Chattanooga Has Fun 2.5

Amigo Mexican Restaurant / Hixson

5450 Highway 153
Hixson, TN 37343
Phone: (423) 875-8049
Website: Amigo Mexican Restaurant

When I say Amigo Mexican Restaurant, you say…. Well, most people probably would say, “Tacos”, right?  That’s not necessarily the right answer anymore.  Fernando Cordero, the 25-year-old owner of Amigo Mexican Restaurant in Hixson, is intent on growing his restaurant.  He doesn’t want to change the image of Amigo Mexican Restaurant—just augment it.  Since taking over the Hixson location nearly two years ago, Cordero has begun building a team to put his innovative ideas into play.  He has hired a front-of-house manager, a kitchen manager, and, most recently, a bar manager.   Together, these four lay out the plans to bring Amigo Mexican Restaurant in Hixson back into its own.

Cordero has plenty of experience in a restaurant setting. He started working in his family’s restaurant at age 12.  That’s right—at 12, Fernando Cordero was washing dishes.  At 14, he moved into the role of server, and by the time he was a senior in high school, Cordero was managing one of his family’s restaurants in Cleveland.  Working alongside Cordero was David Gonzalez, now front-of-house manager at Amigo Mexican Restaurant in Hixson.  Braulio Espinoza, the kitchen manager, has been part of the Amigo team for six years now.  Dave Beardsley, bar manager, is the newest staffer.  Don’t let that fool you, though—Beardsley comes from a background of training bar managers for a similar chain of restaurants.  With all that combined experience, as well as cutting-edge ideas, we can expect great things from this group.

Already, you can see changes taking place in Hixson.  Cordero has begun remodeling the restaurant.  He plans to move the entrance and make room for more seating.  He has added menu items, six to be exact, and several of those have become bestsellers already.  Two of the hottest sellers are Tilapia Tacos, grilled tilapia with pico de gallo mixed in, wrapped in two layers of tortillas and topped with a chipotle cream sauce, and “chiminanas”, a deep-fried banana wrapped in a crispy flour tortilla, tossed in cinnamon and sugar, drizzled with honey and chocolate, and served up with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Beyond adding to the menu, Cordero and crew have made subtle changes in current menu items.   They have instituted better control over recipes and seasonings and made changes in the way some items are presented.  They have worked hard to create the most pleasant dining experience available.  Cordero and team strive to make sure food is served in a timely manner and that each guest receives the same treatment they would get if Cordero himself were serving them.

Naturally, Cordero wants to keep diners satisfied and coming back; but it goes beyond that for the restaurateur.  In the early ’90s, Cordero’s father branched off from Monterey, a chain opened by his wife’s godfather in Atlanta in 1974.  The first Amigo Mexican Restaurant was opened in Johnson City, Tennessee, and several more soon sprung up in both Johnson City and the Chattanooga area.  Today, Cordero, his older brother, and cousins control the company started by his father.  Says Cordero, “This is a family-type of restaurant.”

While change is afoot at Amigo Mexican Restaurant in Hixson, some things remain the same.  There are still 75-cent hard-shell beef or bean tacos on Monday nights, and they still have karaoke in the bar on Thursdays and Sundays.  Cordero and his group of managers have found the perfect balance of tradition and innovation, and given that blend a home at Amigo Mexican Restaurant in Hixson.

Amigo Mexican Restaurant has five locations, including East Ridge, Brainerd Road, Red Bank, Dayton, and at 5450 Hwy 153 in Hixson, (423) 874-8049, www.amigorestaurantonline.com.

BiBa’s Italian Restaurant

5918 Hixson Pike
Chattanooga, TN
Phone: (423) 843-0001
Website: http://www.bibasitalian.com

With ten years of working in the food and service industry, I have grown to have a distinct and ever-evolving respect for someone who can provide great service, food, and environment. Bi Ba’s Italian restaurant at 5918 Hixson Pike does just that.

From pizza, pasta, daily specials,and a plentiful variety of wine and beer, Bi Ba provides the originality and consistency that residents of Big Ridge, Hixson, and Middle Valley are ready to share with the Scenic City.

Krist Biba, owner of Bi Ba’s Italian restaurant, is a prime example of a man who carries passion and involvement that takes a lifetime of experience to evolve. When you enter the open and comfortable Biba’s, there is a feeling of community, family and tradition.

In 1996, Krist made the move to Atlanta with the idea of starting Bi Ba’s Italian Restaurant. Seven months into his Hixson location, Krist is beginning to understand the laid-back appeal of our city.

Originality was the word of the day, and when I asked Krist about his own favorite dish, he smiled and informed me, “If you ask ten people what their favorite dish is, you’ll get ten different answers—that is the beauty of that.” Precisely: Bi Ba’s has a little something for everyone.

After hearing that Krist owned his own pizza joint in the Bronx, it was no surprise when Chattanooga native Rebecca Raymond spoke up and expressed that Bi Ba’s put out the best pizza she has had in 65 years.

Specialty pizza classics such as Hawaiian and Meatlovers are a must—but items such as Italian Stuffed Pie, Bi Ba’s Stromboli and a Fisherman’s Pie, consisting of clams, mussels and shrimp, really struck me as different. What interested me even more while hanging out with Krist was his specialty pizza named “The Great White Pizza by Dan.”

Naturally, I had to know of this great man named Dan, and I was absolutely tickled listening to Krist and watching his New York-style personality light up as he told me about one of his long-time regulars, Dan. Dan had a head full of white hair—and also seemed to love his pizza with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, chicken, and fresh tomato. This Dan and I would absolutely get along at dinner, and more importantly, if that isn’t customer recognition, I don’t know what is.

Bi Ba’s has an eclectic assortment of pasta dishes, ranging from Rigatoni Putanesca, involving capers, olives, anchovies, fresh basil and garlic cooked with a spicy marinara, to Spaghetti alla Carbonara, a mix of bacon, onion, and egg in Parmesan cream sauce. If you are a lover of spicy dishes, then try the Fra Diavolo sauce, one of Krist’s original recipes. Seafood specialties, calzones, subs, and garlic rolls give us the taste of Italy that can please the entire family—and with nothing costing more than 20 dollars the possibilities are endless.

If it’s that glass of wine or cold beer you look forward to with your lasagna, then you can dip into the list of more than 20 wines, or even explore with a leader in premium Italian brews, Peroni, which has a zesty competitive taste that has been around since 1846. Bi Ba’s also brings us a sip of Atlanta with Red Brick Ale, a full-bodied malty brown brew and the first beer to come out of Atlanta Brewing Company in 1993. If beer and wine aren’t for you, then enjoy a cup of espresso with Krist’s homemade tiramisu or made-to-order cannolis.

If you are in the area, don’t miss out on a local gem and if you are a bit further out in the Chattanooga area, go ahead and make the drive to Bi Ba’s Italian Restaurant on Hixson Pike. Find out what your favorite dish is and know that it will be a new and original experience of “Bronx Love” in the Chattanooga Valley.

Bi Ba’s Italian, 5918 Hixson Pike.
(423) 843-0001. www.bibasitalian.

Blue Coast Burrito

5591 Highway 153, Suite 160
Chattanooga, TN 37343
Phone:(423) 877-1880
Website: Blue Coast Burrito

At first glance, Blue Coast Burrito could be one of any number of “build your own Cal-Mex” joints.  You start at one end of the counter and make your way to the checkout, designing your perfect burrito/taco/insert-Cal-Mex-dish here, adding veggies, sauces and all the accoutrements as you go.

But wait!  Here’s where it gets fresh, no… really, fresh… Blue Coast Burrito employees arrive every morning at 8:30 and make the salsas and dressings fresh… ALL of them.  Everything from their Pineapple Salsa to Nan’s Ranch Dressing is made fresh daily in their kitchens.  And it’s not only the salsas and sauces; they trim all the meats themselves and marinate them, then grill it up right here in their restaurants.  None of that processed pre-made, packaged food for them!

When asked what makes his restaurants different from others of the same ilk, Richard Martin, owner of both local Blue Coast Burritos, says, “The processes are all very similar.  There are certain things the others do that we don’t and vice versa.  I think the key component that makes us different from our competitors is the fact that everything we do is done fresh, we make it fresh and that’s something our competitors can’t say.  To me that’s important.  And, also that it’s locally owned by someone who was born and raised in Chattanooga and still lives in the area, and is just committed to this area and helping it grow and develop.”

Martin, a local boy who grew up in what was known as Ridgedale, has been involved in the restaurant industry for more than 18 years, working for different companies in various capacities.  So how does someone go from working in restaurants to owning two of their own by age 35?  “I ended up responding to an ad, going to Nashville, where the company is based out of.  I met with officials there, and it took about a six or eight month process doing investigation into the company and the franchising opportunity to make sure it was the right step for us to take and secured the site, and built the first store.  Then last year opened store number two.”

Martin believes in Chattanooga. Not only is he scouting locations for a potential third store, but he truly is committed to giving back to the community that helped raise him.   Like many restaurants, Blue Coast Burrito is inundated with requests from charities, and Martin tries to help all he can.  Blue Coast Burrito provides gift certificates for door prizes to more than 50 local charities a year.  For the last two years, BCB has been a premier sponsor of the St. Jude School Golf Tournament; and Martin himself has participated in the MDA Lock-up twice as well.   Says Martin, “This is something that is very close to my heart.  I try to do everything I can for different causes like MDA, all the way down to participating with local schools.”

The folks at Blue Coast Burrito take care of the community and the community appears to be taking care of Blue Coast Burrito in return.  Since opening the first Blue Coast Burrito in Hixson, Martin has been able to open a second location downtown in Warehouse Row.  They’ve expanded to include a booming catering business and have recently added lunchtime delivery from their Warehouse Row location through www.dinnerdeliveredonline.com.  Within the next two months, lunch and dinner delivery will be available in Hixson as well.

So the next time, you’re in the mood for a taste of Baja cuisine, cruise on in to one of Blue Coast Burrito’s two locations, and design your own FRESH Cal-Mex Creation.

Blue Coast Burrito is located at 5591 Hwy 153 in Hixson, (423) 877-1880, or in Warehouse Row on Market Street downtown, (423) 755-0680.
www.bluecoastburrito.com

Café on the Corner

826 Scenic Highway
Lookout Mountain, TN 37350
Phone: 423-825-5005
Website: Cafe on the Corner

Just up Ochs Highway and a short jog down Scenic Highway into Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, you’ll arrive at Café on the Corner.  There is very little signage on the quaint white building, but trust me—one visit and you’ll find your way back again and again.

Upon entering Café on the Corner, you immediately feel welcome. Whether it’s the enormous stone fireplace or the smells of Southern cooking emanating from the kitchen, who’s to say—but it’s definitely there, the feeling that comes over you when you’ve found a special place.  You know the feeling—you’re so glad you’ve found it and thrilled to be there, but can’t wait to leave and tell everyone you know about it.

There is much history in the building that houses Café on the Corner.   “It was originally a grocery store,” says owner Ruth Oehmig.  “Everyone up here remembers, especially folks in their 80s and 90s, coming here as a little kid.  It had a pot-bellied stove and an old-fashioned candy counter.” After the grocery closed, Mrs. Oehmig’s aunt purchased the building and opened an antique store.  She later sold the space to a cousin-by-marriage, who opened the location’s first restaurant.   At that time, the fireplace was added as well as the patio.  After the closing of that restaurant, the building passed through a few more owners, each adding their own touches—some not as appealing as others.  “We came in and I saw the bones, the architectural, just the inherent beauty of the place.  It had been kind of patched and re-patched,” says Ruth Oehmig. She decided to gut the building.

With the help of The Strauss Company, she and executive chef Sven Lindroth restored Café on the Corner to its genuine beauty.  Under layers of sheetrock, they discovered gorgeous brick walls, and found incredible hardwood floors beneath linoleum.  While Mrs. Oehmig focused on the dining area, Lindroth was busy creating his perfect kitchen.  Once the renovations were complete, Mission-style tables and chairs were brought in and covered with linen tablecloths, a gorgeous breakfront came to rest in a corner close to the gracious, welcoming fireplace, and slow-turning fans gently moved the air.

While the ambiance alone is worth the trip up Lookout Mountain, once you arrive and taste the delightful fare so lovingly created by Chef Lindroth, you’ll never want to leave.  Lindroth has cooked in such places as Chicago, New Orleans, Jamaica, and Charleston, where he attended the acclaimed Johnson & Wales University and received an advanced degree, graduating summa cum laude.  Lindroth brings a taste of each of these places to the kitchen of Café on the Corner.  He combines these ethnic flavors with good ol’ Southern cookin’ learned at his grandfather’s and mother’s sides.   You’ll find such tempting appetizers as pork sliders, served on basil thyme biscuits with pickles and a blue cheese slaw, or Lindroth’s take on a Southern classic—fried green tomatoes.  Café on the Corner serves panko breaded green tomatoes drizzled with a basil aioli sauce and sweet pepper jelly.

There’s tomato tart served with arugula and bacon jam, and a blend of South meets way West… spring rolls filled with collard greens, smoked pork, corn, red pepper, red onion and served with a sweet mustard sauce, reminiscent of South Carolina BBQ sauce.  Why, a person could just eat appetizers and have a fabulous meal!  But then you’d be missing out on other amazing dishes like Lindroth’s Flat Iron Steak, cooked in a red wine demi-glace and served with cheddar potato gratin and asparagus, or a local favorite, comfort food at its finest, Café Meatloaf, served with thyme brown gravy, mac n’ cheese, honey-glazed carrots and blue cheese slaw, or the must-try Shrimp and Grits, Lindroth’s own recipe that has been published in Nathalie Dupree’s Shrimp and Grits Cookbook.

Whatever you choose to eat, the experience is sure to be pleasing.  Trust me, once you traverse the mountain and find yourself seated at Café on the Corner, you’ll know you’ve found a special place, and you’ll tell everyone you know.

Café on the Corner, 826 Scenic Highway, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. Open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (423) 825-5005.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill

2040 Hamilton Place Boulevard, Suite 100
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: (423) 894-9970
Fax: (423) 894-9971
E-Mail: ca9304@carrabbas.com
Website: www.carrabbas.com

We’ve all seen the movies about big Italian families gathered around the kitchen, tasting Mama’s Bolognese sauce and waiting for the noodles to boil.  Think Moonstruck.  That’s exactly what Johnny Carrabba and Damien Mandola were shooting for when they opened their first Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

If you’ve ever looked around the inside of the Carrabba’s Italian Grill beside Hamilton Place, you’re sure to have noticed the pictures hanging on the walls.  “Obviously history and culture are a large part of the restaurant,” Miguel Morales, owner of the local franchise says.  “We take great pride in the Carrabba family and the Mandola family being true Italians.  All the pictures you see on the wall are either family of the Mandola family or family of the Carrabba family.”

True history is pictured in many of these photos.  “There’s a picture of Johnny’s dad, who is the only gentleman that still knows the recipe of our homemade Italian fennel sausage,” reveals Morales.  “He has willed that recipe to Johnny when he passes away, and until then, he’ll be the only person that has all the ingredients for that sausage.  So basically, he puts those ingredients together, still today, and turns them in and they basically dump that into the recipe and have no idea what seasonings are in the packet because that’s his personal recipe.”

Many of the photos you see on the wall are from old grocery stores and meat markets—the family businesses of the Carrabbas and the Mandolas. Johnny Carrabba and Damien Mandola are family—Damien is Johnny’s uncle.  “Instead of continuing with that business,” explains Morales, “they started to open restaurants at a young age, and when Johnny Carrabba graduated from college, Damien Mandola had a great new idea for a family-oriented Italian restaurant with the kitchen upfront, an expo kitchen so everyone could enjoy everything going on there.”

The original Carrabba’s opened its doors on Kirby Avenue in Houston, Texas in the mid-80s with Johnny Carrabba at the helm.  Mandola continued to manage his two “white tablecloth” Italian restaurants in Houston.  Within two years, Mandola realized that Carrabba was having all the fun and decided to close his two restaurants and open a second location of Carrabba’s.  The partners were approached repeatedly about selling the restaurant.  Since approximately eight percent of the recipes being used were their family recipes, Mandola and Carrabba didn’t see this as an option until Outback Steakhouse made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.  Outback offered the men a partnership, still allowing them full control over the restaurants and full control of the recipes.

Unlike many of their competitors, Carrabba’s Italian Grill continues to grow and flourish, having had their biggest success in only the last five or six years. Why is that?  In large part, it’s due to their refusal to accept anything less than the best and most fresh ingredients for their food.

“With economic changes,” says Morales, “we’ve put a lot of thought into [the menu]. There are a lot of different places out there cutting the cost of their menu and things of that nature.  I don’t think that’s a possibility for us, because the product we had on our old menus was given at a great price for buying fresh product rather than frozen product.  It costs a little more money to do that.”

Morales explained that they came up with some menu items that took a diner from the soup or salad course, to the entrée, and on to dessert for one low price.  Diners are still getting delicious meals made with fresh ingredients, including the house specialties such as crispy calamari, Chicken Marsala (cooked over an open flame using oak and pecan woods and marsala wine from the Lombardi family vineyards in Italy), unique pasta dishes and handmade pizzas baked fresh in their wood-burning oven, and—don’t forget—their “Sogno di Cioccolata”, a rich fudge brownie brushed with Kahlua, then topped with chocolate mousse, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

There are always the options of curbside pickup, large party carry-out, or private dining—where a Carrabba’s chef comes to you to prepare a feast.  Whichever you decide, you can’t lose with the best fresh ingredients and the engaging hospitality of Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill, 2040 Hamilton Place Blvd.  (423) 894-9970. www.carrabbas.com

Cheeburger Cheeburger

138 Market Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 265-4108
Website: www.cheeburger.com

Let’s get one thing straight up front…Cheeburger Cheeburger is nothing like the restaurant John Belushi ran in one of the funniest Saturday Night Live skits ever, where, regardless of what his customers requested, all Belushi ever offered was a “cheeboiger, cheeboiger, no Coke. Pepsi!”

According to Charlie Eich, five-year owner of the Chattanooga location, whether or not the founder of the nationwide chain of restaurants (55 locations so far) actually got the name from the popular SNL line remains a mystery.

As a matter of fact, all Charlie Eich has been told about the name of the restaurant is that it was originally named “Images”, referring to the Wall of Fame pictures on the wall (we’ll get to that later), but renamed Cheeburger Cheeburger not too long after the first location opened in Sanibel, Florida back in 1984. Either way, good call on the name change!

Fortunately, unlike the SNL restaurant, Cheeburger Cheeburger is all about choices. Not only does your “cheeburger” come with a choice of eight different types of cheeses, if requested, the cook can be persuaded to leave the cheese off altogether.  Choose how well you want your 100-percent Angus beef cheeburger cooked, and then comes the fun part—choose any number of dozens of toppings to customize your cheeburger.

My server, Jennifer, suggested I try her unnamed favorite combination, a Serious cheeburger with mozzarella cheese, chopped black olives, guacamole, and sautéed onions. It was seriously good! “We even keep some peanut butter in the back for customers who request it on their cheeburgers,” said Eich. Peanut butter on a burger?! What?! Eww!! But, since I prefer to have choices, I support your right to add whatever-weird-ingredient-you want to your own burger!
For sides, I tried both the onion rings and french fries. Both are hand-cut, battered, and very good.

Now, those more-superior burger eaters might want to take the “Famous Pounder” Challenge. Finish off a whopping one-pound cheeburger, and your picture goes up on the “Wall of Fame.” The burger is actually 20 ounces before it’s cooked…I’m full just thinking about it! Younger folks can choose to try the half-pounder instead.

The Chattaboogie Cheeburger-Cheeburger is decorated up like a ’50s malt shop, with antique memorabilia from the ’50s & ’60’s, neon lighting, swivel barstools, complete with music from the same couple of decades playing in the background. While Cheeburger Cheeburger is part of the chain of like restaurants, the downtown version still has a “Mom & Pop” feel about it, which I really appreciate.

Because I was sitting up on a swivel barstool at the ice cream counter, I HAD to try one of the handmade shakes…I just had to! It wasn’t an easy choice, though. There are 80 different combinations of shakes to choose from! Luckily, Eich suggested his personal favorite, the Oreo Cheesecake shake. Yummy!! And it was.
Contrary to popular belief, locals can get served in about 15 minutes for lunch. Be a bit patient, though. Your fresh, cooked-to-order, 100-percent Angus burger might take a little extra time—but it’s worth it!!

Cheeburger Cheeburger of Chattanooga, 138-A Market Street. (423) 265-4108. www.cheeburger.com.

Chef Lin

5084 South Terrace
Chattanooga, TN 37412
Phone: (423) 510-1998

Repeatedly voted the “best dinner under $10” since it opened in 2001, Chef Lin is considered one of the largest international buffets in the Chattanooga area. It is also considered one of the best deals around. Where else can you find crab legs, steak, and oysters at such an affordable price?

You could say that the history of the Chef Lin started in 2001 when the restaurant first opened. Or you could go back even further to 1993, when Tony Lin first arrived in America. Though his family was in the restaurant business, the owner and namesake of Chef Lin did not began his cooking career until age 14 when he first started working in a kitchen washing dishes.

But by the time he made the move to New York City in ’93, Lin knew that he wanted to open his own place. Fast forward eight years and Lin, who was living in Atlanta at the time, finally found his restaurant. The China Garden in Chattanooga was for sale. The eatery was already in the style of a Chinese buffet, and Lin quickly snatched it up. Now he had his restaurant—the only problem was getting the customers’ attention. To Lin, the best way to do that was to offer the best food possible at a great price.

That idea became the central selling point of Chef Lin. For just $10 (and that’s just for dinner, lunch is only six bucks!) a customer can come in and expect one of the largest arrays of food in town. Lin and his wife, who are almost always at the restaurant, are steadfast in offering the best meal they can at the lowest price possible. “You can eat at other restaurants and pay $30 for one lobster,” said Lin, “or you could come here and eat shrimp, steak, and crab legs for only ten.” The customers will always get their money’s worth at Chef Lin because there is really just too much to chose from. There is no way to go home hungry from a place with six long buffet tables full of food.

According to the chef, the buffet tables offer some 200 items, including Peking Duck, New Zealand Mussels, Salmon Steak, Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Legs, Ribeye Steak, Oysters and much more. The list goes on and on. The restaurant also offers a sushi bar, salad bar, and hibachi grill as well as an assortment of fresh fruits and even French pastries. Signature items include the Coconut Cream Shrimp and what Lin considers his special crawfish. “No one else has that same flavor,” remarks the owner.

The owner of Chef Lin takes pride in his food. He also takes pride in the fact that his food is fresh and warm no matter when a customer comes in to eat. “That’s important—a lot of buffet food is dry and cold—we always keep it fresh and hot,” Lin says, “even during the slow times.” The customer is a top priority, and Lin wants every person who walks into his restaurant to leave happy.

The inside is surprisingly large, with several dinning areas, including a private room for parties and meetings that can hold up to 60 people. Roughly 200 people pack themselves into the restaurant on a Friday or Saturday night when the place is busiest. Chinese-themed wall art hangs in the dinning rooms and decorative archways and ceiling tiles add to the effect. The rooms are light and clean and the aroma of hot, fresh food wafts in and out. It makes a person hungry! And Lin is not above a little self-promotion here and there—the restaurant’s foyer is decorated with award certificates.

While there are no specials at Chef Lin, lunch is a steal at only $6, and Sunday brunch is about a dollar more. Children (ages 3 to 9) eat for half price, and kids under 3 eat free. Even seniors get a ten-percent-off deal. And don’t forget to ask about the free Birthday Dinner offer. The restaurant does carryout and catering with gift certificates available.

Since 2001, Chef Lin has been considered the “best dinner under $10” in Chattanooga. The restaurant remains dedicated to offering good, affordable meals, knowing that a happy and satisfied customer will always return for more.

Chef Lin is located at 5084 S. Terrace Road in the South Terrace Plaza. (I-24 Exit 184, next to the Rave Movie Theater). (423) 510-1998.

China Moon

5600 Brainerd Road
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: (423) 893-8088

Selection.  Selection is key in the world of buffet dining.  China Moon in the Eastgate Town Center is well aware of this. Perhaps it is what makes them so successful.  When China Moon opened its doors in 1998, it was the first big New York-style buffet in the Chattanooga area, seating about 200 people. Since its ribbon-cutting ceremony, China Moon has expanded to seat more than 350 people and has been voted “Best Chinese Restaurant” in both 2001 and 2007.

Walking along the buffet lines at China Moon is much like taking a stroll through the various regions of China.  There are Cantonese dishes like chow mein—a stir-fried dish consisting of noodles, meat, onions and celery, lo mein—lo mein noodles tossed with brown sauce, carrots, bok choy or cabbage, onions and, often, meat, and salt-and-pepper shrimp—a deep-fried delicacy cooked in the shell and delightfully seasoned with salt, pepper and Chinese spices.  Hunan province is represented with such fare as spare ribs—an appetizer cooked in char sui style, roasted with a savory, sweet sauce, Hunan beef—a spicy beef entrée cooked with spices and peppers found in the Hunan region of China, and General Tso’s Chicken—a sweet and spicy deep-fried chicken dish.

You’ll also find traditional Szechuan recipes like kung pao chicken—diced marinated chicken, stir-fried with skinless, unsalted, roasted peanuts, vegetables and sauces, or hot-and-sour soup—made with pork, mushrooms, tofu, hot chili sauce for the heat and vinegar for the sourness.  Nestled among the Chinese delights, you’ll find alternatives (for those of you with picky eaters), such as French fries and chicken nuggets.  There is also a plentiful salad bar and fresh fruit for the health conscious.  Healthy food choices are abundant on the menu with such dishes as steamed chicken with mixed vegetables and steamed seafood delight.  You’ll recognize Chinese eats that have become more Americanized, like beef with broccoli, pepper steak, and sweet-and-sour chicken.

China Moon experienced such success as a Chinese buffet that the owners made a decision to take their buffet a little further East.  They have added a sushi bar and teppanyaki grill a la Japan.  Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook.  At China Moon, you choose your own mixture of meats and vegetables to be prepared while you wait.

According to China Moon diners, the selection of dishes on the buffet is only one reason they keep coming back.  Diners rave about the promptness of the waitstaff and the freshness of the food on the buffet.  China Moon attendants are constantly refilling the more than 250 dishes to ensure the quality and variety patrons have come to expect.  Diners can also appreciate the fabulous prices at China Moon.  Monday through Saturday, lunch buffet is a paltry $5.95 and dinner is only $8.95.  All day on Sunday, you can dine for only $7.50.  So—selection, service, and savings—China Moon has hit the dining trifecta!

China Moon is a completely nonsmoking establishment, and has two party rooms that can be rented for private functions.

China Moon is at 5600 Brainerd Road, in the Eastgate Town Center.  They are open Monday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.

City Cafe Diner/Downtown

901 Carter Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 634-9191
Website: www.citycafedinerchattanooga.com

On any given day, you could park outside either location of City Café Diner and watch people come and go—and the majority of those people would leave carrying a takeout box. Why is that?  It’s because City Café Diner has “good food and plenty of it”—so much so, they’ve made that their slogan.  “Good food and plenty of it.”  Kind of catchy, definitely true.

According to Max Vasquez, one of the managers at the Carter Street location, size of the portions, quality of food, quality of service, and speed of service are the requirements set by owner Lee Epstein.  Mr. Epstein has a long history in the restaurant business, and can often be found at the grill or peering through the pass-through window into the kitchen.  He is involved in all of the restaurants’ catering jobs.

Prior to opening City Café Diner on Carter Street, Epstein had a number of City Café Diners in the Atlanta area.  He has since closed those restaurants, and is focused on making his Chattanooga locations the best they can possibly be.  A native New Yorker, Epstein modeled the City Café Diners’ style after the diners of his youth.  Upon arrival, you’ll see lots of chrome, mirrors, neon, and plenty of smiling faces.

When asked what their suggestions were from the menu, Vasquez and new General Manager Gary Haworth had one suggestion for everyone…try everything!  Both managers stress that there are vast options for your dining pleasure.

You’ll find breakfast on the menu 24 hours a day, Greek specialties, Italian specialties and so much more.  Never had souvlaki?  No problem, order a Combination Greek Platter where souvlaki is featured with a gyro, spinach pie, and dolmades, served up with fries and a Greek salad.

In the mood for some broiled stuffed flounder Florentine?  City Café Diner has it.  They offer two soups each day made from scratch, and there are more than 35 items on their lunch menu. Says Vasquez, “Cover to cover, there are approximately 400 items on our menu.”

Since they are open 24 hours, City Café Diner has a prep team working around the clock to ensure quality.    They also have their own off-site bakery that creates nearly all of their more than 70 well-known desserts—including several sugar-free or gluten-free items—and bakes all the breads used at City Café Diner.

City Café Diner at Carter Street does a brisk lunch business. Gary Haworth says people should never be concerned about getting their meal, eating and making it back to their desk in the allotted time.  Still a little worried?  That’s OK…call City Café Diner up for delivery.  City Café Diner offers Chattanooga’s only 24-hour delivery service, and between the two locations, they cover everywhere from Collegedale to the foot of Signal Mountain.

Aside from the great meals, amazing desserts, generous portions, and timely service, City Café Diner at Carter Street also offers sweet libation.  The recently updated lounge, The Office, is open from 4 p.m. until 3 a.m. Monday through Friday and 5 p.m. til 3 a.m. on Saturday—and has a surprisingly large selection of domestic and import beers.  You’ll find everything from Budweiser to Fat Tire.  Monday through Friday, they offer happy-hour specials that will blow your mind—well drinks for only $2 and drafts for $1.

Need a drink, a meal, or some of that sweet, sweet dessert?  City Café Diner has you covered.

City Café Diner is located at the Best Western Heritage on Lee Highway and at the Days Inn Rivergate on Carter Street.

El Mesõn Restaurante Mexicano

2204 Hamilton Place Blvd
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: (423) 894-8726
Fax: (423) 894-2714
E-Mail: elmeson@elmesonrestaurant.com

El meson, according to Raul Ruiz, Jr., one of the managers of the popular local restaurant of that name, was an inn.  Many years ago, in the state of Jalisco in Mexico, the land was dotted with farms growing the blue agave plant—the plant crucial for making tequila.  There were inns scattered among the farms, inns that had stables, restaurants, bars, and were a place where the workers from the farms would come together, a place where they could be comfortable together.  That comfort—that togetherness—was exactly what Raul Ruiz was aiming for when he opened El Meson Restaurante Mexicano 16 years ago.

Ruiz had worked in the restaurant business for 25 years, managing restaurants for a company that owned Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants and Sizzler Steakhouses.  Ruiz had a chance after all those years to buy a franchise of one of the restaurants he had managed, but at the last minute the deal fell through.  By this time, Ruiz had gotten excited about becoming a restaurant owner.  Enter Pedro, Ruiz’s former business partner.  At this time, Ruiz and his family were living in California.  Pedro was in Atlanta.  Pedro had recipes; Ruiz had restaurant experience.  It was decided that once they found the perfect place, they would open a restaurant.  After a trip to Chattanooga, Ruiz got the call: “I think we found it.”  He packed up his wife and five sons and moved from California to Chattanooga and El Meson was born.  Today, half the recipes are still Pedro’s, and the other half belong to the Ruiz family.

Says Ruiz, “[These recipes] originate in Jalisco state and honestly, truthfully, some of these recipes are straight from my Grandma.  The mole, the tortillas—that’s straight out of my Grandma’s book.”  Not only are the recipes authentic, the entire atmosphere radiates Mexico.  Ruiz says, “I’ve been in other Mexican restaurants. Some of them, you feel like you’re going into a bar—it looks like it’s a bar restaurant.  Others, you go in and you’re like, ’Oh, this is really fancy’.  With us it’s not the fanciness; with us you get the authentic experience.”

Not only do you find authentic family recipes at El Meson Restaurate Mexicano, you find a family business.  Ruiz opened the restaurant when his sons were children, and has since added a daughter.   Four of Ruiz’s sons, Raul, Jr., Edgar, Tony, and Alberto manage El Meson.  “My dad put us through college,” says Raul, Jr.  “All of us, we all graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.  Go Vols.”  Ruiz told his sons he would put them through school, pay for their college, and then—it was their choice.  If they chose to work in the field they graduated in, that was fine, but if they chose to come back to the family business, he expected them to be one hundred percent committed.  Of his five sons, only one, Oscar, a law student, has chosen to pursue something outside the restaurant business. Ruiz’s daughter, Julia, at 11, has yet to face that decision.  Once his sons made their decisions to come back to El Meson, Ruiz sent each of them to train with their uncle in Nevada.  They worked in restaurants, stores, apartment complexes.  “You learn so much,” says Raul, Jr. “You learn teamwork.  You learn how to hire.  You learn how to train people.”

The training and education never ends for the Ruiz sons.  Each year, they are sent to Mexico for food shows.  It’s there they pick up new recipes to try at the Sunday brunch buffet at El Meson.  Each Sunday, one of the sons spends time with diners at the buffet garnering information on what dishes are the favorites and should be added to the menu.  Perhaps it is this commitment to pleasing the palate of Chattanoogans that has allowed the Ruizes to begin planning to open a second restaurant.  In early November, a second El Meson Restaurante Mexicano will open in Hixson.  The new restaurant will be located in the Northgate Mall area and will seat approximately 250 people. It too, will hearken back to the comfortable atmosphere and family cooking that have made the original such a favorite.

El Meson is located at 2204 Hamilton Place Boulevard near the northeast entrance to Hamilton Place Mall.

ELEVEN

407 Chestnut Street (inside Doubletree Hotel)
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 756-5150
Fax: (423) 752-6950

Just a little over a week ago marked the first anniversary of a restaurant in a local hotel.  I am hesitant to use that terminology…hotel restaurant evokes images of Howard Johnson’s and Denny’s. ELEVEN is anything but.

On October 8, 2008, Vision Hospitality Group opened the Doubletree Hotel on Chestnut Street after months of renovations, repositioning themselves as an upscale, full-service hotel.  The property underwent a vast number of changes; updating the rooms and meeting space to have a more modern and stylish appearance and adding a new heated, outdoor saltwater pool.  But perhaps the most notable change was the addition of a new second-floor restaurant, ELEVEN.

During the planning stages of the restaurant, the owners of Vision Hospitality Group decided they wanted a fresh look at what a hotel restaurant could be.  The restaurant needed to match the contemporary design schemes and warm, vibrant colors of the hotel.  Says Chef Joe Fidelibus, who joined Vision Hospitality Group a year before the opening of ELEVEN, “The atmosphere matches the clean lines and freshness of the hotel. It’s naturally lighted, comfortable seating with plenty of elbow room, very unpretentious with colors that brighten your day. In the evening, we drape our tables with linen and dim the lighting to offer a relaxing end-of-the-day mode.”

When asked what has made ELEVEN successful, Chef Fidelibus says, “Some venues give up, offering mundane menu items and some go over the top with high prices that drive guests outside the facility. Our thoughts were to offer traditional/local and regional favorites with some twists.”  The culinary team at ELEVEN does just this with items such as their fried green tomatoes appetizer.  They’ve taken mama’s recipe and tweaked it, adding a pimento cheese topping and balsamic reduction as an accent sauce.  Says Chef Fidelibus, “Visitors to our region expect some of the ‘flavors’ they have heard about and this is one way to give them a taste of the New South.”

Another explanation for the success of ELEVEN is that the staff of the restaurant went to the visitors for ideas.  They spoke with guests; either in person, via e-mail, or through notes left at the restaurant, and found that overwhelmingly, what people wanted was comfort food.  In the beginning, ELEVEN offered heavier meals like steaks and chops.  Once the guests had spoken, Chef Fidelibus and his culinary crew made some modifications to the menu.  A Hanger Steak was added to replace some of the heavier offerings.  Served with merlot reduction gravy, the Hanger Steak flies out of the kitchen.  The staff also found that guests of the hotel were leaving the facility for the day, either attending business meetings or visiting local tourist attractions, so they took to the streets—they went into the business community and invited them in for lunch.

Chef Fidelibus and his staff asked them what they would like to see in a restaurant, and asked them to forget that ELEVEN was located in a hotel.  Again, the people responded with a cry for comfort—comfort food, that is—as well as reasonable prices and fresh offerings.  From this, a lunch buffet was created.  Monday through Friday, ELEVEN offers a lunch buffet with a bountiful salad buffet, freshly baked yeast rolls, homemade soups, three entrees, three vegetables, pastas, pilafs, potatoes and a dessert buffet lovingly created by their baker, Donna. “All of this including your beverage for $8.95,” says Chef Fidelibus, “and you eat on china, not out of a paper bag.”

Since ELEVEN’s lunch buffet had been such a hit, Chef Fidelibus and staff decided, two weeks prior to the holiday, to host an Easter dinner.  To their surprise, 450 people showed up.  The same thing happened on Mother’s Day.  Now the staff at ELEVEN is offering a lavish buffet on Thanksgiving as well.

Hotel restaurants are often viewed by locals as a place for out of town guests to grab a quick bite before heading out for the day or turning in for the night.  Since its opening, the staff at ELEVEN has made it a mission to change the way Chattanooga thinks when it comes to hotel dining.

ELEVEN is located on the second floor of the Doubletree Hotel at 407 Chestnut Street, in downtown Chattanooga. (423) 756-5150.

Formosa’s

5425 Highway 153
# 9, Hixson, TN‎ 37343
Phone: (423) 875-6953‎

Let me start by saying I’m pretty fortunate…I have a pretty sweet gig here.  I get to go to incredible restaurants and get the real story behind them—taste a little food, talk to the owners or managers.  It’s incredible, but it’s a rare treat to come across a completely different concept, and that’s just what happened when I set foot in Formosa Restaurant in Hixson last week.

I had called the owner, Mitchell Lin, earlier in the week to set up a time to come out for an interview.  He mentioned when we set the appointment wanting to do something a little out of the ordinary, but he wasn’t sure what just yet.  I was intrigued, and anxiously awaiting the scheduled time for our assignation.   The big day finally rolled around, and I had no idea what to expect.

As soon as I walked in the door of Formosa Restaurant, I could see this was not just another Chinese restaurant. From the elegant, yet simple atmosphere to the large saltwater fish tank designed to entertain diners while they wait, Formosa is a cut above.  Then my eyes locked on Mitchell’s wall of fame. Wow!  There are letters from congressmen, governors, heck—there was even something up there with a very prestigious return address in Washington, D.C. congratulating Mitchell on more than 20 years of entrepreneurship. And those hang alongside the 11 CityScope awards for “Best Chinese Restaurant.”

Mitchell came in, introduced himself to me and led me to a table, where he seated me with a young man he introduced as Tyler.  He explained that he’s decided to have me interview three of his more experienced wait staff.  Wait!  What’s this?  I’m gonna get to talk to the heart and soul of Formosa?  Mitchell brought Samantha and Spence over to our table and introduced them, then he left to prepare some food for the four of us.

Tyler Brandenburg, at two-and-a-half years at the Formosa, is the “rookie” of the bunch.  At 19, he’s recently completed his associate degree and is saving money to attend MTSU, where he plans to be a guitar performance major.  Samantha Lowy, at 20 years old, has already worked at Formosa for four years.  She’s a student at UTC, where she studies psychology.  Spence Guffey, the final member of our group, is another long-timer at Formosa.

Mitchell brought us three dishes to try: Princess Steak Kew Plus, hearty pieces of rib eye steak plus jumbo shrimp in a hot brown sauce,  Sesame Chicken, lightly breaded white-meat chicken blended with a few vegetables in a brown sauce topped with sesame seeds, and Shrimp Lo Mein with Five Flavor Sauce.  The guys explained that everything at Formosa is cooked to order. Anything can be added or taken away from a dish.   As we sat eating, I listened to the friendly banter between these guys. It was almost like siblings without the rivalry—when suddenly I was hearing lots of numbers. 903, 519, 604…what in the world?

“Everything has got a number. I make it a point to learn them all,” Tyler explained.  “I’ve got a couple of regulars that like to quiz me every week.  They come in every Saturday.  They order by number and see if I can guess what dish it is and they’re always just so excited when I get it right.”

Do they all know all the numbers?  I mean, the menu is massive. There are more than 30 seafood items alone!  “It’s not required,” said Samantha,  “but you just get to know them.”   So how?  How do you learn all these items?  “You either start as a busboy or hostess and then you work your way up to server,” Tyler said.

Owner Mitchell Lin and manager Mike Hendrix are also what these servers count among the great things about working at the restaurant.  Said Samantha, “We’re all kinda like one big happy family in a way.  It’s just a good atmosphere.  Mitchell is a great guy to work for.”

The great guy himself said, “We are very fortunate we have this group always very tight together.  They work together as co-workers and after school they get together sometimes, get some fancy, crazy things to do.”

Formosa: excellent food, cooked to order, incredible levels of customer service, great prices…What more can you ask for?  Happy employees!  And you’ll certainly find them there.

Formosa Restaurant, 5424 Highway 153, #9 in Hixson, Tennessee. Call (423) 875-6953 or find them on the web at www.formosa-restaurant.com.

Fuji Steak and Sushi

a href=”/map/?v=3530″>2207 Overnite Dr.
Chattanooga, TN
Phone: (423) 892-2899.

Hibachi-style dining has become a favorite of Americans.  We just LOVE to be entertained, and let’s face it, hibachi-style dining can be very entertaining.  Hibachi-style cooking, traditionally called teppanyaki, was made famous by the Benihana restaurant chain, which opened its first restaurant in the US in 1964.  Since then, “hibachi” has become a household word, and various other restaurants have popped up that are built around an iron cooking griddle and some extremely masterful chefs.  The latest of these to grace the Chattanooga area is Fuji Steak & Sushi.

Fuji Steak & Sushi, located near Hamilton Place Mall, is an aesthetically pleasing mixture of East meets very trendy West.  The experience begins before you even cross the threshold of the restaurant.  Flanking the front entry are two pillar fountains, decidedly Zen in style.  Set in the door is another fountain, also Zen in design.

Once you enter the restaurant, you will find the space very light and open.  The lighting above the bar/sushi bar consists of bulbs covered by cleverly reconditioned glass bottles in varying shades.  There is a private dining room on one side of the restaurant affording diners a more intimate atmosphere.  The other side is pure, unadulterated fun—interactive dining at its best.

Fuji Steak and Sushi has 16 hibachi grills ready and waiting.  There are nine hibachi chefs, so you don’t experience the long wait times you might at other establishments.  According to Allan Kim, manager of Fuji Steak & Sushi, the restaurant is not as concerned with filling its hibachi tables before serving its customers as it as making sure customers have an enjoyable experience.  “We’re only going to have a 10-minute wait time at the front.  Then when you are seated, within 10 minutes a server is going to come and take your order.  So, we’re not going to fill all the tables.”

Not only will you be served quicker, you will also enjoy a show brimming with tricks.  “More tricks,” says Kim.  Your hibachi chef might juggle utensils, flip a shrimp into their shirt pocket, catch an egg in his hat, toss an egg up in the air and split it with a knife, or arrange onion rings into fire-shooting volcanoes—all this while talking and interacting with customers.  In fact, you could get a turn spinning an egg on a spatula yourself.  The preparation of food in Japan is considered an art form.  Fuji Steak & Sushi has heightened that to the art of entertainment.  Hibachi chefs are trained by the head chef, E.T., who has more than 20 years of experience.

At the sushi bar, you would likely meet John, Mike or Sky.  They are Fuji Steak & Sushi’s trio of sushi chefs.  Combined, they have many years experience creating such delicacies as “Ladybug Roll”—fresh tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and scallions topped with red and black tobiko or “Scorpion King”—made up of two rolls, a shrimp tempura roll and a soft-shell crab roll topped with shrimp and the chef’s special spicy sauce.  Of course, these sushi chefs are masters at serving up the traditional fare, too.  As a matter of fact, they’d better be very skilled at it.  Mondays and Wednesdays are $1 sushi days at Fuji Steak & Sushi.   Order Nigiri sushi or Maki sushi (that’s rolls like California roll or tuna roll) for only $1 on those days.

Fuji Steak & Sushi has only recently opened its doors to the public, celebrating its grand opening this past Monday, and in true “East meets very trendy West style,” the restaurant launched its Facebook page a week earlier.  Become a fan of the restaurant, listed on Facebook as Fuji Steakhouse TN, and get ready for some impressive savings.

Fuji Steak & Sushi is located at 2207 Overnite Dr., Chattanooga.  (423) 892-2899.

Hair Of The Dog Pub

334 Market Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 265-4615
Website: www.hairofthedogpub.net

Eh up!  I don’t know if you’ve ever stopped in for a peeve at Hair of the Dog Pub, but it’s absobloodylutely the dog’s bollocks!  Allow me to translate:  “Hello!  I’m not sure if you’ve ever had a drink at Hair of the Dog Pub, but it’s absolutely fantastic!”

Sorry, I tend to get a little carried away, but seriously—open the door at 334 Market Street, and you’ll feel like you have just stepped into a neighborhood pub in Manchester.  It’s dark wood, pub tables, and flags of British football clubs hanging in front of the bar.  The ceiling is made to look like corrugated tin, and behind the bar is a custom-built dumbwaiter to send drinks upstairs to yet more pub tables, pool tables, dartboards and a jukebox playing hits from the last five decades.

If you really want the English pub experience, you can order from a variety of English beers like Boddington’s Draught or Old Speckled Hen. Food is another lure, as you can dine on such delectable dishes as “Fish n’ Chips” or “Bangers n’ Mash.”  Now, if you’re not in the mood to try something English, Hair of the Dog Pub has many other tasty items to choose from.  There’s “Reuben Rolls”—a gastronomic delight as German meets Asian meets American:  egg roll wrappers stuffed with corned beef, kraut, and just a smidge of Thousand Island dressing, or “Babe the Blue Ox”—a scrumptious burger with bleu cheese, bacon, and grilled mushrooms.

If you’re looking for something on the lighter side, try “The Mother Clucker”, delicious chicken, breaded in-house and fried golden brown, sliced and laid delicately atop a bed of mixed greens, garnished with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions and crumbled bacon.  Food is served at Hair of the Dog Pub from 11 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. Feeling hungry after a concert?  Not a problem!   Not sure what to do for lunch?  Not a problem!  The Dog offers daily lunch specials and a “lunch fidelity” card for regulars.

Sundays at Hair of the Dog Pub means time for one of the most exciting, delightful, delicious, savory, satisfying—and affordable—brunches in Chattanooga.  From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., order frittatas, pancakes, “Really French French Toast,” quiches, and satisfy yourself with the Bloody Mary bar.  Your bartenders pours the vodka—you create the masterpiece.

But it’s certainly not just about the pub grub, no matter how ambrosial it may be!  Hair of the Dog Pub has one of the most impressive beer lists in the city.  You can find everything from Budweiser to Rogue Mocha Porter.  Each season, the Dog announces a new “List o’ Beers.”  This winter, some of their seasonal beers include Abita Christmas Ale, TommyKnocker Butthead Bock, Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve, and Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Nut Brown. They are currently offering Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome on winter beer listings.

There’s even a $10 beer, the one beer of the season Hair of the Dog Pub deems worthy of a ten spot.   This winter, it’s Delirium Tremens, a beer praised by many as the best overall beer in the world.  You can order up mixed beers, a la the Black and Tan, with such creative names as the Irish 8-ball (Guinness with a shot of espresso) and Skid Mark (Guinness and Fat Tire).  If a pint is not what you’re looking for, Hair of the Dog Pub has a fabulous wine list and a full bar, featuring several single-malt Scotches and a great bourbon.

Hair of the Dog Pub celebrated their fourth birthday on November 18.  With all the fine services they offer, it’s no wonder.

Hair of the Dog Pub is located at 334 Market Street, downtown Chattanooga. Open seven days a week, 11 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. (423) 265-4615.

Ice Cream Show

105 Walnut Street
Chattanooga, TN. 37403
Phone: (423) 702-5173
Website: www.theicecreamshow.com

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream…and gourmet coffee? It seems to work for Roger and Lynda Curtis, owners of The Ice Cream Show.  In fact, according to Roger, it has helped create one of their slogans: “The secret’s in the combination.”  The combination can be many things to many people—anyone who comes in has the opportunity to build their own flavor.  But in the minds of the owners, the winning combination is ice cream and coffee.  Says Roger, “I think if you have an ice cream in one hand and a coffee in the other, that’s a balanced diet.”

It certainly seems to be working for the Curtises. The Ice Cream Show, located at the south end of the Walnut Street Walking Bridge, is the fourth store of its kind they’ve opened.  About eight years ago, Roger, who was teaching at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, and Lynda, who worked in the library of an elementary school, decided it was time for a change.  They were invited to Grand Rapids, Michigan to the 25th anniversary of a church they had been involved in years before.  While there, they visited a coffee shop owned by the brother of the friend they were visiting.  They fell in love.  On their trip back to Greenville, they made the decision to open a coffee shop. And not just any coffee shop.  They wanted to open a shop that catered to all ages.

Once back in Greenville, they went to work.  With research, they were lucky enough to find a spot in Greenville’s west end, an area slated for revitalization.  Shortly after that, the Curtises were vacationing in a small town in North Carolina with their daughter and she smelled waffle cones baking.   “Our intent was just to have a coffee shop.  We’d be bankrupt by now if we’d done that,” says Roger, “but I really think God led us to that store that day.”  That was the day the Curtises first saw the particular type of blending machine they would use, and their fate was sealed.

The Curtises contacted the company in Geneva, Switzerland that makes the machines and arranged to have them in their store.  The particular way these machines blend is what makes The Ice Cream Show’s ice cream so amazing.   The process is pretty amazing as well.  The Ice Cream Show has chocolate or vanilla ice cream, chocolate or vanilla frozen yogurt, and vanilla sugar-free ice cream—and 40 different fresh ingredients, which totals up to more than 17,000 flavors.  Yep, you read that right: seventeen THOUSAND flavors.  They’ve actually come up with a mathematical equation based on up to three ingredients added per flavor.

The Ice Cream Show has had some unique requests for flavors, including blackberry rum and raisin and mango chocolate, but they do try to steer customers away from making a combination so outlandish that it doesn’t taste good.  Their most popular flavor?  Strawberry Cheesecake.   And it’s not just the flavor combinations that make The Ice Cream Show’s ice cream so special.  The process works like this: First they scoop hard-packed ice cream into the blending machine, then add only the freshest and best ingredients (like fruits frozen fresh on the farm and cheesecake bites from The Cheesecake Factory) and blend them together to get a smooth, soft-serve treat…in just seconds!  Roger and Lynda Curtis set out to change the way you view ice cream, and they’re doing it, scoop by scoop.

The Ice Cream Show is located at 105 Walnut St, just south of the Walnut Street Walking Bridge.

Kanpai Of Tokyo

2200 Hamilton Place Blvd
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: (423) 855-8204
Website: Kanpai of Tokyo

The style is teppanyaki, a Japanese cuisine that involves cooking food on an iron griddle. In America, the method is popular at many Japanese steakhouses and hibachi grills, including Kanpai of Tokyo; however, that is not the only reason this small chain of restaurants has managed to establish a loyal fan base.

Originally opened in Atlanta in 1973, Kanpai of Tokyo has evolved into a popular chain comprised of four restaurants throughout the Southeastern United State, with locations in Chattanooga and Knoxville in Tennessee, and Greenville and Spartanburg in South Carolina. In Chattanooga, the local branch first opened in Red Bank more than 30 years ago. In 1992, it made the move to the Hamilton Place area. “It was the place to be at the time and in some ways still is,” says local operations manager Todd Burgner. And though the location might have changed, the restaurant has not.

Essentially, Kanpai of Tokyo is a Japanese steakhouse, but instead of tradition Japanese fare, a more entertaining meal is provided. Teppanyaki cooking is flash and fun and unique, especially for first-timers. At Kanpai of Tokyo, they look for chefs with strong culinary backgrounds that include culinary school and previous work. The trainees must then practice for anywhere from four to eight months with the head chef before they begin to cook and serve on their own.

On top of the hands-on practice, a large amount of studying is involved. Since a chef must know how to prepare every item on the menu, they must be familiar with what sauces are needed, how much time certain items take to cook, and much more. “You have to be able to perform in front of people,” remarks Burgner, who claims that the hardest tricks are usually the throwing ones. Imagine how long it would take to learn how to crack an egg in mid-air or to toss a steak knife up and into your hat.

With all the show, some might expect the food to be lacking, but the restaurant prides itself on serving fresh, quality meals. Japanese-style food is cooked in front of the customer’s eyes so the meal is served fresh and hot every time. Hibachi chicken, seafood and steak sizzle up while the rice and vegetables mix together with any one of the special sauces, all of which are made from scratch. Also available is a selection of fresh sushi rolls and salads, and a variety of wines, imported beers, and the traditional Japanese rice wine, sake. There is even a kids’ menu, offering traditional hibachi meals as well as chicken fingers, hamburgers, and even French fries, which Burgner believes sets Kanpai of Tokyo apart from other Japanese steakhouses.

The fusion of cultures and ideas that go into making the food also set Kanpai apart. The fare is made in Japanese style—but with a strong blend of Korean, Vietnamese, and American influences, as well as the component of the chef’s cultural background. Many of the workers come from diverse international communities, and that mix helps to create special dishes, unique to the restaurant, such as Tofu Hot and Sour Soup and Thai Shrimp with Soba noodles. This also helps the restaurant “to stay new,” says Burgner, “ so people don’t look at you as just the same old menu.”

These creative dishes, as well as the teppanyaki meals, even show up on the menus for the Express lunch and the Dinner for Two deal. With the Express Lunch, your meal will be ready in under 10 minutes, and the Dinner for Two offers two meals for $13.99 several days a week. There is even an Early Bird meal that offers two entrees for around $15 if you come in the first hour they are open. (These specials are usually Monday-Friday only.)

Inside, tile flooring runs throughout the restaurant, which is separated into several dinning rooms and halls with a bar right off the entrance and a sizable atrium room near the back. In the front dinning rooms, roughly 40 people can sit comfortably, while the back rooms seat about 20, which is fortunate, considering that during the busy season nearly 800 people can pass through on a Saturday night. The atrium offers large windows and a skylight. The bar is separated by a hallway, and houses several squat tables in the shape of sumo wrestlers. The building is full of woodwork and Japanese-themed wall art, with soft music playing in the background.

Kanpai of Tokyo is certainly not a typical restaurant After all, the teppanyaki performances and the fusion-inspired food make being typical impossible. But it’s a restaurant with fun and excitement, and of course, quality meals at an affordable price.

Kanpai of Tokyo, 2200 Hamilton Place Blvd. (423) 855-8204.
www.kanpaioftokyo.com/chattanooga

Mellow Mushroom

205 Broad Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 266-5564
Website: Mellow Mushroom

Eight years ago, a little slice of heaven opened its doors downtown Chattanooga.  Well, actually—it’s where you can get a few slices of heaven.  Mellow Mushroom, downtown in the old Coca-Cola building, is celebrating its eighth anniversary on February 22.

Mellow Mushroom, the original, was opened in 1974.  Says Samantha Jones, one of the owners of Mellow Mushroom in Chattanooga, “Mellow has been around since 1974, with the first location in downtown Atlanta, by Georgia Tech. It’s not there anymore, so now our oldest store is the newly remodeled location on Sandy Springs Road.”

Since its birth in 1974, Mellow Mushroom has stood by the somewhat eclectic philosophy of its founding fathers—keep the food consistent and the vibe different.  Every Mellow Mushroom has a different theme.  “My husband Jason and I moved here from Atlanta nine years ago to build our MM Chattanooga. We own and operate it ourselves with the support of our MM headquarters and an awesome staff,” Samantha says.  “We both have worked in the Mellow family a long time and actually met at the Brookhaven location. A Mellow love story, we call it.

“We chose downtown because we knew it was a growing part of the city with great possibilities for us to be successful,” she says. “It’s been really fun to see the area grow around us…we used to be the end of the block, but now we are in the middle of all the excitement!”  The Coca-Cola Building was a deliberate choice.  “We chose the Coca-Cola building because of its location.   Of course, we love that it has Chattanooga history, and Mellow’s long time partnership with Coke makes it a bonus.”  It also helped Samantha and Jason choose the theme for Chattanooga’s Mellow Mushroom.  “We have antique Coke memorabilia all over the store and, of course, the super-cool bottle cap awnings.”

The bottle-cap awnings are a unique feature—one every person who’s eaten at Mellow Mushroom has no doubt noticed.  “It was a design collaboration. We are happy with the way they turned out,” says Samantha.  “I’m ready for the trees out front to grow just a bit taller so we can all check them out more often.”

But there’s so much more than the aesthetics at Mellow Mushroom.  Wait till you get a load of their menu.  Pure heaven!  “Our menu is a creation of delicious, thoughtful, and healthy ingredients,” remarks Samantha.  “I’ve worked with Mellow in three stores, since 1997 and I can tell you, our house dressing Esperanza (which means ‘hope’ in Spanish), is the start of every Mellow addiction—on our Greek salad, or mixed with red sauce to dip your pretzels in, to people asking to buy it… Yeah, I think people like it and it’s popular.”

Everyone also raves about the spring-water dough.  “That’s certainly a star factor here! Anyway you order it the dough is outstanding.” says Samantha.  “And yes, I still eat pizzas, all the time,” she adds.  “People ask that a lot.”   So what would she suggest to a Mellow newbie?  “A Greek salad, a pizza of course, and one of our 40 draft beers! Well…The hummus is really, really good too, though, and man, I do love our jerk chicken hoagie. It’s all good. Really!”

So in eight years, how has Mellow Mushroom changed?  “We have changed a ton over the years, but many things are the same too,” Samantha explains. “We’ve recently remodeled the patio, added eight 42-inch flat-screen TVs, and a new hand-painted mural by the front door. Last year, we revamped our menu adding a ‘build your own salad’ section, a spinach-and-artichoke dip, meatballs stuffed with fresh mozzarella, a Capri salad and sandwich, a delicious sausage-and-peppers hoagie, and a few specialty pies as well.”

How has this strategy—the changes and the consistency—worked for Mellow Mushroom?  “We have more fans than ever and that’s really cool. We’ve tried hard every year to learn more, be more thankful for our success and create an environment where everyone thrives. And the second location is in the very near future! Yes, near the mall. We hope to be an oasis from traffic and crowds. We’ll invite our guests in to Mellow out, as they say.”

Whether it’s the pizza and hoagies you love, the atmosphere, or, like Samantha and Jason, you find your soul mate there—Mellow Mushroom is a cool place with heavenly food made by and served by people who really, really care about doing it right.  Just call it a Mellow love story.

Mellow Mushroom, 205 Broad Street. (423) 266-5564. www.mellowmushroom.com

Pisa Pizza

551 River Street
Chattanooga, TN 37405
Phone: (423) 756-7492
Website: Pisa Pizza

Pisa Pizza has been serving up gourmet pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches to Chattanooga residents for almost a decade. Operating out of an old warehouse, complete with garage doors and a tar ceiling, the eatery has become a local favorite with an eclectic atmosphere that caters to a large and diverse range of customers.

Ten years ago, Scott Courter was living in Atlanta when he got a call about opening a restaurant in Chattanooga. Skeptical at first, eventually Courter agreed and made the move. He, along with Bob Nichols and Chip Baker, decided to open a pizza place with a Chattanooga vibe. They called it Pisa Pizza—pun intended.

The idea was to serve freshly made, gourmet food, but before anyone could begin dishing out specialty pizzas and pastas, the owners needed a place to actually house a restaurant. Luckily, Nichols had a building lined up; however, it would take a lot of hard work to transform an old warehouse into the quirky restaurant the owners had in mind. The building received the works—plumbing, electrical wiring, internal walls—before opening to the public on August 19, 1999. It quickly became a hit in its North Chatt neighborhood.

Though the building itself is an attraction, as in not your usual, run-of-the-mill place for an eatery, the food is what really brings people back again and again to Pisa Pizza. As current owner and operator, Courter still makes it a point to serve everything as fresh as possible. “I wanted a place where I would want to come eat,” he says. The restaurant uses locally bought produce, freshly made dough, and homemade sauces. Just recently, Pisa Pizza also began making freshly baked cookies for the dessert menu. “[It’s] great,” replies Courter when asked what he thinks of the fare, “I’m very proud of my food.”

Aside from being fresh, being gourmet has also had a large role at Pisa Pizza. “There was no other place with a white sauce or margarita pizza when we started,” says Courter. Today, ”gourmet” still sets this place apart from other pizza restaurants. The eatery offers some 38 toppings and four sauces to go on either white or whole-wheat crust. Of those 38 toppings, a customer can find the classic pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, etc. You can also ask for corn or eggplant with feta cheese and even proscuitto. The combinations are endless—and the best part is that pizza is not all they serve. The restaurant dishes out five different pastas along with several sandwiches and a long list of salads, appetizers, and extras. In addition, there is a fairly lengthy beer and wine selection available.

When it first opened, the then-trio of owners knew they wanted something with a directly Chattanooga feel. With that in mind, the interior of the restaurant is decorated with Chattanooga-themed memorabilia. Pictures of local residents pop up on the walls and even at the counter. Many of the eatery’s specialty pizzas have local names, such as the Coolidge Park Pie or the Fat Man Squeeze. And it’s not just the pizzas, but the sandwiches and pastas too. Try a Vine Street Veggie or the Dogwood Dagwood. How about the Choo-Choo Chicken Ziti? It is these little touches that make Pisa Pizza an authentic Chattanooga eatery.

The current restaurant is located near Coolidge Park on River Street. The porch offers seating for roughly 15, while inside there are six booths with table seating for nearly 40. The floors are concrete and the walls are colorful. It is an interesting design with a wagon and an old bike hanging from the ceiling and a dress mannequin hiding the corner. A large pizza oven sits against the backdrop of a metal wall near the counter. Clientele matches the décor.“The demographic is across the spectrum,” says Courter, “from politicians to punk rockers.” And though not a typical family restaurant, the place is definitely family-friendly.

For nearly a decade, Pisa Pizza has been serving up (and delivering) gourmet pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches to the Chattanooga area. The food is fresh, the feel is local, and the staff is dedicated to serving the only best.

Pisa Pizza is located at 551 River Street. (423) 756-7492. www.pisapizza.com

Taco Rico

207 E. Main Street
Chattanooga, TN
Phone: (423) 752-8102
Website:

El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, is rich with history.   Once called Papil, “the land of precious things,” El Salvador is steeped in tradition—with holidays and celebracions spanning the year—and plentiful with exports like coffee, sugar, and camarones, better known here as shrimp.   And the cuisine…oh, the cuisine.

A while ago, Chattanooga was fortunate enough to gain a Salvadoran restaurant, Taco Rico.   Taco Rico was opened by an El Salvadorian woman who had relocated to Chattanooga.  She found a home for her Salvadoran eatery on Main Street, an area that was undergoing revitalization, an area on track to become the bohemian mecca of Chattanooga.  As time went by, Taco Rico gathered a following, fueled by great food, mostly traditional Salvadoran fares with a few Mexican dishes sprinkled in, excellent prices, and a comfortable environment to get together.  Even more changes were being made in the area, including some rehab to the building itself…and the nice Salvadoran lady who opened Taco Rico decided it was time to go home.

Enter Chris Henegar and Rene Arevalo, both patrons of the restaurant.  Rene, who is a native of El Salvador, came to Chris with the idea of buying the restaurant and keeping it open.   Arevalo moved with his family to Los Angeles at age eight and spent his formative years there, moving to Chattanooga three years ago.  After moving here, he married Angelica Garcia, another El Salvadorian who began cooking Salvadoran recipes at 12.  Needless to say, Arevalo, now manager of Taco Rico, and Garcia, who cooks every dish that leaves the kitchen, are keeping it real!

Since taking over the restaurant, Henegar and Arevalo have added a few dishes to the menu, and made a few aesthetic changes to the restaurant; but, for the most part, Taco Rico remains the same as when the doors were opened originally, in both the tastiness of the food and the easiness on your wallet.  Arevalo, Garcia, and Henegar added dishes like pastelitos, pastries similar to turnovers, filled with beef and potato; tostado de ceviche, a fish cocktail cooked in lime, and empanadas, a pastry stuffed with plantains and served with a milk pudding.  But, again—fret not, you’ll still find the items that made Taco Rico such a popular place.  There are pupusas, tortillas stuffed with cheese and pork, steak, chicken, chorizo, tongue, beans or shrimp.

I know–you’re going back and reading that last sentence again, aren’t you?  I had to, at the restaurant, reading the menu.  But it’s correct. Tongue is listed as a choice of meat for pupusas and tacos.  According to Arevalo, tongue, also called lengua, is a common ingredient in Salvadoran cooking.  Henegar, the odd man out, not of Salvadorian descent, has tried this delicacy. “The first time I ate tongue, I knew I was eating tongue, and therefore, I was a kinda hesitant.  But [Rene] was sneaky one time and put tongue in something and I didn’t know it the difference.  The way it’s prepared is a big deal with that.”

Not only can you find the tried-and-true Taco Rico dishes mixed in with a few new ones, but you’ll also find another addition to the menu.  BEER!  Henegar recently added beer, both domestic and Mexican, to the menu.  “I added beer,” says Henegar,  “just to get more of a night crowd in.”  They’re also expanding their hours to include Sundays.  Beginning in January, Taco Rico will be open on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Don’t worry though—Henegar doesn’t want Taco Rico to turn into a cookie-cutter restaurant.  You’ll still find the TVs tuned to Spanish-speaking channels and futbol.  You’ll still find the same friendly service, the same great food and the same phenomenal prices you’ve always found at Taco Rico.

Taco Rico is located at 207 E. Main Street, downtown Chattanooga.  Hours of business are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. (423) 752-8102.

The Melting Pot

2553 Life Style Way
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: (423) 893-5237
Fax: (423) 499-4380
Website: Melting Pot

A number of incredible things come from Switzerland. For example: Heidi, the Red Cross, and FONDUE! That’s right…fondue. Lucky for Chattanoogans, too, since we just got our very own fondue restaurant—The Melting Pot!

Now, surely you know what fondue is. But here’s a quick lesson just in case. Fondue is a communal dish shared from an earthenware dish heated by a small burner. Small forks are used to dip bits of food into a semi-liquid sauce (or oil depending on what you’re fondue-ing).

Since fondue is a communal dish, there is a specific etiquette. A person who allows their tongue or lips to touch the fondue fork is considered rude. A dinner fork should be used to remove a piece of meat from the fondue fork once it has been cooked, and most importantly—no double dipping! The Swiss have a tradition involving fondue. If a man loses a bit in the fondue pot, he is responsible for buying the next bottle of wine. If a woman loses a bit, she should kiss the man to her left.

The first Melting Pot restaurant opened just outside Orlando in April of 1975 with just three items on the menu: Swiss cheese fondue, beef fondue, and chocolate fondue. As the restaurant’s popularity grew, so did its menu. You can now order anything from a vegetarian entrée which includes artichoke hearts, asparagus, and Thai marinated tofu to “The French Quarter” and entrées comprised of filet mignon, chicken breast and shrimp, seasoned with Cajun spices and served with andouille sausage. There are now more than 140 Melting Pot restaurants in more than 35 states and a location opening soon in Canada.

What brings The Melting Pot to Chattanooga? Owners Thane and Michelle Rice discovered the Chattanooga market was available for franchise expansion, and felt the community was ripe for this type of dining experience. “[We] wanted to share the Melting Pot in a vibrant community,” says Michelle.

It was May of 2007 when the Rices began The Melting Pot’s extensive franchising process. Says Michelle, “The Melting Pot requires one of the most extensive hospitality training experiences today. The franchising center requires a minimum of 60-120 days of onsite training that includes all areas of hospitality, and the typical franchising process takes a minimum of one year.“

Late in 2009, Chattanoogans began swarming into The Melting Pot to discover fondue dining at its finest. “It is our privilege to ensure that every guest has the opportunity to dip into something different every time they visit a Melting Pot,” enthuses Michelle.

“We have an extensive four-course menu, including cheese fondue, gourmet salads, entrée fondue, and our famous chocolate fondue. Our menu offers a wide variety of main course options, including a choice of four flavorful cooking styles. We strive to always have the best premium cuts of beef, chicken, lobster and shrimp. The Melting Pot experience is unlike any other available in Chattanooga, from our hospitality specialists to our servers and bartenders, we produce the perfect night out time and time again.”

Michelle tells us that the most popular item right now is “The Big Night Out.” She explains, “‘The Big Night Out’ begins with cheese fondue. then transitions to a gourmet salad while we prepare the selected cooking style and main-course selections, and finishes with one of our famous chocolate fondues.”

The Melting Pot has exciting events happening year-round. “‘Ladies Night Out’ occurs periodically during the year. Ladies can join us for cheese fondue, salad, and chocolate fondue for $29 per person, including a glass of wine or select specialty cocktails. There’s a petite entree available for an additional $7,”

No matter what you choose, The Melting Pot is sure to charm you. But you’d better be sure to call ahead…you’re going to need reservations!

The Melting Pot, 2553 Lifestyle Way, near H.H. Gregg. Hours of operation are Mon-Wed 4 p.m.-10 p.m., Thu-Sat 4 p.m.– 11 p.m., and Sun Noon-10 p.m. (423) 893-5237.

The Terminal Brewhouse

6 E. 14th Street
Chattanooga, TN 37408
Phone: (423) 752-8090
Website: terminalbrewhouse.com

I dare say most people who have lived in Chattanooga very long have noticed the Stong Building. Like me, you might not have known what it was called, but you’ve seen it, standing there at the corner of Market and 14th Streets, an oddly shaped brick edifice.  The Stong Building has a fascinating history—legend has it the building housed speakeasies, illegal gambling house and even a house of ill repute.

Come to think of it, that may be the why the building so appealed to a young group of visionaries.  The Stong Building was vacated in the 1980s and began to fall into disrepair.

After three years and many, many renovations, The Terminal Brewhouse opened in January 2009.  The owners of this neighborhood pub have done amazing things in the curiously asymmetrical space, with large picture windows, exposed brick and ductwork, dark woods and marvelous, warm, butter-yellow walls.  All the tables are made of reclaimed heart pine, as well as the bathroom vanities—all created locally by Aaron Cabeen of Cabeen Originals.

The local element doesn’t end there.  Matt Lewis refers to the restaurant as “approachably green.”  They use many organic and locally grown items in their kitchen, including bison from Eagle’s Rest in Flintstone, Georgia and coffee roasted on Vine Street by Coffee Crafters.  They’ve had waterless urinals installed by green/spaces, a Chattanooga company that acts as an eco-conscience, guiding local businesses in green practices.   green/spaces was also instrumental in building The Terminal Brewhouse’s green roof.  Earthscapes, another Chattanooga company, also worked diligently to create the green roof.

The owners of The Terminal Brewhouse are craft brewers.  By definition, craft brewers maintain integrity in what they brew.  Instead of adding a bunch of flavors to what they’re brewing, The Terminal Brewhouse focuses on perfecting the beers they brew.  There are five brews kept on tap year round, Belgian White, American Copper Ale, Maibock, Oatmeal Stout, and West Coast IPA.  In June, The Terminal Brewhouse added growlers.  You can purchase a growler and have it filled… pick one up and take it to a friend.   Starting tonight, The Terminal Brewhouse is hosting a Late Night Happy Hour: Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. until closing at midnight, you’ll find discounts on beer and some of the appetizers will be half price.

So, we know The Terminal Brewhouse is a craft brewery.  Now let’s talk about their crafty food!  Matt Lewis and Ryan Chilcoat worked together to create the menu of a neighborhood pub.  Delicious items priced to bring clients back again and again and again…well, you get the picture.  These guys, though—they wanted clients to get a little taste of their personalities and to relax within their walls.  They created dishes like “Yosemite Salmon Cakes”— salmon cakes with jalapeno and onion, “Ravioli Identity Disorder”—chicken and spinach stuffed in an egg-roll ravioli, then breaded and deep fried a la the South, or the “Look what you did you little jerk”—grilled salmon dusted with their own jerk rub and polished up with pineapple jalapeno relish, all served on a kaiser bun.

When Matt, Ryan, and Geoff came together with the idea of The Terminal Brewhouse, their main goal was to create a neighborhood pub.  By involving local businesses, creating menus priced just right, and throwing out great deals like Late Night Happy Hour, these guys have succeeded.

The Terminal Brewhouse is located at No. 6 14th Street (corner of 14th and Market) and is open Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to midnight.