...Time for another short break from our road trip last October that took us through 7 different states. The focus this time is on food...from 3 different restaurants, but also Laurie's new "phone friend" and a new neighbor.
Laurie and I are always looking for quality pizza, something that we have struggled to find here in East Tennessee. (Suggestions are welcome!) For us the best pizza in the area can be found at the Tellico Grains Bakery in Tellico Plains Tennessee. (Lunch Only - website: https://tellico-grains-bakery.com/)
But we've continued to search. FYI, our definition of quality pizza includes the generous use of toppings, a distinctive red sauce and a firm but thin crust. Of course, everyone has their favorite types of pizza... It's a personal preference.
So we recently had a pizza at a 'new to us' restaurant, Corner Pizza. Apparently, it has been in business for a while. Corner Pizza is located at the intersection of US Hwy 11 and US Hwy 70 at the northern edge of Loudon County. We ordered out 'touchstone' pizza, the one we use to compare with others. Italian Sausage and Pepperoni. Corner Pizza's version was very nice indeed. Our mistake was that we went with their standard crust, a bit too thick for our taste, but we failed to note that a thin crust pizza was available. We shall return in the near future for another taste test! Website: https://www.cornerpizzalenoircity.com/.
Recently we returned to another restaurant that we've 'discovered', Sol Azteca, a Mexican Restaurant in Madisonville Tennessee that we really like. We went with another couple and we tried a couple of entrees that we hadn't tried before. Shown above is their Polo Coyoacan, grilled chicken breast topped with chorizo and shredded cheese. It was accompanied by Mexican rice, refried beans with more cheese...and tortillas. Both members our group that ordered this entree were very happy with their meals!
For my entree, I decided to go for the Burrito San Jose. This large burrito was filled with pieces of pork and steak, then topped with chorizo and cheese. As you can see, Mexican rice and refried beans were also included. There was plenty of meat involved but I didn't think that that steak/beef and pork mixture was ideal. Next time I order a burrito it will be all about the steak or perhaps, chicken. FYI, I mixed the chorizo in with the beans and cheese...and it was a very tasty side dish!
Sol Azteca is now our 'go to' Mexican restaurant in the area...and we 10 or more choices within 15 miles of our home. Sol Azteca is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/solaztecamadisonville/.
Now for a bit of cuisine from India. I'd previously written about our positive experience at The Spice Hut in Lenoir City. On this occasion we were accompanied by a couple that hadn't eaten there before, with the male half of the couple planning a photographic excursion to India. He wanted to sample some Indian food so he would have some idea of what he might be eating on his trip.
One of our starters or appetizers was this order of Chili Cheese Naan. Fresh bread/naan with fresh chili and cheese topped with butter and roasted in the clay oven. ($5.99) Everyone seemed to really like this version of naan, but I didn't think that it was very distinctive, more like a cheese pizza and I couldn't really detect any chili flavor.
Our second appetizer was an order of Punjabi Aloo Samosas. Filled with a potato and peas stuffing, these flaky crust creations were served with a tangy tamarind and date sauce. ($4.99) Everyone really enjoyed these treats...with that sauce kicking them up a couple of notches.
I can't recall what this dish was called on the menu. It is Tandoori Chicken with an assortment of vegetables. While the diner who ordered this for dinner did enjoy it, she felt that the amount of chicken served was pretty skimpy.
Looking at the online menu, Tandoori chicken is nowhere to be found. The menu is one of the shortcomings of this restaurant. The online menu doesn't provide descriptions of the majority of offerings listed. The menu provided at the restaurant provides zero descriptions of the dishes, but if you want to take the time and you have a smart phone, you can pull up some information on your phone. This is definitely not customer friendly...and the servers are not very helpful in this regard. When ordering, you are sort of on your own. In the future, I'll just research 2 or 3 Indian dishes on line to determine what I want to order.
Our future traveler to India decided to order the Crispy Honey Chicken. ($16.99) This entree wasn't described on the menu. However, as per an Indian's input on line, this is basically an Chinese style recipe with a sweet flavor and some mild spices...but the Indian version is spicier and has a bit of moderate heat. Note the pickled vegetables. This wouldn't be my choice but Bob has a much broader palate than I do and he did enjoy his meal.
Both Laurie and I went for entrees that we knew and really enjoy. Her choice was the Butter Chicken, or murgh makhani. ($16.99) This Indian dish originated in Delhi India and it is a style of curry that is made with chicken and a spiced tomato and butter sauce. As during our previous visits to The Spice Hut, Laurie was very happy with her dinner!
As is my habit in Indian restaurants, I ordered the Lamb Vindaloo. ($19.99) Basically it consists of chunks of lamb and potatoes with a spicy sauce. It was excellent. Note: All of these entrees come with a large bowl of what I think is basmati rice, in my case great for soaking up all that sauce with chunks of potato or lamb.
Diners at The Spice Hut are offered a level of spicy 'heat' with every entree. The range goes from 1 to 10. Laurie was happy with a 4 and I chose a 7, perfect for my taste.
Do not be deterred by my comments on the menu. The Spice Hut does serve good food...but a little research is needed by diners unless they are familiar with Indian cuisine. Also don't panic when you drive up to the restaurant...which shares a large space with a fireworks store, convenience store and gas station. The restaurant is nicely separated from the rest of the businesses.
The Spice Hut is located at 1204 US Hwy 321 in Lenoir City Tennessee. It's just west of Exit 81 off of I-75. They are open daily for lunch and dinner. Website: https://spicehutind.com/.
Introducing our new neighbor... This is Terry and she just moved into the new home that is located directly behind us in Loudon County. She is a 'crafter' and a retired member of the US Military. A common bond with us is that she's also a collector...of a variety of items she loves. Much to my liking, she counts philately as one of her hobbies. Welcome to the neighborhood Terry and thank you for your service to the USA!
Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...
Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
I am not a pizza fan, and those thick crust one is definitely a no-go for me. However, I must admit that the one from Corner Pizza looks pretty decent. Hiiii Terry, nice to meet you :-)
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