Symbols of Liberty

Long before Liberty’s beauty would be known to the world, William the Conqueror broke the Saxons in the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and ordered the building of the Tower of London. As she showed me around the iconic London landmark, the…
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Umphrey’s McGee

If you’re strolling along Gay Street on a hot August Knoxville Sunday and get the jones to jam out to some live music, Chicago’s Umphrey’s McGee is your ticket. Known for their funky rhythms and vibrant light shows, and performing a wide…
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Rules of the Road

Dear Knoxonomist: In Washington, DC, my hometown, the drivers are aggressive and awful. You have to sink to their level and act like a crazed maniac just to merge onto the beltway. When I moved to Knoxville, I thought things…
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Danny Wilhoit

Entrée: Pork Two Ways, with gumbo and traditional potato salad. Dessert: Guava Turnover, with cream cheese ice cream and guava sorbet. Danny Wilhoit grew up on a farm in Campbell County, where at an early age family members were…
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Jay Vopatek

Entrée: Slow Roasted Pork Pernil, with plantain, mojo sauce, pineapple sesame salsa, and cilantro. Caribbean BBQ sweet potato chips. Dessert: Tres Leches Cake, with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Jay Vopatek started cooking out of…
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Frank Aloise

Entrée: Braciolini di Manzo, con Couscous di Cavolfiore: Braised stuff beef rolls, with roasted cauliflower couscous. Dessert: Orange and White Cassata Cake, with blood orange gastrique and cardamom-dusted pistachios. For Frank…
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Matt Gallaher

Entrée: Cavatelli alla Bolognese: “little hollows” pasta with Ragú Bolognese of Mitchell Farm beef, Strauss veal, and Heritage Farm pork, with San Marzano tomatoes and pecorino Romano. Tie-3rd Place Dessert: Butterscotch Budino:…
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Mark Davis

Entrée: Milk Braised Pork over sage parmesan polenta, with sautéed romaine and a pine nut gremolata. Tie-3rd Place Dessert: English Sticky Toffee Pudding. Mark Davis got his start in the field while at college in North Carolina:…
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