Food...and Shopping of Course

Just a little shopping mixed in with food and food experiences… Laurie’s sister and her husband were still visiting us for most of the ‘experiences’ shown below.

I’ll start with the shopping portion of this ‘adventure’…and I’ll keep that portion of this post mercifully short.

We started out by going to Grain Bin Commodities in Sweetwater Tennessee.  We explored the bakery and bought goodies that we didn’t need and we also checked out the barn with it antiques and décor items.  Website: https://www.grainbincommodities.com/.  

Then we drove back to the city of Loudon, stopping by The Shoppes on the Square.  Bonnie and Bill bought something but I escaped with zero expense.  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshoppesonthesquare/.

Our final stop on this shopping excursion was at The Good Neighbor’s Shoppe in Lenoir City Tennessee.  This store is a premier resale shop, selling gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, housewares, linens, books, collectibles and furniture at great prices.   Proceeds from this successful and growing, all-volunteer, non-profit store are donated to various charitable organizations in the county…which in turn serves residents in need.  Website: https://www.gnshoppe.org/.  Even I bought something at this store…and we’ve all purchased clothes here…

Now it’s time for some food!

In my post, dated March 17^th, we’d experienced the Black Horse Pub and Brewery for the first time.  We’d enjoyed a nice charcuterie tray and some adult beverages.  This time we decided to return for a casual dinner.  Black Horse was a lot busier this time as we were actually there around dinner time… I should have taken a photo of the expansive outside dining area.  This is a big restaurant with lots of seating options…

Bonnie and Bill both decided to go with different versions of Blackhorse Pub’s burgers.  Bonnie had mushrooms on hers and she went for Onion Rings as her side dish.  Bill decided to order those luscious looking Brussel Sprouts as his side dish…and he was happy he did!

Burger choices range from the “Classic” with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle to the “Volcano” with pineapple-jalapeno jam, peppercorn bacon, pepperjack cheese, fried onion strings and creamy sriracha sauce.  Prices range from $13.00 to $14.95.  Burgers come with one side and there are 12 sides to choose from. 

Laurie has a weakness for a nice Patty Melt…a hamburger with 2 slices of American cheese and sautéed onions on marbled rye bread. ($13.00) Her side was the house made potato chips.  The burger was cooked perfectly and she was a happy camper!

I thought about ordering the “Hangover” burger with bacon, pepperjack cheese, a fried egg, bloody Mary aioli, lettuce, tomato and hold the onions…but I didn’t. 

Instead I strayed from the burger menu over to the Prime Rib Sandwich…thinly sliced prime roast beef with Monterey Jack Cheese served with au jus. ($16.50) For my side, I went healthy…opting for a fruit bowl.  This was a good sandwich.

The menu is not all about hamburgers or even beef.  Other options include dinner salads, a variety of sandwiches, entrees including seafood and steak, a couple of pasta offerings, flatbreads and either specialty or design your own pizzas. 

Our second visit to Blackhorse Pub and Brewery was as enjoyable as the first one.  While I didn’t partake in the brewery side of the pub, the others did…with Laurie really enjoying her Vanilla Cream Ale. ($5.00)

To learn more about Blackhorse Pub and Brewery and to have a look at their menu, just go to Blackhorse - Blackhorse (blackhorsebrews.com).

Now for a couple of meals at home…after Bonnie and Bill headed back to St. Louis.

Here is a simple easy dinner for those who don’t want to fuss over meal prep and clean-up.  The first photo shows the Beef Pot Pie that we purchased from Fresh Market.  The second picture obviously is of a slice or portion of the pot pie.  There is plenty of beef in this pot pie…enough gravy that the fillings are nice and moist…and, of equal importance, the crust on the top and bottom is the sort of crust that we grew up with.

Do you have a Fresh Market near you?  Most of the 160 Fresh Markets are located in the Eastern USA with a few locations in Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.  They are fun to browse looking for special items and treats for the pallet.  Website: https://www.thefreshmarket.com/.

Lucky for me that Laurie can only eat one of the four servings from that beef pot pie!  That meant that there was one serving left.  What to do with it?  Well, I just heated it up in a frying pan with a bit of butter and then dropped a couple of easy over eggs on it!  A fine breakfast indeed…

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave