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Boccaccia Italian Restaurant

July 27, 2016

Boccaccia is a beautiful Italian restaurant located in Downtown Chattanooga. It’s a wonderful stop for a special occasion dinner!

Philip and I celebrated 15 years of wedded bliss on July 14! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years. Time really does pass so quickly, though I alternate feeling like we just started dating yesterday (because, you know, I was just a junior in college yesterday) and feeling like we’ve been together forever – because I’ve spent nearly half of my life with him.

Regular Chattavore readers know that we usually gravitate toward restaurants that serve bar food or diner food. Special occasions call for something a little more, well, special. We narrowed our choices for this anniversary down to three, ultimately deciding on Boccaccia, which Philip didn’t even know existed. Located in the Southern Saddlery building on South Broad Street, it’s certainly well-hidden. For those of you who don’t know, it’s on the south end of the building, on the side. There is pretty clear signage once you get there, and you can park in the lot right outside (there’s more parking in the back if that’s full).

We’re pretty paranoid so we made reservations even though we planned to arrive right when they opened at 5:30 (we’re basically elderly). The hostess told us it’s never a bad idea, as some days fill up faster than others. This day, we were the first into Boccaccia and were seated at a table for two in the corner of their dimly lit dining room. The hostess lit a candle in the center of the table for us and Chloe, our server, quickly greeted us and took our drink order. They didn’t have much of a beer selection and we don’t drink wine (sorry, wine lovers) so we both opted for water.

There are several appetizers, including prosciutto e melon (parma prosciutto and fresh melon), calamari fritti (fried calamari), and cozze en guazzetto (steam mussels in white wine lemon sauce with fresh herbs). We are big bruschetta lovers, though, so we decided on their version with buffalo mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, olive oil, and basil oil on grilled bread. The roasted tomatoes made a sort of salsa that was spread on the bread then topped with thick slices of the tender, mild, and slightly sweet buffalo mozzarella. The drizzle of oils on top added a nice flavor and, in my opinion, the flavor from the char on the grilled bread completed this appetizer.

We each decided on a salad. Philip, of course, decided to go with his standard Caesar salad, while I chose the insalata di spinachi e arugula, which is a spinach and arugula salad with sun-dried cranberries, gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, and lemon vinaigrette dressing. Philip’s Caesar salad was topped with housemade croutons and lots of thin slivers of salty fresh Parmesan cheese. His only complaint was that he would have liked for it to have more dressing. My salad was packed with fresh greens, dried cranberries, pungent gorgonzola, and toasted walnuts as well as a few grape tomatoes. The tart lemon vinaigrette was a great finish.

Since Boccaccia is, obviously, an Italian restaurant, I knew that I wanted to order pasta. I was torn between the lasagnette Emiliana (lasagna with fresh pasta, béchamel, and meat sauce)($15) or the ravioli spinachi e formaggi (ravioli with spinach and a cheese blend, sautéed with brown butter, sage, and tomatoes)($18). Chloe told me that while the lasagna was delicious, her recommendation would be the ravioli. That was my first instinct anyway, so I decided to go with it. It was a generous portion of freshly made raviolis with a flavorful filling of creamy cheese and spinach. The brown butter sauce had a mild sage flavor and the tomatoes were a nice finish. A blanket of fresh Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top complemented the whole dish perfectly. I found that the crusty bread that Chloe brought to our table was perfect for dipping into the brown butter sauce (though the herbed oil that came with it was also fantastic).

Philip considered getting pasta as well, but he could not take him mind off of the filetto rossini, filet mignon covered with foie gras and a brandy cream sauce with porcini mushrooms for $33. He ordered it medium-rare and asked that the asparagus on the side be subbed with green beans (he doesn’t much care for asparagus). It also came with a side of roasted potatoes. The potatoes were roasted to a crisp and the green beans were just tender and perfectly seasoned. The filet…well, you might not expect much from a filet served at an Italian restaurant, but Philip declared it the best filet he’d ever had. It was thick and yet managed to be perfectly cooked through to a beautiful medium-rare finish. The knife cut through it like butter, and the foie gras and mushroom cream sauce provided a perfect rich highlight to the flavor of the meat.

To finish, there were several options, including tiramisu, lemon sorbet, and vanilla creme brûlée, which was our decision. The irony of ordering a French dessert in an Italian restaurant was not lost on us, but our dinner, our decision, right? It was a decent portion of creme brûlée, enough for us to share. The top was burnished to a candy-like crisp and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The custard was creamy and rich with vanilla flavor. It was tasty but I wouldn’t say it’s the best I’ve ever had (that honor still belongs to the now-defunct Chato Brasserie).

Boccaccia is a beautiful atmosphere and we got wonderful service. There were plenty of people there by the time that we left, so it seems that they are doing a good business. The prices are on par with other similar restaurants – our total for an appetizer, two salads, ravioli, filet, and a dessert was 85.82 pre-tip. For us, Boccaccia is a special occasion restaurant, but we would love to go back. By the way, Boccaccia offers free pasta and dessert on your birthday (you must show your ID, and if your birthday falls on Sunday when they are closed, you can go the day before or the day after).

For a wonderful special dinner, give Boccaccia Italian restaurant a try!

Boccaccia is located at 3077 South Broad Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37408. They are open Monday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. They are closed Sundays. You can call Boccaccia at (423) 266-2930. For more information, check out Boccaccio’s website. There is a Facebook page devoted to Boccaccia but it does not appear to be an official page.

Roy’s Grill (Rossville)

July 13, 2016

Roy’s Grill was an institution on Chickamauga Avenue, having been around since 1934 (with a few breaks along the way). Sadly, they closed just a few weeks after I published this post.

For many years, we really never went to Rossville Boulevard or beyond. There just wasn’t much to see there, as far as we were concerned. No dresses to be bought at the (now defunct) LaDean Shop or plasma to be donated at CSL. That area of town might as well have not existed; it never even entered our minds.

Then came Beverage World. I have no idea how long Beverage World has existed next to Big Lots in Fort Oglethorpe, but we’ve been going there for the last 3 years on Philip’s quest to try as many types of craft beer as possible. As we’ve driven down Rossville Boulevard so many times over the last few years, we’ve noticed Roy’s Grill, the cute little old-school diner right past where Rossville Blvd turns into Chickamauga Avenue, just over the state line, many times. Of course, it’s usually not open when we drive by.

Last week, Philip wanted to check for a specific beer at Beverage World, so we decided to try out Roy’s Grill. We arrived at around 11:45 on a Wednesday afternoon, parking in the lot for Roy’s Grill customers behind the restaurant. As we walked up, we could smell the tell-tale scent of burgers searing on a flat-top griddle, always a good sign. We entered through the back door, into the dining room, and were greeted by Anita, who told us we could sit anywhere we wanted, including downstairs at the bar. We decided to go for the bar.

Once we chose a couple of bar stools (we were the only folks down there at the moment), we were greeted by Anna Sue, who took our drink order. Philip ordered a chocolate malt ($3.75) and she quickly set to making that for him, right in front of us at the counter using a classic milkshake mixer. The malts and milkshakes are served in a footed glass with the mixing cup alongside it…plus two straws in case I wanted to drink some. I have to say, Anna Sue makes a pretty impressive malt. Chocolatey and bitter with malt, just the way we like it.

I had heard great things about the burgers at Roy’s Grill so I knew that I had to give one a try. Since I didn’t need a half-pound of meat on a super-sized bun (i.e. the Super Burger), I decided to go with the junior burger, a 1/4-pound patty on a soft bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and mustard ($4.75). I omitted the onion, of course, and added cheese ($.70) and bacon ($1.80). The burgers are served with house-made chips, or you can get crinkle cut fries or onion rings. I went with the chips, because you all know I love homemade chips, but saw another customer with some fantastic looking onion rings and decided I would try those next time.

The burger was the perfect size for my appetite, and it was topped perfectly. The condiments and vegetables were portioned well so they didn’t overwhelm the burger or make it difficult to eat. The cook on the burger was perfect – a nice crust on the outside but still tender and juicy on the inside – and the American cheese was lightly melted but not gooey. The chips were perfect – thinly cut, crispy brown, and perfectly seasoned. This was a fantastic, classic burger meal.

Philip contemplated getting the Reuben, but ultimately decided to go with the meatloaf special, which Anna Sue enthusiastically encouraged. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the menu board with the vegetable specials listed, but I didn’t think about it. The special comes with two or three vegetables, your choice. Philip decided to go with the white beans, mashed potatoes and gravy (made from scratch), and fried okra (hand breaded) ($10.45).

This was definitely a generous portion of food. The meatloaf was a little chunky with onions and green peppers, but not overly so, with a thick layer of ketchup on top (I prefer ketchup-topped meatloaf to tomato sauce or gravy-topped meatloaf). It was well-cooked – cooked through but still tender, not tough or overcooked. I didn’t try the white beans (I don’t eat them…a little too mushy for me), but Philip said they were very tasty. The mashed potatoes were creamy and kind of “mid-thick” – not stiff but not runny – with a nicely seasoned brown gravy. The fried okra was some of the best we’ve had in a restaurant. The breading was more of a batter, perfectly seasoned with what I thought was sort of a buttermilk flavor, and the okra is deep-fried to a perfect crisp. The meal was served with a square of cornbread, which is Southern-style (i.e. not sweet), soft but not too crumbly.

The thing that impressed me most about Roy’s Grill was the employees. Anna Sue (on the left) and April chatted with us and every other customer without being intrusive. They were so friendly and enthusiastic. As each customer came in, they were quickly greeted. Many were obviously regulars, as one of the ladies would hand them a drink without even needing to ask what they’d be having. The atmosphere at Roy’s Grill like a homey throwback to a different era. The prices were good too. Pre-tip, our total was $22.95 for a whole lot of food PLUS a malt.

Roy’s had been around since 1934 (though they were closed for several years during that time). When you walked in the door, you felt like you’d been transported back in time – in the best way. Sadly, in August of 2016, Roy’s Grill announced that they would be closing due to financial difficulties.

We would have loved to return to Roy’s Grill for some of their great food and atmosphere!

Roy’s Grill is located at 116 Chickamauga Avenue, Rossville, GA 30741. They are open Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can call them at 706-956-8317. You can learn more about Roy’s Grill (including their full menu) at www.roysgrill.us. You can find their daily specials listed on Roy’s Grill’s Facebook page.

Formosa Chinese Restaurant

October 5, 2015

Formosa Chinese restaurant is a dining-out institution in Hixson, Tennessee. They serve delicious Chinese food with great, friendly service.

How have I not written about Formosa Chinese restaurant? That’s a rhetorical question, I suppose, but Formosa is one of Hixson’s longest-standing restaurant and (since Mandarin Garden closed) the place that we generally go to get Chinese food close to home. However, every time that we’ve gone I, for one reason or another, haven’t been in a blog post mood (it was never because I didn’t like the food, but, for example, I remember that we went there one time the night before I had surgery).

It was raining cats and dogs Saturday and I was definitely not feeling going out of the Hixson area, particularly not to any spot where we would have to do a lot of walking (i.e. downtown). We considered the tiny handful of Hixson places that we still have yet to visit and Philip pointed out that we really should go to Formosa, considering how long it’s been around. It’s really a Hixson institution. Please excuse the awful photos in this post….it’s very dark in the restaurant.

We were seated immediately and given lunch menus, since it was only around 1 p.m. The lunch menu is considerably smaller than the dinner menu, with a few specials (mostly chow meins and egg foo young plus few other standards like sweet and sour chicken) listed on one side that included either an egg roll or soup and then another list of entrees on the other side. My favorite thing about Formosa (I’m just being honest here) is that they bring you a bowl of fried wonton strips (which I call Chinese potato chips). Those things are just addictive. They also bring sweet and sour sauce to dip them into, but I really am indifferent to that.

We ordered our meals off the specials menu. We both wanted soup and and egg roll so we ordered egg rolls separately. I like that their egg rolls don’t have any weird pink meat (the meat is pink because of curing salt, but that doesn’t make it any less bizarre in my opinion). They are filled with ground pork, baby shrimp, and cabbage. They were brought out immediately, which might make you worry that they wouldn’t be fresh, but they were fresh, crispy, and hot. The server brought us some hot mustard too, but aside from a tiny fingertip dab that I tasted it was too hot for me. I ordered egg drop soup, which was hot, well seasoned, and had lots of egg and green onion in it. Philip had wonton soup. He said that the wontons seemed housemade and that the soup was also tasty and well-seasoned.

I decided to get the chicken with mushrooms, which is described in their dinner menu as “sliced chicken breast sautéed with mushrooms, water chestnuts, and snow peas in a light sauce”. There were also carrots and pieces of cabbage in the sauté, and it was served with fried rice. Their fried rice is more basic than most, basically just seasoned and fried and not mixed with carrots, peas, and eggs, but still quite good. The portion of sauté was fairly large, large enough for me to bring home probably more than half of it to have for lunch the next day. Everything was well cooked, the vegetables just crisp tender (besides the mushrooms, which were very tender) and the chicken very thinly sliced and very tender considering that it’s chicken breast, which tends to be dry. The sauce was indeed light and not overly salted. The thing I like about Formosa is that I don’t feel bloated and icky like I do after eating at some Chinese restaurants (I think it’s MSG that makes me feel that way, though I know a lot of people dispute the whole MSG negative effects theory).

Philip had the beef chow mein, which is very thin slices of beef sautéed with Napa cabbage, onion, zucchini, and carrots and is also served with fried rice. The meat was incredibly tender and the sauce light and nicely seasoned. The vegetables were nicely cooked, crisp-tender just like mine were, and Philip also had enough to bring home for lunch. My friends, it is never sad to have leftovers to throw in the microwave when you arrive home starving after church.

Like I said, the dinner menu is much larger than the lunch menu, with soups, appetizers (including chicken fingers and fries, which always makes me laugh), family dinners (for families of 2, 4, 5, or 6), vegetable dishes, Chef’s Specialties (including sesame chicken and General Tsao’s-their spelling-which is different from what is served at most Chinese restaurants, as it is thinly sliced instead of just spicier sesame chicken). They have sections of seafood, chicken, beef, pork, duck, plus chow meins, lo meins, chop suey, fried rice, and egg foo young.

The decor in Formosa Chinese restaurant, I’m not going to lie, is a little dated. Honestly, I don’t think it’s changed one iota since I was a kid in the eighties and would go in with my parents to get take-out (not that I ever ate it, I wouldn’t have touched that stuff with a twenty-foot pole as a child). I don’t really care too much about decor, though. I mean, if a place has great decor, I’ll notice, but I’m more concerned about the food and service. Our service was quick and friendly (if very business-like) and the food is consistent and always good. I know it’s “American Chinese”, but where do you find anything but around here? Formosa Chinese restaurant is a great place…it’s not going anywhere any time soon.

Formosa Chinese restaurant is located at 5425 Highway 153, Hixson, Tennessee, 37343. They are open daily from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. You can call them at 423-875-6953. You can view their menu on their website, formosa-restaurant.com. You can also like Formosa on Facebook.

Double Barrel BBQ (Signal Mountain)

September 28, 2015

If you’re looking for delicious barbecue on or near Signal Mountain, Double Barrel BBQ serves tasty barbecue (and great beer!) in a great atmosphere!

I recently discovered something called bullet journals and now I am obsessed (mine isn’t nearly as pretty as the one in that post, but I love the idea of keeping my calendar, notes, and lists organized as opposed to having random notebooks floating around and having to dig through them to figure out where things are. This weekend I updated my list of restaurants I need to try and posted the list on Facebook to see if anyone had anything to add. Turns out I have a lot of places to visit in Cleveland and North Georgia…those take some planning. We ended up at Double Barrel BBQ on Signal Mountain, which a friend suggested on my Facebook post (I have a handful of other places on Signal to try as well).

Double Barrel BBQ is on Taft Highway just a little past the Signal Mountain “business district” in the building that used to be Pepper Jack’s. Double Barrel started as a food truck and in August opened their static location. They are currently operating off of their food truck menu but will be expanding starting with their grand opening in October.

We were offered the options of being seated in the bar or the dining room and were seated immediately by a very friendly server. It’s a log cabin so the decor consists of lots of wood, but it’s not dark. They have lots of cool pendant lights hanging all over the dining room and interesting wall hangings. There are televisions in the dining room as well as the bar.

Our server, Tabitha, came pretty quickly to take our drink orders and brought a beer list at Philip’s request. They have a pretty impressive list of craft beers-both bottles and draft-at great prices, including some local brews from Chattanooga Brewing Company. Philip ordered a Straight to Ale Lily Flagg milk stout, which was listed on the list as a bottled beer for $2.50 but was actually on draft for $3.50 (still a pretty amazing price). He’s had that particular beer before and loved it. I, of course, stuck with water.

They have a pretty lengthy list of sides that come in a side-size portion or as an appetizer, and we decided to order some fried pickle chips, which the menu purported to be hand-bettered. We got the appetizer sized portion for $5.75…it was a pretty large portion and we probably should have stuck with the side-size portion for $2.50. Oh well. I never cry over more fried pickles. They were indeed hand-battered and were very tasty, well seasoned and with just enough batter to add crunch and flavor but not so much to mask the pickle flavor. They were served with ranch dressing which was just basic ranch dressing.

Right now the menu consists of a selection of meats and some hot dogs. I decided to get the 1/2 pound pulled pork plate for $9 (you can get a half-sized portion for half the price) with a side of fried squash, which the menu also said was hand-battered. I was a little less convinced about the squash being hand-battered than I was the pickles, since the coating was fairly thick. It tasted good, though, and was well-seasoned with Cajun seasoning. The meat was tender and smoky and was pulled and served on top of a couple of toasted dinner rolls. I had enough to bring home for lunch the next day.

Philip decided to order the 1/2 pound of brisket ($9.25), chopped (you can also order it sliced) with fried okra. The brisket was chopped into bite-size pieces and had a spicy rub on it (it was also served on top of toasted dinner rolls). The fried okra was lightly coated and was also seasoned with Cajun seasoning.

The sauces at Double Barrel are made in-house. I didn’t think to get a photo, but there was one called “Old Faithful” that was sweet and chunky…it was our least favorite. There was a molasses-based sauce that had a deep molasses flavor and a little bit of spice. The third sauce was a sweet and spicy blend, and it was very spicy.

Our total for this meal was $29.22 pre-tip, which included fried pickles, a beer, a pork plate, and a brisket plate. The service at Double Barrel BBQ was friendly and the food was tasty. I like the atmosphere in this restaurant, and it didn’t hurt that the mountain air was nice and cool and just made it nice to be up there (I love what I call “shorts and long sleeves weather”). I can’t wait to see what they unveil for their expanded menu. By the way, they also serve a breakfast buffet daily and offer growlers of beer to go. There are daily specials as well.

Double Barrel BBQ is located at 3720 Taft Highway, Signal Mountain, TN 37377. You can call them at 423-777-5491. They are open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7 a.m.-12 a.m. Friday-Sunday. You can check out their website, www.doublebarrel.me and like Double Barrel BBQ on Facebook.

Embargo 62 Cuban Restaurant

September 21, 2015

Embargo 62 is a Cuban restaurant on Cherokee Boulevard, near Chattanooga’s North Shore. They serve tasty food and great drinks in a casual “Cuban-style” atmosphere.

It seems like there are lots of new restaurants cropping up in Chattanooga lately! This week I all of a sudden got an urge to check out Embargo 62, the new Cuban restaurant on Cherokee Boulevard. My urge was solidified after I checked out their menu online.

When we got there at around 1, it was open seating (unsure of whether seating is open all the time) and there were quite a few tables open. We decided to sit on the covered patio. It’s a kind of beachy atmosphere, with glass light fixtures and bright furniture and lots of wood.

Our server, Lucy, quickly brought us our menus and waters, told us what beers were available, and recommended that we order the mojito gold. Philip decided to order a North Coast Brewing Puck saison and I stuck with the mojito criollo, with white rum, fresh lime juice, fresh mint, sugar, and club soda (I didn’t want to pay extra ?? to get an extra shot of rum). Our drinks came out quickly; my mojito was refreshing and light. You can check out Philip’s review of Puck here.

We decided against ordering an appetizer, but the appetizer menu consisted of ceviche, empanadas, mussels, and fried plantains with truffle oil. I had a difficult time deciding whether to order a sandwich (the Elena Ruz, with roast turkey, cream cheese, and strawberry jam on a semi sweet bun sounded very tempting) or a Completa, or complete meal. Ultimately, I decided on a completa and set to making a decision between the lechon, slow roasted mojo marinated pork, served with Congri (black bean and rice blend) and sweet plantains, and the palomilla, marinated top sirloin served with black beans over white rice with sweet plantains. I finally settled on the palomino, which turned out to be a huge piece of top sirloin that was surprisingly tender considering how thin it was. The rice was cooked well and seasoned perfectly, and the black beans were delicious, with lots of herby seasoning. The plantains were also great, lightly fried, no seasoning.

Philip thought the El Barrigon (burger) sounded pretty tempting. Their burger was a half pound blend of ground sirloin and pork belly (which was what sold him on the burger) with melted Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. The pork belly adds a pretty substantial amount of fat to the burger, which = flavor & tenderness. The burger was well-seasoned, well-cooked, and very tasty. The sandwiches are served with plantain chips, which are ??delicious??; Philip also decided to order a side (which was a pretty substantial basket) of their hand-cut fries for $3.00 and wow. They were fantastic: light, crunchy, perfectly golden, and perfectly salted. We had to move the basket out of the way so we’d stop eating them!

Our server, Lucy, was friendly and attentive. The atmosphere at Embargo 62 was really cool and the menu limited (which, if you read my blog very often you know I think is a good thing because they can focus on making the few items on the menu great) and authentic. The prices were reasonable (that is, competitive with similar restaurants); our pre-tip total including a beer, a cocktail, a burger, fries, and an entree was about $37. If you like Cuban food (or just want to find out if you like Cuban food) you should definitely check out Embargo 62! By the way, we parked in the pay lot near Whole Foods and walked down, but Embargo 62 offers complementary valet parking.

Embargo 62 is located at 301 Cherokee Boulevard, Chattanooga, TN 37405. You can call them at (423) 551-4786. They are open Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-12 a.m. and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. You can read more about them on their website, www.embargo62bar.com, like Embargo 62 on Facebook, and follow @embargo62 on Twitter.

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