Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019
Dr. Stephen Daniel, D.D.S. has opened Old City Medspa and he’s aiming to make their services affordable than the industry average in order to reach a wider audience for their services which include hair removal, skin rejuvenation and much more. The group will host an open house this Friday which will feature demonstrations, an art exhibition as part of the First Friday Art Walk.
For Dr. Daniel, the opening represents a homecoming of sorts. Born in Baptist Hospital and raised in North Knoxville, he graduated from Central High School before attending U.T. Memphis where he received his dental credentials. In the years since he has practiced in Tennessee and Kentucky and is currently undergoing dual openings of a dental office in Morristown and the Medspa in downtown Knoxville.
Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019
Dr. Daniel and his wife, Jeana, live on Douglas Lake, but drive in to downtown Knoxville three nights a week, “to go to a movie, listen to jazz or go out to eat.” They’ve bought a condo in the Crozier with the intention of eventually moving there when the business takes off enough to require more of his attention. He’ll be there two days a week to start.
Aesthetician Mahala Brien will be on hand for most of the treatments from the beginning. Dr. Daniel’s daughters also work in the clinic. Ashton Byrne, who holds a degree in nutrition from U.T.C. is the Spa Director and his daughter Jessica Etheridge, who has a background in genetics, massage and communications, serves as Director of Marketing.
Dr. Daniel said his first encounter with laser skin tightening was about ten years ago and it was not a pleasant encounter. He said it was very painful and, when at a medical convention his wife suggested he try it again, he had no interest. She insisted this was different and once complete, he thought nothing had been done because of the absence of pain. That was his introduction to radio frequency laser skin tightening.
Children’s Play Area, Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019RF Machine, Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019Cryogenic Treatment Room, Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019
He contacted his friend and local anesthesiologist Mark Davenport and arranged a demonstration. The seminar was two years ago and the subsequent time has been devoted to making this Medspa happen. Dr. Davenport is the supervising physician and partner for the project.
Some of the technologies found at the downtown location are not commonly found in our area. The Polar Cryotherapy Machine pictured here, for example, is the only one of its kind in this end of the state. Many of these techniques and technologies, will be demonstrated Friday night on the following schedule:
4:30: Skin Tightening Eyes
5:00 Cryotherapy Facial
5:30 Skin Tightening Forehead
6:00 Cryotherapy Body
6:30 Skin Tightening Nasolabial Lines
7:00 Cryotherapy Facial
You’ll also find the photography of Ric Brooks on display and a grand prize of services worth about $700 will be awarded.
Dr. Stephen Daniel Demonstrates Cryogenic Therapy, Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019Dr. Stephen Daniel Demonstrates Cryogenic Therapy, Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019Sauna, Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019
The business offers a range of anti-aging and other appearance services, including IPL Laser treatments for hair removal, skin rejuvenation, acne clearance, pigment reduction and vascular treatment. They offer V-Form Radio Frequency (RF) treatment for cellulite reduction, fat reduction, skin tightening and scar reduction. Facials and facial services include Cryo-facials, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, aquadermabrasion and dermaplaning. They also offer botox, microneedling, an Infrared Himalayan Salt Sauna, Localized Cryotherapy, full body waxing and a range of anti-aging products.
The rate structures are also different from some medspas, some of which require the purchase of a package upfront for around $1500. Old City Medspa offers a range of plans at different prices per month ranging from $100 (special opening discount) to $250. Each higher level offers a larger discount on services. There is also a facial club offering 2 to 3 different facials each month for $69 a month.
Dr. Stephen Daniel, Old City Medspa, 104 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, February 2019
Initial hours are Mon., Wed. 9am-5pm, Tues. & Thurs. 10am-7pm, Fri. 8 am-4 pm and 1st Sat of the month: 8am-noon. A child’s play area with television and toys is also offered to make appointments more family-friendly. You can learn much more on their website and you can book an appointment there or call at (865) 247-5057. You may also follow them on Facebook (give them a “like” and welcome them to downtown).
Cynthia Market, 40 Year Retrospective, Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, March 2019
If you want to be certain your event is included on this calendar, I’ll need your event two weeks in advance. The absolute best way to make sure I include your event is to make a FB event and invite me – two weeks in advance. My FB “events” are the one place I’ll go to every time – if you invite me before I write the post.
If you see an event I’ve missed and you’d like to plug, please comment below. I am no longer able to add to the list events about which I was not informed in advance – it’s just gotten too big, and that’s a good thing. Staying true to the scope of the blog, I’ll only list downtown or near-downtown events. Any number of venues outside of downtown have some great events, but I have to draw a line somewhere. If you want to add those in a comment, that’s fine. Please “Friend” me (Alan Sims) on Facebook and invite me to your events. Look over to the right of this post and not only “friend” me, but “like” Inside of Knoxville. Subscribe (also to the right) to make sure you catch all the posts.
Want to get the word out more directly and get more eyes on your event or business? Consider placing a front page ad! For $500 (or $750 for an ad twice as large) you get a full month exposure with around 80,000 views. Contact me for details @ KnoxvilleUrbanGuy@gmail.com.
New: Want to get more eyes on your event in the 10 Day Planner? For $50 your listing can be in bold-face type (see how you noticed this?). Plus, you can add up to three sentences describing the event! Email to Knoxvilleurbanguy@gmail. Include Bold Calendar Listing in your subject line.
Cynthia Market, 40 Year Retrospective, Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, March 2019
Sunday, March 3
Phoenix Rising Volleyball Club Southeastern Qualifier, Knoxville Convention Center, Times TBA
Knoxcentric: Lee Zimmerman reads from and discusses his new book, “Americana Music: Voices, Visionaries and Pioneers of an Honest Sound,” WUTK (90.3), 10:00 AM
Jazz Brunch, Chesapeake’s, 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Jazz Brunch, Downtown Grill and Brewery, 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM
First Creek Spring Cleanup, The Crafty Bastard Brewery, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
AUDITIONS: Shakespeare on the Square, Hosted by Tennessee Stage Company, Emporium Center, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Crossing the Aisle: How Bipartisanship Brought Tennessee to the Twenty-First Century and Could Save America | A Lecture by Keel Hunt, East Tennessee History Center, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Brews & News: Behind the headlines with new KNS executive editor, Elkmont Exchange, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM, FREE!
Local Lore 1850 – 1870, James White’s Fort, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM, FREE!
Mardi Gras Party, Last Days of Autumn Brewing, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Music on the Mezzanine: Jazz, Lawson McGhee Knox County Public Library, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Wine Tastings In the Cellar, Old City Wine Bar, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Frog & Toad’s Dixie Quartet at Maple Hall, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Old Time Jam with Sarah Pirkle, Boyd’s Jig and Reel, 7:15 PM
Einstein Simplified Comedy Improv Show, Scruffy City Hall, 8:00 PM
Mike Tramp Solo Acoustic, The Square Room, 8:00 PM, $18 – $45
Joe Bonamassa, Knoxville, Civic Auditorium, 8:00 PM, $85 – $157
A-1 Hundo, Barley’s Taproom, 9:00 PM
Desmond Jones at Preservation Pub, 9:00 PM
Cynthia Market, 40 Year Retrospective, Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, March 2019
Wednesday, March 6
UT-RMC’s 23rd Annual Maintenance & Reliability Conference, Knoxville Convention Center, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Mardi Gras Celebration, Pellissippi State Community College-Magnolia, Avenue Campus, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Young Professional Leadership Cohort, Alliance for Better Nonprofits, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (every Wednesday through April 10), $210 – $510
WDVX Blue Plate Special: Davey O./Jubal, Visitor Center, Noon, FREE!
Official Knoxville Launch Party for TrimTab Brewing, Merchants of Beers, 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Day of The Dude/Mardi Gras Party, Last Days of Autumn Brewing, 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM/6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Tennessee Shines Presents Bill Mize, Boyd’s Jig and Reel, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, $10
Pizza & Policy: The Second Bill of Rights, Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Foreign & Independent Film Series: Breathe, Lindsay Young Auditorium, John C. Hodges Library, UTK, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
KHFF Presents: Freddy’s Dead at Central Cinema, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM, $8 – $10
Every Brilliant Thing – 2019 #BrilliantThings, Hosted by River & Rail Theatre Company, The Green Room at Jackson Avenue Terminal, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM, $10 – $35
Detroit ’67, Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, 7:30 PM, SOLD OUT!
Friends! the Musical, Bijou Theatre, 7:30 PM, $30 – $45
Open Door Comedy, Scruffy City Hall, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM, FREE!
Mountains Like Wax with Author | Live at The Outpost, 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM, $8
Nick Jernigan, Bistro at the Bijou, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Iamdynamite, Preservation Pub, 10:00 PM
Thursday, March 7
UT-RMC’s 23rd Annual Maintenance & Reliability Conference, Knoxville Convention Center, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Strategic Hiring and Onboarding, Alliance for Better Nonprofits, 9:00 AM – Noon, $25 – $225
WDVX Blue Plate Special: Grain Thief /Justin Lee Duncan, Noon, FREE!
Inducing Demand with Dr. Richard York, Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM, FREE!
City Council Workshop, Main Assembly Room, City County Building, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Celebration of the David Van Vactor Music Collection, Lindsay Young Auditorium, John C. Hodges Library, UTK, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Laura Mansfield Presents Speaking Your Truth, Knoxville Writers’ Guild, Central Methodist Church, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM, FREE, but contribution of $2 or more appreciated
TAMIS Presents: Local Films, National Preservation, East Tennessee History Center, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, FREE!
Come Drink With Me (1966) at Central Cinema, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM, $8 – $10
The JWF New South Wine Dinner, James White’s Fort, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, SOLD OUT!
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: Beyond the Fluffy, Knoxville Civic Auditorium, 8:00 PM, $44 – $80
First Thursday Scottish Session, Boyd’s Jig & Reel, 7:15 PM
Detroit ’67, Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, 7:30 PM, SOLD OUT!
Every Brilliant Thing – 2019 #BrilliantThings, Hosted by River & Rail Theatre Company, The Green Room at Jackson Avenue Terminal, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM, $10 – $35
Mannella/Slack, Bistro at the Bijou, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Dr. Dog with The Nude Party, The Mill & Mine, 8:00 PM, $20 – $25
McKinley James, Barley’s Taproom, 9:00 PM
Rest Leg String Band, Preservation Pub, 10:00 PM
Friday, March 8
Capitol Connections, Knoxville Chamber, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM, FREE!
On an Artistic Note, Art Market Gallery, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
WDVX Blue Plate Special: The Rough & Tumble/The Moonshine, Visitor Center, Noon, FREE!
March Acoustic Night at The Birdhouse, 3:00 PM – 11:59 PM, $5
Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling at Alive After Five, Knoxville Museum of Art, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM, $10 – $15
Cookie Creations | Knoxville, The Foundry on the Fair Site, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM, $75
Dare to See Volume II, Hosted by Olivia Martin, Jackson Terminal, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM, $5 suggested donation
Redbeard at Crafty! Crafty Bastard Brewery, 7:00 PM
Detroit ’67, Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, 7:30 PM, FREE – $45
Every Brilliant Thing – 2019 #BrilliantThings, Hosted by River & Rail Theatre Company, The Green Room at Jackson Avenue Terminal, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM, $10 – $35
Every Brilliant Thing – 2019 #BrilliantThings, Hosted by River & Rail Theatre Company, The Green Room at Jackson Avenue Terminal, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM/7:30 PM – 9:00 PM, $10 – $35
West King String Band, Boyd’s Jig & Reel, 10:00 PM, FREE!
Teen Spirit – Johnathan Sexton 90s Tribute Band, Scruffy City Hall, 10:00 PM
Cynthia Market, 40 Year Retrospective, Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, March 2019
Sunday, March 10
Knoxcentric: TBA, WUTK (90.3), 10:00 AM
Jazz Brunch, Chesapeake’s, 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Jazz Brunch, Downtown Grill and Brewery, 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Puppy PiYo, for the Small Breed Rescue of East Tennessee (SBRET), Blue Slip Winery & Bistro, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, $20
Second Sunday Art Activity Day, Knoxville Museum of Art, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, FREE!
Second Sunday Docent Tour, Knoxville Museum of Art, 2:00 PM (English)/3:00 PM (Spanish), FREE!
Detroit ’67, Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, 2:00 PM, SOLD OUT!
Every Brilliant Thing – 2019 #BrilliantThings, Hosted by River & Rail Theatre Company, The Green Room at Jackson Avenue Terminal, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM/6:00 PM – 7:30 PM, $10 – $35
Film Screening: It Happened One Night, Tennessee Theatre, 3:00 PM, FREE!
Music on the Mezzanine: Jazz, Lawson McGhee Knox County Public Library, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Wine Tastings in the Cellar, Old City Wine Bar, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Alina Fernandez: Daughter of Fidel Castro, Student Union Auditorium, UTK, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Appalachian Reckoning at the Knoxville Museum of Art, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, FREE!
Old Time Jam with Sarah Pirkle, Boyd’s Jig and Reel, 7:15 PM
Detroit ’67, Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, 7:30 PM, FREE – $45
Master Arts Series Recital featuring Meghan Mayes, Church Street United Methodist Church, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM, FREE!
Einstein Simplified Comedy Improv Show, Scruffy City Hall, 8:00 PM
Matt A Foster, Barley’s Taproom, 9:00 PM
The Fustics at Preservation Pub, 10:00 PM
Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019
It was a bit chilly for this year’s edition of the Young Williams’ Mardi Growl event, but not nearly so bad as it could have been. A large crowd of humans and canines lined the parade route and, at least from my vantage, no puppy problems ensued as the costumed canines cavorted their way past.
Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019
As has been the case in the recent past, the Fulton High School Band lead the processional. Many of the band members were appropriately coiffed and they set the perfect tone. They primarily (exclusively?) played one song over and over: “When the Saints Go Marching In.” It was exactly what they needed to do as that is the only song most people outside of Louisiana associate with New Orleans style parades. I would love to see another band bring up the rear.
Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019
The puppies were, as always, perfectly picturesque. If there was a difference this year, it seemed to me the “floats” got more elaborate. Some are pictured here, whereas others aren’t pictured because I couldn’t spot a pooch on board when the parade passed my spot. The winner from my vantage would have to be the space shuttle complete with a spacedog.
Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019
If I could offer one minor suggestion, it would be to reduce the congestion. There appeared to be as many mutts as most years, but the parade ended quickly and without a view of most of the dogs because they were curb-to-curb across the street and tongue-to-tail from nearly beginning to end. My memory suggests they were much more spread out in the past and that was much better.
Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019
A final note: I loved seeing the children participate. As a person who grew up on the gulf coast with the Mardi Gras tradition, it warms my heart just a little to see the young ones getting at least a little sample of what I enjoyed so much as a child. And they are at least as cute as the dogs, don’t you think?
Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019Mardi Growl, Knoxville, March 2019
As always, the parade culminated on Market Square where booths were set up all about offering all manner of doggie goodies. The event is a benefit for Young-Williams Animal Center. I’ll have more photos up later on the Inside of Knoxville Facebook Page.
Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019
It was the message I’d been waiting for . . . though judging from the messages I’ve gotten asking “when, when?” I’m not the only one who’s been anxious for the opening of Viet Bread and Tea. “We are open today! (For a soft opening ).” There was more, but I’d read the only sentence in the email that mattered. Plans were made.
As fate would have it, Urban Boy joined Urban Woman and myself for the evening and so, boy got his first Vietnamese food. He dug the sticky rice and chicken on the Com Thit Ga Nuong (Grilled Chicken Rice Plate, $10.95). The photo you see here has been re-arranged a bit because he carefully articulated in his little three-year-old voice that Urban Boy does not do “cucumbers or carrots.” Urban Woman snagged the carrots and said they were delicious.
Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019
I had the best Pho of my life. I ordered the Pho Ga (Chicken Noodle Soup, $9.95). Alright, I’ll admit it . . . it was the first Pho of my life! I know, I’m not as hip as you thought I was. I started to order the large ($11.95), but the staff sort of gasped and encouraged me to consider the regular.
Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019
It’s a good thing, because I didn’t make it all the way to the bottom of the bowl like I’d wanted. Noodles, chicken, broth were all excellent. Urban Boy was afraid I would spill it when I picked up the bowl to get more of that crazy good broth, but all was well.
Urban Woman got the Cha Gio (Crispy Egg Rolls, $8.99 for five) and loved them as much this time around as when Rosie sent some samples home with me a few weeks ago. I said in the previous article they were the best egg rolls I’d ever had and I’d repeat that after the second round (I stole one from her.) So light, crispy and scarcely a hint of grease.
Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019
While Urban Boy and I were boring with our water, Urban Woman went for the Almond Milk Tea which she said was excellent. Of course, teas are a big thing in the new restaurant with a wide range of styles, flavors and toppings to make your bubble tea, if you like.
After tax, we ended up close to $40 for three people for dinner and could have gone less expensive, if we’d tried. For the kind of scratch cooking Rosie is doing, it’s a great value – particularly by downtown standards. A couple could keep it close to $20 with a little effort.
Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019Viet Bread and Tea, 522 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019
The decor is simple and fun, with Asian hats along one wall and hanging from the ceilings along with some woven basket lighting fixtures. A water feature at the front gives a soothing touch. There is one television which was turned to silent and is only visible from a few tables. It was more of a distraction for the staff than for the customers who mostly couldn’t see it.
We’re accumulating a minor collection of Asian eateries in the downtown area. They are each doing something a bit different from each other and they’ll need your support if they are to remain open. Support them if you like the variety. Support Rosie and the excellent food at Viet Tea and Bread. There are no posted hours, so I can only assume they are close to what she’d told me previously: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day except Sunday when they will be closed.
Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019
Don’t do this at home! Of course, you can’t because it involves the excellent new Japanese restaurant, Anaba, which Urban Woman and I enjoyed last night. It was our second consecutive night eating out at new Asian restaurants on Gay Street and we ordered entirely too much food simply in service to you, dear reader.
Anaba opened Monday at 131 South Gay Street, the recent home of Knox Mason, which has closed to move into a much larger restaurant in the Embassy Suites Hotel when it opens. The restaurant has two other locations, one on Northshore in west Knoxville and the other in Maryville.
Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019
The chef is Seisuke Fukuoka, whose proclaimed mission is to “bring real Japanese dishes to East Tennessee,” promising to deliver authentic Japanese dishes you won’t find anywhere else in east Tennessee. A quick read of the very extensive menu suggests this may be true. You’ll find the dinner menu here, the lunch menu here, the appetizer menu here and the sushi menu here. It’s enough to make your head spin.
Urban Woman and I decided upfront to order entirely too much food, sample and share a lot and take the rest home. The restaurant does not yet have its alcohol license, so that expense was spared. It’s apparently in the works, so you’ll soon be able to enjoy a nice wine with your food.
Berkshire Pork Sausage, Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019Tonkotsu Ramen, Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019
We started with a Bershire Pork Sausage ($8) served with a hot mustard sauce. It was good, but not something we’ll probably order again. For us it felt like a bit of an elevated hot dog without the bun. The picture shows four sausages, but that is because Urban Woman’s hunger grabbed her before we thought to make the photograph. It comes with five sausages.
I ordered as my main course, the Tonkotsu Ramen bowl ($9.50) which is, “A pork broth soup with stir fried pork, onions, green beans and mushrooms.” It is hardy and delicious and could easily serve as a meal on its own. The pork, beans and mushrooms were all very tasty and the beans had a nice crunch to complement the ramen. The last ramen I had was from a package and this helped me understand what the buzz was about.
Chicken Bowl, Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019Panko Fried Oysters, Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019
For her main course, Urban Woman order the Chicken Rice Bowl ($12). It was served on a cute wooden, fish-shaped dish and included “chicken and vegetables marinated in teriyaki sauce. The chicken and rice were fine, but the vegetables were over-the-top delicious.
We also bought Panko Fried Oysters to share, but I wound up eating all those. They were delicious, but decidedly mildly cooked and that makes Urban Woman a little nervous. She want’s to know that her oysters are very, very well dead. I’m more flexible. Still, they had a good oyster flavor.
We also wanted to experience a bit of sushi as that is the thing many people rave about when discussing the restaurant. This is tricky if we are sharing because Urban Woman wants hers cooked. After requesting the “seafood boat,” from the menu and learning it isn’t currently offered at the downtown location, and at the suggestion of our waiter, we landed on the Happy Tummy Roll ($12 full roll, $8 half).
The dish is a “crunchy shrimp roll topped with marinated tempura shrimp with spicy mayo, eel sauce and scallions.” It was our favorite of everything we ordered, though it was all good. It may become my go-to when eating at Anaba.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, though the hours aren’t yet posted and our waiter was a little vague. It appears they will be similar to the other locations, meaning Monday through Thursday, 11:00 Am to 2:30 PM and 5:00 to 9:30 PM, Friday the same, but open until 10:00 PM, Saturday Noon to 10:00 PM and Sunday 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM.
You can find their webpage here and their Facebook Page here. Welcome them to the downtown neighborhood!
Tombras Building, Corner of Gay and Church, Knoxville, March 2019
Each year Keep Knoxville Beautiful recognizes several categories of efforts to improve and make our city more beautiful. Orchid Awards are given in seven different categories, including Redesign/Reuse, Outdoor Space, Community Garden,
New Architecture, Public Art, Restaurant/Café/Bar/Brewery, and Environmental Stewardship.
As always in recent years, a large number of the nominees and winners involve downtown projects about which I’ve written, recognizing the owners, architects and others for their improvements to and beautification of public spaces.
The “Redesign/Reuse” category was one of the most competitive as we’ve had a massive number of great re-use projects as downtown, particularly, experiences a surge in re-development. There were seventeen nominees in the category and eleven fell into the downtown or near-downtown area I cover, including, Knoxville High Senior Living, Loch and Key Productions, The Tombras Group, The Press Room, Kefi, Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project, Hyatt Place, The Mill and Mine, Maple Hall and The Parlor, KYBRA Athletics, Bliss/Tori Mason Clothing Store and Cruze Farm Ice Cream.
Exterior, Knoxville High Independent Living, Knoxville, April 2018
An interesting note from that list of projects is the overlap. Sanders Pace Architecture design several of these projects, the Klonaris family owns two and Dover Development is behind two of them. It’s hard to compare such a range of projects, but several of these are particularly beautiful improvements to their buildings or spaces. The Tombras Group (Sanders Pace Architects) won the category for the amazing improvements to what had been an empty downtown building for years.
There were nine nominees in the Outdoor Space category and, if you consider the UT campus to be near downtown, all of them fell into the downtown/near downtown category. The nominees were the Dogwood Elementary Nature Trail, UT Volunteeer Blvd. Streetscape, Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project, Central Filling Station, Hyatt Place Rooftop Bar, The Mill and Mine, Waterfront Drive, Jackson Avenue/Old City Redevelopment and the Mabry Hazen House.
Rooftop Bar, Hyatt Place, 530 South Gay Street, Knoxville, August 2018
Two winners were announced for the category, with a nod being given to both the Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project and the Hyatt Rooftop Bar. It’s hard to imagine two more different projects. The sprawling nature of the Cumberland Avenue Project makes it hard to ignore and the aesthetic improvement is inarguable. The Hyatt Rooftop Bar was also a great addition to the city, giving the highest perspective to date that the public can routinely enjoy.
There were five nominees in the community garden category and only one was downtown. The Chistenberry Elementary Outdoor Classroom won the award, making it the only award to go completely outside the downtown area.
The nominees in the New Architecture category were all outside the immediate downtown area except for one, the Ken and Blair Mossman Building, which is on Cumberland Avenue. It shared the award with KCDC’s Five Points Phase Two development.
Cormac McCarthy Quote, Clinch Avenue, Knoxville, November 2018 (Photo taken before completion of the mural)
The nominees in the Public Art category were all downtown with the exception of the Karns Mosaic Mural at the Karns Senior Center. The downtown nominees included the Firefly Mural on the Clinch Avenue Pedestrian Ramp, the KNOX Letters at the Knoxville Convention Center, the State Street Garage Sculpture, Gay Street Viaduct to Jackson Avenue Steps, and Right Angle Reply (TallGrasses) at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens.
The winner was the very cool new Firefly Mural with the quote from Cormac McCarthy. Robert Felker is the artist and the quote was selected by R.B. Morris. My photo pre-dates its completion. Get by there and take a look. It’s really a cool complement to the city.
Kefi, 120 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, October 2018
The nominees for most improved/beautiful restaurant/cafe/brewery were scattered all about the city. The winner is the incredibly gorgeous and sophisticated Kefi restaurant in the Old City. Have dinner there and you’ll not only enjoy the food, you’ll feel like you’ve been to a special place. I’ve heard it repeatedly compared to New York restaurants.
The final category was environmental stewardship and the award was shared by a west Knoxville office building for Gastrointestinal Associates and downtown’s Knoxville Convention Center.
UT Gardens were recognized for their long-term work with the Mary Lou Horner Beautification award and The Felicia Award recognizing personal commitment to the goals of the organization Tom Salter, KKB’s executive director from 1997-2007.
Keep Knoxville Beautiful was founded in 1978 and has as its mission “to promote a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful community.” In addition to educational efforts they sponsor murals, litter pickups (nearly 70,000 pounds last year) and much more. They rely heavily on volunteers and if you’d like to help out either through volunteering or making a donation, you can do that via their website.
In the meantime, please encourage those who make our city a more beautiful place, and congratulations to all the winners.
Magnolia Corridor Project, Knoxville, July 2018
William Faulkner in Requem for a Nun said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” The quote is instructive today as the United States deals with its past on many fronts. A nation whose past includes genocide of an entire race to acquire land to establish its boundaries and enslavement of another race to secure its national economy is destined to struggle with the aftermath for, as it turns out, centuries.
On a local level, the past has met the present recently in the form of online outrage and social media consternation over the engraving of the name “Magnolia” on a monument which will serve as an entrance to east Knoxville. As is often the case, social media tends to offer more heat than light. Honest conversations featuring conflicting views rarely lead toward consensus or, even more modestly, respectful disagreement.
For this reason, I asked Arin Streeter to frame the argument for omitting the name “Magnolia” from the monument and then I asked city officials to explain their position in the hopes of adding a little light to the situation. We may not agree, but perhaps we can more closely approximate respectful disagreement.
Arin is an architect with Brewer Ingram Fuller. He is known by neighbors for his exacting research into Knoxville’s history, in the form of house histories for the Fourth and Gill and Old North Knoxville home tours, interpretive signage on the devastation of Urban Renewal at the Mabry-Hazen House Museum, and documentation of the works of George F. Barber.
Here’s Aaron’s perspective, based on the historical context:
The grand boulevard named Magnolia Avenue was completed in 1888, linking a disconnected network of earlier streets – west of first creek, it had been known as Park Street; east of Bertrand, through the old Shieldstown settlement, it had been named Craig Street. Wide and modern, the new boulevard replaced old Rutledge Pike, now McCalla Avenue, as the main eastern route out of the city of Knoxville. The name “Magnolia” was given to the new street in honor of Mrs. Magnolia Branner, mother of former mayor of Knoxville H. Bryan Branner. At the time, she occupied an impressive mansion sitting upon an 8-acre lot on the south side of Magnolia Ave., east of Myrtle Street.
Magnolia Branner had arrived in Knoxville with her husband George in 1859, purchasing the old Shields Octagon House east of the city. Both were from exceedingly wealthy plantation families, and had landholdings in Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Other Branners, notably George’s brothers Benjamin and William, also moved to Knox County, purchasing large tracts of land.
Interestingly, Magnolia Avenue is not the first thing ever to have been named after Magnolia Branner. The New York Times reported on July 18, 1855, that the steamer “Magnolia Branner,” built in Louisville just the year before, while en route to New Orleans on the Red River, caught fire and sank, taking with it 1,074 bales of slave-picked cotton.
Because the fortunes of the Branners were inextricably tied to slavery. The Thomasville Georgia “Watchman” on June 21, 1854, carried a notice from J.A. McLendon, acting as agent for George M. Branner, offering a $30 reward for the return of the runaway slave “Warner, thirty-five, yellow complexion, and a good painter.” Warner had been bought from Peter E. Love and had a wife at Simon D. Hadley’s. Indeed, George Branner cited as one of the inducements to relocating to Knoxville the “great speculation in negroes” in Louisiana driving up their prices.
Most people probably don’t know that in the old property records of every county in the South, amongst the careful records of property transfers and loans and indentures in the heavy old deed books, are matter-of-factly interspersed, written in the same careful handwriting by the same county clerks, the terrible records of the sale of slaves – men, women, children. They were, after all, property, just like anything else, and very valuable. Given the brief span of time between George and Magnolia arriving in Knox County and the Civil War, there are no records of slave sales by either of them here. There are, however, records of George’s brothers Benjamin and William each trafficking in children and adults in Knox County. Attached are copies of these “property” deeds; the handwriting is old-fashioned and sometimes difficult to decipher, so the text is transcribed below:
Bill of Sale
Phillip Shetterly to B.M. Branner
Rec’d of B.M. Branner twenty three hundred dollars, in full payment for four negroes. Boy Chelson, his wife Fillis or Easter, and their two children Mary & Peter. All aforesaid negroes I warrant to be healthy, sensible, and sound Slaves for life. I further warrant and defend the title of said negroes, against all claims whatsoever. Given under my hand and seal January 12, 1859.
Phillip Shetterly
Registered January 25, 1859
William Craig, Clerk
Second Bill of Sale
Bill of Sale
Branner to Humes and Humes to Branner
Know all men by these presents that we William A. Branner and William Y.C. Humes of Tennessee have this 31st day of July 1860 made the following barter and exchanges to wit: the said Branner barters, exchanges and transfers his boy Charles of about the age of 14 years to W.Y.C. Humes and also pays to him the sum of one hundred and twenty-five dollars, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged in consideration whereof the same Humes barters, exchanges and transfers to the said Branner his negro boy Frank of about the age of 15 and they mutual warrant said Boys to each other as slaves for life, sound and sensible, and they mutually warrant the title to said Boys against the lawful claims of all persons.
W.A. Branner
W.Y.C. Humes
Registered July the 31st 1860
William Craig, Clerk
Why is any of this relevant now? One of the stranger aspects of the Magnolia Streetscapes Project currently being undertaken by the City of Knoxville is the intended “rebranding” of the whole area as simply “Magnolia” through the construction of a 25-foot, $68,000 monument sign. Despite efforts by members of the community to make the City aware of the problematic nature of this name, first privately, then a little more publicly, the City has proved intractable. Residents suggested a simple solution – the area has already had a name, “Park City,” for a hundred years, so why not simply exchange eight letters, not yet even installed, for a different eight letters — “Park City” instead of “Magnolia.” Inexplicably, the city has arranged meetings with concerned members of the community only to tell them that it will not be changed.
History is complicated. We obviously can’t change the name of everything in Knoxville with any connection to slavery – Washington and Jefferson Avenues would have to go. And Jackson Avenue. And Monroe Street. And Polk Street. The distinction here is the newness. A new monument, a new name for a sweeping area.
Magnolia Avenue has also been, since the 1920s, “General Robert E. Lee Memorial Highway,” but no reasonable person would suggest building a brand new monument in Knoxville renaming an entire neighborhood “General Lee,” claiming ignorance. By that same token, it’s unconscionable that in 2019 we’re building a huge new monument plastered with a name rechristening the heart of East Knoxville after a matriarch of one of the South’s most prominent slaveholding families.
Please write to Mayor Rogero and your City Council to let them know that this is important to you.
Map of Park City
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For an insight into how our elected officials feel about the matter, I reached out to to several and got responses from some of them. I also asked Bob Booker, noted local authority on African-American history in Knoxville. He said he had “absolutely no opinion!” He said he’s lived within three blocks of Magnolia Avenue for all but three of his eighty-five years and all he wants is for the orange cones to be removed from his pathway. A little levity might be warranted.
I received a statement from Councilwoman Gwen McKenzie who represents the district, who said, “I’m very familiar with this topic and do not support the petition to have Historic Park City listed as it brands Magnolia Ave as such and there are other communities and residents in that area who do not feel it is fair to identify one neighborhood on the Streetscape marker.”
Councilman-at-large George Wallace said, “I support using multiple names to identify communities along Magnolia. Park City. Burlington. Holston Hills. Local names create a more personal identity, sense of place, acknowledge the city’s rich history and create an intimate feeling. Using local, historical names along Magnolia will help identify our local communities rather than just a street name.”
Councilman-at-large Finbarr Saunders pointed out simply that he’s ,”always known this as Magnolia Avenue. I have always been aware of the Park City area without knowing the area that encompassed.”
County Commissioner Evelyn Gill responded at length:
My husband and I have lived for over 12 years in our beautiful home, which is almost 100 years old, on Linden Avenue in the historic area known as Park City, one block off of Magnolia Avenue. I strongly disagree with the City’s effort to rename Park City after one of the avenues that runs through it.
It is unacceptable for a few individuals in the City Mayor’s office – none of whom live in Park City – to decide they want to rename it . . .
The origins of Park City date back into the 19th Century, and it was incorporated as a Tennessee municipality in 1907. Then, in 1917, the city of Knoxville annexed Park City – not Magnolia.
To change the name of Park City negates this area’s considerable economic, cultural, and educational contributions that are inextricably connected to the historic significance of this community and its relationship with the rest of Knoxville.
Magnolia Corridor Project, Knoxville, July 2018
I also spoke at some length with City of Knoxville Redevelopment Director, Dawn Michelle Foster. She has directed the city’s efforts to revitalize the Magnolia Avenue Corridor which she pointed out was first published in 2009. The intent of the city’s efforts, she said, is to help produce future investment.
“We respect the historic integrity of all the communities,” she said, noting efforts along the corridor such as the facade program, rezoning efforts and the historic preservation which the city has supported. She also pointed out that there have been several iterations of the streetscape plan and the monument, some of which have been mandated by TDOT which controls the state highway. One iteration, which featured columns on each side of the street, for example, was vetoed by TDOT.
In response to community complaints about a parking lot on Magnolia which had been purchased by KAT, the city chose to locate the monument on that side of Magnolia to, with one stroke, satisfy TDOT and address some of the community concerns about the parking lot.
The monument itself, she pointed out, is not to label a community, but to label a corridor in the same way that the monument on Cumberland does not name the community, but rather the corridor. It also, she said, is not intended to reference a person, but a corridor which has now been in existence for well over 100 years. The concern, she noted, did not arise in numerous community meetings and the monument was approved by TDOT and city council.
That said, she pointed out a middle way: the monument designating the corridor doesn’t need to be, nor is it intended to be the end of city efforts in the area and communities such as Park City can be acknowledged contextually in other ways. The two aren’t mutually exclusive and her department, she said, is consulting with the Knoxville History Project in an effort to find ways to mark and celebrate the history of the communities through which Magnolia traverses.
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No matter what happens, everyone will not be happy. The only question is what we do with those feelings going forward. We have to acknowledge that the relationship between the city and this area of town is fraught with historic conflict, some of which is much more recent than that discussed above by Arin.
Hopefully, we’ve entered a better era in which dialog early in the decision making process and throughout can produce better outcomes for everyone. It’s important that we are able to trust each other, disagree and move forward. It’s an elusive hope. As Faulkner said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
Tombras Building, Corner of Gay and Church, Knoxville, March 2019
If you want to be certain your event is included on this calendar, I’ll need your event two weeks in advance. The absolute best way to make sure I include your event is to make a FB event and invite me – two weeks in advance. My FB “events” are the one place I’ll go to every time – if you invite me before I write the post.
If you see an event I’ve missed and you’d like to plug, please comment below. I am no longer able to add to the list events about which I was not informed in advance – it’s just gotten too big, and that’s a good thing. Staying true to the scope of the blog, I’ll only list downtown or near-downtown events. Any number of venues outside of downtown have some great events, but I have to draw a line somewhere. If you want to add those in a comment, that’s fine. Please “Friend” me (Alan Sims) on Facebook and invite me to your events. Look over to the right of this post and not only “friend” me, but “like” Inside of Knoxville. Subscribe (also to the right) to make sure you catch all the posts.
Want to get the word out more directly and get more eyes on your event or business? Consider placing a front page ad! For $500 (or $750 for an ad twice as large) you get a full month exposure with around 80,000 views. Contact me for details @ KnoxvilleUrbanGuy@gmail.com.
New: Want to get more eyes on your event in the 10 Day Planner? For $50 your listing can be in bold-face type (see how you noticed this?). Plus, you can add up to three sentences describing the event! Email to Knoxvilleurbanguy@gmail. Include Bold Calendar Listing in your subject line.
Sunday, March 10
Knoxcentric: Guy Marshall’s New CD Show with Adam and Sarrenna!, WUTK (90.3), 10:00 AM
Jazz Brunch, Chesapeake’s, 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Jazz Brunch, Downtown Grill and Brewery, 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Rescheduled – First Creek Spring Cleanup, Crafty Bastard Brewery, 11:30 AM
Second Sunday Art Activity Day, Knoxville Museum of Art, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, FREE!
Second Sunday Docent Tour, Knoxville Museum of Art, 2:00 PM (English)/3:00 PM (Spanish), FREE!
Detroit ’67, Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, 2:00 PM, SOLD OUT!
Every Brilliant Thing – 2019 #BrilliantThings, Hosted by River & Rail Theatre Company, The Green Room at Jackson Avenue Terminal, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM/6:00 PM – 7:30 PM, $10 – $35
Film Screening: It Happened One Night, Tennessee Theatre, 3:00 PM, FREE!
Wine Tastings in the Cellar, Old City Wine Bar, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Alina Fernandez: Daughter of Fidel Castro, Student Union Auditorium, UTK, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Appalachian Reckoning at the Knoxville Museum of Art, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, FREE!
Old Time Jam with Sarah Pirkle, Boyd’s Jig and Reel, 7:15 PM
Detroit ’67, Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, 7:30 PM, FREE – $45
Master Arts Series Recital featuring Meghan Mayes, Church Street United Methodist Church, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM, FREE!
Einstein Simplified Comedy Improv Show, Scruffy City Hall, 8:00 PM
Matt A Foster, Barley’s Taproom, 9:00 PM
The Fustics at Preservation Pub, 10:00 PM
Anaba, 131 South Gay Street, Knoxville, March, 2019
Wednesday, March 13
WDVX Blue Plate Special: Kate Kelly/Stereo League, Visitor Center, Noon, FREE!
Community Potluck, Hosted by Common Ground Community and Knoxville TN Senior Cohousing, Birdhouse, 800 N 4th Ave, Noon – 2:00 PM
The Secret History of RDX: The Super-Explosive that Helped Win World War II | Brown Bag Lecture with Dr. Colin Baxter, East Tennessee History Center, Noon – 1:00 PM
St. Patrick’s Day Bash, Skybox Sports Bar and Grill, 4:00 PM
Beneath Suspicion by Marble City Opera, Blount Mansion, 7:30 PM, $15 – $30
Hard Knox Roller Girls present Whip It (2009) at Central Cinema, 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM, $10
Detroit ’67, Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, 7:30 PM, FREE – $45
St. Patrick’s Day Old City Pub Crawl, Southbound Knoxville | Carleo’s 117 | Hannas Old City | Wagon Wheel | Merchants of Beer | Old City Wine Bar | Barley’s | Jig and Reel | Urban Bar | Pour Taproom, 8:00 PM, $10
The Jordan Okrend Experience, Last Days of Autumn Brewing, 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Old Time Jam with Sarah Pirkle, Boyd’s Jig and Reel, 7:15 PM
Einstein Simplified Comedy Improv Show, Scruffy City Hall, 8:00 PM
Kacey Musgraves, Tennessee Theatre, 8:00 PM, SOLD OUT!
Sun Parade, Barley’s Taproom, 9:00 PM
Shaw Davis and the Black Ties at Preservation Pub, 10:00 PM
Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
Downtown Knoxville’s newest hotels opened quietly a few days ago and are open for business. The two Marriott hotels are housed together, with the Residence Inn occupying the south side of the building and the Courtyard occupying the north. They share a number of amenities.
Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Rooftop Bar, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
It’s been a long road to this point. It was almost three years ago that I first wrote of the possibility the hotels might be placed at the old cite of the Knoxville News Sentinel, which was demolished over a decade ago. With the hotels now completed, it’s interesting to observe the amount of texture they add to the south end of Gay Street. Visible from numerous angles over the older buildings on the 700 block of our main street.
Front Desk, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Front Desk, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Entrance Coridor, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
Mike Sellge is the General Manager and Ruth Lyons, Director of Sales arranged for Hannah Saterfield to give me a tour of the hotels. There are 232 total rooms. Of these, eighty are Residence Inn rooms designed for longer-term stays. Sixteen are one-bedroom and sixty-four are studios. The remaining 152 rooms form the Courtyard and are split between single and double beds.
Origami, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Hearth Room Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Hearth Room, Residence Inn, by Marriott 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Hearth Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
Amenities include a large breakfast room and lounge called the Hearth Room (there is a fireplace) for Residence Inn guests. A Fitness Center and coin laundry is available for all guests of either hotel. A conference room (The Market Square Room) with seating for about sixty is available for rental for guests or others. The Hearth Room is also available for conferences and is already scheduled for use by a group in town for the Bassmaster Classic.
Sample Room, Residence Inn by Marriott 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Sample Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Sample Room, Residence Inn by Marriott. 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
A central feature, open for guests and the general public, is the Courtyard Bistro. Open for breakfast 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM Monday through Friday and 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and for dinner and/or drinks from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM seven nights a week, the restaurant is now open for business.
Sample Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Sample Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Sample Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Sample Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
Guests (hotel or general public) may also take their drinks or food up to the terrace (dubbed the “Above Church Terrace) where tables and umbrellas are waiting. The space also features two grills for use by hotel guests and a beautiful firepit. The attractive space, visible from the street is also available for rentals by private groups.
Sample Room, Courtyard by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Sample Room, Courtyard by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Sample Room, Courtyard by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Sample Room, Courtyard by Marriott 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
I also got a warm welcome from Ariel Williams, the Food and Beverage Manager. Under her guidance, the kitchen offers a range of lighter fare up to full entrees, or “Bistro Classics,” such as Vegetable Baked Pasta and Roasted Herb Chicken Breast.
View from the Top of the Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Fitness Center, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Bistro, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
A full bar is available for cocktails and a limited wine menu, plus craft and other beers. She said they will have some local beer and is open to suggestions. Bar hours are also 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Interestingly, the hotel offers a number of Starbucks coffee drinks and, as I understand it, they are available 24/7. 2:30 AM coffee, anyone?
Market Square Conference Room, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Stairway to Above Church Terrace, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019Above Church Terrace, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, 210 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, March 2019
The hotel, the first extended-stay hotel in downtown Knoxville, also offers on-site, internal parking, which is also a first for downtown. Parking rates are $15 per day for self-parking and $20 a day for valet parking. The hotel is owned by Paramount Knoxville, LLC and is operated by Paramount Hospitality Management out of Atlanta.
First Century Building, 625 Market Street, Knoxville, March 2019
What happens when banks no longer need huge lobbies? If they’re located in a city as lucky as this one, they might get an exciting new restaurant. That’s what will happen later this year when David Rule of Maryville’s Walnut Kitchen opens his new concept at 625 Market Street in the elegant former lobby of a bank located on its first floor.
I recently mentioned the idea in an article about First Century Bank, which recently moved into the building. Their decision to occupy only a kiosk in the foyer of the building made today’s announcement possible. The high sculpted ceilings, mezzanine views and massive windows of the former bank space will serve as an elegant backdrop for the new restaurant venture.
Its in the early stages – so early the restaurant doesn’t have a name – and David preferred the interior of the restaurant not be photographed simply because he wants the first images to reflect his vision of the space. We walked through stacks of wormy Chestnut that Wade Richardson is integrating into the space and looked up at massive chandeliers which will be replaced with lighting more in line with the original lighting when the building was built in 1923.
The entrance to the restaurant will be on the main floor from Market Street through what are now revolving doors. The bulk of seating will be on that floor, as will a prep kitchen visible to diners and a full-service bar which will feature craft cocktails, an elevated wine list and an oyster bar to one end.
The bar will be built in to the side of the safe and the beautiful safe door will be preserved and displayed at the front of the restaurant. Additionally, a small stage will be constructed which will feature a player piano with space for live music. He said he loves all kinds of music and could imagine an acoustic guitar player, jazz or a string trio. He also could see a poetry reading or the stage being used for speakers at private events.
First Century Building, 625 Market Street, Knoxville, March 2019
The upstairs mezzanine level will include more seating as well as the primary kitchen a baking kitchen for preparing fresh-baked bread. The restaurant is planned to be open lunch and dinner hours, but much of what will happen will be in response to what his guests request.
He plans a different emphasis with the food than his much-praised fare at the Walnut Kitchen where the focus is on southern cuisine. He said the menu at the new location will be more continental in focus, though you can expect a heavy emphasis on locally sourced, fresh food. He describes the sourcing as “wider angle” pointing to the oysters as an example. Still, he said, “being as close as possible to your produce is usually a good thing.” Saying that the focus will always be on the guests, he says simply, it will be the “same quality but a different take on food.”
Downtown caught his attention because of the rapid, recent growth as well as the massive changes in the culinary scene here. He counts as friends a number of the most respected downtown chefs, including Brian Strutz at A Dopo Pizza, Joseph Lenn (who he worked with briefly at Blackberry) of J.C. Holdway, and Matt Gallaher of Emelia and Knox Mason. “I want to bring what I have to offer and push downtown dining even further. I want to be cooking with those guys.”
He started his culinary career at an early age, working at 411 restaurant in Maryville when he was just fifteen-years-old. He worked there for a couple of years and when he began to get questions about what he was going to do after school, he realized how much he liked restaurants and cooking and decided that was the path for him. He studied hospitality both at Hiwassee College and the University of Tennessee.
Blackberry Farm always held an allure for him and he describes it as big presence in Maryville. His first exposure came in high school when he job-shadowed at the resort. He was working at Aubrey’s in 2007 when he landed an interview and then a job as a breakfast cook at Blackberry. He worked there for 2 1/2 years until he was recruited back to the Burleson family of restaurants.
He worked at Bistro By the Tracks and then performed a range of services for the company, including menu development. He helped open new restaurants and was involved in the opening of Sunspot in its second location. He also helped with the charity work the company performs.
He worked with the company for five years before accepting a job with Dancing Bear Lodge in Townsend. Seven weeks later it burned (not a kitchen fire!) and he found himself looking, once more. He landed back where he had started: Blackberry Farm.
He accepted a job as a butcher for the resort and he was intimidated. He’d worked some with meats, but he’d never been a butcher and he knew the exacting standards in place in that kitchen. He considers it a turning point when, confessing to Sam Beall how nervous he was, Sam said he wanted to give him the opportunity to learn.
He stayed with the company for four years, until he felt ready to start his own venture. He learned the intricacies of charcuterie and learned to cure meat. “I love to meld old world Italian meats and the southern Appalachian meats.” He talks fondly of how his Mamaw treated meats. He married the two and developed his own style.
David Rule at the Future Home of His New Restaurant, First Century Building, 625 Market Street, Knoxville, March 2019
The opportunity to open Walnut Kitchen came in 2017 and it made him very proud to have a place in his hometown and he expressed great appreciation for the support the community has given him. “The space, atmosphere and culture is very welcoming. It’s a family atmosphere for guests and staff.
He referenced the high quality staff when explaining how it is possible that he is opening a second restaurant in about two years. Seventy-five percent of the staff that started with him is still with him after a year-and-a-half, which is remarkable in the culinary world. “I take a personal interest in my staff.”
I asked the inevitable question about televisions and he said there will be two at the bar and one other which will be hidden behind a painting that rolls up on the occasion (like a UT Football Game) when the television is warranted. Most of the time patrons will not see a television outside the bar.
“I love that there are no rules (in this business). If you can dream it, you can do it.” He hopes to be doing it in the new space “later this year.”
World’s Fair Park Festival Lawn Under Construction, Knoxville, March 2019
One of the fun things about doing what I do is that people are always running into me and saying, “Hey, quick question . . .” It leads to some of my favorite conversations. Often the person asking the question about a random downtown topic knows more than I know, but they assume I have a secret reservoir of information. For the most part, if you read this blog everyday, you know everything I know about what is going on.
That said, here’s a topic my friend Wes stopped me and asked yesterday, plus a couple of greatest hits – that is projects that I’ve been asked about probably as much as any others. The first topic is the World’s Fair Park Performance Lawn. Wes wanted to know what in the world was going on in a spot that doesn’t much resemble a lawn at this point.
It turns out the city feels it has been underutilized and they recognize that the site was problematic when it was used in the past. There wasn’t much in the way of lighting. There was no power or water which meant noisy generators and hoses criss-crossing about. If there was a light rain, the lawn was a mess, drainage virtually none existent.
Many of us have great memories of concerts and other events on that lawn. The shining star for entertainment was the 90s series, “Hot Summer Nights.” The talent that flowed through that series was stunning and the prices were very low. I think most of the shows I saw there were part of the series.
On the spot (that I can remember without digging through ticket archives, IE boxes), I recall seeing Sheryl Crow with a small opening act called Wilco, if memory serves. I saw John Fogerty, Old Crow Medicine Show (with the Felice Brothers and Justin Townes Earle!), John Fogerty, Santana, Ray Charles, the Neville Brothers, Al Green and Leon Russel. That’s a lot of legendary talent for one small grassy patch.
World’s Fair Park Festival Lawn Under Construction, Knoxville, March 2019
So the city has embarked on a $3 million, five-and-one-half month project to bring it back and make it much more practical as a festival and concert site. It will give the various groups mounting outdoor events another viable choice. We’re getting to the point that we must move some of the larger festivals and events out of the Market Square area. They’ve outgrown the space and we really no longer need large events to bring people downtown.
The project started in mid-January, so we’re already about two months in. The project includes “updated water and electrical service, improved lawn drainage system, and hardscape design and installation.” The funding is also intended to include a portable stage giving the space flexibility.
Designed by McCarty Holsaple McCarty, one of the major changes will be the hardscape, which will be permeable pavers surrounding the lawn. This hard surface will allow for trailers, buses and Food Trucks to enter the site and park. It will also demark a pedestrian flow around the perimeter of the site and will also improve handicap access.
A major drainage system is being installed to make the lawn usable in the wake of wet weather and the need for generators and lengths of water hoses will be removed. The improved lighting will make exiting the site easier and safer. The landscaping will not only improve the site aesthetically, but will also assist in keeping the lawn healthy.
The full site is five acres and the improvements are being overseen by the Public Building Authority. Judith Foltz, in the press release said the city expects the lawn to be read for use by the time for the Festival on the Fourth, in July.
Future Home of Clinch River Brewing, Holston Building, Knoxville, March 2019
And the two most common projects I’m asked about these days? Well, a clue is in the comment section on yesterday’s article in which a mention was made of a “Cajun/New Orleans restaurant in it but the project never came to fruition.” It’s funny about those projects that go silent for a long time – sometimes they didn’t happen and sometimes it just takes a long, long time. So, what is the reference in the comment?
It’s a reference to the plans first announced here in July of 2016! Anything that has been simmering that long must have burned up on the stove long ago, right? Well, not so much. Brien and Lisa Shirey, the couple with the dream, ran into major glitches along the way. The first contractor left the job and another was brought in. New plans had to be approved.
Future Home of Clinch River Brewing, Holston Building, Knoxville, March 2019
They didn’t sit idly by. Their plan was for the Clinch River Brewery to be both a brewery and a restaurant serving low country or New Orleans cuisine – that decision seemed to vacillate a bit. While the project in the Holston Building languished,they opened their brewery in Norris and have steadily built a good team and a good reputation for quality beer.
As things stand now, the project is moving forward more rapidly than it has in the last three years. Evidence is visible on the outside of the Holston and work is going strong on the inside. They have requested an extension on their permit to manufacture and sell beer. I hope to have more on this story in the near future.
Gap on the 300 Block of Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2019
The other project I get asked about often is one I never reported on. It was an exciting possibility for the space between Gallery Lofts (above Mast General Store) and the Century Building (think Chivo Taco). The space was once a grand bus terminal, Knoxville first Sears Department store and more. The building burned in the 1897 fire on Gay Street and was re-built, only to burn again in 1974. It has since been an empty lot, a gaping scar on Gay Street.
Fast forward to a couple of years ago and Hatcher Hill developed plans to make the building into an arcade housing a number of businesses and providing a connection to State Street. I was told recently by someone involved in the project that the plans required a Nashville-level budget, but could not be projected to deliver that kind of return. More costs and less profits make a project a no-go.
Hatcher Hill sold the property to a developer who intended to build a hotel on the spot, but then other hotels were announced and that must have looked less appealing. At this time, as far as I understand it, there is no active plan to build on the lot in the near future. That will change when the economics work, but we apparently aren’t there just yet.
I’ll end with a couple of random heads up: This weekend is a festival weekend for the St. Patrick’s Day Holiday. Expect some traffic and parking disruption. According to the city’s press release, “Festival-related no-parking zones go into effect at 1 p.m. Friday and continue through 10 p.m. Saturday on Market Street between Union and Clinch avenues and Union Avenue between Walnut and Gay streets. These roads will be closed to traffic Friday 3 – 10 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.”
Also related, there is a run on Saturday morning and the resulting road/traffic implications are “Wall Avenue will close to on-street parking at 8 a.m. and remain closed to traffic until 11:30 a.m. Knoxville Police officers will maintain rolling road closures along the race route: East on Wall Avenue, left on Gay Street, right on Jackson Avenue, left on Morgan Street, left at E. Depot Avenue, right at Gay Street, right at Emory Place, right at N. Central Street, left on 4th Avenue, left on Luttrell Street, U-turn back through route to Wall Avenue.”
Finally, there is a parade connected with all of the above. The parade starts at 1:00 PM but “Street parking along the parade route closes at 10:45 a.m. The parade steps off at 12:55 p.m. from Howard Baker Jr. Blvd, across from the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Eastbound lanes of Howard Baker Jr. Blvd between Hall of Fame and Hill Avenue will be closed from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The following blocks along the parade route will be closed from 12:45 – 2 p.m.: E. Church Avenue to Gay Street; Gay Street between Cumberland and Depot avenues; Jackson Avenue between Gay and Patton streets.”
Another couple of events need a mention: This weekend is the third annual Women in Jazz Jam Festival. The kickoff is downtown at Alive After Five on Friday night, though the remainder will be played out at Knoxville Center Mall. Info and tickets at the link.
Finally, Dream Bikes is hosting a fun event in a couple of weeks and you need to buy tickets! The fundraiser involves food, drink and entertainment all aboard the Three Rivers Rambler. It happens Thursday, March 28 from 6:00 to 9:30 and information may be found here.
