Southerners are known for their hospitality, charming accents and down-home cooking, and the people of the Tennessee Valley fit that description perfectly. Hospitable people with irresistible Southern draws fill our streets, and our kitchens and restaurants brim with traditional southern fare. Fried chicken and biscuits, however, are not the only dishes on our menus. If you want fine cuisine that is both diverse and expertly prepared, you need look no further than the Tennessee Valley. Chattanooga boasts some of the finest restaurants in the South with menus varied enough to suit any palette. From the best seasoned, most delicious steak imaginable to the freshest seafood available, no detail is left to chance in the seven fine establishments featured here.
Bluewater Grille
A relatively new restaurant with a budding reputation for fantastic cuisine, the Bluewater Grille, opened by the same group that runs the Big River Grille, offers a unique atmosphere, as well as a fantastic location on Broad Street. If wandering through the exhibits in the famed Tennessee Aquarium makes you hungry for seafood, look no further than the Bluewater Grille to find some of the most delicious seafood in the Chattanooga area. Scott King, Area Chef for the restaurant and the creator of Bluewater’s outstanding menu, prides himself on the seafood offering. “We deliver the seafood from Florida ourselves on a weekly basis. It is handpicked and driven to the restaurant,” he boasts. The ingredients are so fresh, in fact, that the menu is constantly changing and evolving. According to King, “We get very creative on our daily specials. We offer five dinner specials and three lunch specials per day.” These entrees take advantage of the foods currently in season. Bluewater Grille customers will never get bored with the menu options as the dinner specials change every Tuesday and the lunch specials are updated on a daily basis.
When asked to make a specific dish recommendation, King suggested the Grouper Oscar. This dish features seared Atlantic Grouper, topped with a crab cake mixture and finished off with asparagus and a delicious béarnaise sauce. The grouper is then baked to perfection and served with rice pilaf and fresh vegetables. King recommends adding a glass of wine or two from Bluewater Grille’s extensive wine list. The restaurant offers several options for the wine connoisseur and, while a white wine such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc is generally recommended as a good pairing for Grouper, the ideal wine is always up to the consumer.
No meal is complete without dessert, and Bluewater Grille’s menu features some mouthwatering options including Key Lime Pie, White Chocolate Mousse Bread Pudding and Chocolate Crème Brulee.
Fresh seafood is not just for cities located along the coastline, and, thanks to the Bluewater Grille, coastal dining can be found just steps from the Tennessee River.
Canyon Grill
Unlike most fine dining establishments, Canyon Grill does not experiment with exotic spices or the latest trends in cooking, preferring instead to keep things simple and let the food do the talking, but there is nothing typical about the Canyon Grill. Located atop Lookout Mountain, the Canyon Grill has earned a solid reputation as one of the top restaurants in the South, a reputation built upon the attention paid to quality by the restaurant’s loyal staff.
Canyon Grill’s philosophy of letting the food speak for itself is quite effective. Chef Johnny Holland touts the Grill’s dedication to quality. “Our attention to getting the highest quality products is what sets us apart from other restaurants in the area. We don’t add exotic flavors or do anything to mess up the food.” This dedication to quality can be found in not only the type of food that is purchased to serve in the restaurant but the way the food is cared for before it hits the plates. The Canyon Grill stores all of its high quality beef, chicken, fish and pork under ice instead of using an industrial refrigerator. While this storage method is not exactly economical or conventional, it does produce a higher quality ingredient and the proof can be found in each delicious morsel from the Canyon Grill’s extensive menu.
Holland didn’t hesitate when asked to recommend a dish for the readers of CityScope. “The Hickory Fired New York Strip Steak is the best steak available. It features a 2-inch thick Certified Angus beef New York Strip.” This dish is hickory fired and cooked to perfection. There’s no standard weight for the steak, but the standard thickness of 2 inches makes it a sizable feast for the hungry steak lover. Patrons can choose two sides from Canyon Grill’s menu which features selections from fried okra to Mediterranean couscous. Holland suggests the clam strips as the perfect starter for this delicious dish. “Lightly floured, fried, and served with a pepperoncini sauce, the clam strips are delicious and addictive.”
If room remains for dessert, Holland recommends that diners cap off their meal with the coconut cake, a perennial favorite among restaurant patrons.
A cocktail to compliment the appetizer nor the perfect glass of wine to accompany your meal won’t be found at the Canyon Grill. The restaurant is located in Dade County where the laws prohibit the restaurant from serving hard liquor. This gives the Canyon Grill the unique distinction of being a BYOB establishment. Customers wishing to enjoy a drink should pick up a bottle of their favorite wine before heading up the scenic highway or at the Canyon Quick Stop, just down the road from the restaurant. There is no corking fee and the Canyon Grill is happy to provide glassware.
Easy Seafood Bistro and Bar
Not surprisingly, the Tennessee Aquarium has brought a delightful seafood focus to downtown Chattanooga, one stand-out seafood establishment that is relatively new to the area is Easy Seafood Bistro and Bar. Opened in 2005 by Chef Erik Neil, Easy Seafood is located on Broad Street near the Tennessee Aquarium. No stranger to Chattanooga cuisine, Chef Neil worked at the Southside Grill, St. John’s and Bellagio prior to opening his own restaurant. Chef Neil’s Creole roots are easy to spot on the menu offerings at Easy Seafood, but the dishes of that cuisine are not the only fare. The diverse, ever-changing menu offers enough choices for every downtown diner to find the ideal palette pleaser.
Easy Seafood prides itself on the freshest ingredients which results in a menu that changes constantly. Chef Neil touts the restaurant’s philosophy of constant change. “Our commitment to quality and technique, as well as our overall concept differentiates us from other restaurants in the area. We are seafood-driven, as well as seasonally driven. We print our menus every day, twice a day.” This devotion to fresh, seasonal ingredients makes picking one specific menu item recommendation particularly challenging. Chef Neil recommends the Plateau de Fruits de Meur, which literally translates to Plate of Fruits of the Sea. A traditional French bistro item, this dish includes a sampling of seafood antipasto and, adhering to the philosophy of the restaurant, highlights the freshest, seasonally available seafood. While fresh seafood is undeniably delicious, it isn’t for everyone, and Chef Neil acknowledges this, encouraging even non-seafood lovers to give Easy Seafood Bistro and Bar a try. “We specialize in seasonal foods and seafood, but we have an enormous variety of non-seafood menu items for diners to choose from. Over half of our menu features non-seafood items.”
Wine and fine cuisine are inseparable for many diners, and a dish like Plateau de Fruits de Meur begs for a good drink. If you are looking for a great glass of wine, you’ll find a well-chosen list at Easy Seafood Bistro and Bar. The focus is on quality, not quantity, so the list is not the longest in the area, but it features some great choices. If wine is not to your taste, fret not. As the name implies, Easy Seafood Bistro and Bar boasts a full bar and some fantastic mixed drinks to suit any taste. From signature Margaritas and Mojitos to beer and house-infused vodkas, Easy Seafood serves up the perfect beverage for you.
Acropolis Four Star Grill
Whether you are taking a break from a shopping day in the Hamilton Place area or going out for a night on the town, you can get your fill and then some at The Acropolis Four Star Grill. Located on Hamilton Place Boulevard in the middle of Chattanooga’s shopping mecca is this hot spot of European cuisine. As its name implies, The Acropolis finds its roots in the Greek tradition of delicious food and small family ties, but the restaurant boasts a diverse menu. From gyros and spanikopita to hummus and kabobs, this eatery has something to suit every taste. The menu features a wide variety of delicious pasta dishes and traditional American fare as well. It is no surprise that the Acropolis Four Star Grill has been a staple in the Chattanooga community for nearly 12 years.
Lloyd George, Executive Chef at the Acropolis Four Star Grill, believes that the Acropolis is a unique establishment in the Tennessee Valley. “Our ingredients are always fresh. Everything is made from scratch. This is not a corporate restaurant; it’s a family business and everything is made by hand.” When asked to recommend a particular entrée to the readers of CityScope magazine, Chef George responded quickly, “The Shrimp Tourkolemono is one of our best sellers. It is basic Greek food.” The shrimp is cooked in homemade marinara sauce and seasoned with garlic, lemon, red wine and oregano. It is then topped with feta cheese and fresh tomatoes. The dish is served with bread, in lieu of noodles or spaghetti, and it is sure to turn even the most skeptical of ethnic food consumers into a Greek food fan for life. The wine list at The Acropolis features many choices, including six varieties of Greek wines. Chef George recommends a good glass of white wine to go with the Shrimp Tourkolemono.
The Acropolis Four Star Grill has no shortage of before- and after-meal options. The Starters (Mezethes) menu includes such perennial favorites as calamari and cheese sticks, as well as decidedly Greek choices like Spanikopita and Saganaki. As for the encore, the dessert menu at The Acropolis Four Star Grill is nothing short of phenomenal. The menu features enough delicious choices to make any sweet tooth’s head spin. The dessert menu isn’t just on paper either; it’s a visual feast In the form of a dessert case that greets customers as they walk in the door. The Acropolis even offers a Desserts-To-Go menu which gives customers a chance to take home an entire cake or pie of their choice. Chef George recommends the restaurant’s best-selling dessert, the Strawberry Patch Cake. This little slice of heaven features strawberry cake filled with whipped cream cheese and frosted with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream. It is the perfect end to a wonderful dining experience at The Acropolis Four Star Grill.
Bald Headed Bistro
Located on Keith Street on the south end of Cleveland, Tennessee, the Bald Headed Bistro is just a short drive from Chattanooga and North Georgia. Thirty minutes in the car is a small price to pay for the atmosphere and food selection offered at the Bald Headed Bistro. Bill Woodcock, General Manager and Managing Partner at the BHB, is proud of the dining experience the restaurant provides. “We are geared towards the finest quality and our concept is simple: Western fine dining in the heart of the South.” This philosophy leads the staff at the Bald Headed Bistro on a constant quest to find unique products and the freshest ingredients in the area. According to Woodcock, the Bistro offers a top-notch dining experience as well. “We strive to provide the absolute best service that we can.”
The menu at the Bald Headed Bistro is unlike any other in the area. In addition to a wide variety of premium beef, the menu features several wild game selections including elk, duck and bison, as well as fresh seafood, pasta dishes and even a few gourmet pizza options. Bill Woodcock didn’t hesitate when making an entrée recommendation, “our filet. It is the finest filet you’ve ever put in your mouth. We take the whole tenderloin, use our secret rub blend and put it on the wood fire rotisserie. Our chefs then smoke the filet for an hour until it is rare, take it off, chill it, cut it and finish it to order.” The result of this intensive cooking ritual is a tender, delicious piece of meat with a natural smoky taste. The BHB Filet Mignon is served with a choice of one side item and the restaurant’s signature corn and black bean relish. Diners can compliment their meal with a delicious glass of wine from the Bald Headed Bistro’s exceptional wine list, a recipient of the 2007 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
Bill Woodcock suggests the popular Seafood Martini as the ideal starter for diners at the Bald Headed Bistro, “It features lobster tail and jumbo lump crab meat. It is served in a martini glass and is elegant, delicious and the ideal size for an appetizer.” What about dessert? The Bald Headed Bistro offers delicious options. “Our most popular,” contends Woodcock, “is the Dessert Sampler.” This item offers diners a taste of three of the Bistro’s most decadent desserts. The sampler includes a dark chocolate cup of homemade, seasonally-flavored sorbet, a serving of BHB’s famous Peanut Butter Pie in a fried, sweet basket, and a pastry container filled with decadent chocolate mousse. Let the belt loosening commence!
St. John’s
Opened in 2000, St. John’s epitomizes fine dining and has built a solid reputation as one of the best restaurants in the South, receiving recognition from publications such as The New York Times and Southern Living. The restaurant sits on Market Street in Downtown Chattanooga, just a block down from the Chattanooga Choo Choo and includes two separate entities, the Restaurant and the Meeting Place. The Meeting Place features Chef Lindley’s delicious cuisine in a more laid back atmosphere than The Restaurant, which boasts traditional fine dining. Chef and owner Daniel Lindley is a Chattanooga native and is also right at home with fine cuisine. He has worked and studied at some of the finest restaurants in New York and diners appreciate that he chose to bring his finely honed skills back home to his hometown. Chef Lindley touts the service and ambience of St. John’s, “Our attention to detail surpasses most people’s expectations, whether it is food, service or atmosphere.” St. Johns also distinguishes itself by promoting and serving local, sustainable products. According to Chef Lindley, “On both menus (Meeting Place and Restaurant), you’ll see various fruits, veggies and meats that are grown or raised locally.” Many of the entrée names actually include the origin of the food, such as the Sequatchie Cove Farm Pork, for example, or the Dave Waters’ Pasture Raised Chicken. Traditionally, homage is paid to the chef in the names of entrees. Chef Lindley takes a different approach, choosing instead to give credit to the local producers of these top notch products.
Chef Lindley recommends Burton Brown’s Buffalo Filet as his entrée of choice. He warns, however, that this entrée is not available every day because Mr. Brown is a small producer. When it is available, it is a top notch dish. “The [beef] filet is known for being tender but it loses points for flavor,” explains Chef Lindley, “but the buffalo tenderloin is the best of both worlds. It is tender and has a wonderful, clean flavor to it.” Burton Brown’s Buffalo Filet is prepared with black truffle in cognac sauce and served with gnocchi, a handmade potato dumpling, and wilted endive. Chef Lindley recommends a robust red wine such as a cabernet from St. John’s extensive wine list to accompany Burton Brown’s Buffalo Filet. If you are in the market for a dessert after your meal, make a selection from St. John’s delectable dessert menu, which includes such items as Chocolate Molten Cake and Honeybells Two Ways, a crème brulee and ginger upside down cake. At the St. John’s, prepare to support local agriculture while you satisfy your hunger with gourmet cuisine, grown and prepared in the Tennessee Valley.
No matter what your idea of the perfect meal is, you will find it in the Tennessee Valley. Whether you want fresh seafood or wild game, authentic European cuisine or locally grown products, these six restaurants offer these and much more. Some of the best restaurants in the South call Chattanooga home, and residents and visitors alike are sure to enjoy the fare prepared by the chefs at these fine establishments. Go ahead. Make a reservation.
Hennen’s
Billing itself as, “a new and innovative dining experience,” Hennen’s arrived on the downtown Chattanooga scene a little over two years ago. The restaurant’s prime location across from the aquarium and next to the IMAX theater, coupled with its exceptional atmosphere, makes it the ideal choice for a night on the town. The ideal start (and end for that matter) to a meal at Hennen’s is a glass of wine. A huge, beautiful glass-encased wine cellar serves as the focal point of the restaurant as well as the hub of an exceptional selection of wines. Guests can choose from one of over 20 wines served by the glass or make a bottle selection from the extensive menu , including 172 labels from all over the world..
Executive Chef Michael Locascio believes that Hennen’s market-driven menu is part of the reason that Chattanoogans and tourists alike make Hennen’s a regular part of their Chattanooga experience. Chef Michael describes the process of finding the ingredients and planning the menu, “This week, for example, I’ve been on the phone for two hours with my produce company trying to find out what spring vegetables are starting to come into the market.” This fierce dedication to providing the freshest, locally driven ingredients is what Chef Michael believes sets Hennen’s apart from other restaurants in the area.
Making a specific entrée recommendation was quite challenging for Chef Michael. He explains this quandary, “Whatever I recommend today may not be here when the article comes out. Our menu changes all of the time.” In lieu of making a specific recommendation, Chef Michael recommended Hennen’s excellent selection of steaks and seafood. He noted, “Our steaks are incredible and you have the ability to create your own entrée by picking your side items.” Hennen’s seafood is fresh and only the highest quality. Chef Michael explains, “All of our seafood except for the shrimp is line-caught so it is environmentally friendly.”
Hennen’s offers some fantastic desserts and Chef Michael was happy to recommend some favorites including the crème brulee and the cheesecake. The cheesecake menu changes regularly. During Spring Break, for example, Hennen’s catered their cheesecake offering to the high volume of children visiting the downtown area, featuring the kid-friendly Oreo Cheesecake. Chef Michael gave the most enthusiastic recommendations to Hennen’s beignets, “We’ve taken the idea of a cream filled donut and we’ve put the vanilla cream and the chocolate cream on the side so you can actually dip the beignets into it.” The beignets are one of the few constants of Hennen’s ever changing, market-driven menu.
Whether you are craving a night out on the town with some friends, a romantic evening with your significant other or meeting for a business lunch, Hennen’s has just what you need. With a unique atmosphere, market-driven menu and exceptional wine list, Hennen’s is a great choice for dining downtown. .
212 Market
Many of the restaurants in downtown Chattanooga have opened in recent years, capitalizing on the extraordinary growth and development of the area of late. 212 Market is not one of those restaurants. Opening its doors in February of 1992, 212 Market was a pioneer on the Chattanooga restaurant scene. Surrounded by predictions of failure and a great deal of construction in the as-yet-to-be-developed downtown area, the owners, The Moses Family, had faith in the future of our city and created an extraordinary dining experience for locals and tourists alike. Chef and owner Susan Moses describes the scene in the early nineties when the restaurant was in its infancy, “212 Market opened downtown before there was a downtown, literally. The aquarium was not quite finished and the streets were deserted. We were turned down by all but one Chattanooga bank for a loan.”
Looking for an environmentally friendly dining experience? Look no further than 212 Market. Chef Susan explains, “As of 1/1/2007, 212 Market became the first Certified Green Restaurant (by the Green Restaurant Association in Massachusetts) in the state of Tennessee.” The restaurant made a great deal of changes to achieve this certification. “We cannot use any polystyrene in the restaurant and all of our to-go ware is biodegradable. All paper products are recycled and we have the very first waterless urinal in a restaurant in town! Can you believe that, we are saving three swimming pools of water a year just by using this one device?”
Environmental responsibility and innovative location aside, the most important component of any restaurant is the food and 212 Market shines in this category. Chef Susan explains the restaurant’s food philosophy, “The food at 212 Market is fresh and made in-house. Everything is made to order, including our breads and desserts. We use fresh ingredients with lots of integrity.” 212 Market is happy to accommodate people with specific dietary needs. Chef Susan elaborates, “One of the owners, Maggie Moses, is a Registered Dietician and works in the kitchen every day. As a result, we have a ‘can-do’ attitude toward many types of specialty cooking for people with specific dietary restrictions or special requests.” When asked to recommend a specific entrée, Chef Susan had two suggestions, “I recommend the Black Skillet Duck Breast on Benton’s Bacon-Sweet Potato Hash with a Honey-Orange Pan Sauce. I also recommend the Sequatchie Cove Farm Feature, which changes daily. This can be Red Angus Meatloaf or Heritage Breed Pork Chops, grilled or stuffed with accompanying sauces featuring local products.” For an accompaniment to these meals, Moses suggests a nice Pinot Noir or Zinfandel from the restaurant’s award winning wine list, depending on the entrée choice. Chef Susan recommends the restaurant’s signature Seafood Bisque as a delicious starter for any meal.
Although it is not technically an entrée, Chef Susan wanted to include her favorite dish on the menu in her recommendations. She explains her choice, “The absolute favorite dish on our menu is the Slow Pulled BBQ Pork from Bill Keener. People may not think of 212 Market and BBQ but I hope to get the word out on this dish. It is a pork shoulder that is seasoned with salt and pepper, seared off with fresh ginger and garlic. Then it is covered in ale and braised for hours and finally it is covered in hoisin sauces and finished in the oven. It is served in between two polenta discs and is available as an appetizer at night and a sandwich during the day.” Head to 212 Market and you are sure to enjoy some incredible food at one of Chattanooga’s most established fine-dining restaurants.