A Hodgepodge – Italian, Mexican and Celtic

In this post we visit a local Italian restaurant, a Mexican ice cream parlor and enjoy a loaf of Celtic bread…

This is Vittorino’s, an Italian restaurant that is located in Loudon Tennessee on TN Hwy 72.  Given the Covid-19 pandemic, we hadn’t eaten here in well over a year.  FYI, another Vittorino’s is located in downtown Sweetwater Tennessee.

Vittorino’s in Loudon is located at the end of a strip shopping center.  This allows for plenty of light as there are windows not only across the front of the restaurant, but also along the side.  The impact is that it’s a bright and cheery place with lots of wood décor and furnishings lending warmth to the dining area.  There is an outdoor dining area as well...

This lovely and very tasty appetizer comes with the meals.  Basically it’s pizza dough sprinkled with herbs and parmesan cheese, then baked and served with a nice marinara sauce.

Laurie ordered something new for her.  This was the Veal Pizzalola…slices of veal sautéed with white wine, garlic, olives, capers, herbs and fresh tomatoes served over linguine.  She enjoyed it very much but it was too much food so I had to finish off the remaining veal…

FYI…Vittorino’s offers 14 different specialty pizzas and 15 different calzones in addition to all of the basic pasta offerings including 7 different seafood entrees.  They also serve Pollo Tipico…a rolled flour tortilla with chicken and vegetables covered with cheese.

I ordered one of my usual Italian favorites…the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.  It was good with lots of pasta and chicken, but I would have liked it better if it included a bit of garlic or perhaps more Italian herbs for a pop of flavor.

The Vittorino’s Italian Restaurant in Loudon Tennessee is located at 2761 TN Hwy 72N.  Phone: 865-986-6822. 

After dinner with friends Bob and Teresa one evening, we impulsively decided to stop and try out a new ice cream parlor that had just opened in Lenoir City Tennessee.  This is a La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor, part of a loosely connected chain of ice cream parlors that originated in Mexico and have since spread into the southwestern USA…and now into Tennessee. 

I took this photo as Bob and Theresa were placing their orders.  The interior is bright and cheerful…and they were quite busy.  

Once Bob and I were back outside on the bench in front of La Michoacana, Laurie took this photo of the 2 senior citizens noshing down our cups of ice cream.  Laurie and I thought that the ice cream was good, but it seemed a bit sweeter than we are used to.

As you can see from the photo, this particular La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor is located at 123 East Broadway/US Hwy. 11 in Lenoir City Tennessee.

Since I’m bouncing around as regards types or ethnicities of cuisine, why not end with a 2 lb. loaf of a Celtic bread.  Struan bread was originally created by Celtic peasants, some claim it was in Ireland and others say it was in Scotland.  In any case, it is a harvest bread. 

In Scotland, the tradition was that on the eve of St. Michael’s feast, the oldest daughter in each household prepared the bread from harvest grains.  In this case the House of Douglas Bakery used wheat, oats, bran, bulgur, rice and quinoa but in those early days it probably included barley, wheat, rye and oats, or whatever was available.  After being milled, the grain was soaked in milk.  Usually unleavened, the bread was sweetened with honey…then brushed with a mixture of eggs, cream and butter.  Sometimes it was sprinkled with oats or caraway seeds.

We will tell you that the House of Douglas’ version of Struan bread was just excellent!  It toasted well, held up to ambitious sandwich creations and both the flavor and texture was spot on.  We bought this loaf of goodness at a farmer’s market in Dandridge Tennessee but their bakery/store is at 3323 Cosby Highway in Cosby Tennessee.  Phone: 423-487-4434.  The bakery’s website is at Bakery | House of Douglas Bakery | United States.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave