Where would you eat out?
My parents tend to take us out to eat maybe once a week. The gesture is nice, and it’s good to see everybody. But we have the most difficulty finding a good place to eat, as I’ve mentioned before. One family member is allergic to anything onion or cooked in the same oil as onions. Another family member refuses anything with garlic. And my parents loathe alcohol.
That pretty much kills off Italian food or anything with real flavor. We eat at Chilis and Applebees, Silver Spoon and the Texas Roadhouse. We occasionally eat Mexican, when I’m lucky, although burritos sans alcohol is kind of less than. On a really good day it’s Littons or Aubrey’s, but generally the fault finders can find huge faults with any place I might want to eat.
So where would you go? Is there maybe a good restaurant I’m forgetting that has some bland offerings, or should I just be content with the company?
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10 Responses to “Where would you eat out?”
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SoHo Cafe (Western Plaza)
Ye Olde Steak House (Chapman Hwy) $$
Pasta Trio (Old City) $$
Tomato Head (Market Square) too bohemian?
Sunspot (Cumberland Ave.)
We occasionally eat at Ye Olde, but Pasta Trio is too garlicy, and Thead and Sunspot are too oniony. Those are three of my favorite restaurants, btw. Which is why it hurts soo much to eat bland.
I’ll check out SoHo.
Panera
Green Hills Grill has an extensive menu and isn’t too bland
Big Fatty’s (awesome banana pudding - but share an order - it’s huge!)
Fountain City Creamery & Grill (I’ve heard it’s pretty good)
Trio on Market Square (wonderful salads you create)
You’re good. I occasionally can get them to go to the GH Grill, which I think is very good. And tonight I might get them to go to the Creamery.
I’ve never heard of Big Fatty’s.
Big Fatty’s is located on Kingston Pike (Homberg area), where Little Star used to be. It’s right next door to the porn store (there’s a tall fence). It’s locally owned and it’s downhome cookin. Very fresh. It’s also BYOB. Big Fatty’s caters a lot of HGTV’s events. They serve breakfast too. No kidding, that banana pudding is awesome:)
October 16, 2006
Chow down home-style!
by Amy Lawless from knoxville520.com
If your culinary interests are playfully diverse—say, you enjoy your mamaw’s pork fat-soaked beans and buttery mashed taters as much as skinny lattes and tofu spinach salads—then you should check out Big Fatty’s in the heart of Bearden on Kingston Pike. Whatever your mood (or dietary restrictions), you’ll find something to satisfy.
Driving down Kingston, you’re liable to pass by Big Fatty’s without notice. Housed in a non-descript building, the restaurant is half-surrounded by a privacy fence, saving its patrons the embarrassing possibility of making eye contact with a West Knox News customer. But when you step inside, you’re greeted with brightly colored walls—mint green, pink, yellow—and eclectic art work ranging from jazz-era paintings to an ironic pop art image to an independent film festival photograph. When I walk into Big Fatty’s, I’m instantly happy.
This Saturday as I happily sat down to lunch, I was yearning for some home cooking. I seriously considered the blue plate special, a BBQ pulled pork sandwich with slaw, but after perusing the diverse menu, I honed in on the veggie plate, featuring a choice of four side items from the long list of options. I chose pinto beans, mac and cheese, turnip greens, and green beans (corn bread comes on the side). Take note, meat-averse friends, that all side items are vegetarian-friendly. And as I found out, this lack of pork fat does not translate to bland food.
As I studied the menu, I couldn’t help but wonder about the folks behind Big Fatty’s. Who created this inventive commingling of healthy foods like the Happy Fatty Salad (wild greens, mangoes, blue cheese, pecans, chicken) and soul-satisfying southern meals like the Gangsta Breakfast (fried chicken, eggs, pancakes)?
As luck would have it my server also happened to be a co-owner of the establishment, and she sat down with me for a chat to answer my burning questions. Ree (pictured left) and her business partner, Lisa, started Big Fatty’s as an on-location catering business for movies and commercials throughout Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina, and serve on the East Tennessee Film Commission. Ah-ha! So the menu was inspired both by the southern-style soul food of the region, and by body-conscious actors who demand healthy yet tasty options.
The rule in my family was always that if you were going to be picky (I’m the only one who is), you’d better be prepared to offer up your own suggestions rather than shooting down everyone else’s.
It’s not open yet, but Amerigo’s is going in where Harry’s/Westside Tavern used to be. Italian but not (as far as I remember from years ago in Nashville) too garlicy.
Shono’s in City? (Where’s the “the” in there? I’ve always wondered.)
Bistro at the Bijou?
Have you tried Puleo’s ?
Puleo’s - one family member loves it, one hates it. I think they must cook things in onion or something.
Chandlers on Magnolia…more like old school Big Fatty’s.