the_allens_love_food's IReallyLikeFood

Food of the Smokies: A Wine Tour

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:24:59 GMT

Part Once can be read here!
Part Two: Cocktails and Chocolate can be read here!
Part Three: The Smoky Mountain Brewery can be read here!
Part Four: A Taste of Japan can be read here!
Part Five: Breakfast can be read here!

We would never claim to be wine connoisseurs, but we do enjoy a good glass every once in a while. While doing some research online to find some fun, free date opportunities in the Smokies we came across a few wineries offering free tours, tastings, and gifts. What more can one ask for in a date? I mean, really, it's free wine!

There are three wineries, all affiliated with each other, within a ten mile radius. We decided to hit up all three in the same day. It was a journey well worth it's weight in grapes!

We started at the Hillside Winery in Sevierville, TN. Hillside specializes in sparking and Italian wines. After the tour, we tasted several of the wines and decided on three to take home with us: The Zinfandel, The Cantina Bianco, and The Black and Blue.

Each wine has a unique label with a butterfly on it. The photographer works out of Knoxville, TN.

Next we headed to the Mountain Valley Winery. They have a large variety of sweet wines that are all made with several types of berries and fruits. Including grapes, (of course) raspberries, strawberries, and peaches. We went with the Blackberry.

If you choose to tour a winery, this is the one to go to. It is a much more extensive tour and you see more of the machinary used, etc.

Stainless steele vats that hold the wine while it is fermenting.

Part of the winemaster's lab where it tests a million different things to make sure the wine is just right.

The bottling machine where everything is cleaned, bottled, and corked.

The labeling machine.

Oak casks that certain wines are aged in.

A not so great picture of the hostess that served us the wine during the tasting. She also shared many ideas and recipes for using their wines.

at the bar

After that tasting, we made our way over to the Apple Barn Winery. This winery is part of a massive complex. The Apple Barn includes three resturaunts, a candy store, ice cream store, general store, a bakery, and several other shops. You can not get a tour of this winery, but tastings are free. Most of their wines have the apple flavor in them. They also use several other fruits, including peach, raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, and grapes (of course). After tasting several, we decided on the Orchard White.

I forgot to get a picture before we broke into this one! Very good with cheese, if that's your thing.

You may not think of the Smokies as wine country, but sampling what they have to offer is definetly worth your time!

The Tennesse Collection!

Part Seven can be read here!

Food of the Smokies: Bullfish Grill

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:47:20 GMT

Part One can be read here!
Part Two: Cocktails and Chocolate can be read here!
Part Three: The Smoky Mountain Brewery can be read here!
Part Four: A Taste of Japan can be read here!
Part Five: Breakfast can be read here!
Part Six: A Wine Tour can be read here!

We first discovered Bullfish Grill during our honeymoon in June of 2006. Since then, every time we go back to the area we always stop for lunch or dinner at least once. It's easily spotted from the main road of Pigeon Forge and you can't miss the HUGE bull out front!

Inside reminds you of a gourmet establishment with a touch of southern sensibility. You can find filet mignon right alongside fried green tomatoes on the menu. We've tried several different items on the menu and have always walked away satisfied.

You are served complimentary bread, like many restuaraunts. This bread though, is like a soft pretzel with sea salt sprinkled on top!

This time we chose to start our meal with the fried green tomatoes, with a little twist.

These fried gems come served on a bed of fresh baby greens, assorted in season veggies, goat cheese, and a balsamic reduction. Quite different from what my granny would have served up, but tasty none the less.

For the meal itself, we went with my personal favorite: The Grouper Po'Boy.

I mean, look at that! Isn't that enough to make you just a little crazy? I'm EXTREMELY picky about fish sandwiches. Like if I take one bite and I'm not in love, I'll put it down and refuse to eat the rest. With this one, I will finish it. No matter how full I'm getting!

In our humble opinion, Bullfish Grill is one of THE top spots to hit up while in the area.

The Food of the Smokies: Breakfast

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:00:56 GMT

Part One can be read here!
Part Two: Cocktails and Chocolate can be read here!
Part Three: The Smoky Mountain Brewery can be read here!
Part Four: A Taste of Japan can be read here!

There are a million and one pancake houses in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. Every corner you turn there is a sign that hails the greatest pancakes or flapjacks you've ever tasted. They are all well advertised and you can find commercials for them all on local tv stations. One place that you won't find all that hoopla is The Log Cabin Pancake House. A place that is well steeped in local history as well as fine, southern dining.

The resturaunt is inside a 200 year old cabin. You can see original yellow poplar timbers on the outside as well as on the inside cross beams. You can find every available space in the foyer covered in bears. Whether they be stuffed, drawn, or painted. Hanging from the rafters, you will find many different banners from SEC schools (as well as a few others...the ones that matter )

We were there during the off season, so the place was only open for breakfast and lunch (9:00 am to 2:00 pm) During the regular season, you will find a wonderful lunch buffet that changes daily. In the off season, the buffet is only offered on Sunday. On any given day, you will find fried chicken and mashed potatoes. True southern style. Other days you will find, in additin to chicken, bbq ribs, steak and gravy, roast beef, meatloaf, and fried fish. The vegetables change with what's in season and dessert is always a fruit cobbler.

They serve breakfast all day long. The breakfast menu is HUGE, including all manner of pancakes, french toast, waffles, crepes, and omelets. The bacon is thick and peppered, the sausage slightly spicy, ham can be found in sugar and salt cured, and of course what southern menu would be complete without grits or all you can eat biscuits and gravy.

We went for breakfast on a cloudy Thursday morning. Seating was immediate, the staff courteous and helpful, and refils never had to be asked for. I ordered the Pancakes Royale and Hubby ordered the "Hold the Pancakes Special" (he was probably sweeted out from all the chocolate we ate at the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen).

Four HUGE fluffy, pillowy pancakes served with bannana wedges, butter, and an incredibly delicious cream cheese sauce. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, of course!

The "hold the pancakes" special came a choice of breakfast meat, eggs, potato, and bread. Hubby chose bacon, two eggs over easy, hashbrowns, and toast.

This place isn't a five star resturaunt, but it is a staple in Tennessee dining!

Part Five can be read here!

Food of the Smokies: A Taste of Japan

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:59:34 GMT

Part One Can be read here!
Part Two: Chocolate and Cocktails can be read here!
Part Three: Smoky Mountain Brewery can be read here!

Even in the Mountains of Tennessee you can find international cuisine. On a previous trip, we found this small little Japanese place off the main drag in Pigeon Forge. You kind of have to know about to even find it. A little personal history can be found in the eating of Japanese food. I first introduced Hubby to the wonders of the Hibachi grill and sushi on our honeymoon. Since then, he can't get enough!

Little Tokyo is pretty much like any other hibachi grill and sushi bar that you will find in most cities. What keeps us coming back is the very reasonable prices that they have for their lunch menu.

To start the meal off, we ordered a Spicy Tuna with Kiwi and Coconut Sauce sushi roll. It was probably the most spicy, yet wonderful, sushi either of us had ever had. Sorry for the lack of pictures, as all you'll see is the empty platter with a few remaining pieces of ginger and wasabi!

Each hibachi entree comes with soup and salad and of course the SHOW!!! (the chef at your grill) We both ordered shrimp and ribeye entrees. I added in noodles.

The chef hard at work creating our delectable meals!

Can you say ribeye?

Is your mouth watering yet?

Egg "flowers" for the fried rice

my finished plate

Hubby's finished plate

Satisfied Customers!!!

Part Four can be read here!

Food of the Smokies: The Smoky Mountain Brewery

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:13:28 GMT

Part One can be read here!
Part Two: Cocktails and Chocolate can be read here!

Tucked away between shops of junk and other street food vendors, you will find the Smoky Mountain Brewery. We had read several great reviews of this place and decided to give it a try for lunch. Needless to say, we were not disappointed.

We arrived shortly after it opened for the day (around 11:30 am), and decided that it was five o'clock somewhere and ordered the in house made micro-brews. I ordered the Cherokee Red (similar to any Irish red that you would order). Hubby ordered the Velas Helles (a German lager, he couldn't put his finger on what it reminded him of).

Cherokee Red is on the left, Velas Helles is on the right. We didn't realize that the brews would be this big, but who are we to complain?

For the actual food, hubby ordered a Philly Cheesesteak and I ordered a Chicken Reuben. Both were delectable, sorry for the lack of pictures. We were so eager to dig in that I forgot to take the camera out of my bag to snap a few shots. Pictures wouldn't do it justice anyway! Both sandwiches come highly recommended by hubby and myself!

Leaving stuffed and slightly intoxicated (the beers were huge after all), we made our way back to the hotel by way of window shopping up and down the main drag of Gatlinburg. After much napping, it is a vacation after all, we started trying to decide what to have for dinner. We settled on snacks that we had the room, but a couple hours later we were restless and hungry once more. Back to the brewery we headed!!! Mainly because we saw servers bringing out awesome looking pizzas, and they stay open past 10:00 pm.

We were greeted at the door by the sounds of Karoke and the intoxicating smells of homeade pizza and beer in the downstairs kitchen. The hostess took us upstairs and the sounds of wannabe rockstars flooded our ears. Several large screen TVs broadcasted ESPN and local sports from their glaring screens. Hubby wanted to throw that in there for the male audience who love their sports!

We couldn't decide what brew to have this time, so we decided on a sampler. We tried the Black Bear Ale, the Tuckaleechee Porter, the Thunder Road, the Velas Helles, the Appalachian Pale Ale, and a seasonal brew that was similar to Blue Moon.

The beer readers should be drooling right now!

To get the meal started, we tried their deep fried mushrooms with a honey mustard dipping sauce. Delectable was the verdict!

These are Hubby's favorite appetizer (when they are done correctly). I agreed to them, and didn't regret the decision.

After witnessing all the pizzas being delivered to tables at lunch, we decided to try one. Went with the Brewmaster pizza and found it to be one of the best pizzas either of us had ever placed in our mouths.

It had a white sauce with spinach, tomatoes, grilled chicken and mozzarella cheese. Hubby and I agree that a few ingredients can go a long way when on a homeade crust! Total bliss for the tastebuds.

We thought about karokeing with the locals, but Hubby (even with the liquid courage) couldn't bring himself to do it The deal was he had to do one if I was going to do one. We chickened out!

Part Four can be read here!

The Food of the Smokies: Cocktails and Chocolate

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:06:49 GMT

Read Part One Here!!!

There are several places in downtown Gatlinburg where you can stop to wet your whistle or to please your sweet tooth. Don't be fooled by the high priced, find it anywhere you go type dives. If you find yourself in Gatlinburg, TN wanting to share a cocktail, or truffle, with your companion look for the local places. We recommend Blaine's Grill and Bar and the Ole Smokey Candy Kitchen.

When you see Blaine's from the street, it is reminiscent of New Orleans. It is a three story establishment with balconies lining the top two stories for outside dining, or drinking While browsing the wares of the the main strip found in Gatlinburg we decided, in a spontaneous desire for drink, to stop at the interesting looking Blaine's. We situated ourselves on the second story patio and ordered some drinks while taking in the scenery around us.

If your not careful, king kong might come and steal your drink...or your woman

Hubby ordered a Heineken x3.

I ordered a mudslide. Call me girly, whatever! I wanted something sweet. Oh, and I really hate Heinken. This satisfied my sweet tooth for a little while, but I'm getting ahead of myself!

Good times were had by all and we will definetly be going back!!!

I had a Blue Moon as well. Too bad I couldn't get my second drink from this one. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get that orange wedge out of the bottle.

Have a sweet tooth? There is nothing better, in my mind, than the Ole Smokey Candy Kitchen. I have been coming to this particular candy shop since as long as I can remember. My family has come to the Smokies almost every year since I was born. I'm now glad to be able to share it with Hubby, and with you all.

When I go there, it is so incredibly hard to decide on what candy to buy and I usually end up spending ridiculus amounts of money on chocolate. But let's be honest, chocolate is the best thing ever!

Chocolate covered cherries are not my favorite, but Hubby thinks they are the cat's meow. So, being the loving wife that I am, I indulge his desire and bought several for him. I ate one, just because it is covered in dark chocolate, and I will say that there is no comparison when talking about the ones that come in the box.

Dark Chocolate Creams are a standard in our candy buying spree. Hubby and I both can't get enough of these little dark pillows of goodness. I mean, they almost make me willing to commit murder just to get my hands on them. They are that good.

Dark Chocolate (sensing a theme here?) Raspberry Jellies are my all time favorite. Hubby calls them a Dark Chocolate Hug laced with a Raspberry Kiss. I can't even describe what this candy does to me. It's like firm Raspberry Jelly covered in dark chocolate. What's not to like?

We also took two Caramel Apples for the road!

Read Part Three Here!

Food of the Smokies: Part 1

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:56:11 GMT

Hubby and I have been on a splendid vacation since Sunday (March 29). We've been calling Gatlinburg Town Square our home away from home these past several days. We're what you might call foodies and decided to give you guys a glimpse into what the Smokies have to offer when it comes to cuisine.

This is the first entry in a series called "Food of the Smokies." Hope you guys enjoy. I know we did, every single bite!
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After settling in at the hotel, we decided that we were pretty dag gum hungry. So we headed down the street to Bubba Gump's Shrimp. There was immediate seating (thanks to being here on the off season!) and we headed to our table. Even though this is a chain franchise, it was our first time visiting Mr. Gump and his shrimp shack. The walls are lined with Forrest Gump memoribilia and the waiters are quick with a trivia question. If you're fan of the movie, and I know we all are, just those two things are enough to make you want to sit down and stay awhile.

Once seated, our waitress informed us that if we needed anything all we had to do was flip over the licesnse plate (Greenbow, Alabama) that said "Stop, Forrest, Stop!" and then someone would come take care of us. Both of us were feeling a little stuffy because, unfortunately, we both came down with colds. What's the best cure for a cold? An Alabama Sunrise!!!

This Bloody Mary was very spicy and the shrimp was very tasty!!! Cleared our sinuses right up and was a promising beginning to our Southern Seafood meal.

We started the food portion off with Bubba's Far Out Dip. It's a spin on the classic spinach and artichoke dip. Bubba included roasted red peppers and tender baby shrimp. We highly recomend!

By this time, the Alabama Sunrises we nothing more than a few pepper specks in the bottoms of our glasses. As we were waiting for our main course, we decided that what we really needed was a Blue Moon. And i'm not talking about the kind that rises over Kentucky. I'm talking that wonderful Belgian Brew that tastes great with an orange slice! The orange slice, by the way, is a spectacular second drink. Oranges taste a thousand times better once they have been soaked in beer.

Finally, after guessing many wrong answers to Forrest Gump trivia (we did answer a few correct) our main meal was brought out. We ordered the Bucket of Boat Trash, in honor of one of our favorite scenes in the movie and were completely suprised when it actually came to the table in a bucket.

Inside the bucket we had fried shrimp, fried fish, fried slipper lobster tails, and french fries. Can we say delicious?

Much like Forrest's box of chocolates, the meal was full of suprises that were all enjoyable! Even with this being a chain franchise, we highly recommend satisifying you seafood cravings at Bubba Gump's Shrimp.

Read Part Two Here!

why here?

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:25:25 GMT

there are many times when hubby and i eat, and or, drink things that i don't want to share on my regular xanga site. why you may be asking? well, call me crazy, or any other name you want, but my parents do not know that we imbibe alcohol. i'm 26 years old and i don't want mommy to know that i drink on occasion. that's just the way i am.

it is a irrational fear, them knowing that we drink, but it is a fear and i don't want to face it. both parents and many other family members read our regular xanga sites, so i thought the best way for us to share our food adventures was on a site that they would never get the address for. if they are somehow savvy enough to find the address to this page, or find this page some other way, then i guess i'll just have to face my fear and get on with my life

so anyway, that's why we're here. this will kind of be a joint food blog. hubby will post some, as will i. real names will not be used, but real picutres will be. trying to keep as annonymous as possible, folks!

keep checking back. we're on vacation right now and have the first real post planned to go up as soon as we get back!

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:13:09 GMT

Hi everyone! I'm just getting started on IReallyLikeFood... Drop me a comment if you've got some ideas on what to do first - or just to say, "Hi!"