Mission Eastern Tennessee Food Quest: Accomplished! Thanks to ALL Biteclubbers who lent a hand…
On my list of must eats:
- Banana pudding
- Pimento cheese
- ham biscuits
- Red velvet cake
- Vinegar pie
- Goo goo clusters
- Prince’s Hot Chicken
- A Sundrop cola
- Fried pickles
- Fried pies
- Boiled peanuts
- Cheese Grits
- A meat and three diner
- Cobbler
- Catfish
- Moon pie (preferably fried)
- Apple Dumpling
- Grilled pimento cheese sandwich
- Fired bologna
- barbecue
- Local peaches
- Pecan pie
Where to eat:
Knoxville
Dead End BBQ
Big Fatty’s
Maryville
Full Service BBQ
Pulled pork sandwich, iron skillet baked beans, pecan pie & Yo Mama’s Mac ‘n Cheese: 113 S. Washington St., Maryville 865-981-4414
The Market at Washington & High St.
Franklin
Dotson’s
Meridee’s Bread Basket
Barbecutie: Fried pickles; 1203 Murfreesboro Rd., Franklin, TN, 615-794.9454.
Henpeck Market
Cookville
Dipsy Doodle
Townsend
Dancing Bear Lodge: 137 Apple Valley Way, Townsend Tn, 865-448-6000.
Apple Valley General Store: Fried pies, apple dumplings
…And as for Blackberry Farm? Thanks for all the offers of an assist in getting in, but no luck. I’m disappointed that the PR staff failed to even respond to my repeated requests — even to say, sorry, but we can’t accommodate you. Rude. Rude. Rude. So to the Blackberry, I send the royal raspberry. You’re not all that. Or a bag of fried pickle chips.
wow..that will be healthy 🙂 hehehe
Oh yeah, forgot to mention the Full Service Barbeque for ribs and the best pulled pork sandwiches you’ll ever find. We had a contest at a local fundraiser and they were clearly the best hands down: 113 So. Washington Street, Maryville. They have a website for particulars.
Moved to just outside of Knoxville from California about 5 years ago and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. If you get a chance to go out to where the Cherahala Hwy. begins in Tellico Plains, must stop by Tellico Grains Bakery and have any one of their fabulous sandwiches (my favorite is the BBLT made with real Benton’s Country Bacon on herb flatbread). Grab a dessert to go and head on up the Cherahala to a slice of heaven at the Snowbird Lodge just over the border in NC. Fabulous gourmet dining and a view to die for. Nice folks own it and it’s not nearly as snobbish (or pricey) as Blackberry Farm. Come on back to Maryville and dine at RT Lodge, set in a fabulous setting adjacent to Maryville College. Next head on up to Market Square in Knoxville. Dine al fresco (Oodles is a favorite of ours, especially if we have the dog in tow and dine on the outdoor patio), though there are a number of fun places to eat all around the downtown area. If you have time, Chattanooga is a really fun place to hang out for a couple of days and has some great restaurants (St. John’s is a fav of ours).
Enjoyn! Tennessee’s a great place to visit and/or live!
If you are ever in Memphis, try the famous and well deserving BBQ from Rendezvous, located downtown. Dry rub and great smokey flavors along with some of the best baked beans and sausage! On every table area couple of wet sauces if you must! This place is ALWAYS packed with locals, tourists and famous folks. It’s a couple of blocks from the famous Beale St clubs and The Peabody.
Also try Brennens for brunch! Located on the outskirts of Memphis, a pleasant environment for a nicer brunch and the banana’s foster is the best!
Let me knows when you get to Maryville will see if I can pull some strings and get you in Blackberry Farms. Moved to Maryville from Petaluma 10 years ago, should be no problem it all goes back to who you know.
As a former Tennessee gal, I tell you that you gotta hit the Cracker Barrel breakfasts…and loosen your belt! The hash brown casserole, country ham, grits and biscuits, OMG! Don’t forget fried catfish, served with hush puppies, white beans, french fries and cole slaw. The pulled pork barbeque with fudge pie at a BarBeCutie! Don’t forget lemon ice box pie with merinque about a foot tall! Any kind of fruit cobbler plus fruit fried pies…plus the banana pudding already on your list. Nobody fries chicken like the meat and three places, always your best bet! My mouth is watering…lucky you! They fry everything there…meats, potatoes, veggies (okra, corn, squash, etc.), cornbread and desserts. May not be healthy but it is delicious! People are all so friendly there because they know how to eat!
Blue Bell makes a banana pudding ice cream: you can find it at any grocery store in TN. I lived just outside of Memphis and the thing I miss the most is the food.
I can’t believe you don’t have a pulled pork sandwich on your list!
Since we’re talking Suthern Food…….any specifics for North Carolina/Virginia border? (going for a family re-union) We’ll be about mid-way and then gonna go into the Blue Ridge Parkway touristing.
dont forget some killa recipes for your printer guru.. have a safe trip!!!
Be sure to try to find a “meat-and-three” place (they’re usually modest cafeteria type restaurants) where you can sample whatever vegetable is in season. Right now I would suggest hunting down field peas (like blackeyed peas, only smaller and creamier), baby butterbeans, yellow squash, corn pudding with a slice of country ham — or even “baked” ham, since pork rules. Dessert? Fresh peach ice cream, coconut cake, chess pie, fried pies with applesauce filling. And biscuits — “Take two while they’re hot, honey.”
Don’t forget the Hush Puppies.
OKRA!
I agree with the previous poster. Find some okra, Preferably fried. Umm-hmmm…..
My recommendation is the Fried Green Tomato BLT at the Loveless Cafe in Nashville.
I have Loveless on my list….we’ll see if I have time.
“When you get back you’d better butter my bread…”
you will prob. not have time but if you can go 45min. south of Franklin and get your self in to amish country and if your lucky you will find some pickled okra and well i don’t want to start anything……. well ok i will if you go to tennessee and don’t have sweet potato pie ( much better than pumpkin pie any day ) on you list of “must eats” then you’re not do’n tennessee right ……. and don’t worry i AM a born and bread Tennessean. and in the end if you dont find time to take in a wonderful drive south and experience some of the best countryside in TN. then you’ll just have to go back …
Okay, great advice…we’re heading ton Franklin on Sunday.
Is eastern/mid TN a desert in BBQ land? I don’t know whether you’d come across NC style or Memphis style or something else entirely, but I’d probably put that over the fried moon pie (but I’m not a sweets kind of gal). And since you mentioned boiled peanuts, maybe even mustard sauce.
It would be interesting to know what the in-between areas do with barbecue. (Pork ribs or pulled pork, most likely, but I have no idea about sauce.)
Yeah, there are a lot of BBQ places here, but i’m not sure….it’s not really KNOWN as the BBQ mecca. There is a new place near Knoxville called RouxBarbecue I’m kind of hot on.
Monel’s in Nashville is unreal. Family style and tons of food. We went for lunch two days in a row it was so fabu!