Restaurants Archives - Page 36 of 49

The Palms at Hamilton-September 29, 2012

October 1, 2012

Saturday I felt like we went all over the world in one day. We had dinner with some friends Friday night (at a local restaurant I decided NOT to blog about-wouldn’t you like to know where!) and then came straight home because we were both on the verge of crashing. Saturday, though, we did our usual traipsing around Northgate (seriously, we do that almost every Saturday, even though usually the only thing we leave with are some used CDs from FYE), then went to Books-a-Mill because I mistakenly thought that the Smitten Kitchen cookbook had been released and wanted to flip through it, then McKay (because I hadn’t been in a couple of months), then to a late lunch, then Target. All before 4 p.m.

We were getting hungry around the time that we were in the East Brainerd area at McKay (where I scored United States of Arugula and Nigella Lawson’s bio on trade credit). Surprisingly, with a million and one stores and restaurants in that area of town, there is only a tiny handful of local places. I suspect high overhead is the reason for that. There’s a Chinese place near Hurricane Creek that Philip loves, then there’s Bones Smokehouse (which I have been told I must try), and a few other places, most of which I have already reviewed…or don’t care to. Philip suggested The Palms, which I never even think about. I’d guess that it’s pretty likely that you never think about it either. The Palms is located on Shallowford, near Sonic. It used to be The Oasis. Philip once played at a songwriter night there and thought the interior was pretty nice and some of the stuff on the menu looked pretty good (albeit a bit pricey). We decided to go there.

It was about 2:15 when we arrived (they open at 2:00). The place was deserted when we walked in. An employee vacuuming in the front directed us toward the bar. We found a table and the server, Lydia, (who was also tending bar) brought us menus and took our drink order. We checked out the menu and decided to order some chili con queso for $5.95. I was actually a little confused by the menu….on the front there’s a “to start with” section on the front of the menu that includes items like a “jumbo shrimp martini” and “cast iron seared & blackened prime rib strips”. All of the items in this section are $9.95 and up. On the back of the menu, however, there was a “just use your fingers” section with more standard sides like the chili con queso that we ordered, chips and salsa ($4.95), and wings. The chips & queso came out quickly…it was pretty much a standard white queso dip with chili mixed in. It tasted pretty good but I did think that for almost $6 the portion size was very small, and the chips were definitely not as fresh as they could have been.

I knew before I even walked in the door that I wanted a burger (no matter where we went) so I had two choices: a standard burger or the mushroom, bacon, and Swiss burger. I decided on the mushroom burger, which I ordered medium-well. It was pretty much a gigantic burger with sautéed mushrooms, melted Swiss, peppered bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion (which I swiftly removed after snapping the pic) on a grilled bun. Lydia brought out mayo on request. The burger was good, cooked just like I asked. The mushrooms were well-cooked and at least tasted like they were cooked from fresh (you know, canned mushrooms just always taste bad). I really feel like lettuce, tomato, onions, pickle, etc. are unnecessary on a mushroom-Swiss burger, but whatever. It was fine. I liked the burger but it wasn’t anything “special”. The steak fries served on the side were pretty good but obviously made from frozen. Unfortunately, this is the rule, not the exception. Philip and I had a discussion as we were eating about fries and why more restaurants don’t make them from fresh. We concluded that not only is it more work, but people have become so conditioned to frozen fries (which are precooked and sprayed with some sort of starchy something that makes them cook up super-crispy) that they usually don’t like house-cut fries. Another reason to feel sad for our society. I love handcut fries and I wish everyone did, because my fry-eating experience would certainly be enhanced.

Philip considered the Baja fish tacos but ultimately decided to order the Reuben. He was a little nervous about it, as he always is when he orders a Reuben at a place he hasn’t eaten before. In case you don’t know, a Reuben is corned beef brisket, melted Swiss, Russian or Thousand Island dressing, and sauerkraut served on grilled rye bread. This particular sandwich was served on marble (rye & pumpernickel) bread. I’m guessing the corned beef was deli-cut (as I am quite certain they are not brining and slicing their own) and the sauerkraut (basically lacto-fermented cabbage) was not extremely strong. You should be proud of me…I am a little scared of sauerkraut but I tasted the sandwich (sauerkraut and other fermented foods are actually very good for you). It was good and there was no reason to be afraid! The grilled bread was not extremely greasy. Overall it was a pretty good sandwich, although I’d be willing to be it wouldn’t hold up against River Street Deli’s Reuben (I’d almost put money on it).

The interior here is nice, with dark wood and dark carpeting, and it’s very clean and well-kept. It is a 21-and-over joint, so unfortunately smoking is allowed (and there were 2 patrons smoking at the bar while we were there) so that’s definitely a con for us. The sandwiches, fajitas, and most of the fish and chicken dishes are fairly reasonably priced, but their steaks and salads are as pricey as if not more so than some of Chattanooga’s nicest upscale restaurants (salads are $7.95 and steaks are priced up to $32.95). I appreciate the fact that they support local music, and they have a pretty expensive drink menu (although, interestingly, only bottled beers-no draught). They serve brunch on Sundays, which I’d be interested to try (honestly, I judge restaurants much more harshly on their breakfast/brunch items than their lunch and dinner items. Frozen biscuits? Sorry, try again!) and have different “specials” (ladies’ night, date night, seafood night, etc.) every night. I wouldn’t call it my favorite restaurant (but then, it’s really a bar….), but if you have thought about checking them out, it’s worth a try.

The Palms is located at 6925 Shallowford Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421. You can call them at 423-499-5055. Check out their website at http://thepalmsathamilton.com/. You can also find them on Facebook.

Back Inn Café-September 21, 2012

September 24, 2012

Wow. The last few weeks have been incredibly stressful. I can’t even describe it…you’ll just have to take my word for it. Anyway, I have vascillated between being so tired that I can’t move off the couch and needing a change of scenery. I have had seven crazy (in good ways and bad) weeks at work. I have had an on-the-job injury. I’ve had a change-of-season cold that lasted an entire week. I’ve added an hour to my commute (that’s both ways, not an hour each way). Some days feel like I’m in a tailspin.

Friday was one of those days. By 10 a.m. I was utterly exhausted. I got a text from my best friend during my “planning time” (ha! Most of my planning has been happening after school. Nature of the beast sometimes in preschool, unfortunately.) asking if I wanted to go to dinner with her and another friend. My initial response was no….I needed to go home and crash. By the time I got home Friday afternoon, though, I had changed my mind, deciding that something out of the ordinary was just what I needed. I met them at 6:30 and we set to deciding where to go, which consisted of driving to downtown and looking around. Finally we decided on Back Inn Café, as one of my friends had never been there.

I’ve been to Back Inn a few times, but not since I started Chattavore. We’ve always enjoyed it. Usually, we make a reservation because you never know when seating is going to be limited. My philosophy is that if a restaurant takes reservations, make a reservation. It’s definitely an easy way to avoid the waiting game, especially on a Friday or Saturday evening. Woe to the diner who goes to a chain casual dining spot at 6:30 or 7 p.m. on a Friday. Ugh. Luckily, we walked right up and got seated (there were people waiting on the benches across the parking lot at Tony’s). The hostess poured our waters and gave us our menus, including the regular menu, the gluten-free menu, and a drink menu. Our server came to introduce himself shortly thereafter.

Back Inn’s menu is not static, but unlike some other “fine dining” restaurants in Chattanooga, it doesn’t change constantly either. There are several items that have been on the menu for a matter of years. I have had their New York strip (crusted with Rembrandt’s coffee) and thought that it was delicious. I also enjoyed their grilled chicken salad (with Granny Smith apples) very much. They have several appetizers like Southern-fried frog legs, shrimp flatbread, and a volcano roll (tempura fried California roll). There are three salads: baby lettuce, Caesar, and wedge. We skipped the appetizers and salads, though, and went straight for the entrées (I do usually order a salad, though, and always really enjoy it). The hostess brought out a wedge of house sundried tomato foccacia for each of us with a small cup of white bean dip, and I have to admit….I could make my entire meal from this. It’s a perfect balance of salty cheese crusted on top and a slightly sweet tang from the sundried tomato. Delicious.

(Sorry for the horrible photo quality, by the way. It was dark outside and the restaurant was dimly lit. And I hate flash.)

I had a hard time deciding what I wanted. Steaks are always good, and the chicken stuffed with spinach mousseline cream was tempting as well. However, my decision came down to two entrées: the Jack Daniels maple glazed pork chop, a 12 ounce “cowboy cut” pork chop served with haricot verts (French green beans, not to be confused with French cut green beans) and sweet potato cakes, or the seafood gratin (and that is pronounced “gra-tehn”, not “grahtin”) with spinach ravioli, mahi-mahi, salmon, shrimp, bay (small) scallops, tomatoes, four cheeses, and mornay sauce. Ultimately I decided on the gratin, basically because it’s different from what I would normally choose. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I couldn’t really remember what mornay sauce was. Turns out it’s Béchamel sauce with grated cheese mixed in. Quite tasty. It was similar to a cheesy alfredo, and I really enjoyed it…although I thought the dish could have been slightly less sauced. That’s okay, though…I mean, it wasn’t like I was obligated to drink the sauce from the bowl, so I just ate what came out with the other items. The spinach ravioli was delicious and no doubt made on the premises, and I loved the shrimp and scallops. The fish was fine, but it just turned out I wasn’t really “in the mood” for fish. That’s okay. Those things happen.

My friends were both checking out the Martin House steak, an 8 ounce filet with lump crab meat stuffing, sour cream mashed potatoes, asparagus, compound butter (butter with herbs mixed in), sweet pepper pomace (basically pulp), and chive oil. The problem was that neither of them wanted the crab. When they asked our server how the crab was served, he directed their attention to the gluten-free menu, which none of us had even bothered to look at. For $2.00 less, you can actually order a “filet of beef” from the GF menu without the crab, so they both did that, one medium, one medium-well (you know me, I prefer medium-rare, but oh well!). The filets were pretty crispy on the outside, no doubt from the sear, and the insides cooked just as they requested them. I should have requested a bite, but I didn’t. Judging from the fact that they both finished their plates, I’d say it was pretty tasty. They both said that they enjoyed the steaks and one friend also commented that the asparagus was good. They also really enjoyed the potatoes; one friend said the potatoes were her favorite part and that the pomace really added to the flavor. I do wish that I had at least asked for the dessert menu so I could see what was available, but I didn’t. Shoulda coulda woulda.

Back Inn Café is not my favorite restaurant in Chattanooga, but it also is not a waste of time. It’s a pretty good restaurant, and the prices for most items are not outrageous for an “upscale” restaurant. The atmosphere can be casual or formal, whatever you need it to be. I’ve never had anything that I didn’t like here, and it holds a special place in my memories because Philip and I went there on one of our first dates many, many (well, almost 14) years ago. If you are looking for a restaurant that offers consistency and longevity, give it a try.

Back Inn Café is located at 412 E. 2nd Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403. You can call for reservations at 423-265-5033 or 800-725-8338. Check out their website and menus at http://bluffviewartdistrict.com/subpage.php?pageId=139.

Shuford’s BBQ (Soddy-Daisy Location)-September 13, 2012

September 16, 2012

Philip and I knew that this weekend we were planning to eat at a restaurant that I recently blogged since we were given a gift certificate for my birthday, so Thursday night we decided to go somewhere that we hadn’t been. I knew that I needed to cook, but unfortunately I’ve been sick and work is still really wearing me out. Plus, I guess I’ve been starving my husband of protein with all of my meatless cooking (I really do try to include adequate protein in each meal but sometimes it’s pretty difficult. If any of you hardcore vegetarians/vegans out there have any pointers, I’ll be glad to take them) and he was craving a burger. So, instead of cooking the potato-leek soup I had planned for dinner, we headed to Choo-Choo Barbecue. Only we passed the restaurant to go to the gas station about a minute away first. By the time we got back five minutes later the place was packed out. Plan B in action…except that there was no plan B. So we started thinking.

We were headed back toward home. We’ve tried just about every place that there is to try in Soddy-Daisy…not much remains. Steve’s Landing….but I knew that at 6:30 we might be dealing with a bigger crowd than we were willing to face on a Thursday evening (or any evening, really). Then, Shuford’s popped into my head.

The original Shuford’s Smokehouse is located on Signal Mountain Road in the Red Bank area. I’ve never eaten there, but it’s been around for more than twenty years, so clearly there are some folks that think they are doing barbecue right. Shuford’s Barbecue is a roadside stand by Soddy Lake that for my entire childhood was a drive-in known as JJ’s (man, I loved JJ’s) then later as Jan’s. It’s been Shuford’s for (I believe) a couple of years now, but I just never think of it when I’m trying to think of somewhere to eat. We sat in the car and contemplated our order, then walked up and placed our order with a very friendly lady running the front end. Our total for the meal was about $15. Since it was a nice, not-too-hot evening we decided to eat our dinner at one of the picnic tables next to the building.

Normally I would go for the “BBQ tater”, but for some reason I was in the mood for a sandwich instead. I ordered a regular (i.e. small) pulled pork sandwich with slaw on it and a side of onion rings (and a water, of course). The order took about 10 minutes to come out (she was on the phone taking a call-in order when we walked up and another lady ordered while we were waiting) and she gave us a couple of paper trays (I guess that’s what you’d call them?) to put our food in since we were eating there. I am assuming that the onion rings were probably frozen, but they were still pretty good, nice and hot and crispy. The meat was good with a mild smoky flavor. I believe Shuford’s makes their own sauce. It’s a little sweeter than most (I believe it has molasses in it) and is very thick (by the way, they have hot or mild sauce. Since I am a pansy I chose mild). My only wish is that I had gotten the slaw on the side and added it myself…it quickly made the sandwich a little cold and a little soggy (but it tasted good, and I don’t usually like slaw).

It took Philip a few minutes to decide whether to order the burger that he was craving or whether he should get his usual BBQ restaurant order, the pulled pork plate. In the end he decided to go with his gut and get the bacon cheeseburger that was advertised on Shuford’s roadside sign, along with crinkle-cut fries and a water. The burger was gigantic, with a patty that looked hand-formed, a couple of strips of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a large amount of onion. If I ever order a burger there I will be ordering it without the onion, as the amount was so large I don’t think removing it at the table would do anything to rid the burger of the onion flavor-two entire slices (NOT two rings). Philip, however, was fine with this and happily ate the entire thing. He said it was a really great burger (I refrained from sampling it due to the onion, of course). The crinkle-cut fries were no doubt cooked from frozen, but I love crinkle-cut fries so much that I just can’t hate on them.

Shuford’s menu boasts some items that most other barbecue restaurants in the area do not serve, like ham, smoked turkey, Polish sausage, and chili dogs. They sell family packs of pulled pork or beef, chicken, or ribs that include two pint-sized sized and buns. The only dessert on the menu is banana pudding…but hey, this is the south. Banana pudding is an institution.

Restaurants don’t stick around for 20+ years for doing things the wrong way. Shuford’s is good eating and I hope the Soddy-Daisy location remains as well. Nice folks serving good food. We need places like that in these parts (as opposed to more fast food joints). Try it out!

Shuford’s Soddy-Daisy stand is located at 11320 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379. They are open Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. You can call them at 423-451-7102. You can read more about them on their website, http://shufordsbbq.com. You can also “like” them on Facebook.

Mountain City Café-September 8, 2012

September 9, 2012

One of my earliest posts on here was about a restaurant named Wisteria Café, located in Middle Valley. It was a “Southern cooking” restaurant with some modern twists (my first meal here was a fried green tomato BLT with pimento cheese) and while the food was great there were also some clear issues. The restaurant didn’t last long, and early this year Philip and I noticed that the sign in front had changed from “Wisteria Café” to “Mountain City Café”. Not too long after it was featured in the Dining Out section of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, touting a new owner and a new chef. We saw it again in the Dining Out section this past weekend and decided to give it a try today.

Today, the sign when we walked in said “Seat Yourself”-I am going to assume that when it is crowded (which I have heard it is at times) that you have to wait to be seated. We chose a seat near between the entrance and the kitchen and waited for the server, who quickly brought us a menu and our waters (although we did find out when we left that technically they were still serving breakfast when we arrived and we did not get a breakfast menu). The special of the day was breaded, fried pork chops (with bread and two sides) along with chili and a chicken gumbo on the soup and salad bar, which can be purchased on its own or added to any entrée.

The lunch/dinner menu is fairly small, with a few appetizers (mostly deep-fried items like pickles and chicken tenders), a few sandwiches (a burger, a tuna salad sandwich, a grilled cheese, and a few others), and some entrées. There are several “country-style” side items, like mac and cheese, fried okra, and pinto beans. I decided on the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and broccoli salad. Our server gave us a bread choice of rolls, cornbread, or both. We decided on both. The rolls were yeast-style but I am pretty sure they are not made in-house…the square shape is too perfect. The cornbread came in muffin shapes. It was slightly sweet but not bad (here’s the thing, though….we’re spoiled by the cornbread I make in a cast-iron skillet replete with butter, bacon grease, and cornmeal and flour that I grind myself). I was disappointed by the “whipped spread” that was served alongside the bread instead of butter.

The chicken was a gigantic boneless chicken breast that seemed to be freshly battered and deep fried to a golden brown color. It was nicely seasoned, tender, and crunchy. I really did like the chicken a lot. The broccoli salad had cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, pecans, raisins, and a slightly sweet mayo-based dressing. I absolutely adore broccoli salad and found the flavor of this salad to be quite good. The broccoli was cooked, which I thought to be a little odd (I use raw broccoli in my broccoli salad) but it was very tasty. The mashed potatoes were undersalted (I honestly didn’t think they tasted like they had any salt in them at all) but the texture and flavor were okay (although I make mine a little creamier). Once I added salt they were fine. I thought the brown gravy tasted like the kind that comes out of an envelope.

Philip decided on the meatloaf with fried okra and fried apples. The meatloaf had a thin layer of ketchup-based sauce on top and didn’t have a lot of big chunks (onions, peppers, etc.) in it, which is definitely a plus in our book (I don’t put “chunks” in my meatloaf). I thought the meatloaf tasted like it could have had just a touch more salt in it, but the flavor was good. This is one of the few places that we have found in Chattanooga that actually fries their okra from scratch rather than out of a freezer bag, so that was impressive. Their okra is batter-dipped and deep-fried rather than the more traditional Southern cornmeal-coated, shallow-fried okra, but it was tasty and crispy. The apples were pretty good, but Philip did suspect that they may have come from a can (the sauce was very thick and “cinnamon-y”).

We picked up a breakfast menu on the way out. They have pretty standard breakfast items-biscuit sandwiches, gravy and biscuits, meats and eggs, and pancakes. They also serve a cheese omelet and a “redneck eggs benedict” which features country ham, cheddar cheese, and cheesy hollandaise sauce. The cashier told us that breakfast is served on Saturdays until noon, although the menu says it is served all day. There were also several cakes featured on the dessert menu, which, if I am not mistaken, are made by the owner’s mother. The featured cakes were key lime, Coca-Cola, orange-pineapple, and coconut (and maybe one more we can’t remember). We considered ordering some Coca-Cola cake but were feeling a little too full for it. Next time.

This is pretty decent “Southern” cooking (though I wouldn’t consider it 100% homestyle). I am interested to try some of their other menu items (like the burgers, the chicken & dumplings, and the desserts). We’ll definitely give it another try. Next time I’d really like to make it in time for breakfast….I feel you can really judge a restaurant’s quality by how well they do basic breakfast items like eggs, biscuits, and gravy. I say….give it a try and decide for yourself!

Mountain City Café is located at 6849 Prestige Lane (just off of Boy Scout Road near the light at Middle Valley Road), Hixson, TN 37343. You can call them at 423-847-1163. They do not have a website or Facebook page at this time.

Nooga-Q: September 1, 2012

September 2, 2012

Saturday was one of those days that we set out with no real plan in place. I scrolled through my “list” on my phone and pretty much came up nil. Not that there was nothing worthwhile, but I was feeling pretty undecisive. Philip suggested Merv’s (a bar/dive in Red Bank that’s touted to have the best burgers in Chattanooga) but we nixed that idea because (a) Philip really wasn’t feeling greasy food; and (b) it’s a bar, which means it’s probably going to have to be a to-go sort of deal. We don’t do cigarette smoke. We drove down Signal Mountain Road and considered Petunia’s Silver Jalapeño (I think we’ll end up visiting them at their Warehouse Row location for the seating) before deciding on Nooga-Q.

I can’t remember if I’ve seen this place before or not, but someone (I don’t remember who) recently suggested it to me. It’s smallish and not too decorated, with concrete floors and a big aluminum panel on one wall (or at least I think it was aluminum). A friendly girl told us to be seated then brought us menus and took our drink orders (water, of course). There were not a ton of other people in the restaurant, but there were several other tables being occupied by diners.

The menu had more than you usually expect of a barbecue menu. A fairly large appetizer section boasted fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, and barbecue quesadillas (among other items). Soups and salads included chili, Brunswick stew, and a “Boss Hog” salad topped with smoked pork (interesting concept!). A full page of the menu is devoted to catering/bulk to-go items. There are sandwiches (BBQ sandwiches come with sauce and slaw), burgers, and hot dogs (all of which can be made into a combo for an additional $2.25) and plates (including ribs, catfish, and country-fried steak) that include 2 sides and Texas toast. And, since this is Chattanooga (and apparently this is a Chattanooga thing) there was a menu of stuffed baked potatoes. Smoked meats include pork, beef, chicken, and beef brisket (somewhat unique…most BBQ restaurants around here don’t have brisket).

I couldn’t decide whether to order the pork sandwich or a stuffed potato. Our server recommended the potato, so I took her recommendation. It was a large potato, chopped up and topped with smoked pork, cheddar cheese, butter, sour cream, and barbecue sauce. The pork was tender and smoky, but not artificially so. There was just the right amount of topping; nothing was overpowering and I could taste each topping. Sometimes if the meat is sauced before being placed on the potato, the flavor of the sauce drowns out everything else. Not so here. I even liked the Texas toast….it was buttery and crispy. I would have added some chives or chopped green onions, but I found this to be a pretty tasty meal.

Philip knew that he was going to order a plate but couldn’t decide between the smoked pork and the brisket-two of his true loves. The server recommended the brisket, so that’s what he ordered, with baked beans and fried okra. He decided to forego the Texas toast (he truly hates Texas toast). I think the okra was frozen, which is one of my great disappointments with most restaurants. It really is difficult to find fried okra that isn’t frozen (Wisteria Café was the only place I’ve found it, and now it’s gone!). It tasted okay, though. The baked beans were really good, smoky and with a sweetness that we couldn’t quite place (molasses? Brown sugar? We never did figure it out.) and a big chunk of smoked pork in it. He did really like the brisket, which was sliced and drizzled with sauce. It was very tender with a nice amount of smoke flavor.

Our total for this meal was around $15 before tip. Here you pay at the counter, where we asked the girl who was serving and working the counter if the sauce was homemade. She wasn’t sure…which makes me think that it might not be, since it seems like if it was everyone would know. It was good enough, so I’m not complaining…but I’d like to know the answer.

We really love smoked meat here in the Haymaker house. This was pretty good as smoked meat goes but I don’t think I’d call it my favorite. I have yet to decide where my favorite is, to be honest…I’m still sampling. One of these days we’re going to get a smoker! Until then, the search is on for the best barbecue in Chattanooga. Give Nooga-Q a try and let me know what you think….or if you have any other suggestions for me!

Nooga-Q is located at 301 Signal Mountain Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405. You can call them at 423-752-1935. Check out their website at www.nooga-q.com.

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