Bistro by the Tracks Bearden brings updated sophistication to the old Orangery building
Everyone comes in with fond memories of The Orangery,” says Bistro by the Tracks Bearden General Manager Will Oakes. “We think we’ve taken this beloved spot to its next progression.”
Owned by local restauranter Randy Burleson, this new location of Bistro opened its doors in late January of this year. The storied building on Homberg Drive that was previously the home of both The Orangery and Kitchen 919 has been completely renovated. Those with memories of the old layout will remember The Orangery’s elegant staircase to the left: the stairs now go off the right, up toward the group dining area used for wine dinners, weddings, and rehearsal dinners. Since that upstairs ballroom was consumed in a fire a few years ago, it is re-christened The Phoenix, having risen from the ashes like the mythical bird.
The walls are decorated with original portraits gathered in two years of combing estate sales. Most are from the 19th century; some appear even older. Though none are identified, the staff, when asked, produce fanciful tales of who a particular visage might be. “We take the liberty of making up stories,” laughs Oakes, who favors colorful pocket squares in a classic “stairs” fold. The pocket square is a nod to his years at Café Boulud in New York City, working for world-famous chef Daniel Boulud. “I always had to wear dark three-piece suits and dark ties,” he says, “The pocket squares were the one way I could show some color.”
Oakes derives some of his savoir-faire from having manned the bar at Chef Daniel’s Bar Pleiades amongst the sophisticated clientele of Fifth Avenue and the Upper East Side. “If you look at the flashback scene in the season three premiere of The Bear,” says Oakes, “that’s Chef Daniel teaching Carmy how to prepare his signature crispy paupiettes of sea bass dish.”
The bar lounge is directly ahead as you enter the restaurant. It’s a club-like space with walls in grey-brown and a dreamy impressionistic mural of mountains and clouds at the rear. Populated with deep leather armchairs tucked into nooks, it’s the perfect place for an intimate chat with friends. This fills a niche that has been missing in Bearden; a chic after-work stop for a drink on the way home. Beware the ultra-deep and comfortable barstools; combined with an inventive cocktail menu, you may linger there longer than you had planned. Ask bartenders Isabelle Cobian and Matthew Cavaliere for a recommendation.
Oakes has brought his mixology expertise to Bistro, developing signature cocktails as well as adapting well-known classics like the Vieux Carré, a rye whiskey, cognac, and bitters tipple. We loved the Jungle Bird with its summery blend of black strap rum, Campari, lime, and fresh pineapple juice. One of the bar’s bespoke cocktails is, of course, The Phoenix made with grapefruit granita, juniper, and sparkling wine. It’s a lovely way to start your evening.
After our refreshing stop at the bar, we were seated in the comfortable dining room which combines tables with banquette seating. Our first course consisted of three outstanding items; the first was an East Coast crudo that combined North Carolina Big Eye tuna with South Carolina peach, basil, and a peanut chili.
Chef John Bryant, who was born in Johnson City, is committed to local sourcing from farms within 150 miles of Knoxville. “When we grew up, everything came out of the garden,” says Bryant. “My parents grew everything—corn, peaches, beans, grapes, berries.”
His SC peach and watermelon gazpacho uses heirloom tomatoes and uses blueberry and a serrano cilantro cream sauce to create a perfect balance of heat and sweetness. Our third choice was a decadent bone marrow with foraged mushrooms, bacon jam, and salsa verde. The miso-buttered toast provided the perfect “crunch” to offset the marrow.
Our group couldn’t help but notice the unique dinnerware at the Bistro. “During the renovation, there were several 200-pound pink marble table tops left over from the Orangery days,” explained Chef John. “We ground it up and Hallyburton Pottery at Rutherford College, North Carolina, and used it to make the glaze on the plates. After all, Knoxville is the Marble City!”
The second course options range from a Farm and Sparrow rye flour gnocchi with mushroom and creamed corn to a lighter summer heirloom tomato salad. Served with grilled peaches, field peas, and fried okra, this tomato salad included a spectacular Siano burrata. This burrata is a premium mozzarella and the ultra-fresh flavor set off the other notes in this salad beautifully.
The entrée menu includes a wide variety of dishes from a classic roasted chicken with white BBQ slaw, Appalachian chow-chow, and a cornbread crumble to a Chatel Farms Waygu Coulotte steak. The Coulotte is a flavorful cut of sirloin particularly suited to grilling and this version is served with a delicious bone marrow butter.
Our group enjoyed the double wood-roasted porkchop. Served with “bloody butcher” grits, sweet corn, chanterelles and pickled watermelon rind, this chop is juicy and tender, thanks to Chef John’s careful brining. These Jimmy Red Corn and Bloody Butcher Corn grits, named for their red-and-white appearance of a butcher’s apron, are from Deep Roots Milling in Roseland, Virginia. (Confession: I’ve already visited the Deep Roots web site and ordered some of these grits and are on the wait list for some of their blue unbolted cornmeal.)
On the day we visited, The East Coast Catch was a North Carolina amberjack. If you are not familiar with amberjack, it is a firm fish similar to swordfish and perfect for grilling. Our fish was caught off Cape Hatteras and comes with pickled okra, creamed corn, and smoked bacon jam.
If you prefer a plant-based option, the Appalachian tabbouleh bowl is made from Marsh Hen Mill’s freekeh, an ancient grain derived from Levantine cuisine. This wheat is roasted and rubbed to create a nuttier flavor than the regular bulgar wheat more commonly used.
We completed our meal with a smoky pecan chocolate with house-made Nutella ice cream that should be illegal, and a blueberry hand pie that will take you back to your childhood summers.
Will Oakes and John Bryant have created a wonderful experience that both honors the past and provides an upscale Bearden restaurant for posterity.