That Food Guy
Saturday, September 07, 2019
Rock-A-Billy Diner at the Cumberland Mountain General Store
Cumberland Mountain Store and the Rockabilly Dinner are
definitely off the beaten track in rural Tennessee. Your question is probably,
“Why there?” Since you asked, I am delighted to tell you the backstory and why
I have had a curiosity about the Cumberland Mountain Store for many years. I
guess it was about 1995 when I went to Florida to meet the prospective in-laws.
I had not been in Florida for the previous 38 years so I figured I would have a
lot of relearning to do. I must admit that father-in-law Sonny was an education
in himself. One of the things he showed
to me was a catalog from the Cumberland General Store.
That catalog was fascinating reading much like a vintage 1918 Sears Catalog , you
know; men’s dress shirts, $1.18, a horse blanket for $4.50, a 100-pound iron
anvil for $13.60 a new oak veneered front door for your house for $6.41 or a
pair of men’s fleece-lined cotton socks for 44 cents. Except for the clothing, the Cumberland
Mountain Store sells much of the same merchandise, cast iron stoves, wood-spoked
wheels for your mule cart and plows to pull behind your oxen. The only
difference is the Sears catalog is an image of the past whereas the Cumberland
catalog is for sale today at today’s prices. I know it is not all authentic
wares from the past but modern recreations and there may be a delivery delay
for material made to order.
Sonny enjoyed reading that catalog. It was like a paleontologist’s catalog of ancient relics. Although the catalog hardly varied from year to year Sonny ordered a new one almost annually. I was happy to take one of his back issues for my own. I have ordered a few items. I have also shared the catalog with my sister and she has ordered a few thing as well from time to time including parts to restore an old family heirloom lamp. Naturally, curiosity about the store increased over the years. Tennessee is rich in the history. The first European explorer was Hernando De Soto and one hundred years later explored by Frenchmen Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet. And we cannot forget the famous explorations of Daniel Boone. Amore recent historical tie-in is its location on the York Highway named for Alvin C. York the Congressional Medal of Honor recipient during World War I. All of the historical tie-ins made it a place of interest and worthy of a visit. However, doing my research I found out they had added a small burger shop on the back of the store. That settled it. I now had to go to the Cumberland Mountain General Store and try out the burgers at the Rock-A-Billy Diner.
It is a good idea to check their Web Site or call.
Things like the weather can significantly change their hours of operation. After a quick phone call we set out allowing
time for the 1 ½ hour trip to arrive a bit before the 11:00 AM diner opening.
Most of the journey was along Interstate 40. We exited onto US 127, The Sargent
York Highway, near Crossville, headed north and arrived a few minutes later at
the Cumberland Mountain Store.
I did not ask anyone
at the store but I surmise the following: The store and the catalog are related
but the store does not in fact display or sell most of the items listed in the
catalog, perhaps operated as distinct businesses. Most of the merchandise
offered in the store, with the exception of a few items like flour and sugar
sack prints material, is one of a kind, much like the offerings of an antique
store. If you are looking for a hands-on look at catalog items you will not
find them in the store. That is not to say the browsing isn’t interesting. I
found a lovely cut glass ship’s decanter, minus the stopper that I really
should have taken. Well, maybe it will still be there the next visit.
The young ladies tending the fountain and tables were
charmingly courteous and quick to serve. One side of the menu features the
sandwiches and such while the reverse lists soda fountain treats, malts,
sundaes and banana splits if you desire something lighter especially on those
hot Tennessee summer days. Janis ordered the 1/3 Pound Old Fashioned Steak
Burger Combo (Burger, fries and a drink - $7.95). I or
dered the Rock Basket (that
is a 1/3 Pound Steak Cheese Burger Combo with additional Onion Rings, $8.95,
plus 50 cents for the cheese).We ordered our drinks from the offered Coca Cola
products. The burgers are cooked to order and not sitting on a shelf under a
heat lamp. The burgers and fries arrive in a basket with a paper liner much
like drive-ins of old. The sandwiches are bare. The usual condiments, lettuce,
pickles, tomatoes and the like are at a self-serve station in the dining room –
you really can have it your way. The onion rings were real onion rings. They
were not the minced onions formed into little circles and then fried. No these
were real onions breaded and fried. They had a nice sweet flavor. The French
fries were piping hot, a nice golden brown.
A dash of salt and a bit of ketchup was all they needed. When I cook
burgers at home I like the a bit pink in the middle. When I am eating out and
the source of the meat is unknown I like the burger to be cooked through – but certainly
not over cooked. My burger has just cooked through on the griddle, was still
nice and juicy and good beef flavor. Had I grilled this burger at home I would
have been very happy with it.
The visit to the Cumberland Mountain General Store and the
Rock-A-Billy Diner was a positive experience. The retro diner was the major draw
that brought us there but the shopping tour of the general store was surely
sweet icing on the cake. Tennessee is rich in history and only lightly touched
in remote areas by modernization. You can evidence from the earliest days of
colonization, the opening of the West and trail-blazers like Daniel Boone, the
Civil War and more recent heroes of the Twentieth Century. All you have to do
is turn off the Interstate and follow the small roads into the hills. The
Cumberland Mountain General Store is part of that. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip
back in time and the cheeseburger at the Rock-A-Billy diner. There is much more
to the history of the store itself that I have not covered here. I’ll leave
that to you to find out on your next trip the General Store.
Birthday Lunch – Cumberland General Store - Rockabilly Diner
6807 South York Hwy (Hwy 127 North)
Clarkrange, Tennessee 38553
931 863-3880 Web Site
I usually don’t get to pick the places we go out to eat except,
perhaps, on my birthday. On this birthday I chose the Cumberland Mountain
General Store, or more specifically, their Rockabilly Diner. Except for local
traffic the Cumberland Mountain store is not a stop along the way you are
going. That is unless you are following the route of the world's longest yard sale but that is
another story for another time.
Cumberland Mountain Store and the Rockabilly Dinner are
definitely off the beaten track in rural Tennessee. Your question is probably,
“Why there?” Since you asked, I am delighted to tell you the backstory and why
I have had a curiosity about the Cumberland Mountain Store for many years. I
guess it was about 1995 when I went to Florida to meet the prospective in-laws.
I had not been in Florida for the previous 38 years so I figured I would have a
lot of relearning to do. I must admit that father-in-law Sonny was an education
in himself. One of the things he showed
to me was a catalog from the Cumberland General Store.
That catalog was fascinating reading much like a vintage 1918 Sears Catalog , you
know; men’s dress shirts, $1.18, a horse blanket for $4.50, a 100-pound iron
anvil for $13.60 a new oak veneered front door for your house for $6.41 or a
pair of men’s fleece-lined cotton socks for 44 cents. Except for the clothing, the Cumberland
Mountain Store sells much of the same merchandise, cast iron stoves, wood-spoked
wheels for your mule cart and plows to pull behind your oxen. The only
difference is the Sears catalog is an image of the past whereas the Cumberland
catalog is for sale today at today’s prices. I know it is not all authentic
wares from the past but modern recreations and there may be a delivery delay
for material made to order. 
Sonny enjoyed reading that catalog. It was like a paleontologist’s catalog of ancient relics. Although the catalog hardly varied from year to year Sonny ordered a new one almost annually. I was happy to take one of his back issues for my own. I have ordered a few items. I have also shared the catalog with my sister and she has ordered a few thing as well from time to time including parts to restore an old family heirloom lamp. Naturally, curiosity about the store increased over the years. Tennessee is rich in the history. The first European explorer was Hernando De Soto and one hundred years later explored by Frenchmen Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet. And we cannot forget the famous explorations of Daniel Boone. Amore recent historical tie-in is its location on the York Highway named for Alvin C. York the Congressional Medal of Honor recipient during World War I. All of the historical tie-ins made it a place of interest and worthy of a visit. However, doing my research I found out they had added a small burger shop on the back of the store. That settled it. I now had to go to the Cumberland Mountain General Store and try out the burgers at the Rock-A-Billy Diner.
It is a good idea to check their Web Site or call.
Things like the weather can significantly change their hours of operation. After a quick phone call we set out allowing
time for the 1 ½ hour trip to arrive a bit before the 11:00 AM diner opening.
Most of the journey was along Interstate 40. We exited onto US 127, The Sargent
York Highway, near Crossville, headed north and arrived a few minutes later at
the Cumberland Mountain Store.
The store had not been open very long; there were few cars
in the parking area. That afforded us a leisurely walkthrough the store. We
visited the main room and the side annexes. It is an interesting experience
walking through the store. It is like a museum where the artifacts are on sale.
Quite often there is something you recognize from an earlier era, perhaps
styles of dishes or cookware you remember as a child. There are things you can
recognize form your parent’s youth; bedside pitchers and basins, kerosene lamps
and old flour and sugar sacking grandma used to make clothing. It was a
charming sojourn into the past.
I did not ask anyone
at the store but I surmise the following: The store and the catalog are related
but the store does not in fact display or sell most of the items listed in the
catalog, perhaps operated as distinct businesses. Most of the merchandise
offered in the store, with the exception of a few items like flour and sugar
sack prints material, is one of a kind, much like the offerings of an antique
store. If you are looking for a hands-on look at catalog items you will not
find them in the store. That is not to say the browsing isn’t interesting. I
found a lovely cut glass ship’s decanter, minus the stopper that I really
should have taken. Well, maybe it will still be there the next visit.
Soon it was lunch time and time for a visit to the attached
Rock-A-Billy Diner. It was early so we had no problem finding a preferred
table. The diner is not a glass and chrome railroad car diner but more akin to
an off the side of the road 1950’s era diner with a bit of nostalgia rock and
roll décor. As you might expect the menu offers burgers, dogs, malts and the
like; it is a soda fountain burger shop geared to the lunch hour. However, something
I have yet to try is their Friday Fish Fry and Friday
Night Cruise-In.
The young ladies tending the fountain and tables were
charmingly courteous and quick to serve. One side of the menu features the
sandwiches and such while the reverse lists soda fountain treats, malts,
sundaes and banana splits if you desire something lighter especially on those
hot Tennessee summer days. Janis ordered the 1/3 Pound Old Fashioned Steak
Burger Combo (Burger, fries and a drink - $7.95). I or
dered the Rock Basket (that
is a 1/3 Pound Steak Cheese Burger Combo with additional Onion Rings, $8.95,
plus 50 cents for the cheese).We ordered our drinks from the offered Coca Cola
products. The burgers are cooked to order and not sitting on a shelf under a
heat lamp. The burgers and fries arrive in a basket with a paper liner much
like drive-ins of old. The sandwiches are bare. The usual condiments, lettuce,
pickles, tomatoes and the like are at a self-serve station in the dining room –
you really can have it your way. The onion rings were real onion rings. They
were not the minced onions formed into little circles and then fried. No these
were real onions breaded and fried. They had a nice sweet flavor. The French
fries were piping hot, a nice golden brown.
A dash of salt and a bit of ketchup was all they needed. When I cook
burgers at home I like the a bit pink in the middle. When I am eating out and
the source of the meat is unknown I like the burger to be cooked through – but certainly
not over cooked. My burger has just cooked through on the griddle, was still
nice and juicy and good beef flavor. Had I grilled this burger at home I would
have been very happy with it.
The visit to the Cumberland Mountain General Store and the
Rock-A-Billy Diner was a positive experience. The retro diner was the major draw
that brought us there but the shopping tour of the general store was surely
sweet icing on the cake. Tennessee is rich in history and only lightly touched
in remote areas by modernization. You can evidence from the earliest days of
colonization, the opening of the West and trail-blazers like Daniel Boone, the
Civil War and more recent heroes of the Twentieth Century. All you have to do
is turn off the Interstate and follow the small roads into the hills. The
Cumberland Mountain General Store is part of that. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip
back in time and the cheeseburger at the Rock-A-Billy diner. There is much more
to the history of the store itself that I have not covered here. I’ll leave
that to you to find out on your next trip the General Store.
Labels: Boone, cheeseburger, Clarkrange, Cumberland, Daniel, Diner, French fries, General Store, Mountain, onion rings, Plateau, Rock-A-Billy, Sergeant York, Tennessee
¶ 11:30 AM 0 Comments
Monday, July 08, 2019
Burger Master - Townsend, Tennessee
Burger Master – Townsend, Tennessee
Townsend, TN 37882
865-448-8408 Burger Master Website
Summer – Memorial Day thru Labor Day week
Mon – Sun 11am – 9pm grill, 10pm for ice cream
It was July, certainly a hot time of the year. I had been away from home for an extended period. We took advantage of some nice weather to take a drive through Smoky Mountain National Park. The deep shadows of the forest provided welcome shade and offered a pleasant drive with lots of scenic views. Exiting the Park we passed through Townsend and decided to stop for a late lunch at the Burger Master Drive In. The Burger Master, under various names, has been a roadside diner and place of interest for many years. It has a lot of history as does much of Tennessee. I have included a short passage from their website at the end.
There are a lot of touristy attractions in and around the park and Townsend. The Burger master is located adjacent to one of the river rafting concerns. You can’t miss the bright red and white façade. It does resemble what you would expect to find alongside the byways of years ago, before the Interstates. It is a drive-in, not a drive-thru. You order at one window and pick up your order at the next window. There isn’t any inside seating but there are some picnic tables under the awning and some others scattered about the grassy areas under the trees.
You can’t just go to an old fashioned drive-in and not try
the burgers and we did. The full menu is available on their website. We ordered
combos. Combos include sandwich, drink
and regular fries. I ordered the Cheeseburger Combo with a quarter pound burger
for $8.25. Janis ordered the regular Hamburger Combo quarter pound burger for
$7.90. Our faithful companion, Chena, was along for the ride. An avid
passenger, it seems that we can’t leave home without her. There was something
on the menu for her too. We ordered he the Dog Treat – Small dab of ice cream
& Milkbone® dog treat $0.50 which she thoroughly enjoyed. She does
like ice cream and her dog biscuits.
We found an empty table. IT was a bit weather worn but
sturdy. It was in the shade of a tree. IT was a very pleasant day but the sun
can still be quite hot. The burgers are not like the cookie cutter clone
burgers from the fast food chains. Don’t get me wrong. I do like those burgers
too but you have to admit they are all alike, made just so, exact amounts of
this and that. They are all exactly the same and only vary in their stages of squish
and squash. The Burger Master burgers are more akin to the hamburgers you would
make on your patio barbecue, with the lettuce, onions, tomato, etc., just the
way you like it. Sometimes they come out a bit lopsided but that is okay
because they taste just the way you want.
We ordered our burgers just how we liked them at one window.
When they were ready we picked them up at the other window, grabbed some
condiments and headed for our table. Personally I like squeeze bottles for
catsup, mustard, mayo and the like. But I can understand the ease and cost for
the provider so I do tolerate the little foil packets. We had more than enough of the condiments for
the sandwich and the fries. It took just a few seconds to be ready to eat.
The lettuce was crisp. There was a thick slice of beefsteak
tomato, some sliced onion and dill pickle chips. The patty was full sized, not
much shrinkage during cooking. The inside was cooked just about right, pink
just gone (At home I cook to medium rare but when I don’t know the source of the ground meat –
and that includes all burger places – I prefer it cooked just until the pink is
gone.) cooked but not overcooked and dry. All in all it was a very tasty and
enjoyable cheeseburger. The fries come in a thick paper cone, of ample contents
and just a bit of seasoned salt. A very pleasant weather day, a scenic drive
through the countryside, a tasty burger and fries ; what more could you ask
for?
“Known to the old-timers as simply “The Chalet,” Burger
Master Drive-In was built by the famous fisherman J.C. Morgan, in 1967. Morgan
and his family had recently relocated to Townsend from Knoxville. The ice cream
chalet was a good fit for the family’s growing horse riding business and
C-store, which was next door. J.C. Morgan had an entrepreneurial spirit that
never stopped. From horses and ice cream, to live fish wells and a buffalo
petting zoo, the Great Smoky Mountains offered something for everyone.
Fifty years later, the original lighted ice cream chalet
sign, attached to the signature sloped red roof is still shining bright to let
the faithful customers know it is finally summertime in Townsend, Tennessee.
The River Rat Tubing outpost sits next door on the old concrete pad of the Davy
Crockett C-store and where one can still see the backend of what was once part
of the horse stables. Come be a part of history, visiting the Peaceful Side of
the Smokies with a stop at the Burger Master Drive-In. Family owned and
operated!” Quoted from the Burger Master
Website.
Burger Master – Townsend, TennesseeTownsend, TN 37882
865-448-8408 Burger Master Website
July 28, 2019
Hours
(varies by season – check their website)Summer – Memorial Day thru Labor Day week
Mon – Sun 11am – 9pm grill, 10pm for ice cream
It was July, certainly a hot time of the year. I had been away from home for an extended period. We took advantage of some nice weather to take a drive through Smoky Mountain National Park. The deep shadows of the forest provided welcome shade and offered a pleasant drive with lots of scenic views. Exiting the Park we passed through Townsend and decided to stop for a late lunch at the Burger Master Drive In. The Burger Master, under various names, has been a roadside diner and place of interest for many years. It has a lot of history as does much of Tennessee. I have included a short passage from their website at the end.
There are a lot of touristy attractions in and around the park and Townsend. The Burger master is located adjacent to one of the river rafting concerns. You can’t miss the bright red and white façade. It does resemble what you would expect to find alongside the byways of years ago, before the Interstates. It is a drive-in, not a drive-thru. You order at one window and pick up your order at the next window. There isn’t any inside seating but there are some picnic tables under the awning and some others scattered about the grassy areas under the trees.
You can’t just go to an old fashioned drive-in and not try
the burgers and we did. The full menu is available on their website. We ordered
combos. Combos include sandwich, drink
and regular fries. I ordered the Cheeseburger Combo with a quarter pound burger
for $8.25. Janis ordered the regular Hamburger Combo quarter pound burger for
$7.90. Our faithful companion, Chena, was along for the ride. An avid
passenger, it seems that we can’t leave home without her. There was something
on the menu for her too. We ordered he the Dog Treat – Small dab of ice cream
& Milkbone® dog treat $0.50 which she thoroughly enjoyed. She does
like ice cream and her dog biscuits.
We found an empty table. IT was a bit weather worn but
sturdy. It was in the shade of a tree. IT was a very pleasant day but the sun
can still be quite hot. The burgers are not like the cookie cutter clone
burgers from the fast food chains. Don’t get me wrong. I do like those burgers
too but you have to admit they are all alike, made just so, exact amounts of
this and that. They are all exactly the same and only vary in their stages of squish
and squash. The Burger Master burgers are more akin to the hamburgers you would
make on your patio barbecue, with the lettuce, onions, tomato, etc., just the
way you like it. Sometimes they come out a bit lopsided but that is okay
because they taste just the way you want. 
We ordered our burgers just how we liked them at one window.
When they were ready we picked them up at the other window, grabbed some
condiments and headed for our table. Personally I like squeeze bottles for
catsup, mustard, mayo and the like. But I can understand the ease and cost for
the provider so I do tolerate the little foil packets. We had more than enough of the condiments for
the sandwich and the fries. It took just a few seconds to be ready to eat.
The lettuce was crisp. There was a thick slice of beefsteak
tomato, some sliced onion and dill pickle chips. The patty was full sized, not
much shrinkage during cooking. The inside was cooked just about right, pink
just gone (At home I cook to medium rare but when I don’t know the source of the ground meat –
and that includes all burger places – I prefer it cooked just until the pink is
gone.) cooked but not overcooked and dry. All in all it was a very tasty and
enjoyable cheeseburger. The fries come in a thick paper cone, of ample contents
and just a bit of seasoned salt. A very pleasant weather day, a scenic drive
through the countryside, a tasty burger and fries ; what more could you ask
for?
If you are lucky enough to be in the area one day, follow SR321,
the Lamar Alexander Parkway East until just before you would enter the Smoky
Mountain National Park. There you will find Burger Master and will have the
opportunity to have a very satisfying burger and fries. Don’t forget to bring
along the family dog. They will enjoy it too.
“Known to the old-timers as simply “The Chalet,” Burger
Master Drive-In was built by the famous fisherman J.C. Morgan, in 1967. Morgan
and his family had recently relocated to Townsend from Knoxville. The ice cream
chalet was a good fit for the family’s growing horse riding business and
C-store, which was next door. J.C. Morgan had an entrepreneurial spirit that
never stopped. From horses and ice cream, to live fish wells and a buffalo
petting zoo, the Great Smoky Mountains offered something for everyone.
The horse business grew to become the Morgan family’s focus.
The Chalet would pass through many more business owners creating memories for
the tourists who stopped for a classic drive-in dinner and ice cream cone. The
name “Burger Master” was added in the 1980’s and the covered awning in 90’s. In
2016, the Burger Master was purchased from Bob and Barb, who had added the
iconic extra-large serving on the ice cream cone along with lots of love and
care. The new owner happens to be the grandson of the late JC Morgan, bitten by
the same, apparently genetic, entrepreneurial bug as his grandfather!
Fifty years later, the original lighted ice cream chalet
sign, attached to the signature sloped red roof is still shining bright to let
the faithful customers know it is finally summertime in Townsend, Tennessee.
The River Rat Tubing outpost sits next door on the old concrete pad of the Davy
Crockett C-store and where one can still see the backend of what was once part
of the horse stables. Come be a part of history, visiting the Peaceful Side of
the Smokies with a stop at the Burger Master Drive-In. Family owned and
operated!” Quoted from the Burger Master
Website.Labels: Auitumn, burger, cheeseburger, color change, dog, fakk, French, fries, hamburger, leaf, Master, Miklkbone, Mountain, national, park, Smoky, Townsend
¶ 2:00 PM 0 Comments
Friday, December 14, 2018
Windy City Grille - Maryville TN
865-724-2508
http://www.thewindycitygrille.com/
The Windy City Grille is a casual café. Most of the menu is
for pizza, burgers and sandwiches. There is bar service with a large selection
of draft and bottled beer to choose from. Lou ordered one of their burgers with
French fries. All of the burgers seem to
start with a half-pound patty. Prices
for the burgers run from $8.50 to 9.50 depending, and come with French fries or
the house potato chips. Alternate side substitution selections are available at
additional cost.
My order was for the “Grande Shrimp Platter – 9 large breaded shrimp
with side of fries and homemade cocktail sauce. No popcorn shrimp here! -
$11.00.” The fry cooks did a
good job. The shrimp and the French fries were a nice crispy golden brown,
cooked but overly so. The shrimp appeared to be butterflied 16/20 and had a
nice flavor, no old cooking oil flavor there. The house cocktail sauce is
excellent. There was adequate sauce for the shrimp but if I were to order this
again I would ask for a second portion of the sauce as it is so much better
than plain ketchup on the fries. It was an adequate portion and a satisfying
meal. I was happy with my choice.
A last note in passing… At the door to the café there is a Missing Man
Table, sometimes called a Fallen Comrade Table. It is set symbolically as a
remembrance and to honor those who will never be able to accept the invitation.
It is frequently seen on Memorial Day and National POW/ MIA Recognition Day. Lost
in service to Country those missing men have protected rights to dissent
and eschew traditional things. But please remember they have also protected my
right to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Windy City Grille
2641
U.S. 411, Maryville TN 37801865-724-2508
http://www.thewindycitygrille.com/
This will be a briefer than normal blog. The occasion was a
Christmas get-together of Blount County ARES, a
part of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency
Services,
trained amateur radio operator volunteers organized
to assist in public service and emergency communications. It is a group that I
am proudly associated. When we get together we talk shop; radio and all that
sort of thing. However most of the other members are unaware that on the side I
am a foodie and do a blog. My family and some other friends are sometimes
painfully aware that I take photos and ask questions about the food, the meals
and the service. On this occasion I strove
to be not obtrusive with the camera and the questions (they will get to know
that part of me later, I’m sure). This was my first visit to the Windy City
Grille and I think that I did, however, get enough material to give you some
insight into the Windy City Grille; a place you might one day like to visit.
Lou, our section leader, had made inquiries before but no advanced
preparation had been made for our group. Kaitlyn, the charming young lady who met us at
the door and escorted us in, was more that up to the task. In just a moment she
had pulled tables together and rearranged chairs. She took our beverage orders while we waited
for the others to arrive.
Our group came and departed at different times, we ordered a
full range of dishes and beverages from the regular menu and we were Dutch
treat. That should be enough to drive
any server into a panic. Our orders were taken in a timely manner, the orders
when served were correct, drinks were refreshed as needed and bills were ready
when asked and also were correct. Our group
enjoyed a carefree meal; we enjoyed the food and the company. An efficient
server working in the background helps keep it all together and adds to the
enjoyment of the night out to dinner. We were fortunate that Kaitlyn was our
server.
The Windy City Grille is a casual café. Most of the menu is
for pizza, burgers and sandwiches. There is bar service with a large selection
of draft and bottled beer to choose from. Lou ordered one of their burgers with
French fries. All of the burgers seem to
start with a half-pound patty. Prices
for the burgers run from $8.50 to 9.50 depending, and come with French fries or
the house potato chips. Alternate side substitution selections are available at
additional cost.
I’m not sure which one Lou chose but afterwards he said it
was very good. They are juicy burgers and thankfully there are additional
napkins available in the condiment tray in the center of the table. Another
burger order down the table from me was with the in-house made fried potato chips.
They are apparently a well-regarded
local specialty. Perhaps I’ll try then on my next visit.
My order was for the “Grande Shrimp Platter – 9 large breaded shrimp
with side of fries and homemade cocktail sauce. No popcorn shrimp here! -
$11.00.” The fry cooks did a
good job. The shrimp and the French fries were a nice crispy golden brown,
cooked but overly so. The shrimp appeared to be butterflied 16/20 and had a
nice flavor, no old cooking oil flavor there. The house cocktail sauce is
excellent. There was adequate sauce for the shrimp but if I were to order this
again I would ask for a second portion of the sauce as it is so much better
than plain ketchup on the fries. It was an adequate portion and a satisfying
meal. I was happy with my choice.
During the meal a management person came by the table to ask
if everyone was happy with the service and the food. It is nice to see they
have an interest and it seems to show in the performance of their work staff. As
I mentioned, the Windy City Grille is a casual café, much more so than some of
, for lack of a better word, trendier
brew bars and cafes in town. However, the food offered at Windy City Grille is
on a par with the other restaurants and at comparable prices. There are many
large screen TV screens and I could only guess that it would be a rollicking local
hangout for local sports fans on big game days.
The online menu and the menu at the table are slightly different
in the selections offered. The online version seems a bit more comprehensive.
If you have a specific food in mind to order you may want to call ahead to see
if it is available.
My only negative thought about the dining experience is the “re-purposed”
theme; the ceiling not finished in the conventional manner but all of the
ducting and piping exposed. It may be painted a dark color and positioned above
the lighting fixtures but it is all there and the hard surfaces echo and
reflect the sounds so that even a slight amount of activity can raise the
ambient noise level significantly often making cross table conversation
difficult.
Amiable friends and colleagues
make for an enjoyable evening meal. I
also enjoyed the meal and the surroundings. If the question arises, “Where
should we go out to dinner?” The Windy
City Grille will definitely be one of the choices.
A last note in passing… At the door to the café there is a Missing Man
Table, sometimes called a Fallen Comrade Table. It is set symbolically as a
remembrance and to honor those who will never be able to accept the invitation.
It is frequently seen on Memorial Day and National POW/ MIA Recognition Day. Lost
in service to Country those missing men have protected rights to dissent
and eschew traditional things. But please remember they have also protected my
right to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I fondly remember many friends and comrades for whom that
table was set. Thank you Windy City
Grille for remembering and honoring them.
UPDATE: August 30, 2019
“The Windy City Grille is winner of the 2019 “Best of the
Best” awarded by the Best In Town Network, a Knoxville-based restaurant marketing
and survey company.” Daily Times, August
30 2019.
Labels: burgers, Chicago, cocktail sauce, French fries, grill, Grille, potato chips, shrimp, Windy City
¶ 5:48 PM 0 Comments
Thursday, September 07, 2017
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen - Alcoa, Tennessee
250 Hamilton Crossing Dr, Alcoa, TN 37701
My birthday was coming soon and I was
told that I could pick the place for breakfast. I gave it a lot of thought
trying to select someplace new perhaps or maybe unique but not one that anyone
might object to. I wandered over my mental map of the area, thinking about any
recent drives and what I might have seen. Cheddar’s came to mind! After a quick
check of their web page I learned they opened late morning for lunch, no
breakfast service. I asked our go-for-grub pals if a lunch was okay and I
received positive replies. Then lunch, instead of breakfast, it would be.
The wife and I arrived a few minutes late. I noticed a change had taken place since my first Cheddar’s encounter. Cheddar’s Casual Café was now Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. When Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers founded Cheddar’s in Arlington, Texas back in 1979 their stated credo was ”… when a meal is prepared and cooked fresh just for you, it not only tastes better, it makes you feel good.” Perhaps the name change is paying homage to their beginnings. There are a few stores in the Great Plains and some in the Southwest but by far the majority of the 164 Cheddar’s locations are in the Eastern half of the United States. In 2012, Zagat ranked Cheddar's the nation's No.1 full-service restaurant chain as well as Top Overall American Cuisine. Consumer Reports and others have given high ratings and customer satisfaction reports. We were about to see if the reports were true.
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
250 Hamilton Crossing Dr, Alcoa, TN 37701
(865)
983-5582 https://cheddars.com/
10:30Am
– 10:30PM (11:30PM week ends)
This would not be my first visit to a Cheddar’s
restaurant. In January of 2014 my wife’s dear Aunt Effie and Uncle Gilbert
treated us to lunch at their new discovery, Cheddar’s Casual Café in Pinellas
Park, Florida. It was a very positive experience and I looked forward to this
next encounter. You can see that blog here.
The wife and I arrived a few minutes late. I noticed a change had taken place since my first Cheddar’s encounter. Cheddar’s Casual Café was now Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. When Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers founded Cheddar’s in Arlington, Texas back in 1979 their stated credo was ”… when a meal is prepared and cooked fresh just for you, it not only tastes better, it makes you feel good.” Perhaps the name change is paying homage to their beginnings. There are a few stores in the Great Plains and some in the Southwest but by far the majority of the 164 Cheddar’s locations are in the Eastern half of the United States. In 2012, Zagat ranked Cheddar's the nation's No.1 full-service restaurant chain as well as Top Overall American Cuisine. Consumer Reports and others have given high ratings and customer satisfaction reports. We were about to see if the reports were true.
Abbie and Mariano, our go-for-grub pals, had secured a
spacious booth next to a shaded window. It looked to be a cozy comfortable spot
for lunch. The waitress was already there taking beverage orders. I’m sorry I
didn’t get here name as I would have liked to thank her by name for her good
nature and thoughtful service. She wished me a happy birthday and I then knew I
had been setup by the go-for-grub pals.
I just hoped that Cheddar’s didn’t do fool-crazy things designed to
embarrass their patrons.
The wife Janis is a light eater
and her selection was the CLASSIC
LUNCH COMBO ($6.79 Select
two of the following: HALF CHEDDAR’S CLUB SANDWICH - HALF MONTE CRISTO -
BOWL OF SOUP - HOUSE SALAD - CAESAR SALAD - LOADED BAKED POTATO - BAKED SWEET
POTATO) Her particular choices were the half Club Sandwich and the Caesar
Salad. The salad was a nice bowl of crisp greens and some croutons, dressing
not too heavy, not to light. It was accompanied with a butter glazed croissant.
Her preference would have been without the butter but the croissant as well as
the salad was very good and fully enjoyed.
Our go-for-grub pals, Abbie
and Mariano, opted to share a big platter of HOUSE SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS (Add a
House or Caesar salad, $3.29 HALF RACK $10.99
FULL RACK $15.99 Homemade rub, slow smoked in-house, and grilled with a honey
BBQ sauce. Served with French fries and coleslaw.) Coleslaw is not their
favorite and at their request the server provided a house salad instead. The
serving of ribs and French fries was, to say the least, more than ample for two
hearty appetites (luckily for Mariano, Abbie is also a light eater). It was a
pretty serving thick and clingy barbecue sauce adding a delicious shine to the
ribs. The meat was very tender easily separating form the bone. Abbie and
Mariano had eagerly anticipated their visit to Cheddar’s for the ribs and I do believe
they enjoyed them very much.
I like light meat chicken and love shrimp. The combination dinner plate of chicken tenders and shrimp caught my eye; CHICKEN TENDERS & SHRIMP ($11.19 Served with two sides. Add a House or Caesar salad, $3.29 Grilled or hand-battered fried shrimp with our homemade chicken tenders. See a list of sides at end of blog.) For sides I ordered mashed potatoes and gravy and coleslaw. For a big appetite the plate piled high with chicken, shrimp, mashed potatoes and coleslaw was a welcome sight. Included were cocktail sauce and honey mustard dipping sauce.
The
full menu
is available online in pdf format.
Her
sandwich arrived a short time later. A diagonally sliced sandwich of two slices
of toasted bread well filled with ham, turkey, cheese, bacon and tomato, it was
very similar to her order during our first Cheddar’s encounter. The only
significant difference was it was cut as a half sandwich instead of the more
traditional quarters. As with the salad, it was thoroughly enjoyed.
Our go-for-grub pals, Abbie
and Mariano, opted to share a big platter of HOUSE SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS (Add a
House or Caesar salad, $3.29 HALF RACK $10.99
FULL RACK $15.99 Homemade rub, slow smoked in-house, and grilled with a honey
BBQ sauce. Served with French fries and coleslaw.) Coleslaw is not their
favorite and at their request the server provided a house salad instead. The
serving of ribs and French fries was, to say the least, more than ample for two
hearty appetites (luckily for Mariano, Abbie is also a light eater). It was a
pretty serving thick and clingy barbecue sauce adding a delicious shine to the
ribs. The meat was very tender easily separating form the bone. Abbie and
Mariano had eagerly anticipated their visit to Cheddar’s for the ribs and I do believe
they enjoyed them very much.
I like light meat chicken and love shrimp. The combination dinner plate of chicken tenders and shrimp caught my eye; CHICKEN TENDERS & SHRIMP ($11.19 Served with two sides. Add a House or Caesar salad, $3.29 Grilled or hand-battered fried shrimp with our homemade chicken tenders. See a list of sides at end of blog.) For sides I ordered mashed potatoes and gravy and coleslaw. For a big appetite the plate piled high with chicken, shrimp, mashed potatoes and coleslaw was a welcome sight. Included were cocktail sauce and honey mustard dipping sauce.
The
coleslaw was dressed with a slightly seasoned sauce that added to the flavor
but itself did not clamor for attention. Nice crisp cabbage; I would call it a
good slaw. The mashed potatoes were of the industrial grade variety but
acceptably smooth. The gravy was very tasty and would be most welcome on a
chicken fried steak.
There were
four, possibly five (sorry, I didn’t count them) large butterflied, battered
and deep fried shrimp. The coating was golden brown and slightly crispy and
pleasingly not oily. They were large shrimp, the meat was cooked just right and
moist and tender. (As an aside: This serving of shrimp in a basket with some
French fries would have more than made a beach-front fish shack offering of a
shrimp basket.) They were very tasty fried shrimp.
There were
four very large “chicken tenders.” I suspect they are more than tenders, more
like a chicken breast sliced in two pieces. Breaded and deep fried to a golden
brown, well drained and not oily, the meat was tender and very moist; lots of
good chicken flavor. I tried a bit of the honey mustard sauce; a nice blend,
not to sweet, not to tart but good mustard flavor. I am on again – off again
with honey mustard and today wasn’t the day. I tried a bit of cocktail sauce;
good but a bit too much tang from the horseradish to go with the mild taste of
the chicken. I thought about asking for some plane old ketchup but decided to
just eat the tenders down to the finger lickin’ end as they were. They were
that good all by themselves. As you can probably guess, I really enjoyed that
meal.
In the few
years that we have been here, for various reasons two other local restaurants,
best described I guess as up-scale beer and burger places with lots of big
television screens, had become our fall back places to go. The food was good,
they were close; known entities were we felt comfortable. I feel that Cheddar’s
will replace the other restaurants as the spur-of-the-moment place to go. It is
still quite close to the house, the prices are competitive and the menu offers
more of a variety than the others. The interiors are brighter, more focused on the food and dining and
offering a more relaxed and casual (as in casual café perhaps) dining
experience. On this visit Cheddar’s has validated the aforementioned awards and
positive citations.
Just before we left, the hostess came
by the table to offer her birthday congratulations. She brought a small bag
with two still hot, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (sort of a mini
version of their giant cookie Sundae). I was grateful for the remembrance especially since it was
low key, quiet and private.
FYI: MADE-FROM-SCRATCH
SIDES – Substitute any side for a House or
Caesar salad for an additional .99 Steamed Fresh Broccoli, Buttered Off-The-Cob Corn, Freshly
Made Coleslaw, French Fries, Idaho Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Black Beans, Mac
and Cheese, Broccoli Cheese Casserole, Baked Sweet Potato, Loaded Baked
Potato, Seasoned Rice, Southern Green Beans.
Add a side to any order, 2.49
- Honey Butter Croissants, 3 for
2.99
Labels: baby back ribs, Caesar salad, casual café, Cheddar's, chicken tenders, club sandwich, cocktail sauce, coleslaw, French fries, fried shrimp, gravy, honey mustard, house salad, mashed potatoes, scratch café
¶ 12:30 PM 1 Comments
Saturday, July 01, 2017
Sullivan's - Maryville, Tennessee
Sullivan’s – Maryville TN
To be, in any small way, a part of an event that brings
mirthful glee to a friend is very rewarding to the soul. What brings this to
mind is that the wife and I were invited to a surprise birthday party for a
dear friend that was hosted by her adoring husband and family. The party was
attended by about 25 friends and associates and it did come as a complete
surprise to her; the secret had been well kept. The venue was The Alcove, a banquet room in
Sullivan’s. It was a festive and enjoyable evening; old acquaintances renewed
and new friendships formed. It was indeed a happy birthday for Rosana!
This was our first ever visit to Sullivan’s located in the
historic downtown section of Maryville, Tennessee. One of two local area stores,
it is conveniently located across the street from a free public parking lot but
that is problematical if other events are taking place in adjoining venues. The
Sullivan’s building is also conveniently located alongside a picturesque set of
brick “Spanish Steps” that lead to the lower street and another parking
structure below. It was but a short walk in the rain that brought us to the
front door of Sullivan’s.
A dinner roll was provided and butter available from any of
the serving dishes on the table. The house salad is a nice large salad plate of
mixed greens with some pickled cucumber slices, some plum tomatoes and seasoned
with fresh cooked bacon crumbles, shredded cheese and croutons. The salad
dressing is served on the side. It was a nice salad with a variety of tasty
things to eat.
The salad was good, crisp fresh greens and a variety of
tastes and textures; something I consider an important asset for a salad. Soon
after the salad plate had been cleared away my entrée, the Garden Fresh Pasta, arrived.
It was a substantial serving and I knew I wouldn’t go away hungry after the meal
was completed. The penne was cooked al dente; not always easy with the thicker
pastas. It was well covered with an agreeable Alfredo sauce. There was a good
portion of tender Italian-style vegetables; broccoli, carrots and Italian
beans. All was liberally decorated with shredded Parmigiano cheese and fresh
chopped parsley. It was an attractive presentation, an adequate portion and tasted
very good, a selection I would certainly enjoy again in any future visits to
Sullivan’s. See our home version of this dish.
And what birthday, you may ask, is complete without a
birthday cake? After the dinner dishes had been cleared away the wait staff brought
in a candle-lit cake to a resounding chorus of, “Happy Birthday dear Rosana…”
It was a layered white cake, white frosting and a very nice strawberry filling.
Birthday cakes are special anyway but this was a very tasty cake; a delicious
compliment to an enjoyable meal. It was an enjoyable meal certainly because the
food was good (and free for the guests I might add).But even more it was enjoyable
because it was friends celebrating the guest of honor’s special day. It was a
fairly large group of friends celebrating in a safe and sane matter and each
going home safely at the end. What more could one ask for?
I would make one additional comment… The party group was
about twenty five persons. With the exception of the entrée and birthday cake
serving, the one lone waitress took care of all of us. She was more than
adequate and up to the task, kept the orders straight and kept the glasses
filled with the proper beverage. Credit
for much of the success of the night’s festivities belongs to her.
**From Wikipedia: Boursin is a brand of Gournay cheese. It is a soft creamy cheese available in a variety of flavors, with a flavor and texture somewhat similar to cream cheese. The first Boursin flavor Garlic and Fine Herbs, was created in 1957 by François Boursin, a cheese maker from Normandy. Boursin's product was derived from a traditional party dish, fromage frais (French for "fresh cheese"); guests would take their cheese and add herbs for flavor. His recipe would be the first flavored cheese product to be sold nationally in France.
Sullivan’s – Maryville TN
Downtown
Maryville - 121 W. Broadway Maryville, TN - 37804 - 865.681.3334
aLSO
Rocky Hill - 7545
Northshore Dr - Knoxville, TN 37919 - 865.694.9696
This was our first ever visit to Sullivan’s located in the
historic downtown section of Maryville, Tennessee. One of two local area stores,
it is conveniently located across the street from a free public parking lot but
that is problematical if other events are taking place in adjoining venues. The
Sullivan’s building is also conveniently located alongside a picturesque set of
brick “Spanish Steps” that lead to the lower street and another parking
structure below. It was but a short walk in the rain that brought us to the
front door of Sullivan’s.
As is normal with banquets, a pared down menu was offered
that included selections of fish, meat, pasta and chicken. All were served with the house salad and a
selection from the sides offered; an
interesting assortment that included baked creamed spinach, Southern-style
green beans, sweet potato casserole, Boursin mashed potatoes ( I had to look that
one up) and jalapeño cheese grits. Beverages included iced tea, Coca Cola
products and Vienna coffee.
A dinner roll was provided and butter available from any of
the serving dishes on the table. The house salad is a nice large salad plate of
mixed greens with some pickled cucumber slices, some plum tomatoes and seasoned
with fresh cooked bacon crumbles, shredded cheese and croutons. The salad
dressing is served on the side. It was a nice salad with a variety of tasty
things to eat.
The wife chose the sirloin and decided on the Boursin mashed
potatoes; potatoes made with a garlic and herb flavored Boursin cheese.(** See Wikipedia note below) The
sirloin was a nice-sized, about an eight-ounce filet, that was cooked
medium-rare to order. The mashed potatoes were served in a ramekin; the plate
decorated with what I believe was a Balsamic reduction. She said the steak was
tender, cooked to order and had very good flavor. She quite enjoyed the flavor of
the Boursin mashed potatoes. Let it be noted that there was no doggie bag this
time. I do believe she thoroughly enjoyed her steak and potatoes.
The salad was good, crisp fresh greens and a variety of
tastes and textures; something I consider an important asset for a salad. Soon
after the salad plate had been cleared away my entrée, the Garden Fresh Pasta, arrived.
It was a substantial serving and I knew I wouldn’t go away hungry after the meal
was completed. The penne was cooked al dente; not always easy with the thicker
pastas. It was well covered with an agreeable Alfredo sauce. There was a good
portion of tender Italian-style vegetables; broccoli, carrots and Italian
beans. All was liberally decorated with shredded Parmigiano cheese and fresh
chopped parsley. It was an attractive presentation, an adequate portion and tasted
very good, a selection I would certainly enjoy again in any future visits to
Sullivan’s. See our home version of this dish.
And what birthday, you may ask, is complete without a
birthday cake? After the dinner dishes had been cleared away the wait staff brought
in a candle-lit cake to a resounding chorus of, “Happy Birthday dear Rosana…”
It was a layered white cake, white frosting and a very nice strawberry filling.
Birthday cakes are special anyway but this was a very tasty cake; a delicious
compliment to an enjoyable meal. It was an enjoyable meal certainly because the
food was good (and free for the guests I might add).But even more it was enjoyable
because it was friends celebrating the guest of honor’s special day. It was a
fairly large group of friends celebrating in a safe and sane matter and each
going home safely at the end. What more could one ask for?
I would make one additional comment… The party group was
about twenty five persons. With the exception of the entrée and birthday cake
serving, the one lone waitress took care of all of us. She was more than
adequate and up to the task, kept the orders straight and kept the glasses
filled with the proper beverage. Credit
for much of the success of the night’s festivities belongs to her. **From Wikipedia: Boursin is a brand of Gournay cheese. It is a soft creamy cheese available in a variety of flavors, with a flavor and texture somewhat similar to cream cheese. The first Boursin flavor Garlic and Fine Herbs, was created in 1957 by François Boursin, a cheese maker from Normandy. Boursin's product was derived from a traditional party dish, fromage frais (French for "fresh cheese"); guests would take their cheese and add herbs for flavor. His recipe would be the first flavored cheese product to be sold nationally in France.
Labels: Fine Foods, fish, Maryville, pasta, salmon. sirloin, steak, Sullivan's, surf and turf
¶ 7:00 PM 0 Comments
Monday, October 17, 2016
China Lights - Eagle River, Alaska
It was a busy time for me then. There was work and the extracurricular activities such as dog mushing that kept me busy and it was a long while before I was in town, at the right time, to get some more fried rice takeout. It was, to put it plainly, terrible. The rice was almost crunchy. It wasn’t seasoned at all except for a splash of soy sauce and there was only a pittance of vegetables and chicken thrown in. Even steaming it a bit at home I was unable to revive it and, sadly, most of that order ended up in the compost pile. After that encounter I pretty much erased the mental note and never again considered the China Lights as an asset. Over the ensuing years I have driven past the China Lights many, many times but never had any inkling to try it again.
During this 2016 trip to Alaska I noticed some TV ads for
the China Lights. They mostly featured the Anchorage store, especially the
interior shots showing the buffet, but the ad did tell of the two locations,
Anchorage and Eagle River. That got me to thinking… (Sometimes that is a
dangerous thing to do.) So, if the China Lights has been there all this time
without going under they must be doing something right and not chasing away
customers like they did me. Also, if they have made enough profit to open or
take over another facility they must have a fairly large and satisfied customer
base. Perhaps, I thought, it was time to give China Lights another try.
I called good buddy Larry Tower and asked if he would like to go to lunch one day soon. On the appointed day we made the fifteen minute drive to China Lights. Apparently the buffet is popular and the hostess/waitress assumed we were there for the buffet and when she seated us she didn’t offer the menu as an option. I thought for a moment and then decided, “Why not?” We would try the buffet today and I could come back later for a “lunch special” take home meal rather than eat in. She took our beverage order and bade us to go and select from the buffet.
As I mentioned, the store is of modest size. It is well
decorated in the Asian theme with bas-relief paneling depicting Chinese scenes.
The ceiling is embossed tiles in a copper color. Various wall hangings and
objects d’art round out the décor. There are several booths along the front
window wall and the main dining area features tables and chair that can be
arranged as needed to accommodate different sized groups. There is no room for
free standing serving bars as you would normally find in a Chinese buffet. In
the addition of the buffet to the more traditional sit down and dine in and
take out there was little room for adding the serving bars. There is a salad
bar and steam table combination, serve from one side only and about 16 to 18 feet
long, against the back wall. That leaves little room for a large number of
selections one would normally associate with a Chinese buffet. As I remember
the selections (and memory can be spotty) the selections, with some of my
initial impressions, were as follows.
Soups – Egg flower and - one other: Egg flower soup good, didn’t try the other
What is the allure of the Chinese buffet? I would answer
that it a place where, for a relatively small amount of money, you can eat to
your fill with palatable food; a place to go get stuffed. To that end China
Lights does quite well. Its selections, although limited by space, fare well
compared to any of the other buffets I have tried in the past. I do have some
minor issues with some of the offerings but overall, as I mentioned, it is
quite good as Chinese buffets go.
On my first go through the buffet
line, I got a bowl of egg flower soup and a plate with tempura vegetables,
sweet and sour chicken, a pot sticker, spicy meatballs, sesame chicken, some
Mongolian chicken and my favorite, fried rice. The soup was good. There were a
lot of egg shreds and the broth had a good flavor as well as a nice mouth feel;
it wasn’t just a bowl of flavored water. The selection of the tempura
vegetables was limited to some onion rings and some small medallions I think
were squash. The items were battered and fried but the batter was very heavy
for tempura and detracted from what taste the vegetables had. The pot stickers
were a bit chewy and perhaps had been in the pan too long. The spicy meatballs
relied on the sauce for the spice and the texture was coarse, perhaps a lot of
filler, Not one of my favorite for the selection. The Mongolian chicken was one
of the better dishes they offered. It was flavorful with lots of chicken. The
sesame chicken was much like other buffet sesame chickens, an amber sauce and
toasted sesame seeds. It didn’t stand out, kind of bland, and I think the sauce
needed a bit more sesame oil to liven up the flavor. The sweet and sour chicken
here was what I have come to learn is called New York-style; breaded chicken
pieces and a red sweet and sour sauce on the side. I learned to like sweet and
sour chicken a long time ago on the West Coast. It was dish of breaded and
fried chicken pieces, stir fried Bell peppers, onion and sometimes thinly
sliced carrots and pineapple chunks all tossed with a red sauce with definite
sweet and sour overtones; a medley of many great flavors and textures. I
am a bit biased and it is difficult to be positive about a dish that is missing
most of its elements. The China Light’s version was heavily breaded chicken (I
suspect the breaded chicken is a bulk pre-made kitchen supply) and the sauce
was indeed red, sticky and sweet but lacked any definite sour component. It was
just like all the other buffet sweet and sour chicken just a shadow of the real
thing. The fried rice was good. It was a filler dish to be sure, an inexpensive
food to bulk out the meal. Even so, it had good flavor and there were some
little goodies in the mix to add to the taste and texture.
China Lights
12110
Business Blvd #2
Eagle River,
Alaska 88577
(907)
694-8080
The China Lights Restaurant in Eagle River is a small to medium-sized
facility located in a strip mall. This particular restaurant has been there
since 1980. A sister establishment, located in Anchorage, has been extant since
2010. I have not visited the Anchorage facility so everything herein pertains
to the Eagle River store.
I have a mixed history with China Lights that goes back a
long time. I first became aware of the Eagle River China Lights when I moved
into the area about 1995. A fan of Chinese food, I was quick to spot it and
mentally mark it for later. Sometime later I had that urge for some fried rice,
one of my favorite foods, and went to China Lights for takeout. It was excellent! I really loved it; very
flavorful with a great seasoning combination I wished I could emulate. I was
very happy to have some tasty Chinese food close at hand.It was a busy time for me then. There was work and the extracurricular activities such as dog mushing that kept me busy and it was a long while before I was in town, at the right time, to get some more fried rice takeout. It was, to put it plainly, terrible. The rice was almost crunchy. It wasn’t seasoned at all except for a splash of soy sauce and there was only a pittance of vegetables and chicken thrown in. Even steaming it a bit at home I was unable to revive it and, sadly, most of that order ended up in the compost pile. After that encounter I pretty much erased the mental note and never again considered the China Lights as an asset. Over the ensuing years I have driven past the China Lights many, many times but never had any inkling to try it again.
During this 2016 trip to Alaska I noticed some TV ads for
the China Lights. They mostly featured the Anchorage store, especially the
interior shots showing the buffet, but the ad did tell of the two locations,
Anchorage and Eagle River. That got me to thinking… (Sometimes that is a
dangerous thing to do.) So, if the China Lights has been there all this time
without going under they must be doing something right and not chasing away
customers like they did me. Also, if they have made enough profit to open or
take over another facility they must have a fairly large and satisfied customer
base. Perhaps, I thought, it was time to give China Lights another try.I called good buddy Larry Tower and asked if he would like to go to lunch one day soon. On the appointed day we made the fifteen minute drive to China Lights. Apparently the buffet is popular and the hostess/waitress assumed we were there for the buffet and when she seated us she didn’t offer the menu as an option. I thought for a moment and then decided, “Why not?” We would try the buffet today and I could come back later for a “lunch special” take home meal rather than eat in. She took our beverage order and bade us to go and select from the buffet.
As I mentioned, the store is of modest size. It is well
decorated in the Asian theme with bas-relief paneling depicting Chinese scenes.
The ceiling is embossed tiles in a copper color. Various wall hangings and
objects d’art round out the décor. There are several booths along the front
window wall and the main dining area features tables and chair that can be
arranged as needed to accommodate different sized groups. There is no room for
free standing serving bars as you would normally find in a Chinese buffet. In
the addition of the buffet to the more traditional sit down and dine in and
take out there was little room for adding the serving bars. There is a salad
bar and steam table combination, serve from one side only and about 16 to 18 feet
long, against the back wall. That leaves little room for a large number of
selections one would normally associate with a Chinese buffet. As I remember
the selections (and memory can be spotty) the selections, with some of my
initial impressions, were as follows.Soups – Egg flower and - one other: Egg flower soup good, didn’t try the other
Almond Chicken
– Lots of chicken, pretty good but a bit confused flavor wise
Sesame
Chicken – A mainstream sesame chicken but a bit weak in the sauce
Mongolian
Chicken – A good amount of chicken with pretty good flavor, interesting
Spicy
Meatballs - a bit over cooked, kind of bland
Vegetable Lo
Mein – more noodles than vegetables
Pot Stickers
– not exceptional, need the sauce
Fried Rice –
for a filler dish, not too bad with good flavor and fresh looking vegetables
but not as good as my sampling many years ago
Spring Rolls
– little prepackaged rolls a bit chewy/crunchy
Tempura
Vegetables – onion rings and medallions of squash, I believe.
Sweet and
Sour Chicken – ahhh, yes! The New York-style is here too. Too bad…
Sweet and
Sour Sauce – It’s red.
French fries
– that one puzzles me – I didn’t try them but French fries in the limited space
available?
Assorted
fruits and Desserts -
On my first go through the buffet
line, I got a bowl of egg flower soup and a plate with tempura vegetables,
sweet and sour chicken, a pot sticker, spicy meatballs, sesame chicken, some
Mongolian chicken and my favorite, fried rice. The soup was good. There were a
lot of egg shreds and the broth had a good flavor as well as a nice mouth feel;
it wasn’t just a bowl of flavored water. The selection of the tempura
vegetables was limited to some onion rings and some small medallions I think
were squash. The items were battered and fried but the batter was very heavy
for tempura and detracted from what taste the vegetables had. The pot stickers
were a bit chewy and perhaps had been in the pan too long. The spicy meatballs
relied on the sauce for the spice and the texture was coarse, perhaps a lot of
filler, Not one of my favorite for the selection. The Mongolian chicken was one
of the better dishes they offered. It was flavorful with lots of chicken. The
sesame chicken was much like other buffet sesame chickens, an amber sauce and
toasted sesame seeds. It didn’t stand out, kind of bland, and I think the sauce
needed a bit more sesame oil to liven up the flavor. The sweet and sour chicken
here was what I have come to learn is called New York-style; breaded chicken
pieces and a red sweet and sour sauce on the side. I learned to like sweet and
sour chicken a long time ago on the West Coast. It was dish of breaded and
fried chicken pieces, stir fried Bell peppers, onion and sometimes thinly
sliced carrots and pineapple chunks all tossed with a red sauce with definite
sweet and sour overtones; a medley of many great flavors and textures. I
am a bit biased and it is difficult to be positive about a dish that is missing
most of its elements. The China Light’s version was heavily breaded chicken (I
suspect the breaded chicken is a bulk pre-made kitchen supply) and the sauce
was indeed red, sticky and sweet but lacked any definite sour component. It was
just like all the other buffet sweet and sour chicken just a shadow of the real
thing. The fried rice was good. It was a filler dish to be sure, an inexpensive
food to bulk out the meal. Even so, it had good flavor and there were some
little goodies in the mix to add to the taste and texture.
To date my favorite Chinese
restaurant in Alaska is the Imperial Palace. It is located in Anchorage which
is a 45-minute drive away from home. China Lights, on the other hand, located in
Eagle River, is barely a 10-minute drive away. I suspect that on my next trip
to Alaska I will try out China Lights and order from the menu for a sit-down
dinner. I remember once I had some great food from there. It would be very nice
to know that a good and trusted source was near to home. I will let you know
how well that turns out in a later blog post.
It should be noted that there is a
certificate proudly displayed on the entranceway wall of China Lights: Top
100 Chinese Restaurants: Exterior
100%, Service 100%, Food 97.06%Labels: Alaska, all you can eat, Asian, China, Chinese, Eagle River, egg flower soup, food, lights China Lights, Top 100 Chinese Restaurants
¶ 12:35 PM 0 Comments
