010 Fine Dining/Special Occasion:

By the Tracks Bistro

Location: Kingston Pike, Bearden

Our favorite spot for special occasions. Great food (try the pecan crusted catfish, strawberry salad, or the creme brulee), impeccable service, quiet enough for pleasant conversation, but casual enough that it's not stuffy.

Copper Cellar

Location: Cumberland Ave and Kingston Pike

Wonderful Crab Bisque and the Prime Rib Is Excellent.

Foothills Milling Company

Location: Maryville, TN

Nice atmosphere, casual elegant, great menu, great food, great service. Moderate to expensive prices. Beer and wine, no liquor.

I personally love Ruth's Chris

Location: Knoxville

Ruth's Chris is a great new addition to Knoxville. I have eaten at Ruth's Chris at least once a week since it's opened, taking clients and the family out. The steaks melt in your mouth and the sides are absolutely delicious. One fellow blogger reports having a not-so great experience, but his meal was free because the manager comped him. Not everyone that goes to a movie likes it, and not everyone has the same experience at a restaurant or wherever they go. But I must say going to Ruth's Chris in Knoxville has been a great experience for me. Anyone who goes there and doesn't like the meal, I will personally pay for there next meal out wherever they choose. I'm serious.

Litton's

Location: Fountain City, Corner of Essary and Broadway

Great burgers, sandwiches, fresh cut fries and onion rings. Litton's also has some of the best desserts in Knoxville. Great 'community atmosphere'.

Naples

Location: Kingston Pike (Bearden, Homberg area)

Great italian food in a relaxed atmosphere. Check out the daily specials. Fabulous bread. Naples has been a Knoxville favorite for 25+ years (in a building which has been there since Kingston Pike was a two-lane road).

Regas Restaurant

Location: Gay Street

Roosters Bar and Grill

Location: Northshore Road

Probably the best bar in Knoxville and right in the heart of the 4th District. They have anything from pizza, to wings, to sandwhiches and the usual "bar food" items. To go along with this, they have all the tv's you could imagine to enjoy whatever sporting event you care to watch. So go down there, say hello to Bobby the GM, or one of the many nice people working there (Tabitha, Danielle, Cory, Megan, Jersey, etc etc). Cheers and Enjoy!

Ruth's Chris....A national chain...A local favorite

Location: Knoxville

The next time you dine at Ruth's Chris Steak House, you just might find yourself in the Regas Room. Craig Miller, CEO of the Florida-based fine-dining chain, was in town last week to dedicate the private room located on the main floor of the downtown waterfront restaurant to the Regas family. "We want people to embrace it and to consider it a special place. Now, we have an added tie-in with Regas," said Miller, who has long been friends with Bill Regas since their days working together at the National Restaurant Association. Bill and his cousin, Gus, are the sons of Frank and George Regas, who founded Regas Restaurant, 318 N. Gay St., in 1919. It is the oldest restaurant in Tennessee. More than a dozen members of the Regas family as well as friends, business and civic leaders celebrated the dedication with a private lunch and champagne toast. (The meal was under $25, Miller said.) But don't get your hopes up about lunch. There isn't any talk of opening for lunch any time soon. In fact, Miller said the company recently stopped serving lunch at its Manhattan location. For all the doubters who wondered whether Knoxville could support such a high-end restaurant, Miller points to the numbers, particularly at a time when the industry has been tight. Sales at the restaurant are 15 percent over original estimates, he said. He expects business to continue to grow, especially through private-event bookings. Part of the success, he said, has been the company's efforts to be a part of the community. Before the restaurant opened in October, Ruth's Chris sponsored the city's first race 15K run entirely on the Knoxville greenway system. "This location has exceeded our expectations. It's been outstanding, and we still have huge opportunities ahead of us," Miller said. A great story from Knoxnews!

Smoky's BBQ & Steak

Location: Dandridge downtown

The BBQ is above average, but the side dishes are the best ever. Try the sweet potato chips, sprinkled with brown sugar, and a honey dip.

Soccer Taco

Location: Kingston Pike, Bearden Hill

Good food in a nice, redecorated atmosphere. Lots of TV's for soccer, sports. I believe the owners also own the Agave Azul in Western Plaza. The location is probably best known as the original El Charro before it moved accross the street (where it has less atmosphere, but still good food).

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020 Steak:

Ye Old Steak House

Location: Chapman Highway

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030 Seafood:

Bayou Bay

Location: Chapman Highway

Louisiana-style seafood house. Have the meat and three at lunch or a straight seafood menu at night. Menu includes such New Orleans specialties as alligator, crawfish, and frog legs.

Chesapeakes

Location: Henley

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040 Casual:

2 Grannys Restaurant

Location: 327 Russell Rd Rockford Tn

2 Granny's Restaurant 327 Russell Rd Rockford, Tn 983-1008 8am - 3 pm Tues thru Sat Phyllis & Dottie Daily Specials 1 Meat & 2 sides $5.50 Check our Specials Board (w/roll or cornbread) Today Kraut & Wienies Home Fried Taters & slaw Pinto Beans Cornbread Hamburgers & Sandwiches (all served with let - tom - onion & pickle) Handpatted Hamburger $2.95 ----Plate $3.95 Cheeseburger $3.35 C. B. Plate $4.35 Hot dog w/chili onion & Slaw $1.25 Grilled Cheese $2.50 Bologna $2.50 Corn dog $1.25 Chicken Patty Sandwich $2.75 Chicken Tenders $3.50 - add 2 sides $5.50 Veggie Plate--w/bread --$3.50 Choice of 3, mashed 'taters, cole slaw, pinto beans, fries, or veg of the day Bowl of Pinto or White Beans w/cornbread $2.50 Chili w/crackers or cornbread $3.50 Breakfast served daily 8am to 11pm 2 eggs w/toast or bisquit $2.25 Bisquits & gravy $2.25 3 egg omelets w/toast or bisquit with cheese or ham $5.50 Western Omelet $5.95 (omelets include home fries & toast) 1 egg, 1meat & 1 bisquit/sandwich $3.00 Home made deserts cake or cobbler $1.75 - $2.25 w/Ice cream .50 cents extra All Drinks $1.00 Free refills on Coffee & Tea Hot Choc $1.00

Calhoun's on the River

Location: 400 Neyland Dr

We only get back to Knoxville, on average, about every two years with my octogenarian mother to visit the rapidly-shrinking family. Time is always limited on these trips, and this is where we usually end up for a special get-together with my favorite cousins. I had what may well have been the best steak of my life here last May. Great atmosphere, especially on the outdoor deck over the river.

Chandlers

Location: Magnolia

Best macaroni and cheese, turnip greens and hot cabbage you ever tasted.

Panera

Location: Alcoa

Rankin's on Central for down home breakfasts & lunches

Location: Central Ave across form Habitat store

It doesn't get more casual than this. Great gravy and biscuits, decent homefries, clean non-greasy eggs like from your mama's kitchen. Fast service by friendly local gals. It's been on the same corner a long time. Local people line up every day to get a seat there, and they just added more parking. Lunches are the usual tasty home cooking favorites and include --one meat, two sides, drink AND dessert. Usually around $6.00

The Bistro at the Bijou

Location: Gay St. "at the Bijou"

Great all around food, fine menu selections, and scrumptious specials. Consistently best service in town and they don't call everybody "guys"! NOT NOISY!! And often pretty quiet, even when the restaurant is pretty busy. And we've never had to wait to get a table. My favorite and standby: the Turkey Reuben sandwich w/onion rings subst. for fries. Mmmmm...

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050 Italian:

Altruda's

Location: Peter's Road

Italian Market & Grill

Location: Franklin Square

Great for standard Italian fare as well as special items; their seafood puttanesca is the best I've had, although it's an occasional special, not on the regular menu. They also have an outstanding Saturday breakfast buffet. It's one of Knoxville's best-kept secrets. Omelets and waffles to order, eggs benedict, and all the regular breakfast items, all of which maintain IMG's reputation for quality. Best omelets in town.

The Original Louis' Drive-In

Location: Old Broadway

One of the last remaining old-style Knoxville Greek-Italian restaurants. Now that Pero's old building has been bulldozed, I'm really feeling nostalgic for this staple of my youth. One of the few places left that serves liver (but not to me!). In the true Knoxville Greek-Italian tradition, it's at least two restaurants in one. It serves steak and seafood along with a full Italian menu (try the parmegiana), including pizza, and, of course, meat and three at lunch.

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060 Mexican:

Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy

Location: Turkey Creek

High Quality Mexican Food. A little pricey for Mexican, but higher quality than the cheaper restaurants.

Chez Guevara

Location: Suburban Center Shopping Center on Kingson Pk, just west of West Town Mall

Chez Guevara (formerly known as La Paz - same owner, just a name change) has great food and drinks, plus a cool, funky, friendly atmosphere like nowhere else in Knoxville. This is a great "neighborhood place" and it is easy to become a regular. A very anti-chain establishment.

Los Amigos

Location: Maryville

Best Mexican restaurant in the Knoxville area.

Margaritas

Location: Downtown West

Although the location has not been very successful for other restaurants, Margaritas in Downtown West is the real deal. The food is very authentic, reasonably priced, and served in generous quantities. The Sunday brunch buffet is spectacular. Service is generally excellent; if you know a little Spanish, the staff will be especially attentive--as is the case in most Mexican restaurants.

Senor Taco

Location: 3325 N Broadway St

On Broadway in Arlington/Lincoln Park neighborhood. Great salsa! Great atmosphere, and friendly staff. Best Mexican I have found in Knoxville. 3325 N Broadway St Knoxville, TN 37917 Phone: (865) 688-0306

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080 Chinese:

M P Chinese / Japanese

Location: Opposite Midland Plaza, Alcoa

We love the Habachi menu. I don't know what the deal is with the squirt bottle of stuff but it is fun to watch everyone put it on everything!

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090 Japanese:

Lemon Grass

Location: Maryville

Great combination of Thai restaurant and Sushi bar, the Lemon Grass is a favorite here in Maryville. The spicy shrimp tempura sushi roll is different - and better - than most places because the chef actually crushes the shrimp and makes it edible. Other sushi regulars - eel, tuna, Cali roll - are also great. The Thai menu is also wonderful, and makes a really nice - if unusual - mix with the Sushi. Last night I went to Lemon Grass and had the Gyoza (fried Japanese pork dumplings), edemame (heavily salted green peas, shared with my wife), one spicy tempura roll (6 pieces), and shrimp pad thai. All for $20. And it was fantastic.

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110 Other Ethnic:

King Tut Egyptian/ regular American homecooking & best salad around

Location: 4132 Martin Mill Pike (573-6021) South Knoxville

You have to see this tiny place to believe it. Meet Mo who is sometimes seen wearing a pharoah hat, chatting with regular customers, or cracking jokes. His menu alone is worth the trip. Hundreds of witty little comments & jokes. I hear Karaoke night is a blast, but I'm afraid my mind might not be able to expand that far. The food is always freshly made and great,cooked of course by Mo's sweet wife. Middle Eastern & Egyptian dishes mix in with meatloaf and pork chop plates. When you first approach this tiny little place, you'll wonder if it's open or closed. It will most likely be open though, even on Sundays, park on the side. Once inside, Mo will slather you with his own brand of warmth and probably remember your name the next time you come in. It's dark in there and kind of bizarre, like you've just landed on another planet. By the time you leave however your endorphines will somehow be percolating faster and you'll swear to come back often. The prices are reasonable. Not dirt cheap, but definitly affordable. The salad Mo will urge you to order will be amazingly large and fresh. This a really fantastic place. I take all my out-of-town vistors there, just to bend their minds and fill their bellies.

Mirage

Location: Gay Street

Great middle Eastern food. Hookahs after 9 and belly dancers after 10.

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130 Barbecue:

Leo's Pulled Pig

Location: Lenoir City

Quite simply the best barbecue in East Tennessee, or so I've experienced. Incredible portions of meat - no fat - on ribs, and the honey-based sweet BBQ sauce is to die for. The sides, particularly the corn and baked beans, are also delicious. This is the sort of barbecue treasure that you find regularly in BBQ havens like West Tennessee and Alabama, but you can't usually get around here. In East Tennessee you can have mediocre Calhoun's or Buddy's. Or you can trek out to Lenoir City and have Leo's Pulled Pig. It's on Broadway right in downtown of the LC.

Ridgewood Restaurant

Location: Bluff City/Piney Flats, TN on the old Elizabethton Hwy)

The 'Ridgewood' is almost a national landmark, boasting one of the best barbecue sandwiches in America. Check out the barbecue aficianado websites (you can also check out the review at Roadfood.com). People come from all over the country to sample Ms. Proffitt's secret recipe. They smoke all their own hams on site, make fresh cut fries and have great slaw and fabulous baked beans. It's worth the drive (about two hours from Knoxville) to say you've had it. From Johnson City, take the Volunteer Parkway (Hwy 25E, I think) north to the new 4-lane over to the Elizabethton (I think that's Hwy. 19). Turn right toward Elizabethton, go just a mile or so and turn right on the old Elizabethton Road. It's out there about a mile or so, in the middle of nothing else. You can also take the Blountville exit off I-81 (exit 69, I think), head south/east over toward the Bristol Motor Speedway, turn south/west onto Volunteer Parkway toward Johnson City (again, I think that's 25E, but you can't miss it), go about 3-4 miles, then left on the 4-lane toward Elizabethton, right on the old Elizabethton Road.

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140 Burgers:

Ruby Tuesday

Location: Any

They cook it how I like and customize it how I want (mushroom, swiss, avocado along with the lettuce and tomato).

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150 Pizza:

Big Ed's

Location: Oak Ridge

You just about can't beat Big Ed's. It is definately worth the drive. Pizza and a pitcher, a great combination. And you can buy your very own Big Ed's t-shirt.

Metro Pizza

Location: Alcoa - Next to Lowe's

Truly NY-style pizza. A New Jersey native, I have to confess my surprise in the number of passable pizzarias around here. Most places outside the NYC or Boston area - with the exception of Chicago - have truly awful pizza. But with Bella Roma and Gondolier, there are some pizza options more akin to those in the Northeast. But none competes with Metro Pizza. The oregano can be a bit heavy at times, but the grease quotient is just right (and that's a BIG part of what makes NY pizza what it is). Metro Pizza is closer to hole-in-the-wall pizza you see all over the New York area than anything else around.

Pizza Palace

Location: Magnolia Ave.

Best pizza in town. Locally owned for a long time. Drive up and order a beer in the car.

Snappy Tomato

Location: 4877 Broadway

FOUNTAIN CITY, TN 4877 Broadway Knoxville, TN 37922 (865) 689-1919 Awesome Pizza! Check out the Beast! a huge pie for parties! Good customer service, decent speed for delivery orders, a menu with good choices for veggies as well as the carnivores. What more can you ask for in a pizza joint? Oh yeah....right next door to Marble Slab Creamery! All the essential food groups in one convenient spot!

Tomatohead

Location: Market Square in Knoxville or on Broadway in downtown Maryville

I put this in pizza, although I'm as likely to get the signature Tomatohead sandwich or one of their outstanding salads. But they have the best gourmet-style pizzas in town.

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165 Coffee Shop:

Pete's Coffee Shop

Location: 540 Union Avenue, Knoxville

Great food. Awesome atmosphere. Staffed by some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They have daily lunch specials as well. All the cool people enjoy breakfast at Pete's every Saturday before heading to Market Square to buy their weeks worth of locally produced fruits, vegatables, baked goods, and crafts. P.S. Fried chicken is one of the Friday lunch specials. But you had better get there early to get a seat. http://www.petescoffeeshop.com/index.html