Restaurants Archives - Page 10 of 49

Puleo’s Grille (Ooltewah, TN)

August 31, 2016

Puleo’s Grille is a small, regional chain (5 restaurants) based in Knoxville, TN. Their newest location is located in Ooltewah, TN.

A few months ago, Philip came home from his job at Sigler’s Craft Beer & Cigars and handed me a business card. The card was from a guy who worked at Puleo’s Grille who had come into Sigler’s looking for advice about what craft beers to include on their beer list the new location they were getting ready to open off of Exit 11 in Ooltewah. Philip had mentioned that his wife was a food blogger and the guy gave him his card.

Honestly, I thought up to that point that Puleo’s Grille was a large chain. I ate there once in Knoxville several years ago and didn’t realize that it was a very small, regional chain. The Chattanooga location is only their fifth location. They opened at the beginning of the summer, but we generally try to give places a few months to hit their stride before we go in. This past weekend, we decided that we’d given Puleo’s Grille long enough and headed to check it out.

We arrived at Puleo’s Grille around 4 p.m. on Saturday, so it was between the lunch and dinner rush and we were seated immediately. It took a few minutes for our server, Victoria, to check in with us, but I got the impression that they were having a quick server meeting in the back, as all the servers seemed to come into the dining area at once.

Victoria was very attentive after that. She got our waters (Philip also ordered a Schneider Weisse beer) and suggested the fried green tomatoes. We had been considering the fried green tomatoes and the fried pickles, and Victoria recommended the fried pickles, which are a Puleo’s Grille specialty. The fried green tomatoes are served with stone ground cheese grits and country and tasso gravy. The tomatoes themselves had a light cornmeal coating. The grits were very thick (as you can see from the fact that they stayed in the “scoop” shape) but that worked well with the tomatoes, as I was initially concerned that the grits might make the fried green tomatoes soggy. The tasso gravy was a little spicy and smoky, and the country gravy cream with just a hint of sausage. I thought it all worked really well together.

I immediately saw the fish tacos and initially thought I would order those, then I saw the fish and chips and I was torn. Then I saw the chicken penne pasta (grilled chicken, penne pasta, baby spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms in a Parmesan cream sauce) and I was really torn. I asked Victoria for her recommendation between the fish and chips and the chicken penne pasta and she told me that those were her two favorite dishes, but ultimately she would choose the fish and chips.

The fish was not your typical beer battered fish that you would expect with fish and chips. The coating was more of a light breading with the slightly pebbly texture of cornmeal. The inside of the fish was very tender and moist, and the garlicky dill caper remoulade was a nice complement. I also liked the Napa cabbage slaw, which also contained shredded carrots, diced green peppers, fried noodles, and sunflower seeds in a light vinaigrette. The fries were pretty average restaurant fries – pretty sure they were frozen. Good not great.

Philip was craving a burger, so he settled on the fairly pedestrian bacon cheeseburger, hickory grilled and topped with Applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion, and also served with fries. His comment was that he probably should have gotten something else – not because the burger was bad but because it was just a basic burger, nothing special, and he probably should have gotten something more interesting for blog purposes.

By the time we left around 5:00, the crowd was picking up. In its location right by Interstate 75 and in a town that’s still relatively short on restaurants will definitely keep their business up as long as they continue to serve decent food. I didn’t find that what they were serving was really all that innovative or interesting, but it definitely tasted good and I guess that’s ultimately all that matters. Our food total was $34.93 ($9.99 for the cheeseburger, $12.99 for the fish & chips, and $8.99 for the fried green tomatoes) so right in the same ballpark as similar restaurants – chain or not. Victoria was a great server and we enjoyed talking to her, and the atmosphere is nice. We will go back.

Check out Puleo’s Grille and let me know what you think.

Puleo’s Grille is located at 6108 Artesian Circle, Chattanooga, TN (just off of exit 11). If you go to the first light past their location, you will see a sign to turn in (there’s a turn-in closer to the restaurant but it’s a little inconveniently located). They are open Sunday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. You can call them at 423-803-2271. You can check out their website, puleosgrille.com, like Puleo’s Grille Chattanooga – Ooltewah on Facebook, or follow @puleosgrille on Twitter.

Main Street Meats

August 24, 2016

Main Street Meats, AKA the place with Chattavore’s #1 burger, serves amazing food AND provides great local meats in their butcher shop.

My birthday was a week ago, and because life has been very busy with school starting, I re-shared my Top Ten Burgers in Chattanooga (According to Chattavore) last Wednesday. That was my birthday, too, coincidentally, so the burger post was pretty fitting. Burgers are my A-1, superstar, perfect food, the thing that I could eat at least once a week (along with tacos. And queso. Always queso.). I knew when I shared it that a visit to Main Street Meats was in order this weekend (we stuck around suburbia and got a free birthday burger and a mojito at Ruby Tuesday on my actual birthday. There’s a lot to be said for free.).

I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t been to Main Street Meats since it was taken over by Erik Niel of Easy Bistro fame, though we went lots back when it was butcher shop that happened to serve some sandwiches at lunch time. I’ve been wanting to go back for quite some time now, but new restaurant posts usually take precedence over “revisit” posts, though one could really consider this a new restaurant post since it’s essentially a totally different spot than when I first wrote about it. The seating area is small and was pretty packed when we arrived around noon (maybe a little after) on Saturday and were shown the available seats by a hostess. We chose to sit at a little bar in the back of the restaurant and were quickly greeted by our server, Meri (great name!) who filled our water and took Philip’s order for a Stiegl Radler (Stiegl-Goldbräu and grapefruit soda), which he’d never seen on tap ($4).

We have been on a bit of a pork rinds jag lately (we cannot go to Merv’s without having them, and we had some at Clyde’s last weekend – highly recommend), so we decided to continue the streak and order the pork rinds ($4). I assume that, just like everything else at Main Street Meats, the pork rinds are fresh and come from pigs raised locally. They were definitely fresh out of the fryer, crackling from being exposed to the air on their ascent from the fryer, dusted with hot smoked paprika and something just a little sweet (I couldn’t put my finger on the flavor) and served with a spicy harissa aioli. They were delicious but left my lips tingling from all the spice!

I couldn’t order anything but the burger. It just wouldn’t have been right, not this time anyway. The BLT did look tantalizing, but the classic Local Beef Burger (formerly known as the Ryan, for Ryan Coulter, who created the burger back in the old days) was the order of the day for $10. I added fries on the side ($5, maybe a little pricey, but more than enough to share). The burger, customarily served at medium temperature (they will cook it to a more “done” temperature if you want, but this is meat I trust, so I’m good with medium) is served on a wheat bun with mustard, mayo, house pickles, Gruyere cheese, house bacon, and caramelized onions. It’s quite possibly the juiciest burger I’ve ever laid eyes on (or teeth into), but somehow it manages to hold together. The rich flavors from the bacon, cheese, and onions are the perfect complement for the amazing, dry-aged local beef that makes up the burger patty. It’s burger heaven, or burger nirvana, or something. The fries are not your average fries…they’re sliced crosswise from the potatoes, so they look like chips, but they just aren’t as crispy as chips. They too were delicious.

Though the Bánh Mi ($11), with its head cheese, mortadella, and liverwurst paté were quite tempting for my adventurous eater husband, Philip decided to go for the MSM pastrami Reuben ($10), with sour cabbage, Gruyere, Russian dressing, and cornichon (small, sour pickles), served on marbled rye bread. He immediately pulled off a piece of the pastrami and handed it to me to try. I adore good pastrami, which is basically peppered corned beef, and this was just so good – a little salty, a little peppery, with a great meaty flavor. He said that it was one of the driest Reubens he’d ever eaten – but in a good way. The bread was not greasy, as can be a big problem with a little of Reubens, and it had a perfect amount of sauce to flavor it without being drippy or making it fall apart. It was a perfectly structured Reuben, for sure.

On the way out, we stopped at the butcher counter and picked up a pound of baconage so I can remake this delicious casserole and take some presentable pictures, as well as a bag of Riverview Farms Milling Grits. I ran into a friend, Suzanne, who writes GMOGone…nice surprise!

Main Street Meats is a casual dining spot serving casual yet upscale food in a beautiful atmosphere. The food is about as local as it can possibly get. How could you get more local than meat from local farmers that was butchered and dry-aged in the same building where you’re about to eat it? That’s right, it can’t. I know that a lot of people disagreed with me about Main Street Meats having Chattanooga’s best burger (Tremont Tavern has lots of loyal customers!), but the meat here is just so incredibly high quality…that just puts it over the top for me. For $36 and some change for two sandwiches, fries, pork rinds, and a beer, the prices aren’t terrible either. I just really want to go here every day.

If you haven’t tried Main Street Meats, what are you waiting for?

Main Street Meats is located at 217 East Main Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37408. They are open from 11-10 daily (they stop serving the full menu from 4-5 daily, but still offer meats, cheeses, and drinks). You can call Main Street Meats at 423-602-9568. You can find Main Street Meats online at mainstreetmeatschatt.com. You can like Main Street Meats on Facebook or follow @MainStreetMeats on Twitter and Instagram.

Top Ten Burgers in Chattanooga (According to Chattavore)

August 17, 2016

It’s a hotly contested topic, and I won’t lie…some of my choices are controversial. These are the top ten burgers in Chattanooga according to Chattavore. What are your favorites?

It’s been a year since I first posted this! Exactly a year – since 2016 was a leap year, my birthday falls on a Wednesday just like it did last year! Since it’s my birthday, I thought I’d share my favorite post ever again. I fully intend to have at least one of the burgers off this list this week!
This is a pretty perfect list for today, because it’s my birthday, y’all! You know how I love burgers, so I think a burger list on my birthday is pretty ideal. My top five, from summer of 2013, has gone a long way….but I’ve eaten a lot of burgers since then and wanted to give some love to my new favorites…so here’s my latest list: top ten burgers in Chattanooga (according to Chattavore).

To be fair and objective (I got accused of a little subjectivity the last time I wrote a burger list), I devised a rating system for my top ten burgers in Chattanooga. The ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5 and the categories are: meat (quality of the meat, cook of the meat, and seasoning); cheese (how well does it melt, how much flavor does it add); quality of the bread; toppings (how well-thought-out are the toppings? How do they affect the structural integrity?); and speaking of that-structural integrity (how well does the burger hold together, all the way to the last bite); and size (is it big enough? Is it too big?). I add them all up and divide by 6.

One more thing: in order to be eligible for the list, a burger must be on the menu every day, not a special, and the restaurant must be local.

10. Tie: Merv’s – 3.7

So, after a little thought and recalculation, Merv’s tied with Dub’s. Merv’s is kind of the dark horse here, though lots of people will tell you that Merv’s is the only place in Chattanooga to get a burger. Merv’s used to be known as a pretty dank dive bar that happened to have a great burger. They became non-smoking and family-friendly a few years back, and after a flood put them out of commission for several months Merv’s reopened last year with a totally new look. I wouldn’t call it a dive anymore, that’s for sure! Merv’s hand-patted burgers now come in two sizes (small and large, duh) and is a pretty classic, standard burger-American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle, mayo, and mustard. Don’t pass up the hand-cut fries. It’s worth a trip just for those! Ratings: Meat: 3.5; cheese: 4; bread: 3; toppings: 3; size: 5; structural integrity: 3.5.

Merv’s on Facebook

Dub’s Place – 3.7

Dub’s has been around in Red Bank for many years…it’s definitely a town favorite. Their burgers are simple and old-fashioned…and gigantic. They are hand-patted and well-seasoned and served with very fresh toppings (you choose your own toppings). If you’re looking for something a little different, you can try Dub’s famous crumble burger, which is a delicious and grease-tastic loose meat sandwich. Don’t pass up the shakes here, and let me know if you figure out which states are missing from owner Jordan’s license plate collection! Ratings: Meat: 4; cheese: 4; bread: 3; toppings: 3; size: 4; structural integrity: 4.

Dub’s on Facebook!

9. Southern Burger – 4.0

Southern Burger made the first list, back when their static location was in Warehouse Row. I really think that they had a major role in Chattanooga’s “burger renaissance”, making people put a little more thought into their burgers. The Warehouse Row location is closed now, but they have a beautiful spot in Ooltewah now. My favorite things about Southern Burger: thin patty, bacon jam (which I always add to my burger) and Wickles Pickles. They pile it on to a Niedlov’s bun….this burger was a little messy, so they lost some points for structural integrity. I’m not hatin’, though. Ratings: Meat: 3.5; cheese: 4; bread: 5; toppings: 3; size: 5; structural integrity: 3.5.

Southern Burger Co. on Facebook.

Southern Burger Co.’s website

8. Mike’s Hole in the Wall – 4.08

Look, I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong. I had never been to Mike’s Hole in the Wall….in fact, until a year or so ago I didn’t know it existed. It’s pretty obscure, located on Cherokee Boulevard past the flash and flair of the North Shore, and it’s a pretty small and nondescript space. With a pretty impressive menu for a bar (lots of sandwiches and some out-of-the-box appetizers) even non-burger-lovers will find something to eat here…but the comprehensive burger menu is one of the best I’ve seen, with ten different varieties. We had the “Classic” with added cheese: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayo, and mustard on a Niedlov’s bun. Executed very well…I can’t believe I’ve never been before! Other reasons to visit: darts, dog-friendly deck, and some of the best hand-cut seasoned fries I’ve ever had. Ratings: Meat: 3.5; cheese: 5; bread: 5; toppings: 4; size: 4; structural integrity: 3.5.

7. Clyde’s on Main – 4.17

A lot of people may be surprised not to see Clyde’s sister restaurant, Urban Stack, on my menu (I liked it but it just didn’t make me want to turn cartwheels). Double Angus beef patties, American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion (which I left off, of course), Duke’s mayo (!!!!), and whole grain mustard on a Niedlov’s bun. I was just expecting an average burger but I got so much more. Dividing the meat into 2 patties gives more surface area to crisp up on the griddle, which pretty much makes the burger for me. This burger held together surprisingly well considering all the toppings. And paired perfectly with a Jungle Juice from the bar! Ratings: meat: 4; cheese: 4; bread: 5; toppings: 3; size: 4; structural integrity: 4.

Clyde’s on Main on Facebook

Clyde’s website

6. Blue Plate – 4.25

This one was a surprise. I’ve always liked The Blue Plate, but when I ordered the burger this past spring I wasn’t expecting a burger that I would deem worthy of “the list”. Surprise! The best thing about this burger is that the meat is divided into 2 ultra-thin patties that are cooked to a perfect crust and topped with melty American cheese, a slightly sweet, creamy burger sauce, and pickles on a Niedlov’s bun. The Blue Plate tries to source as many ingredients as possible locally and they don’t even own a microwave. Ratings: meat: 4; cheese: 4; bread: 5; toppings: 4; size: 3.5; structural integrity: 5.

The Blue Plate on Facebook

The Blue Plate’s website

5. The Terminal – 4.3

When I originally wrote my first list, the Terminal burger was my number one pick…but then Tremont went and started grinding their own meat, catapulting themselves into the number one spot. Obviously, I’ve had a few more burgers since then and there are some new players on the field as well…but The Terminal still serves an amazing burger. Topping-wise it’s basic, served with your choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle on a Niedlov’s bun. Mayo and mustard are included on request. I always find that the burger here is cooked just the way I like it. It doesn’t hurt that the rest of their menu is fantastic and they serve up their own house-brewed beers. Ratings: meat: 4; cheese: 5; toppings: 3; size: 5; bread; 5; structural integrity: 4.

The Terminal on Facebook

The Terminal website

4. Zarzour’s – 4.4

Zarzour’s has been around for ages, for good reason. Salty-mouthed owner Shannon slings burgers (among other things) Monday-Friday, 11-3:30. These burgers look pretty unassuming, but GAH. They are amazing! She uses the flat-top to put a perfect crust on the burgers, which she puts on a grilled to a crisp Niedlov’s bun along with American cheese, mayo, mustard, ketchup (well, whatever condiments you want, that is), lettuce, tomato, and onion. Almost everyone I saw in the place was having a burger and I totally get why! Ratings: meat: 4; bread: 5; cheese: 4; toppings: 3.5; size: 5; structural integrity: 5.

Zarzour’s on Facebook

3. Tie: Slick’s – 4.5

Slick’s has slick (see what I did there?) new digs on Main Street, but I haven’t made it to check them out yet. However, I don’t really care where they’re located…all I care about is that they serve me up a great burger every time. Slick’s is one of the spots that grinds their own meat, and I always appreciate that. You can choose your own meat (beef, turkey, lamb, chicken, veggie) and your own cheese and toppings, or you can choose one of Slick’s creations from the board. It’s all served on a Niedlov’s bun. They have excellent house-cut fries, too! Ratings: meat: 4; bread: 5; cheese: 5; toppings: 5; size: 4; structural integrity: 4.

Slick’s Burgers on Facebook

3. Tie: The Honest Pint – 4.5

Okay, the Pint tied with Slick’s so I had to break the tie. The Pint wins because of their duck-fat fried tots. The burger that I based this score on was the “This Burger is the Jam” burger with caramelized onions, blue cheese, and bacon jam. The Honest Pint uses a very unique seasoning blend on their burgers that adds a great flavor to them. They recently added another burger, the “Papaw’s Minter Cheese Bacon Burger” with applewood smoked bacon and house pimento cheese, that I’ve heard is even better than the Jam Burger. They recently converted to a non-smoking space and now allow the under-21 crowd before 10 p.m. By the way…my initial review of this burger was a little “meh”…but I’ve had it several times since and loved it every time. Ratings: meat: 4; bread: 5; cheese: 4; toppings: 5; structural integrity: 5; size: 4.

The Honest Pint on Facebook

The Honest Pint website

2. Tremont Tavern – 4.67

I realize that this is going to cause quite a bit of controversy. Tremont’s house-ground meat gave them the edge on my last list and they are definitely the hometown favorite. They got edged out just a little bit into the number two slot, but don’t let this make you think that I have any less affection for their burgers. To my knowledge, Tremont was the first spot in town to grind their own meat in-house. They offer a large variety of burgers, including the Gouda (pictured here) with Gouda cheese (obvi), onion strings, and BBQ sauce. Tremont is a tiny spot, so I try to time my visits for less busy times; however, they are currently expanding into the space next door so that problem will be over soon! Ratings: meat: 4; bread: 5; cheese: 5; toppings: 5; structural integrity: 4; size: 5.

Tremont Tavern on Facebook

Tremont Tavern website

1. Main Street Meats – 5

Yep. The house burger is the perfect burger. Main Street Meats edged out Tremont with their burgers made from grass-fed beef, dry-aged in house, removed from the case when you order and cooked up in cast iron. Gruyere cheese is melted on top, then the burger is dressed simply with a light layer of mayo on the bottom bun and whole grain mustard, with their amazing Link41 house bacon on top. It has just enough toppings to add amazing flavor but not enough to distract from the flavor of the perfectly crusted meat or effect the structural integrity. They have recently expanded their seating and added a bar and have started serving dinner! Ratings: meat: 5; bread: 5; cheese: 5; toppings: 5; structural integrity: 5; size: 5.

Main Street Meats on Facebook

Main Street Meats website

Photo courtesy of Main Street Meats’ Facebook page.

So, those are Chattavore’s top ten burgers in Chattanooga…and now for some honorable mentions:

Blue Ribbon Café – Would have made the list, but it doesn’t qualify because it’s a special, not part of the daily menu. As far as I know, the only bun made in-house in town!
Innside Restaurant – I just discovered this one. It’s huge and tasty and served by some very nice people in a spot I’d never even heard of till not too long ago!
Armando’s Chester Frost – the best burger within a couple of miles of my house!
Urban Stack – inarguably Chattanooga’s largest variety of burgers.

Now, obviously not everyone feels the same way as I do! I asked my readers to vote for their top ten burgers in Chattanooga as well. Here’s how that went down:

10. Nikki’s Drive-in

9. The Honest Pint

8. Tie: Main Street Meats & Armando’s Chester Frost

7. Universal Joint

6. Sofa King Juicy Burger

5. Slick’s

4. Merv’s

3. The Terminal

2. Urban Stack

1. Tremont Tavern

What’s your favorite burger in Chattanooga?

Toscano Italian Grill

August 10, 2016

Toscano Italian Grill is an unassuming Italian restaurant located in a strip mall in Chattanooga, TN with huge portions and surprisingly tasty food.

It has been a while – probably a couple of years – but I posted on Facebook asking readers about their favorite pizza in Chattanooga and was surprised by one of the answers: Toscano Italian Grill. I actually had to ask where it was located, because I had never heard of it. As soon as I was told that it was located in the strip mall on Lee Highway, I knew exactly where it was, but I’m rarely in that area so it took me ages to get out there.

Philip and I arrived at Toscano Italian Grill at around 4:00 on a Saturday afternoon and the place was empty. We were greeted by Haili as soon as we walked in the door and she led us to the seating area and let us choose our own table. Toscano looked basically like every strip mall restaurant I’ve ever been in: clean but basic. I will be honest, I didn’t expect much because I have had very bad experiences with trip mall Italian restaurants, pre-blog (those places are long defunct).

Haili filled our waters while we perused the menu. I had read several Yelp reviews that mentioned the Italian nachos at Toscano Italian Grill, so we decided to order those for $7.99. They were made from pita chips topped with Alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, chunks of grilled chicken, and pickled jalapeño slices. They were pretty tasty, though honestly, if I were making them at home I would probably leave off the chicken or cut it into smaller chunks. I loved the concept and may have to recreate it for the blog. Haili told us that the Toscano twisters (pizza rolls stuffed with mozzarella and a topping of your choice for $6.99) and the garlic knots ($5.99) are also fantastic.

Our entrees came with a Toscano salad (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and shredded carrots) or Caesar salad and garlic bread. We both decided on the Caesar salad, which was pretty basic: chopped romaine, shredded Parmesan, pre-fab croutons, and Caesar dressing on the side. It was good but there was nothing spectacular or “special” about it. The garlic bread was pretty much along the same lines: buttery crusty bread with garlic seasoning.

I was torn between the New York style pizza (a small – 10 inch – pizza starts at $7.99) and the baked penne. I ultimately decided that I was in the mood for pasta, so I decided on the baked penne with a creamy pink sauce, meat sauce, meatballs, or sausage, and cheese for $10.99 (I ordered mine with meatballs). I actually thought it was very, very good. The sauce was a nice balance between creamy and tomato-y, the pasta cooked to al dente, and the blanket of mozzarella….well, I love mozzarella, and there was plenty in every bite. The meatballs were good too, tender and well cooked, but honestly, I would have been just as happy with this as a meatless dish. This portion was large enough for a whole family and we brought home enough leftovers to feed both of us for lunch the next day.

Philip decided to go way out of his comfort zone and order the fruit de mari ($13.99): shrimp, calamari, chopped clams, and baby scallops cooked in a spicy marinara sauce served on top of spaghetti noodles. He typically doesn’t care for calamari and is sort of indifferent about clams, but he wanted to try something different. He said that on its own, the calamari was chewy and not great (because it’s calamari) but when he ate it with the pasta and sauce that it all paired together really well and he actually enjoyed it. One note: there was a ton of oil in this, which made it a little heavier than you might expect a seafood and marinara based dish to be.

It was before dinner time when we were there, but while we were dining a few more tables filled up and we heard Haili taking multiple orders on the phone as well. Toscano Italian Grill seems to be doing well. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised. Was it Alleia or even Tony’s? Of course not. Was it perfectly tasty Italian food? Sure. I’m going to have to run by here on a work day and grab a small pizza for lunch so I can try it out (if I do, I’ll be sure to post an update).

If you’re in the Lee Highway area and looking for somewhere to eat, Toscano Italian Grill is worth a try!

Toscano Italian Grill is located at 6219 Lee Highway, Suite 8, Chattanooga, TN. They are open daily 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. You can call them at (423) 805-3888. You can find Toscano Italian Grill on Facebook and check out their website to find their menu and coupons.

Mt. Vernon Restaurant (St. Elmo)

August 3, 2016

Mt. Vernon restaurant has been around in Downtown Chattanooga for the last 61 years, and I don’t think it’s going anywhere any time soon.

Last week, I met up with Sean Phipps of Nooga.com and Date Night Dining fame for a a joint restaurant review. Why it has taken us this long to join forces, I am not sure. I would say that am also not sure why it has taken me this long to visit Mt. Vernon restaurant – it’s been around forever – but that would be a lie. Several years back (like, before the blog) I went there and remember being underwhelmed. I don’t remember why. I just remember being kind of “meh” about the whole thing. I’ve been meaning to go, though, to try out the famous Mt. Vernon amaretto cream pie, so it was one of the ideas I threw out to Sean and that was the one he chose.

We arrived at Mt. Vernon restaurant at around noon on Wednesday. The fact that they have a parking lot is a nice reprieve from the grind of attempting to find a place to park at any of the places in the heart of downtown. Despite the bustling lunch crowd (seriously, there were a LOT of people in there), we were seated immediately. Our server, Maureen, greeted us immediately and took our drink order. She was super friendly and helpful, a plucky lady who has worked there for a long time. Sean decided on the peach iced tea, a house specialty, while I got water. He ordered his tea unsweetened, as Maureen told him that the peach syrup was probably enough sweetness, and he agreed after he tasted it.

We were given two menus: a specials menu and a regular menu. Maureen recommended the fried chicken and the almond-crusted haddock. I had not heard anything about Mount Vernon restaurant’s almond-crusted haddock, but I had heard wonderful things about their potato-crusted haddock, so I ordered the haddock. For $14.95, I got two pieces of haddock covered with a creamy lemon sauce with two sides. For my sides, I chose the squash casserole and the cucumber and tomato salad, which was one of Moe’s recommendations. The funny thing is, one of my friends was sitting at the table across from us and she ordered exactly the same thing. We did not coordinate that at all!

Mt. Vernon restaurant’s almond-crusted haddock was nicely coated and sautéed until lightly crunchy. I am pretty sure it was cooked in butter. The seasoning was perfect and the fish was very tender. I loved the creamy, tangy sauce. The squash casserole was buttery and cheesy, topped with buttery crackers, just like you expect to find at any Southern potluck. The cucumber and tomato salad was nice and fresh, with an acidic hit of vinegar cut with some sugar. My only complaint was that it had big chunks of red onion, but they were large enough that I was able to easily eat around them.

Sean followed Maureen’s recommendation and ordered the fried chicken, also a special at $10.95. He decided to have his fried chicken with macaroni and cheese and pinto beans. While Sean liked the fried chicken, he said it was not his favorite and he would have preferred a crispier skin/coating. The macaroni and cheese was practically dripping with cheese, and he described it in his column as “buttery and sinful”. It looked great, and I should have gotten my fork in that bowl…but I don’t know Sean that well, and I don’t go eating off the plates of new people…might make a bad impression. He liked his beans but said that there was nothing really special about them.

When Maureen came around and asked if we wanted dessert, we were ready, having pushed away our plates in time to save room for pie. I didn’t even have to think about my dessert…it was a foregone conclusion that I was going to order amaretto pie, the dessert specialty at Mount Vernon restaurant. Sean decided to order the dessert special, lemon meringue pie. I have made amaretto pie before (I’ll be sharing a recipe eventually) but my version was creamy all the way through and theirs had a custard base with a creamy top. It was almondy and delicious, and I’ll definitely be modifying my recipe to include a custard base. The meringue on Sean’s lemon meringue pie was huge. I honestly prefer a higher lemon to meringue ratio, but I did ask Sean if I could taste the pie and the lemon filling was sweet, tart, and tasty.

The total for our entrees, two slices of pie ($5 each) and a glass of tea was $43 pre-tip….not the cheapest in town but not a bad price considering the amount of food we got. The decor here, updated a few years back, is homey and a little old-fashioned (Sean likened it to “your grandmother’s house on Lookout Mountain) and the atmosphere is bustling but not loud. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. I would definitely go back to Mt. Vernon restaurant for more of that delicious haddock and amaretto pie!

If you’re looking for old-fashioned Southern cooking in St. Elmo, check out Mt. Vernon Restaurant.

Mt. Vernon Restaurant is located at 3535 Broad Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37409. They are open Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. You can call them at 423-266-6591. Check out Mt. Vernon Restaurant’s website, mymtvernon.com. You can also like Mount Vernon restaurant on Facebook and follow @myvernon on Twitter.

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