Dining Out

Pasta alla ruota headlines a Tuscan-inspired menu in downtown Maryville. We began our Tuscan journey at Bella in Maryville with one of what would be several specialty cocktails, this one the Venetian Old Fashioned, made with Old Forrester 80, turbinado sugar, bitters, Meletti Amaro, and garnished with a Luxardo cherry “This drink is smoked with cherrywood,” said bar manager Makayla Williams, “which seasons the flavor of the bourbon.” After sampling a few of Bella’s Meatballs Pomodoro and focaccia, it was time for…

STIR artfully combines the vibes of an oyster bar, scratch-made food, and a by-the-stadium watering hole. It’s hard to keep up with developments in the Old City. With the baseball/soccer stadium set to open next spring, STIR is the newest, snazziest, and largest pre- and post-game destination, located on the ground floor of the Stockyard Lofts. “When did that go up?” asked a member of our party, innocently enough. The original STIR restaurant, known for its scratch-made dishes, oyster bar, craft cocktails, and…

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…

Lilou’s Belle Epoque vibe and French cuisine, wines, and cheeses combine for an elegant cultural sojourn A gentle rain falls as the streetlamps cast shadows on the sidewalks and you enter the doors of Lilou, walk past the desk of the boutique Hotel Cleo, and peer inside to see walls covered with gilt-framed paintings. Is that Salvador Dali at the bar? Is that Hemingway arguing with Gertrude Stein at that far table? Walking into Lilou is like a trip to Paris. Co-owner Jessica King spent years collecting…

Anaba offers welcoming authentic Japanese cuisine on Northshore Drive The moment you step inside the doors of Anaba, you’re greeted with a warm “Irasshai,” Japanese for welcome, from the team of chefs behind the sushi bar, led by General Manager Young Woo Cha, 32, who’s been with Anaba for 10 years. “I make sushi. I do everything,” says Cha, who came to the U.S. from Seoul, South Korea, as a boarding student in his sophomore year at the Kings Academy in Seymour, where he was a midfielder in soccer. He then played…

A high-end southern prime steakhouse fills a niche on Northshore Drive Tucson, Arizona, native Mandy Glenn was new to Knoxville when she tasted Fire + Smoke’s prime tenderloin tartare small plate, Japanese kuroge wagyu New York strip, and hand cut beef tallow fries. “I was with an Australian guy who hadn’t had tallow fries in forever,” she says. “I called the next day and said, ‘I want to work here.’” Now an enthusiastic, knowledgeable server, Glenn recently brought on her younger brother Micaiah as a host. Fire +…

Fire & Salt gives Chef Alex Gass a stage for his culinary creativity When you walk into Chef Alex Gass’s Fire & Salt restaurant in Oak Ridge, you are immediately charmed by the staffers’ camaraderie. “It’s a family environment,” says hostess Eden Frazier, whose sister Jayley is a pastry chef. They and a dozen or so others came with Gass from Walnut Kitchen in Maryville. When Gass told them he was starting a restaurant, they said they wanted to be a part of it. It’s an atmosphere reminiscent of the TV series…

Sit back and enjoy Koyo’s multi-course tasting menu At Koyo, on Clinch Avenue just off Market Square, Executive Chef Chris Bowman wants you to experience an evening of carefully curated courses and wines. “Omakase” refers to a succession of dishes selected by the chef paired with tantalizing wines. “You come in and you leave it up to the chefs,” says Beverage Director Stephanie Hunley, whose competitive sommelier spirit was honed as a Lady Vols rower. “We won a Wine Spectator award for our wine list. We have…

Point B is a little bit of Paris in Knoxville Owner Daniel Goss likes to tell both the long and the short versions of the founding story of Point B. The condensed version starts in the dark days of the pandemic lockdown in March 2020, when Goss had to furlough the employees of the Downtown Grill & Brewery, including himself. Some employees asked, “What should we do?” Goss replied, “We’re all at Point A. We’re like ducks. We keep moving forward, and at the end of this, there’s going to be a Point B.” Much as…

Oysters on the half shell and signature cocktails bring NOLA to Market Square The French poet Léon-Paul Fargue wrote, “Eating oysters is like kissing the sea on the lips.” Knoxville’s only raw bar, The Brass Pearl, opened on Market Square in early 2022 with a simple concept: oysters from various regions of the east and west coasts, fresh-caught seafood, hand-crafted cocktails, and “bubbles.” It is a delightful addition to the Square. The interior design with its lofty ceilings, rococo mirrors, and black-and-white…