Featuring Dining, Wines, Recipes, and Specialty Shopping in Knoxville and
East Tennessee

 

   

Bruce Bogartz - Best Chef in the area and maybe the entire South!
Wow what can be said about this chef!  Bruce's food is a blend of seasonal foods, southern twists, amazing tastes, and beautiful presentations.  He is probably the most classically trained and experienced chef for miles around.  Bruce is a gem.  Knoxville....get it right in the MetroPulse Poll,  Bruce deserves to be recognized for his culinary talents, savvy, and creative presentations.  Bruce you are "THE MAN".

 

 Rouxbarb is by far the best and most happening restaurant in Knoxville.  Its' success is due to owner/chef Bruce Bogartz.  Ok you already know the food is amazing from Bruce's Knoxgourmet Best Chef  award.  But in addition to the amazing food, there is more.  Glo is the best hostess ever and totally adds to Rouxbarb's ambience. She remembers everyone even after one visit....and makes everyone feel special.  The wait staff is polite, helpful, and blends in.  The sous chefs step up to the plate, and the atmosphere is small, cozy, and accented by acrylic artwork by WBIR Abby Hamm's father.  The best place to sit is at the bar...then you can watch the kitchen action.  Be sure to check out Rouxbarb... you will not be disappointed.

http://www.rouxbarbfood.com/

 Thank God for Hard Knox! Finally there is real wood fired pizza in Knoxville.  I grew up in CT and frequented NY and N J.  The pizza at Hard Knox may be better than anything up North.  There are no microwaves and nothing is frozen.  They use fresh mozzarella, the sauce is wonderful, and the pizzas are cooked in a REAL WOOD FIRED OVEN at 800 degrees.  BRIXX be true to your advertising ..... YOU ARE NOT COOKING IN TRUE WOOD FIRED OVENS.  Enough about Brixx.... it will be featured but not in the Hall of Fame...   Hard Knox has a great sauce, real sausage, a friendly staff, and it is echo friendly,  Every Saturday afternoon the place is slammed.....that is a good thing!  In addition to making THE BEST PIZZA within a 200 mile radius, they offer calzones, local beer, Italian sodas, and Italian icees. 

http://hardknoxpizza.com/Home.html

 Nama in Bearden and on Gay Street win hands down for best sushi and best lunch value.  The variety of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi are off the chart!  There is no better sushi around than Nama.  Who would have thought that great sushi would exist so far "from the Atlantic to Pacific...oh the sushi is terrific"....sorry couldn't resist the play on the song.  I am not sure about the Gay Street location, unfortunately due to construction, the site is probably suffering.....but check out the Bearden location for lunch.  $8.00 can get you miso soup, a choice of three salads - try the house, and a choice of numerous main courses, including tempura.  The lunch value is AMAZING!  Don't miss out!

http://www.namasushibar.com/

 
 At 327 Union Ave., right around the corner from Market Square is a little slice of heaven.  Coffee and Chocolate is a small coffee shop offering up some of the best coffees and deserts around.  The shop is small and has an urban feel to it.  The truffles are wonderful and the deserts are divine.  My wife is fond of the very large chocolate chip and bacon cookie....I know it sounds odd, but the combination of salty and sweet is a winner.  (Be sure to ask them to heat the cookie up.)  Coffee and Chocolate reminds me a lot of Intermezzo Cafe in Atlanta, but on a smaller scale.  Go out and support a small local shop that deserves the business.

 
As you drive up to the Northshore Brasserie you don’t expect  the inside to  have any character at all because of the strip shopping center location in the very popular 140 and Northshore intersection. Lots of new development in the area make this a hot but somewhat sterile venue.   Going inside you seem to be transported into a brasserie on St. Catherine’s in Montreal. Lots of white linen, big mahogany bar, and chalk boards with the specials of the day. The dinner and lunch is delicious, but in my opinion what this restaurant excels at is Sunday and Holiday brunch.  Oysters, smoked fish, shrimp begin the brunch menu which includes salads, sides, four proteins, and deserts which change and are adapted to the season/holiday.  My family has enjoyed Thanksgiving and Easter brunches here and we all agree that we will go again.

http://northshorebrasserie.com/