by the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis back in September of 1894.  Originally, this part of the depot was referred to as the 'Head House'.  Behind this structure was the "Midway", which led to the 11.5 acre Train Shed...where all the trains would arrive and depart.  When St. Louis's Union Station was built, it was the largest depot in the world that had the tracks and the passenger service on one level.

                      

  

I just had to include a current photo of the beautifully refurbished and massive lobby/waiting area inside St. Louis' Union Station.  An upscale hotel now occupies this section of Union Station.  The last Amtrak passenger train departed from the depot in 1978. 

Think about the hustle and bustle enveloping this depot in its early days.  A total of 22 different railroad lines converged on this station...hence it was a 'union' station.  At peak times around the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 as well as during World War II, up to 100,000 passengers came and left in a single day.

This is the former Chesapeake and Ohio Depot in Ronceverte West Virginia.  This craftsman-style depot is the only one of its type remaining on the Chesapeake and Ohio (now CSX) line.  The depot was built in 1915 and it has been restored by the railroad.  CSX personnel utilize part of the building as office space.  In its early years, up to 65,000 passengers passed through this station with its 12 passenger trains each day.

In New Milford Connecticut, we ran across this attractive old depot with its covered passenger boarding platform shown on the right.  The depot was built in 1866 by the Housatonic Railroad Company.  The Housatonic Railroad was chartered in 1836.  In 1892, it was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.  When the Housatonic was purchased, the railroad was 175 miles long and it had 60 passenger depots.  The last passenger train operated on the line in April of 1871.  The building is currently occupied by the New Milford Chamber of Commerce.

This is the former Erie Railroad Depot which is located near downtown Middletown New York.  This Romanesque revival style structure was built in 1896.  Located on Erie Railroad's mainline, it served trains operating between Jersey City New Jersey and Chicago Illinois.  This depot served as a passenger railroad station until 1983 when local rail service was moved to another line.  Today the old depot serves the community as a library.

                              

This Gothic revival style stone structure is the former Stockbridge Massachusetts depot.  It was built in 1893.  The city was originally served by the Stockbridge and Pittsfield Railroad...then the Housatonic Railroad and finally, by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railway.  The latter railroad offered passenger service to Stockbridge until 1968.  The Penn Central Railroad continued to operate the passenger service until 1971.  The building is now owned by the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum.  Their goal is to restore tourist trains to Stockbridge using this depot as its endpoint.

This is the Canaan Connecticut's Union Depot.  This former 'union station', (serving more than one railroad), was built in 1872.  It was at the junction of the Housatonic Railroad and the Connecticut Western Railroad…with the latter acquired by the Central New England Railway.

The depot is located between 2 rail lines.  The depot is in the center of a triangle…actually with tracks on all 3 sides of the building.  The 3-story tower was occupied by the electric telegraph operator.  Each of the 2 90-foot wings of the building were occupied by a railroad company.  The first floor contained a large restaurant to serve passenger, a very important benefit for travelers before dining cars became a common part of passenger trains.

This depot was the terminus of the Woodstock Railroad, a short line that operated over 14 miles of track between Woodstock Vermont and White River Junction where the Woodstock railroad connected with the Central Vermont Railroad.  This 2-story Gothic Revival depot was built in 1885.

I'd originally found information that led me to believe that the depot was completed in 1893 but, this time around I was able to find the correct date as well as this photo looking at the old depot from across the tracks.  Note the 2 horse drawn coaches waiting for the train.  One of them belonged to a local hotel.  Woodstock was a popular tourist destination.

The covered passenger boarding area with its protection against sun, snow and rain is long gone.  The heyday of this rail line was from 1890 to 1915, with the train making 2 trips a day, 6 days a week in either direction.  The 14 mile trip took 40 to 45 minutes.

Things have changed since I took this photo of the former Vergennes combination passenger and freight depot.  When we visited, the depot had been moved closer to Ferrisburgh and restored.  It had been placed adjacent to the local park and ride lot.  Older railroad depots are hard to find across the USA.

Originally built ca. 1851, in its early days it was segregated by sex.  Male passengers entered on the right side and women entered on the left and there were separate waiting rooms.  The center of the building was occupied by an office used by the station master and the telegraph operator.  The station master and his family lived on the second floor which included a kitchen, living room, dining room and bedrooms.

The old depot wasn't in use when we stopped by a few years ago.  There were rumors or talk that it would be repurposed as a visitor's center,  or for office space and perhaps it would include an historical display.

Fast forward a few years and everything has changed.  Between the date of our in person visit, the station has been brought to life again!  As you can see in the first photo, the front of the depot is set up for convenient passenger drop off.  Trackside, a long passenger platform was built.  

When Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express was extended north from Rutland to Burlington Vermont in July of 2022, for the first time in 69 years the Vergennes-Ferrisburgh depot was back in business.  The station is not staffed but it does offer a waiting room.  Amtrak makes one daily round-trip along this route.  In 2023, 3,341 passengers utilized this rail service

This cute little Italianate style brick depot is located in New Haven Junction Vermont.  It was built in the early 1850s.  It was constructed by the Rutland and Burlington Railroad.  That railroad was founded in 1843 and its name was later changed to the Rutland Railroad.  It was the key means of supporting the movement of marble from Vermont's quarries as well as lumber and farm products.  It's now the home of a construction company.

This large brick Romanesque style depot in Rouses Point Vermont was built in 1889 by the Delaware and Hudson Railway.  The Rutland Railroad took over the station and this route in 1901 and passenger service continued until 1953.  After that, the depot was used off and on by different railways until service ceased in 1971.  After being refurbished using Federal and local resources, the depot now serves as the Rouses Point Welcome and History Center. 

Amtrak does serve Rouses Point as a stop along its Adirondack Route between New York City and Montreal Canada.  There are no services offered and there isn't any shelter either...just the boarding platform next to the old depot.  This is a US Border and Customs checkpoint.  In 2023, 287 passengers boarded Amtrak at this location.

This is Burlington Vermont's old Union Station. Located along the Lake Champlain waterfront, this large and impressive Beaux Arts style structure was completed in January 1916.  It was built by both the Central Vermont Railroad and the Rutland Railroad.  This station was last used as a true railway station in 1953...until Amtrak established service here.

This postcard shows what the Burlington Depot looked like at trackside back around 1920.  It was very passenger friendly with boarding available for as many as 3 trains at a time.

A new passenger boarding platform was completed here by 2022 and the Depot now serves as the northern terminus for Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express Service that operates from here to New York City.  Amtrak served 21,150 passengers from this depot (waiting room only) in 2023.  Vermont Railroad's excursion trains also use the same boarding platform.  Space in the depot building is leased to a variety of businesses.

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

Thanks for stopping by for a visit...especially the railroad fans!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Neighborhood Gathering

It had been fairly slow and quiet in the neighborhood lately...but then one of our newer couples decided to host a gathering for residents within a block or two of their home.  The host's home is just a wooded lot (the last one) between their house and our home.  Instructions were to bring chairs.  We also brought coleslaw and 'rainbow' vegetable and pasta salad.

This photo captures the back of the home and the size of the backyard of our hosts where our neighborhood gathering was held.  It was a warm day but between the overhang under the porch and the shaded corner of the yard, it was comfortable for all.

This little West Highland White Terrier is named Sassy and she was the center of attention for much of the evening.  Sassy is our host's dog and she is much loved.  Lots of petting, scratching and loving.  Laurie certainly got her dog fix!

This was the masculine half of our host family.  Since his name is Dave, it's easy for me to remember.  His wife's name is Cheri. (I am terrible with names and always have been) As you can see, Dave also served as the chef for this event.

Most of our neighborhood rests on boulders and rocks, a real challenge for builders.  As you can see, Cheri and Dave made good us of some of the boulders that came from their build site.  Those birds fit nicely in with the rocks and the greenery.

The food...and there was a lot of it...was served on these tables under the screened porch.  For those that are used to me taking a lot of food photos, sorry to disappoint you but with one exception, shown below, I failed my usual routine. 

As a committed carnivore, I had to take a photo of the protein that our host, Dave, had grilled for the group.  As you can see, we had hot dogs, hamburgers and bratwurst.  I can assure you that I definitely got my fill!

I took a couple of photos of the neighborhood group at the gathering but I know that none of the photos included everyone that was there.  Origins of the group range from New Jersey to Illinois to Florida and out to California.

Cheri, our hostess, was the organizer for the gathering.  She planned to have the group play croquet and most of the attendees tried out their skill in this old time lawn game or sport.  Dave (our host) did take a little heat from Cheri for not cutting the lawn a bit shorter.  What the heck, it made the game more challenging for the participants!

FYI, croquet was first played in England way back in 1856.  Today this sport or activity is governed by the World Croquet Federation.  The USA has a related governing body.  There are several recognized types of games that are played and a World Championship does exist.  

So...just how close to Dave and Cheri do Laurie and I live?  See the white showing through the woods.  That is our house.  Like Laurie and me, Cheri and Dave hope that that wooded lot stays as it is.  Unfortunately, there aren't any guarantees that it won't be built on.

Tellico Village and Tellico Lake were developed via the Tennessee Valley Authority's Tellico Project.  Through that project, 22,000 acres were acquired through eminent domain law.  The lake flooded several Cherokee archeological sites and many private land owners and farmers were forced to give up their land "for the public good" and at a "fair price".  Almost 60 years later, some former landowners still resent the land grab.  The resentment was worsened by TVA's sale of much of the land to developers who have long since built the community where we live.

That bit of history ties into the photo of the hole in the ground.  It's on the lot between Dave and Cheri's home and ours.  It's an old well, which probably provided water for a home or farmhouse that sat at or near this site.  For us it was an interesting find.  Another related find was an old concrete highway marker found on a lot just across the street from Dave and Cheri's house.  In the winter when the leaves are off the trees, in our back yard Laurie and I can see where a small road used to exist.  Time marches on...

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

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Off to a Play and Dinner!

 It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon in early September when we picked up our neighbors, Sue and Steve, and then headed west to Crossville Tennessee.  The drive is just a bit over an hour and we'd allowed plenty of time to reach our destination.  We were all looking forward to the day's activities...

Our initial goal for the afternoon was the Cumberland Country Playhouse.  I'm glad that I'd left plenty of time to get to the Theatre, park in an advantageous spot and pick up our tickets.  The timing was tighter than I'd expected as the most direct route to the Playhouse was closed for road repairs.  After trying to find our way with little success, kudos to the young lady in the ticket office who literally stayed on the phone with us and guided us through back streets to the theatre!  Upon arrival, we all relaxed...and Sue and Steve were more than ready to see the play.

As it turned out, Steve reciprocated photo-wise, capturing this picture of Laurie and yours truly...and I was almost smiling too!  By the way, my normal retirement daily attire includes shorts and a t-shirt, preferably a Carhartt.  However, in this case I dressed up!  I wore a collared golf shirt...but it too is a Carhartt.  

By now I'm sure that you have figured out what play we going to see at Cumberland Playhouse... Laurie and I are partial to musicals and we've seen several at this theatre over the last 12 - 15 years.  "Grease" was scheduled for 19 shows and it was so popular that the management added 2 extra shows in order to meet demand.

About half of the performances of "Grease" are matinees.  Afternoon performances attract more groups (churches, clubs, retirement communities, etc.) and the crowds tend to be older.  The main theatre has 500 seats, and as expected, all of them had been sold out.  This indicates that roughly 10,000 patrons attended performances of "Grease".  Photos aren't allowed inside the theater itself...

We all agreed that the music was fine but the flow of the show seemed somehow contrived...didn't really work all that well.  Still, the play was quite enjoyable and the actors were very professional... Cumberland Playhouse featured or will feature 6 other plays on their mainstage in 2024.  They include "Finding Nemo Jr.", Dial M for Murder", "Live...in Living Color", "Anastasia", "Beautiful" (Carole King musical), and "White Christmas".  Other plays are offered in Cumberland Playhouse's Adventure Theater.  In addition several live music concerts are presented every year.  

The Cumberland County Playhouse has been in operation since 1965 and over 5 million people have attended its many plays and shows.  To learn more, go to https://ccplayhouse.com/.

Crossville Tennessee is in the Central Time Zone and we live on the east side of the Cumberland Plateau in the Eastern Time Zone.  It was time for dinner when the play was over and, rather than wait and eat after 7:30 PM or so when we arrived back in our area, we decided to find a place to eat in Crossville.  

Two restaurants were well rated on-line and both expected large parties after the play was over.  The Pour House Bistro said that they would be able to seat our group of 4 if we arrived promptly  after the play.  We had a great parking place at the theater and we made it to the restaurant with time to spare!  I will admit that the shabby front entrance to the restaurant did give me a moment of pause...

The Pour House Bistro was already fairly busy when we arrived...but the big group of 19 that they expected hadn't arrived yet.  I would describe the interior of the restaurant...the bar and the dining area...as country casual, which was just fine with us.  

For an appetizer, Steve chose the Fried Pickle Fries served with a house-made ranch dressing. ($14.00) While Laurie and I have had plenty of fried pickles, they always been in chip form.  Laurie and agreed that this 'French fry' form was very good and it was easier to dip and eat.  

Appetizer options at The Pour House Bistro were somewhat limited in comparison to other restaurants. The others listed are Fried Green Beans, Crispy Brussels Sprouts + Pork Belly and a Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip.

For his dinner, Steve ordered the Carolina Smash Burger. ($15.00) The burger was topped with candied jalapenos, Carolina Gold BBQ sauce, bacon, cheddar cheese and fried onions.  Steve really enjoyed his burger and those crispy fried onions were a great topping.  He really liked the seasoned French fries too...

Sue went for a burger as well.  Hers was the Southern Scarlett Burger. ($15.50) Her burger was topped with a bourbon BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, bacon and fried onions.  Instead of French fries, Sue's side was the house potato chips.

Other hand held creations available at The Pour House Bistro include a Vegetarian 'burger', pork sliders, a Cubano, a shrimp po' boy, a chicken caesar wrap and a seasonal wrap.

Laurie went in a different direction, ordering an item that we hadn't seen on another menu.  This was the Spicy Korean BBQ Steak Tacos. ($13.50) These tacos included steak, the spicy Korean BBQ sauce, Asian style coleslaw, cold pickled cucumbers and carrots.  Other proteins she could have chosen for her tacos were fish, pork, shrimp and mahi mahi.  Depending on the protein chosen, prices ranged from $12.50 to $17.50.

Laurie did enjoy her tacos...especially with all the textures and flavors that enhanced the dish.  The house-made chips were disappointing though.  I tried them myself and they lacked any real flavor and adding salt didn't help.

For me, the burgers were off the menu.  The Pour House only serves burgers medium well or well done.  If it isn't medium rare, its not on my personal menu.  So I wandered over to the restaurant's list of Signature dishes.  I ended up choosing Alexander's Chicken Gnocchi with gnocchi pasta, grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes, rep pepper flakes, and parmesan cream sauce, all topped with goat cheese. ($20.00) I really liked this dish and there was so much food that I ended up taking the leftovers home with me to serve as a breakfast entree...

The list of Signature entrees includes some creative options in addition to the sirloin steak, pork sliders, a Cubano, a chicken tender platter and other usual items.  These more creative items, (here in Tennessee), include Low Country Shrimp and Grits, Cajun Pasta, a Spicy Korean Rice Bowl with protein, white rice and a fried egg.  In addition, there is the Judah Buddha Sushi Bowl and a Coconut Shrimp Bowl.

The Pour House Bistro/Restaurant is located at 42 North Street in Crossville Tennessee.  Phone: 931-456-0066.  This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday through Saturday.  Website: https://www.thepourhousebistro.com/.  

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

Thanks for stopping by to see what we've been up to!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave