Willie’s Italian Restaurant – Update!

We haven’t been back to Willie’s Italian Restaurant in a while.  Just too much going on… However, a couple of weeks ago, our friends Martha and Irv told us that they wanted to make the trip for some Italian food.  We jumped at the opportunity!

Willie’s Italian Restaurant is located on Highway 411 in Seymour Tennessee.  It’s about an hour drive from our home…but, in our opinion at least, it’s well worth the effort!  Note: It was Tuesday at about 6:30 PM when we arrived at the restaurant.  We got a table, but Willie’s was packed from the time we got there until we finished and headed home…

Since I’ve reported on Willie’s before, my primary feedback this time, will relate to the meals that Martha and Irv ordered…and that I’ve never commented on before.

Martha ordered the Eggplant Parmesan.  This is described on the menu as fresh eggplant lightly breaded and baked with marinara sauce and both melted mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  As with all entrees at Willie’s, her meal came with garlic knots, (rolls), and a tossed side salad.  The price for this meal…and she took some home for later enjoyment…was $7.95.

Martha told us that she really enjoyed her dinner…and then she tasted Laurie’s Lobster Ravioli…and reported that the ravioli was even better than her entrée!

Irv chose the Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara…chicken and shrimp in Willie’s recipe cream sauce with bacon and roasted red peppers.  Lots of flavor and just enough spice…Irv finished it all, (except for a little he shared with Martha), and he proclaimed it to be excellent.  Martha agreed with him… This entrée cost $10.95.

As I noted above, Laurie ordered her usual Lobster Ravioli…also $10.95.  She practically licks her plate clean every time she has this dish.  I decided to revert to the first entrée I’d ever ordered at Willie’s, the Shrimp Fra Diablo.  I ordered it spicier…and it was perfect.  It comes with 8 shrimp…and a terrific sauce…for just $8.95!

During this visit, Willie's had extra help working the tables.  It was a fund raiser for a local church's vacation bible school and the kids got to take home all of the tips!  With the help of the regular wait staff, service was great and all of the kids were very polite & friendly indeed.

For more information and photos of the entrees available at Willie’s Restaurant, just check out my following blog entries: “Guns & Pasta” – December 2010; “Back to Willie’s” – November 2010; “Real Deal Italian” – August 2010, and; “Italian From Queens” – July 2010.  We have now taken family and 6 different couples with us to Willie’s...plus 2 or 3 visits on our own.   Every visit has been a winner!  We just wish that Willie’s was located nearer our home…

Willie’s Italian Restaurant is located at 11612 Chapman Highway, (US Rte. 411), in Seymour Tennessee.  Phone: 865-773-0170.  For a look at the menu, (click on the small menu images), just go to http://dininginthesmokies.com/_seymour/willies_restaurant_seymour_tn.htm

Cats Who We’ve Lived With…

Since Laurie and I have been together 33+ years now, we’ve been allowed to live with a number of cats.  We learned long ago that cats rule and we are just kept around to feed them and to admire their intelligence and good looks.

This is Max… He allowed Laurie to take me in despite the fact that I was much older than she and I was working in the retail business.  He loved people & was a very sweet cat.  Max liked to be with his people and at night he would sleep under the covers between us.  It was definitely his house!  Max was a Burmese and he was the only purebred cat we’ve been allowed to live with… 

Fluffy was our second cat.  She adopted us when Laurie visited a no-kill shelter in the northern suburbs of Chicago.  Laurie was looking for a short-haired cat that loved sitting on your lap & as she passed Fluffy’s cage, she put her little paw out and grabbed Laurie’s hand… So Laurie took her out of the cage and Fluffy jumped into her lap.  A true lap sitter if ever there was one!  So instead, she settled for a long-haired lap sitter!  (Cat’s pick you, you don’t pick them!)

Fluffy’s favorite treat was corn on the cob…Yes!   She’d eat it right off the cob!  Not just the butter and salt either…  It was the funniest thing to watch!   She’d make these little growling noises and wouldn’t stop till all the corn was off the cob!  We’ve never seen anything like it since, with any of our other cats…

This is Lhasa.  I found her in our back yard on a spring day.  She obviously wasn’t used to being outdoors and given that fact, she allowed us to give her our house to live in.  She was a very sick cat when we found her, but after a number of visits to the vet, she was all well again!  She let us stay in the house as her caretakers.  I guess we passed the test.

Lhasa loved laps, although not quite as much as Fluffy did.  She always had this regal look…with those piercing blue eyes…and she acted like royalty too!  She almost only drank out of a running faucet.  She would follow Laurie into the bathroom each morning & jump on to the vanity so she could get a fresh drink of running water.  She was Laurie’s little shadow! 

Lhasa’s favorite treat was ‘buttered popcorn’. (Not corn on the cob...but close)  She begged for it whenever we made it!  That was the only treat she liked other than catnip.  She was a very sweet little girl!

This is Hank, affectionately called Hank the Tank.  He was a big boy, long enough to put his front paws on the dining room table and look over the top to see if it was worth his effort to jump up… He also topped out at 27 lbs, hence his nickname…

He was the only cat we had that would ‘sort of’ walk on a leash.  He loved to go outside and would get really excited when we put his harness on him!  We would walk around for a bit …then Hank would lie down & have us “drag him” up & down our driveway.  He just liked the feel of the rough concrete on his fur.  He would actually meow until we dragged him some more!  When he had enough, he would get up & walk back into the house or just lay there in the sun.  Hank was a very odd boy… but he was probably the most interesting cat we’ve been privileged to live with. 

This was Hank's favorite easy chair.  It had accompanied him when he took over our home after being forced to leave his lair at my mother’s home in Michigan. 

We already had two cats, Fluffy & Lhasa, when Henry, (aka Hank) arrived.  Even though Hank was so much bigger than Fluffy, she stilled ruled the house!  Fluffy would whack Hank as she passed him, just for good measure!  Once in a while, he’d reach out and whack her too…knocking her head over paws.  She’d just get up and keep walking like nothing had happened.  It was so funny to watch them all interact!

Here both Lhasa and Hank are helping me pay the bills and sort out some miscellaneous paperwork.  They considered my efforts a waste of time as I should have been totally focused on their pleasure.  Hello!?! Of course I should!

Hank really liked the morning paper…not!  He would get up on Laurie’s lap just to make it more difficult for her to check out what was going on in the world.  If he stayed too long, her legs would get numb and maybe then, she would put down that paper and pay homage to Hank!

This is Buddy…trying to fit his 17 lbs. and large frame into a standard cat bed. 

After Hank died at the age of 16…the house felt so empty.  So Laurie went out to search for another cat who might be willing to adopt us.  Our local feed store told her about a cat that is always being passed up for adoption because he was 4 ½ years old.  So she went to see Buddy and she fell in love right away!  He took over our home in a matter of hours and he allowed Laurie to sleep right next to him.  

Here Buddy is checking over my paperwork after another hard day at the office earning just enough money to keep him living in the style to which he was accustomed.  You may notice that I tried to mirror his stoic look for this photo in order to please him…

Buddy was a very entertaining boy.  He did his best to make us laugh!  He was great at picking up on house guests that hated or feared cats!  He’d go right to them and jump on their laps!  He was a hoot!  We miss him a lot. 

The final irony…?  A couple of months after Buddy went to that scratching post in the sky, we went to visit some friends at their home.  They have a nice cat who let us pet him and tell him just how handsome he is… Laurie started sniffling and coughing…plus a little difficulty breathing.  Guess what?!  After all of these years, we discover that she’s allergic to cats!  Whether or not we allow ourselves to be adopted by another cat is directly related to just how much Laurie is willing to suffer…

Note: This blog was co-authored by Laurie, my better half!

Romeo’s House of Pizza (1st Glance)

The other day, we were out and about and we decided that we could go for some pizza.  We’ve tried a few places for pizza in Knox, Monroe and Loudon Counties over here in East Tennessee.  Since we’re still not enamored with any of them, we’re still looking around.  Laurie thought about a place we’d never tried…Romeo’s House of Pizza in Loudon.

Romeo’s always seemed fairly busy when we drove past it on TN Hwy. 72 and, contrary to this photo, they had a nice steady stream of customers, many for pick up, while we were there.   The delivery business was bustling too…

Laurie took this photo right after we sat down… The restaurant was clean and the décor is about what you might expect for a family centered pizza/pasta business.  The employees were very nice and everyone was friendly and efficient.

We ordered our usual pizza…pepperoni and sausage.  Nice looking pizza, isn’t it?  Pizza is one of those dishes…much like BBQ…about which everyone has an opinion!  Thin crust, thick crust, crispy, doughy, stuffed, deep dish, sweet tomato sauce, spicy sauce, clam sauce, etc.  In this case, the crust was moderately thin and crispy…our preference.  Laurie liked the pizza, pointing out that it was better than others that we’d tried in the area.  I thought it was good…but the sauce, spices and meat didn’t pop with flavor that I’d hoped for.  Still, I agreed with her…it’s better than some of the others in the area and Romeo’s deserves a second visit…perhaps to try a small Meat Lover’s Pizza…with ham, pepperoni, meatballs, sausage and Genoa salami!   

So, on our second visit, we’ll have to try one other item from the menu as well.  Perhaps we’ll have a Grinder (14 varieties), a cheese steak, a hamburger, a wrap, a calzone or a even a dinner.  Dinners include garlic bread and a side salad.  Options include Baked Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan, Veal Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan or Baked Ravioli.  Spaghetti and Baked Rigatoni are also available.

On a budget?  This is the place for you and the family!  Our large 2 topping pizza cost a whopping $11.00… That Meat Lover’s Pizza that I mentioned…it’s only $9.05 for a small and only $12.80 for a large pizza!  Except for the wraps, all sandwiches can be ordered in large or small sizes. 

Romeo’s House of Pizza is located at 1562 Highway 72 in Loudon, Tennessee.  Note: They deliver as far east as the south end of Tellico Village.  Romeo’s is open Sunday – Thursday from 11 AM to 9 PM and Friday - Saturday from 11 AM to 10 PM.  Phone: 865-458-1343 or 865-458-1344.

We will visit Romeo’s again and try a couple of other menu options.  Of course, when that happens, we’ll share our photos and our feedback.  Have a great day!

Ships from the Past (Part 2)

Recently, while going through my parent’s photos, I ran across a handful of old ship photos.  My mother, Elizabeth, was widowed when my dad, Ronald, was killed in action right at the end of WWII, and they’d only had a few years together.  My mother always told me that despite the fact that I only knew my father for a couple of years, but as adults, we have a lot in common.  These included trip planning and exploration, a love for geography and an interest for boats and ships. 

My dad took these photos sometime between 1938 and 1942.  The actual photos are tiny but they are interesting.  This looks like some kind of ferry boat crossing one of the Great Lakes. 

This next photo is of a barge and a tug or canal push boat…I can’t even guess where in Michigan this might have been taken.

I kept looking for photos, hoping to find some pictures where the ships being photographed could actually be identified. 

I came across two photos taken by my stepfather, Hugh Thomson, in about 1952… He had wanderlust as well!  It sticks in my mind that these ship photos were taken in New Brunswick Canada.  Above is a photo of my mother, myself and my little brother, Robert posing in front of a derelict schooner.

These photos were from our pre-interstate highways and 'pre-motel' trek from Michigan up through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to Sidney.  Hugh had emigrated here as a youth with his family, then he worked in the nearby coal mines.  On our return journey, we drove back down through the USA to Michigan.  It was 2-lane highways and cabins all the way.

My stepfather and my mother were both artists.  Based on the nice composition of this photo, I’m sure that Hugh intended to paint this picture.  I don’t think that he ever did though… 

This is another photo from our Canadian trek… I’m not sure what’s going on the deck of the ship…but it’s possible that Hugh caught someone in "flagrante delicto".

Then I finally got lucky!  My dad Ron had collected this photo of the S.S. Alabama in the Duluth Minnesota/Superior Wisconsin harbor.  So I went on the Internet to see what I could find about this ship. 

Not bad!  This is a publicity shot of the S.S. Alabama…on the Isle Royale Route for the Chicago, Duluth and Georgian Bay Transit Company.   This ship was built by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in 1906.  She was 275’ long with a 46 ½’ beam.  The Alabama drew 17’ 1” of water and was powered by 3 coal burning Scotch Marine Boilers generating 2,200 horsepower.   

The original owner was the Goodrich Transit Company.  That company went bankrupt in 1933.  In 1946, the Georgian Transit Company sold the Alabama for conversion to barge service.  Her top was cut off…and in 2005, her remnant hulk was towed to LaSalle Ontario and it was scrapped.

This next photo of my dad’s was even more interesting… Although it was a small photo, I could make out the name of one of the ships moored dockside above.  It was the S.S. South America.

I had no trouble finding this photo on the Internet.  This is the South America in its prime, en-route to some port on the Great Lakes.  This ship was built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works in 1913 and it was launched in 1914.  She was 314’ feet long with a 47’ beam.  She drew 18’ of water and her power plants were identical to those of the S.S. Alabama. 

This ship caught fire in 1924 in its winter lay-up at Holland Michigan.  The upper works were then rebuilt and she was converted to oil.  The South America was retired from service in 1967, with a last run to Montreal that same year for the World’s Fair.

In 1968, she was sold to the Seafarer’s International Union for use as a dorm and classroom for the Union’s school of seamanship.   She was towed to Camden New Jersey where she failed her Coast Guard inspection.  She never left Camden for her destination in Piney Point Maryland.  Instead, she rotted at her mooring in Camden and was finally scrapped in 1992.

And then I found this photo on the Internet, updated by a few years but virtually the same scene as photographed by my father.   Here we have the S.S. South America and her sister ship, the S.S. North America.  The North America was a year older than the South America.  She too had been purchased by the Seafarer’s Union but in 1967, while in tow to her berth in Maryland, she sank northeast of the Nantucket Light.  She was located in 2006…140 miles off the coast in 250’ of water.

All three of these Passenger Liners were operated by the Georgian Bay Transit Company.  They operated on regular seasonal schedules between Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Mackinac Island, Chicago and Duluth.  The S.S. South American and the S.S. Delta Queen were the last two long distance cruise ships operating under the United States flag.  Today, only the Delta Queen flies the US flag and it continues to operate after major refitting and under special exemption from the Coast Guard.

Have a great day! 

Another Regional Chain Restaurant – FATZ

On our recent trek down to Charleston, despite our normal driving habits, we stayed on the expressways. (aka. freeways or superslabs) We wanted to arrive in Charleston with enough time left in the day to easily find our hotel and still have enough daylight to drive around town and get familiar with where the key old town attractions were located. 

Still, it’s a fairly long day from the Knoxville area to Charleston… When we needed to take a break and grab something to eat, we pulled off of I-26 in Spartanburg South Carolina.  We checked out the usual fast food and sit-down chains and then Laurie spotted FATZ… We’d never heard of this restaurant before and we do like trying something new when possible. 

I don't know why, but I stuck with one of life’s basic foods…a cheeseburger.  We had promised ourselves that we would order burgers the way they would normally come…so we’d have more representative photos.  But, once again, habit took control and I ordered the burger minus the lettuce, tomato, red onion and, unintentionally, also the dill pickle chips.  This was my cheeseburger…and I had mayo on the side.  The buns at FATZ are buttered and toasted and the beef is never frozen…always a plus!  I'd rate the burger as very good…juicy and flavorful. 

There were a total of 7 different burgers on the menu, plus a turkey burger.  In addition, there are 7 other sandwiches available plus 3 different soups and 8 salads ranging from a dinner salad to entrée salads.

(Note: There are also 10 Lite Items on the menu for the health conscious diner.  In addition, all fried foods are fried in 100% canola oil)

I ordered a side salad to accompany my cheeseburger.  I didn't eat the French fries as carbs tend to put me asleep while I'm driving. (I did try one and it was a decent fry) The salad was larger than expected and as Laurie wasn't crazy about her slaw, we shared the salad.  In addition to the greens, the salad comes with shredded carrots, cucumbers, jack and cheddar cheese, warm applewood smoked bacon and vine-ripened cherry tomatoes.  Then I smothered it with FATZ own bleu cheese dressing.

Every time I order a salad like this, I can’t help but think about two of the guys I worked with during my career.  Pete would freak out if they brought him a salad with croutons on it and John swore that he’d never eat moldy cheese!  My mind works in strange and mysterious ways…I haven’t worked with Pete in 25 years…

This was what Laurie spotted on the menu that she wanted to try… This is FATZ Calabash Chicken.  She ordered the aforementioned cole slaw with it as a side and although she didn't care for it, I thought it was decent and I ate part of it.  

The Calabash Chicken is described as chicken ‘tenders’ marinated for 24-hours, then hand breaded to order.  Honey mustard sauce is provided for dipping.  While I’ve never come to grips with terms such as ‘tenders’ or ‘strips’ or even ‘boneless’  chicken wings for that matter, Laurie and I both agreed that FATZ Calabash Chicken was a very tasty winner!  While we’ve had better fried chicken, this would rank right up there and between the marinade and the batter they use, plus the dipping sauce, the taste was unique in a good way. 

Other items on the menu include 11 different appetizers, 5 steak, rib and chop items with 4 different toppings, 9 seafood entrees, (including shrimp and grits as well as parmesan encrusted basa), 7 chicken dishes and fifty (50) lunch combos for only $5.99 each. 

Admittedly, we’ve only been to FATZ once…but based on this first try, we’ll be back and we’d recommend FATZ to other travelers pending our next meal and commentary.  Service was prompt and, as shown above, the ambiance was friendly and warm.  We’re not sure about the name "FATZ" in this increasingly diet focused environment… It certainly runs counter to current culture.

FATZ is a regional chain of 48 restaurants based out of Taylor’s South Carolina. The parent company is Café Enterprises, Inc.  FATZ restaurants may be found in South Carolina, North Carolina, western Virginia, northeastern Tennessee and north Georgia.  For more information, check it out at www.fatz.com.

McCormick SC - That Name Seems Familiar!

As we cruised the back roads of South Carolina on our way back from Charleston, we came up the west side of the state, driving through what is sometimes referred to as the ‘Old Ninety-Six”.  I came up with the route by reading about the area in 2 of National Geographic’s books, “Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways” and “America’s Hidden Corners”.  The term, “Old Ninety-Six”, comes from the name of a strategic fork in the Cherokee path that was located 96 miles south of the Cherokee capital of Keowee.

There are several towns in the “Old Ninety-Six” area of the state… These include Abbeville, Edgefield, Due West, McCormick and yes, Old Ninety Six.  We focused on the town of McCormick primarily because it’s one of Laurie’s family names. 

The town of McCormick was actually named after Cyrus Hall McCormick, the inventor and industrialist who invented, manufactured and marketed the first mechanical reaper.  The town’s general layout was developed by McCormick’s wife, Nettie.  She even named many of the streets.  Fire destroyed most of the main part of town in 1884.  Also in 1884, the McCormick Academy was built as a contribution to the town.  Cyrus never visited this town that was named after him but Nettie maintained an interest in McCormick for many years after his death.

This is a view of Main Street in McCormick.  Fires destroyed parts of the old downtown during the 20^th century and from what I’ve read, about 2 blocks in the business district have been lost.  One stop that might prove satisfying is Stern’s Drug Store, which features a turn-of -the century soda fountain.

The town is built on land previously owned by William B. Dorn who discovered gold here back in 1852.  Mr. Dorn had purchased the land from Dr. John Wardlaw Hearst…yes indeed, a relative of the Hearst family.  Cyrus Hall McCormick subsequently bought the land from Dorn.  Cyrus couldn’t make much of a profit on mining so he donated 40 acres of land for a town to be built.   Then he pushed the Augusta and Knoxville Railroad as well as the Savannah Valley Railroad to intersect their tracks at “his” new town.  He owned considerable stock in both railroads…

The town was one of the first planned towns in the USA.  McCormick was incorporated as a ‘dry’ town and it remained alcohol free for over 100 years.  The town also has the distinction of being the only one built over a gold mine.  Incidentally, mine tours are available as is the opportunity to pan for gold.  The mine operated until the 1930’s.  For more information, go to www.heritagegoldmine.com or call the visitor’s center at 864-852-2835.

McCormick is a very relaxing and laid back little town.  This is a view across the railroad tracks that run right though the center of town. 

The Dorn family had some staying power.  Following their success with the gold mine, the family built the Dorn Mill and Gin in 1898.  Milling continued until the 1940’s and the cotton gin operated into the 1050’s.  The family also owned a local lumber yard.  The 2 and ½ story mill still stands, with the original steam engines and equipment in place.  For more on this historic property, including some definitive photos, go to http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/mccormick/S10817733003/index.htm.

This is the old railroad depot at one end of Main Street.  It was built by the Charleston and Western Railway in 1910 to replace an earlier station that had burned down.   It’s been restored and maintained and it’s now being occupied by a retail operation named “Hobo Consignments”.   In its heyday, 8 trains stopped in McCormick per day… For more information check my Blog on 5/18/11 entitled “South Carolina – Railroad Depots along the Way (#2)”.

This is Fannie Kate’s Country Inn.  It’s right across the tracks from ‘downtown’ McCormick.  Fannie Kate’s operated as an Inn and Restaurant from 1882, beginning with the coming of the railroad, until 1974.  It was reopened in 1995.   For more information on Kate’s, go to my Blog from 5/6/11 entitled “Great Burger!! (McCormick SC)” or go to www.fanniekates.com.  One other thing about the Inn…it is reputed to be haunted!

Another attraction in McCormick is the J.J. Dorn house.  It was built in 1917 and is currently owned by the town of McCormick.  It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.  The first floor museum depicts the life-style of wealthy Southerners at the turn of the century.  This was the home of Joseph Jennings Dorn, a former Senator from South Carolina.  Unfortunately, we didn’t take a photo of the Dorn home…more at the end of this blog...

This is the former Hotel Keturah, the third hotel in town built to handle all of the travelers passing through on the railroads.  The original hotel was built in 1883 by William J. and Mary Keturah Connor.  It burned down in 1910 and the building pictured above replaced the original hotel.  This building now houses the McCormick Arts Council at the Keturah (MACK)

Note: The McCormick Arts Center displays many high quality pieces of art and craft items for sale. (Laurie picked up a little Anniversary gift for herself!) For more on the McCormick Arts Center, as well as 2 nice photos of the building, check it out at http://www.the-mack.org/.

McCormick South Carolina is fairly well isolated from big city influences.  It's 40 miles...over an hour north of Augusta GA on US 221 or; 53 miles south of Anderson on SC Rte. 28 or; 77 miles west of Columbia on US 378.

You do get the feeling that you are visiting a little bit of a time warp… I did read one piece on McCormick which equates that feeling to a negative time in history.  In any case, Laurie and I liked her little ‘namesake’ town!  For more information on McCormick and it’s attractions, including a nice photo of the J.J Dorn house, go to http://mccormickscchamber.org/attractions.php?silverheader=2. 

Bonefish Grill - Knoxville TN

We belong to a large “Dining Out” group.  Typically, once each month, 54 to 60 + neighbors from our village descend on a local restaurant.  We’d personally like to focus on truly local restaurants instead of the big chains, but at least the quality of chain restaurants is consistent.  That consistency does minimize any complaints from the group. 

The cocktail hour prior to dinner includes pre-event negotiated ‘happy hour’ pricing for the drinks.  These cocktail and dining events provide an opportunity to meet new people and to socialize with our friends. 

For the second time in two years, our ‘Dining Out’ Group paid a visit to Bonefish Grill in the Turkey Creek Shopping Center.  Our dining experience in 2010 was a success and the sign-up sheet for the repeat performance for this spring was totally full in about 35 minutes.

Laurie and I decided to order an appetizer.  Our choice was the “Bang Bang Shrimp”.  The crispy fried shrimp are served in a creamy spicy sauce.  This was a great appetizer!  Other interesting appetizers include Beef and Ginger Dumplings, Edamame (steamed and seasoned) and Ahi Tuna Sashimi.  There are a total of 10 appetizers on the menu.

For her entrée, Laurie ordered the Longfin Tilapia in a lemon butter sauce.  It was accompanied by sautéed zucchini and Potatoes au Gratin… She was very pleased with her meal!  Other seafood entrees include Grouper, Sea Bass, Atlantic Salmon, Scallops & Shrimp, Rainbow Trout (grilled or stuffed Imperial style), Ahi Tuna, Cold Water Lobster Tails and, Diablo Shrimp Fettuccine.  Bonefish Grill will prepare your grilled seafood with chimichurri, mango salsa, pan Asian sauce or lemon butter.

I decided against seafood…a little weird in a seafood restaurant…but hey, I wasn’t in the mood!  Instead, I chose Lily’s Chicken…chicken breasts grilled and topped with goat cheese rounds, spinach and artichoke hearts in a lemon basil sauce.  The sautéed squash was accompanied by herbed jasmine rice.  The chicken dish has tons of flavor…how can you go wrong with goat cheese and artichoke hearts in a lemon basil sauce!! 

Bonefish Grill also offers steaks, chicken marsala, a pork chop, a variety of sandwiches, 4 salads, a soup and 7 side dishes.  Prices range from $8.90 for shrimp or fish tacos up to the lobster tails at $27.00.

Service was friendly and efficient…especially when you consider that there were about 60 of us ordering and eating a one time.  We did note one gaffe though… After dinner, the servers just handed out the bills…there was no inquiry if we wanted coffee or dessert.  We would have ordered coffee and at least one dessert to share.

The food at Bonefish Grill is very nice…quite tasty in fact.   The ambiance is warm and casual.  We will return on our own.  The restaurant is located at 11395 Parkside Drive in Knoxville Tennessee.  Phone: 865-966-9777.  Website: http://www.bonefishgrill.com/our-menu/.