Litton’s Restaurant

            If there were any restaurant that could ever perfectly fit the category of, “The restaurant you absolutely must eat at while you’re in Knoxville,” Litton’s would hands-down be that restaurant. Viewed as an iconic restaurant in Fountain City across the street from the Fountain City Duck Pond, for many locals it is part of their weekly routine to pay a visit to Litton’s. My grandparents happen to be one of those people; every Monday morning at exactly 10:59 AM, you will be sure to see my grandparents in their 1994 Toyota Camry in the Litton’s parking lot waiting for the doors to open at 11:00. Also, if you speak to them in the restaurant at “their table” (yes, they have laid claim to a table as theirs when they come in), my grandfather will surely draw your attention to his picture on the wall of him with his F-150 Super Saber from back in his glory days. Litton’s atmosphere is almost that of an old-fashioned diner, but it is very interesting to look at the pictures they have acquired from their guests from over the years that cover their walls.

            Litton’s is nothing short of famous in Knoxville as the best place you can go for a burger. It may just be something about the freshly made bread that brings in the swarm of customers on any given day. Or, maybe it could be the trophy-case of daily-made desserts they have sitting next to the booths you sit in as you wait to get your table. Whatever it is, Litton’s is undoubtedly a hit with just about anyone. Now, if you have not been to Litton’s before and you live in Knoxville I feel terrible for you! But do not fret my friends! This blog’s whole intention is to inform you of the greasy, creamy, and filling goodness that Litton’s have to offer that you have missed out on for oh-so-long.

            For starters, unless you are like my grandparents and get there at precisely 11:00, there is a fairly decent chance you will have a slight wait before a table becomes available for you and your friends. Now, Litton’s is not that high-tech with a beeper system that lets you know when you are ready to go to your table. Litton’s simply has a chalkboard that has the specials for the day on it, and a place for you to put your name and party number. Once at your table, you can look over your menu if you want, but I don’t even know why you would bother. You’re there for the best burger in town, not the best salad! (On a side note, if you do get a salad, the home-made honey mustard dressing is out of this world.) So, order your hefty burger with all the extra toppings your heart desires, and get a side of a sweet potato or one of their other delicious sides.

            Even before you bite into your Litton’s burger you will buy into all the hype I have given this establishment. The steam pouring off of the burger is sure to entice your appetite, but any burger-loving American is sure to love the greasy goodness of this magnificent burger. Every bite is one of pure deliciousness, and is sure to fill you up, yet I am sure you will continue eating anyway.

            Your entrée is over, and the faint of heart at this point will be asking for the check momentarily, but if you really want the whole Litton’s experience your meal is not complete. The display case of desserts is beckoning you from across the restaurant, and you cannot help but to answer its call. The only question is: what will your answer be? Will it be an iced sugar cookie as big as your head, or maybe the German Chocolate Cake that will appeal to any chocoholic. Personally, I cannot help but go with the Red Velvet Cake, but as I always say, any dessert is better than no dessert at all.

            This is the end of your guide to dining at Litton’s in Fountain City, and now it’s your turn to go and give it a shot. I would be willing to bet with anyone that these burgers will smear any college student’s normal Cookout burger every single time. Don’t get me wrong, I love a burger from Cookout on a Friday and Saturday night around 3 in the morning, but if I had my pick it would always be Litton’s. So my friends, go on out and give it the ol’ college try, and let me know what you think. I would love to hear back from you about how much Litton’s blew your mind and altered the way that you thought about burgers. You may not get that into it, but if you enjoy a good burger Litton’s will not disappoint. Check it out, get a dish, and let me know what you think! As always, keep on eatin’ well, K-town.

Naples Italian Restaurant

           We have pretty much all seen the oh-so romantic spaghetti scene in Disney’s “The Lady and the Tramp.” There may just be something about Italian dining that is just naturally romantic. Naples Restaurant located on Kingston Pike in Knoxville, TN is quite the romantic location to dine, but I can testify that it is just as delicious even if you are just with your parents and not the girl of your dreams. From the moment you walk through those double doors you are greeted with the smile of a gracious host, a fine selection of wine behind the bar to the left, and a wall that is covered from floor to ceiling in more plaques and awards than Peyton Manning’s trophy case.

            If you are really in the mood to impress your date, there are two small, private dining rooms available upon quest. “The Wine Cellar” and “The Blue Room” are the names of the two private rooms, but I would certainly call for reservations beforehand if I intended to snag one of those rooms. Once you are seated at your table, strap it tight, because this is not your average Olive Garden Italian experience! The appetizers sounded delicious, but personally I did not give them a try, because I knew what I was going to be saving room for. I ordered Spinach Lasagna, my mom ordered the Traditional Lasagna, and my dad ordered a generous helping of your Classic Spaghetti. Although we got your typical Italian dinner, there are really a lot of very interesting dishes that are offered by Naples. Some of these dishes include Eggplant Parmesan, Shrimp Scampi, and the highly recommended Roasted Duck.

            While we anxiously waited for our meals, I could not help but admire the atmosphere of the restaurant. One of the things that I believe all of the “Knoxville’s Good Eats” have in common is that they are the whole package. What I mean by that is that they have great food, but they also have their own personalities that make the entire dining experience unique. How often do you see a table that is curtained off with blue lights seeping out from underneath? Any chain restaurant can dim their lights like Naples to create a more soothing and romantic mood, but you cannot recreate the character that generations of loyal customers bring to a local, iconic restaurant.

            Once the food arrived to the table I could barely contain my urge to dive face-first into the steaming plate of lasagna that was laid in front of me. It was quite pleasant, because I have had so many lasagna dishes that are so layered in cheese that it completely loses the fresh tomato and meats that the sauce brings to the dish. Not Naples! It was truly one of the most satisfying Italian dishes I’ve ever have, and I expect to have that same experience every time that I find myself fortunate enough to get the opportunity to dine there. The spaghetti that my dad did get into his mouth and not onto his shirt was said to be delicious, and my mom’s lasagna also got good reviews (although she admittedly filled up a little too much on the bread).

            The lasagna was certainly a two-notcher on the ol’ belt, but anyone who has ever had a desert at Naples knows that you cannot let the meal end with your bowl of pasta. You may feel like a glutton, but when that piece of Chocolate Italian Cream Cake is brought out you magically become hungry again! Remember how I said I didn’t get an appetizer because I knew what I wanted to save room for? Well, you guessed it! This is what I had in the game plan the whole time, and for good reason! Man this stuff is good! It may be chocolate overload for some people like my dad, but for my mom and me it was the icing on the cake of once again a great restaurant experience. Pun intended!

            Naples is hands-down one of the highest quality Italian restaurants that you will find in Knoxville. You can really taste the freshness of the ingredients in everything that you order from the bread to the pasta. It is a little on the pricey side, running you around $15 per person per entrée, but if you can afford it, it is well worth the money in my personal opinion. Hey, even if you cannot afford it as a broke college kid, just tell your parents you have to eat there for a school project and see what happens! You never know. Naples will be sure to impress you and whoever you choose to dine with no matter the occasion. Be prepared for a wait if you go in the evenings, but it is worth a bit of a wait for what you get once you sit down. If you are looking for the best local restaurant with the most authentic Italian food, look no further than Naples Restaurant. You will not be disappointed. Check it out, get a dish, and let me know what you think! As always, keep on eatin’ well, K-town.

Chez Guevara Restaurant

                When you come to Knoxville there are two things you should expect locals to be passionate about: football and food! Everyone that comes to Knoxville knows that they are in Big Orange Country, but what they may not know is the great places to dine that only locals know about. After 19 years of experienced eating in Knoxville, I finally have it down to my top restaurants for Mexican food, Italian food, barbeque, and burgers. Now, enough jabbering, let’s get down to eatin’!

                In the corner of a shopping mall on Kingston Pike between Toys-R-Us and Barns and Noble is a small Mexican restaurant called Chez Guevara. There is no sign above the restaurant, but then again, they don’t really need one when the great food brings everyone in! It is an easy location to glace over, but it’s hard to miss most nights as crowds sit outside waiting to get a chance at a plateful of the best Tex-Mex in K-town. When you enter the fairly small restaurant, you are likely to be captivated by the wide array of Elvis memorabilia that covers the walls. The pictures and mirrors that cover the walls set a very unique, rustic mood. Even my parents reminisce over the same mood the restaurant set over twenty years ago when they were dating. The lights are very dim, which is rather calming, but there are usually some different types of up-tempo music being played to liven up the hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

                Not that I can personally attest to it, but Chez Guevara’s margaritas are second to none in town. With a full bar directly in front of you as you enter, it very easy to grab a cold, draft beer or a refreshing margarita while
you wait for one of the limited tables to free up for your party. Once you finally get that table you’ve been waiting on, you may want to slow down on those adult beverages, though: some of the food is pretty dang spicy! Maybe I’m a wimp, but even as I enjoyed the traditional Mexican salsa and the sweet tomatillo salsa I was very glad that there was a server whose whole job is to go around and refill everyone’s waters, because I was sure going through it.

                The menu has a wide variety of traditional Mexican foods with a slight modern twist to it, but not enough to change the exploding flavors the food has. Personally, I usually order the Al Carbon. It has sizzling strips of steak packed in two flour tortillas with plenty of cheese (they are very generous when it comes to cheese; I hope you have a high-fiber cereal for the next morning!), sour cream, fresh guacamole, Pico de gallo, and savory Mexican rice and beans. It sounds like a normal Mexican meal, but words could not capture the blast of flavor that consumes your body with that first bite.

                You’re not going to find a restaurant with the personality, loyal customers, quality of food, and overall experience anywhere in Knoxville, or anywhere else I’ve been for that matter, for the very reasonable prices that Chez Guevara offers. Some of the same hostesses and servers that work there today worked there when my parents were still going on dates to Chez Guevara! They must be staying for the same reason I keep on going: because there’s no place like it! That’s as simple as it gets! Check it out, get a dish, and let me know what you think. As always, keep on eatin’ well, K-town.