Dining Out

Texas swagger, wild game, and a well-traveled chef make for a unique experience in an iconic Old City saloon. Story By N. Brooks Clark | Photography by Ethan Smith Appeared in Cityview Magazine, Vol. 42, Issue 5 (September/October 2026) Lonesome Dove Western Bistro occupies the renovated Patrick Sullivan’s Saloon, the red 1888 brick Victorian building with Queen Anne-style gabled roof and turret that once housed a bordello on its third floor and, occupants swear, is haunted by Clara the Ghost. If you aren’t in a…

Trout roe to burrata, the Season’s dining room takes center stage, as Chef Jewell sets a new standard one detail at a time Story by Brooks Clark | Photography by Nathan Sparks Appeared in Cityview Magazine, Vol. 42, Issue 3 (May/June 2026) For longtime Seasons chef and owner Deron Little, his go-to reference was the 933-page Escoffier Cookbook , starting with its words on page one: “Stock is everything in cooking, at least in French cooking.” For Mike Jewell, Seasons’ executive chef since August 2024, it’s T he…

In the quiet of the woods, sophistication takes its seat at the table.

Jim Saunders and Jimmy Loup’s latest venture soars with history, flavor, and flair.

An evening at Matt Gallaher’s Market Square rifugio lets the cuisine shine. There are restaurants that announce themselves with fanfare—brash décor, inflated adjectives, a signature cocktail named after someone’s grandmother. Then there are places like Emilia, which arrive on tiptoe. They settle into the neighborhood not with clamor but with poise, like a houseguest who knows where the wine glasses are kept. You barely notice the moment when the unfamiliar becomes familiar, when a first visit turns into a habit and a…

Seafood is my go-to,” says Fiori co-owner Jesse Vose. “Especially Maine lobster.” His great grandfather Ralph Curtis was a lobsterman in Maine and his father even facilitates the supply blueberry juice from Down East, Maine. Vose grew up in Harrington (pop: 962), a shipbuilding and seafaring town in the region Mainers call “Down East,” whose “aeyah” accent was immortalized by the “Bert and I” record—as in, “The Bluebuhd slithuhred out into the hah-bah.”) When Vose moved to Lenoir City with his mother and stepfather at…

The Kennedy blends the lively atmosphere of a sports bar with an upscale dining experience. Located at the corner of Gay Street and Union Avenue, this historic building has undergone a remarkable transformation. For 34 years, through 2010, it was the elongated Arby’s. Then came the full building renovation and the fancy Café 5, followed by the Blackhorse Pub & Brewery from 2018 to 2023. It now houses a sophisticated yet inviting destination under the ownership of Chad Kennedy of Kennedy Concepts, owners of Puckers…

The Marlowe’s sophisticated vibe lives up to its Raymond Chandler-esque name. The night was as thick as a conman’s promise, and the streetlights of Knoxville’s Central Street flickered like the last gasps of a dying star. We found ourselves standing before The Marlowe, a joint at 1123 North Central Street, the kind of place where the clink of glasses and murmur of low conversations promised a temporary escape from the city’s hard edges. Walking through the arched doorway, we were greeted by an atmosphere that was…

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…