We’re reposting this piece on the Big Kahuna Wing Festival from the event in 2013.  Tomorrow the 2015 version rolls out from 12 to 8 at World’s Fair Park in Knoxville.  Get ready for the tastiest wings anywhere and for a hot afternoon — wear sunscreen and hats!  You’ll love the vendors, music, people, and, of course, “them wangs”!!

Festivals are all over the place, but if this first Big Kahuna Wing Festival on June 22nd is any indication of things to come, there’ll be a next one, for sure.  It was hot all right.  Temps in World’s Fair Park almost reached three digits if you add the heat of “them wangs” with the afternoon sun and music blasting from the on-fire bands that kept us moving even while lined up waiting for saucy delights.  You could go from tent to tent — getting one free wing and a hole punched in the card you got with your $10-at-the-gate ticket. Or, if you found your favorite and wanted more,  you could pony up an extra buck for another round.

Happy ticket sellers wearing Big Orange!

The VIP tent sponsored by Aubrey’s was sold out, and that made these ladies might proud and mighty happy!

It was hard work, but someone had to do it, so we roamed the park and sampled the best.  Like Quaker Steak and Lube where the heat kicked in and we held on tight.

We loved watching the shenanigans of the spirited team Trivia Guys almost as much as sampling their tasty wings.  As people plunked down extra tips, these guys did a shout-out — and the crowd gave ’em more!

The team from Trivia Guys was a hoot!

Our alma mater — U.T. — passed out entries from the Culinary Institute . . .

and Bert was happy to get an extra wing from Rooster’s when I gave up my ticket for a chance to get a cold bottle of water!

The guys at Flusterclucks won my vote for best T-shirts.  You could try to win one with a dollar donation to benefit Ronald McDonald House and Empty Stocking Fund, the two causes supported by the festival as a whole.

One of the guys from Flusterclucks punches a wing card.

And some folks just went without a shirt.  This guy standing in front of me said he was happy to let me take a picture of his back — or his front, too, for that matter.

So, I asked, when I are you gonna get your legs done? He replied with a smile, That’s comin’ next!

We were tipped off to a “wing ya gotta try” recommendation by someone ahead of us in line at another booth. Try Number 17, he said. But when we got there, the wings were gone.  Given out.  No more.  So we waited (in a patient but hopeful sorta way) for about 30 minutes.  And sure ‘nough, it was worth it.  These wing kings with the name Just Right Wings smoked ’em first, and then added their own recipe for kickin’ good sauce. When I asked if they had a business, I was told, No, ma’am.  We’re just guys who like to tailgate together.

The guys from Just Right Wings

And ’cause they were a bargain, a plate of home-fried potato chips just had to be bought as a side dish.  Look at the size of that stack. (More water, please!)

It wasn’t just wings at Big Kahuna Wing Festival — there were vendors lined up, too.  From those selling art to those offering fudge and even this one giving us a chance to win a free tailgating package.  That’s right.  If we had won, Tailgate Tennessee would have set up our very own tailgate at all home football games.  (Oh, how I wish they’d drawn our name!)

If you thought moonshine was somethin’ just made by the likes of Popcorn Sutton in the hollers of East Tennessee, you can think again.  This new company from Georgia, Moonshine History (mtnmoonshine@gmail.com), is waiting for their license to sell you gen-u-wine moonshine in the Volunteer State.  (No samples distributed here at Big Kahuna, by the way.)

But Jeff, one of the owners, did have a shirt I liked!

We stood in the hot sun watching two bands get even hotter.  At 1:30 we loved the pounding rhythms of Aaron Tracy Band — great dancing music for those who could stand the heat.

It was non-stop, hard-hitting music from Aaron Tracy Band.

And at 4:00, the lilting, almost-Caribbean, strands of Dishwater Blonde brought out those who weren’t wilted already. (Loved their bongo drums.)  Who says you can’t have your wings and eat ’em, too?!

Mixing the sound (and eating some wangs!) for Dishwater Blonde.

Big people were at BKWF — like Mayor Tim Burchett and meteorologist Todd Howell (who did nothing about that blasted heat!)

Mayor Tim Burchett and meteorologist Todd Howell of WBIR

One lady had a showstopper — she brought her own tropical bird.  And how she kept that beauty from performing a flyintotheboothandgrabawing thing is beyond me!

From behind the scenes where the “real” men cook wings on big grills and wear matching t-shirts . . .

to just the average (average?) Joes munching on their favorite spicy ones . . .

the inaugural Big Kahuna Wing Festival was a definite hit!

Can’t get enough of these wings!

Next year (if there is a next year), ya gotta make plans to go!

Big Kahuna Wing Festival: http://www.bkwfestival.com

benefitting

News-Sentinel Empty Stocking Fund: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/topic/empty-stocking-fund/

and

Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville: http://www.knoxrmhc.org

Getting ready for the opening of the new Whole Foods Market, Knoxville

It’s finally happening, Knoxville!  Our much-anticipated new Whole Foods Market will be open for business on March 24th, and many folks — at least in West Knoxville — are ready!  In fact, the question around here is What took you so long?

Serving lunch during pre-opening tour days: Whole Foods Knoxville

When I pulled into the parking lot in front of the new store,  a man directing traffic said, Are you here for the tour?  I replied, I don’t have a reservation.  But he assured me:  No problem.  Just go inside and see what’s up.  And that’s how I lined up for a tour with Caitie from Asheville, North Carolina — here for guiding pre-opening tours of Knoxville’s new store.

Caitie from the Asheville, NC store leads a pre-opening tour at Whole Foods Knoxville

We turned on our listening devices and began at the beginning — the Health and Beauty aisle where fragrant soaps were already piled high.

Colorful hand-made soap piled high at Whole Foods Knoxville

Mural of Tennessee in Whole Foods Knoxville

Caitie invited us to sniff while she talked to us about the uniquely Knoxville touches in this particular
Whole Foods Market — like murals of Tennessee on the walls, antique heart pine flooring framing the spaces, and products made locally.  (Check out this article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel for more on how Whole Foods supports local companies like Cruze Farm, Blackberry Farms, etc.)

Not only that, said Caitie.  This Knoxville store has something no other store has:  The Rocky.  We peered in to this not-finished-yet space that, upon opening, will be a place to order a craft beer, glass of wine, and slice of pizza all while listening to live music.  You can come here on Friday evening, added Caitie, order a beer and pizza, do your weekly shopping, and make a night of it.  (Smile.)

The Rocky — where you can order beer, wine, pizza and listen to live music!

We walked onward, and Caitie added, Many of our teams are just meeting for the first time today.  Noted: lots of huddles, group t-shirts, and people talking and shaking hands.  Like these girls in the coffee area. (See that pretty heart pine decor?)

Coffee bar, Whole Foods Knoxville

And the girls passing out gelato from a revolving case.

Getting a free sample of gelato from the new Whole Foods Knoxville.

And the guys proud to be on the cutting edge of this new Knoxville venue.

I was already mentally mapping out my upcoming shopping strategy:  Get a cup of that freshly ground coffee and then head to the Biscuit Basket for a breakfast sandwich on a fresh-made doughy treat.  When one lady asked if they would have gravy for those biscuits, Caitie just rolled her eyes.  Well, duh.  Yeah.  This IS the South. (And the official home of the International Biscuit Festival, too.)

Biscuit Basket — where you can do some serious carb-loading!

Free sample: Tennessee pulled pork at Whole Foods Knoxville

All that walking could take its toll, but not if you’re doing a pre-opening tour of Whole Foods.  They were ready for us with free samples all along the way — salad, sliced cheese, and pulled pork with a Tennessee sauce on the side!

One demo team talked about the 365 line of products, like this creamy peanut butter generously spread on freshly sliced apples.  Affordable, tasty, and one of many products bearing the store label.

Want a free sample of our peanut butter on a crisp apple slice? I do. I do.

Caitie noted the corporate emphasis on maintaining high standards — and not just the ones that were posted. Ratings systems were also in place: Whole Foods rates their meat with an Animal Welfare Rating and fresh produce with a Responsibly Grown Rating System.

Responsibly Grown Rating System for Whole Foods Markets

Filling the bags with spices at Whole Foods Knoxville

Although shelves were only partially stocked the day of the tour, we suspected that elves will finish the job the weekend prior to the Tuesday opening.  Already, however, we could see busy employees filling bags of buy-in-bulk spices.

At the end of the tour, we were each handed a sack filled with sample foods and coupons for our first visits. Overall reactions from my tour group?  All good.  We loved the layout, the samples, and the emphasis on fresh and local.  And most said they’d shop here — maybe on opening day.  After all, Knoxville, the wait is almost over.  And soon, very soon, we’ll be cookin’!

For more information: 

Whole Foods Knoxville, 6730 Papermill Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919; wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/knoxville

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WholeFoodsKnoxville

Twitter:  @WFMKnoxville

Articles on Whole Foods Knoxville:

Campbell, Chuck. “Whole foods serving lunch before opening date.” Knoxville News-Sentinel (March 16, 2015). http://www.knoxnews.com/knoxville/food-and-dining/whole-foods-serving-lunch-before-opening-date

Constantine, Mary. “A Sneak Peak at Knoxville’s Whole Food Market.” Knoxville News-Sentinel (March 19, 2015). http://www.knoxnews.com/knoxville/food-and-dining/a-sneak-peek-at-knoxvilles-whole-foods-market_91200586

It’s about People! 

Potential diners started pouring in early, even though biscuits-makers waited to serve us at 9:00 AM.  Didn’t matter, though.  People “meeted and greeted” to pass the time and shared who the big winners were in years past.

County Commissioner Mark Campen, wife Emily, and their two children wanted a taste of Tupelo Honey’s Peach of a Chicken Biscuit,  even if meant wrapping around three blocks to get one.

Commisioner Mark Campen, wife Emily and their children wait for Tupelo Honey to open their booth.

Alan Benton, owner of Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams, wasn’t waiting for anyone — he was just getting started frying those legendary country ham pieces to a golden brown.

Alan Benton cooks his world-famous country ham

Lisa Duncan, Director of the Dogwood Arts Festival, volunteered at the Southern Living booth where Pickle Biscuits made from the recipe in the April 2014 edition were free for the taking. (Click here for the recipe that they say tastes even better with a little ham and mustard!)

Lisa Duncan, Director of Dogwood Arts Festival, volunteers at Southern Living booth

Communications Director at UT-Battelle David Keim held an empty plate as he searched for his next treat-worthy delight. On a mission.  A biscuit mission.

David Keim on a biscuit mission

And you could get free stuff, too, from people on the street.  Like Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce served in those little cups we use for Communion at church!  When I asked this guy about the cups, he replied, Yes taking a sip of this good stuff is a religious experience!

“It’s a religious experience,” says Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce volunteer.

As it were, our next stop had to be the Lipton Iced Tea booth for something cool to wash it down!

Free tea for me and thee!

It’s about Biscuits!

See, you get to pick 5 biscuits with your $10 ticket.  But sometimes, with long lines and long waits, you just dart in to any booth to feast on what’s handy.  Doesn’t matter.  Everything we tasted was scrumptious! (Did I really eat 5 biscuits on one day? Yep.  Did.)

Winning the award for Best Biscuit Booth, the ladies at Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop couldn’t work fast enough to create the biscuits hundreds of people waited for:  Pork Belly & Pear Moonshine Biscuits. (Click here for our post on how they got their start.)

Preparing Pork Belly & Pear Moonshine Biscuits: Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop

Over at the Applewood Farmhouse booth, a guy with a megaphone conned us into picking up their biscuits in a bowl — kinda like apple/biscuit cobbler, if you ask me.  And a band from Asheville sitting right beside them kept us in a toe-tappin’ mood all through the long-but-worth-it wait.

Flourhead Bakery and the Tomato Head won the People’s Choice Award for their colorful creations — topped with a tomato, of course.

Capitol Grille had quite a following, too.  Here’s a nice-looking Strawberry Rhubarb Buttermilk Biscuit  for your picture, he said to me!

Passing out Capitol Grille’s Strawberry Rhubarb Buttermilk Biscuits with a smile!

Folks in line at the Popeye’s booth just smiled as the crowd asked for more — like one of these biscuit hats to go along with their famous chicken biscuits!  Wouldn’t you be happy wearing a biscuit hat, too?

Passin’ out Popeye’s!

And what about these two guys from Tupelo Honey Cafe workin’ up a sweat?  Well, didn’t I say the lines were long? For good reason.  Word was out that the marinated chicken in their Peach of a Chicken Biscuit was mile high. They couldn’t serve ’em fast enough.

Piling the chicken high on Tupelo Honey Cafe biscuits

The Plaid Apron filled their biscuits with Paw Paw Fruit. (According to a description we overheard them tell some patrons, it tastes like a cross between a mango and a banana.  Worked for us.)

Plaid Apron employees explain what paw paw fruit is.

Our personal fave — and maybe because it was the last of our five, and we wanted something sweet — was a fluffy light biscuit with a creamy, sweet white sauce topped with a strawberry from Callie’s Charleston Biscuits. What a company!  Biscuits, pimento cheese, cookbooks, and more. (You won’t believe what this company sells, so click here to see — so many biscuits, so little time!)

Callie’s ladies show off cookbooks, products, and great biscuits!

And if you didn’t get your fill of biscuits from the booths, food trucks like this one — Savory & Sweet — offered their own versions.  We thought this Go Big Orange Biscuit had everything going for it locally, but we were just too full to try it! Next time. 

Go Big Orange Biscuit from Savory & Sweet food truck

It’s about Music!

If biscuits feed the body, music fills the soul.  So it was with great anticipation that we gathered ’round for our friend Jimmy Brown Johnson and the Band of Awesome.  They’ve made work (and fun!) of writing songs about biscuits and then standing on this old truck flatbed to deliver big band sound on the streets of Knoxville!  Singing our favorite —  Royal Redneck Wedding — they wowed the crowd again this year. Jimmy brought the Biscuit Fairies (a small band of precious winged children) who dropped red rose petals along Biscuit Boulevard as they joined the band in another original hit.  It all just added to the awesomeness.

If you missed the International Biscuit Festival this year, check out the website for next year’s carbo-loading weekend.  And if you attended this one, let us know what your favorites were.  As Biscuit Boss John Craig said to the cameras, Who doesn’t love a biscuit?

John Craig, Biscuit Boss of International Biscuit Festival

For more information:

International Biscuit Festival: http://www.biscuitfest.com

Jimmy Brown Johnson and the Band of Awesome: Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.b.johnson.3?fref=ts

“People, biscuits fill downtown for fifth annual biscuit festival.” (May 18, 2014). Knoxville News-Sentinel.  Retrived from http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2014/may/17/people-biscuits-fill-downtown-for-fifth-annual/

Related blogs:

Click here for ‘The biscuit is America’s croissant’ by Cynthia Moxley, posted on her blog, The Blue Streak.

Vendors mentioned in this post:

Applewood Farmhouse & Farmhouse Grill: http://www.applewoodfarmhouserestaurant.com/

Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams: http://bentonscountryhams2.com/

Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop: http://buttermilk-sky.com/

Callie’s Charleston Biscuits: http://www.calliesbiscuits.com/collections/biscuits/

Capitol Grille Nashville: http://www.capitolgrillenashville.com/homepage.aspx

Lipton Tea: http://www.liptontea.com/

Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce: http://www.papijoes.com/

The Plaid Apron: http://www.theplaidaproncafe.com/

Popeyes: http://popeyes.com/

Southern Living Recipes April 2014: http://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/southern-living-april-2014-recipe-list

The Tomato Head: http://www.thetomatohead.com/

Tupelo Honey Cafe: https://tupelohoneycafe.com/knoxville

A pile of fries from Boise Fry Company

Luckily, my husband Bert had lunch with a friend who lives in Boise while I was working — and then, as good husbands do, he took me to that same place the very next day:  Boise Fry Company!  Now you’ve heard of burger joints with fries on the side, right?  Well, not here.  Fries are the main attraction!

Be sure to check the daily menu for fries and how they’re prepared.

You line up at the counter and stand there reading the chalkboard.  (So many taters, so little time, if you ask me.) Available varieties for the day are listed along with suggested prep styles.  (Just pick one.  They’re probably all good.)

Order here!

In fact the website says, For too long restaurants have persecuted fries, treated them like second-class citizens, stuffed them with chemicals and preservatives and forced them to share fryers with hot wings and corn dogs. And why? Have not these beautiful, slender pieces of fried vegetable graciously accompanied entrées without condition or prejudice? Have not fries comforted, satiated, and delighted us? Are fries not entrée worthy? 

Burgers are on the side at Boise Fry Company!

And we think they are.  But burgers on the side at Boise Fry Company are special, too.  You have your choice of free-range, grass-fed beef or bison burgers.  Or you can try the vegan burger made with black beans and high protein quinoa.  All are served on homemade wholewheat potato buns baked fresh every day.

Burger options — from beef to bison to vegan!

Taylor and Zach walked us through the ordering part.  (Guess they’re used to “foreigners.”)

Taylor and Zach understood our order — Southern accents and all!

But that’s just a start.  You then take your fries to the bar where sauces await.

Sauce bar — Boise Fry Company. (Yes, they have plain ol’ ketchup, too!)

And you’re still not through.  A line of shakers a yard long multiplies the options, making the act of deciding almost impossible.  So do as we did: try a little of a lot of them.  No telling what you’ll end up with, but it’s bound to be good.

Choices, choices, choices — all lined up

Boise Fry Company — where fries are fresh and crisp (peanut oil, they say) — and big, juicy burgers sit on the sidelines. With three locations in Boise and a food truck, too, you have no excuse for missing out on this Idaho fave.  (Couldn’t they take a road trip to Tennessee?)

Boise Fry Company

http://www.boisefrycompany.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoiseFryCo

Twitter: @BoiseFryCo

More to come on what to see and do in Boise — so check back with us at Oh, the Places We See.  For all our posts on Idaho and Washington, go to the Page at the top: Inland Northwest.

For 35 years, we’ve treated ourselves and our family with some of the best baked goods in West Knoxville — at Ham ‘n Goodys!  As our go-to stop for tea cakes, fresh-baked cakes, and lemon cookies, we just naturally think of the little shop on Northshore that’s won awards for years.

In 1978, Ham ‘n Goodys opened, and it was Leroy Shoemaker who served us our first tea cakes.  Made the old-fashioned way with the richness of fresh ingredients (yes, real butter!), tea cakes have caused us to steer into the parking lot and head into the turn-of-the-century house with the maroon awning many times.  Tea cakes come glazed or unglazed, but I can’t for the life of me tell you which is my favorite.  With a cup of hot tea or coffee, a tea cake brings a whole new meaning to “morning pick-up!” But I’ve also found that they’re good anytime.

Steve Shoemaker reaches into the rows of tea cakes to fill an eager customer’s order.

It’s the specialty cakes, however, that brought me in this week.  Our daughter-in-law’s birthday coincided with an early Thanksgiving dinner (to accommodate travel schedules), so we asked Steve Shoemaker to recommend a best-seller for us.  He hesitated.  All of our cakes sell well.  You just have to think about what kind you like, and we probably have it.

Rows of Special Cakes greet you as you enter Ham ‘n Goodys.

And they probably do.  The choices include Red Velvet, Carrot, Chocolate Cream, German Chocolate, Fresh Strawberry, Fresh Coconut, and Italian Cream — rich, delicious, and pretty, too!

Steve helps a customer select a Special Cake.

We ordered a German Chocolate since that fulfills a number of favorite items:  rich chocolate, pecans, and coconut!  (My favorite food groups and hopefully those of the Birthday Girl!)

When I went to pick up the cake, Mike and Vickie Price (dressed in Big Orange clothing for the UT/Vandy match) were dining in for lunch.  You can’t beat their sandwiches that come with chips and your choice of cheese, Mike told me. We eat here a lot.

Mike and Vickie Price having lunch at Ham ‘n Goodys!

Sandwiches include Ham with Honey Glaze, Basted Turkey Breast, Smoked Turkey Breast, EyeRound Roast Beef, and Corned Beef, but there are also salad sandwiches, too, like Chunky Chicken, Ham, Tuna, and Turkey.

The owners call this establishment “The Business That Faith Built,” and I’ve always appreciated the little chalkboard bearing a Bible verse right above the menu.

When I asked if they’d be busy for the Thanksgiving holidays, Steve replied, Ohhhh, yessss. And they will be.  Orders are already in for spiral sliced hams and one of their best sellers — Lemon Cookies — that they keep boxed and stacked by dozens, ready to hand to lined-up customers.

Betsy fills an order for tea cakes and cookies.

If you need a smaller cake, don’t hesitate to ask for one of the creamy, dreamy pound cakes that come in loaf size: Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, Lemon, Five Flavor, or Chocolate.  All are great sliced and topped with a scoop of ice cream or fresh berries.

So, whether you have a craving for a Glazed Tea Cake or you need a special birthday celebration German Chocolate Cake, you can head to Ham ‘n Goodys with confidence. No matter what you buy, your take-home purchase will make anyone (especially you!) beam with pride.  After all, you’re eating somethin’ special from Ham ‘n Goodys!

Wishing our daughter-in-law a Happy Birthday with a German Chocolate Cake from Ham ‘n Goodys!

Ham ‘n Goodys

314 Northshore Drive

Knoxville, TN 37919

Phone: 865.584.2246

Fax: 865.584.1574

www.hamngoodys.com

This is post #22 for National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) 2013.

Just about everyone loves the new food trucks on Union Avenue on Saturday mornings!

Saturday mornings in downtown Knoxville are just downright fun! You might not think a farmers’ market could bring out the masses, but it does, and for good reason. Even with the bulk of Tennessee crops gone for the season, the Saturday Farmers’ Market still thrives.  We saw vendors with crafts and such, farmers with greens and cool weather veggies, and workmen setting up the holiday ice rink.  And with today’s warmer weather, people were out walking their dogs, strolling their kids, sipping coffee, and buying something local to eat from ood trucks on Union Avenue!

Parked closest to Gay Street was Mister Canteen.  It’s a simple, boxy truck advertising the food of the day on cool chalk boards.  Like Wapsi Valley Grit Bowl: grits and gravy with Riverplains Farm fried egg and pasture sausage for just $10!  And to wash it all down — Mister Tea: organic Earl Grey iced tea lightly sweet for just $2!

Mister Canteen

A sign to the right of the window said that Mister Canteen will be taping a segment for Eat St. on Friday, November 22nd at noon. You may want to head downtown for your 10 minutes of fame — or just to say you’ve been there!

Hoof wasn’t quite as busy at the breakfast hour when we were there, but I have no doubt that lunch will pick up since Hoof advertises grass-fed burgers and farm fresh creations. I’d be tempted to try the English muffin with sweet fennel sausage, cheddar, and an egg for only $6, but I might hold out for lunch so I could eat big on the Smokehouse Burger: bacon, cheddar, with smoked onion jam for $12!

Hoof offers grass-fed beef in their burgers.

Tootsie Truck posted a sign that read Temporarily Closed due to technical difficulties, so breakfast was out of the question. But if you got there for lunch, and they were open, you could try a Local Pheasant Plate for $11, a Pork Belly Plate (with sides of organic blackeyed peas and local turnip greens) for $9, or a Jerk Chicken Plate for $8.  All sounds good.

Temporarily closed?

Savory & Sweet has been around a while, and I’m a fan of their Pork Burrito (coffee chipotle smoked pork, Spanish rice, black beans, jack and cheddar cheeses, homemade salsa, and chipotle crema in a spinach wrap) all for $8! But they also offer Pumpkin Ravioli ($7) and Cuban Lasagna with local grass-fed beef from Strong Stock Farm ($7).

Savory & Sweet

The Cruze Farm Milk Bar was there sporting new artwork.  (Well, new to us.) Those cute Cruze Farm Girls were painted on plywood — one licking a cone and the other sipping fresh milk from a bottle!

Also new was what they call the Dolly Parton duets — double scoops in a cone!  Like salted butter caramel paired with vanilla bean or chocolate chip paired with that same great-sounding salted butter caramel.  Mmmmm. Double trouble!

Cruze Farm Dairy Bar

The Dale’s Fried Pies stand reminds me of a child’s lemonade stand but they offer delicious sweet or savory pies instead of lemonade!  Today’s sweet pie choices were apple, cranberry brie, and candied sweet potato.  In the savory category were sausage, egg, & cheese; chipotle mac & cheese; and turkey pot pie. If you wanted to warm up, rosemary apple cider would only set you back two bucks!

Dale’s Fried Pies: Savory or Sweet?

Last on the row was Good Golly Tamale, a stand under an umbrella where hot foil-wrapped tamales were awaiting your decision.  Would it be the new Strong Stock Farm beef? Or Thai chicken with green chile, coconut and Thai basil? Or butternut squash with spicy maple glazed pecans?  Or maybe black bean and farmer’s cheese on blue masa? Good golly.  Get one of each!

Good Golly Tamale

The food scene in downtown Knoxville has just gotten even more complicated. And there are more reasons than one for coming downtown on Saturday.

So, shop the booths, sip the coffee, and try something new while standing on Union Avenue. There are worse things than being a food truck foodie!

For more information:

Mister Canteen: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mister-Canteen/480897121980922

Hoof: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoofKnoxville

Tootsie Truck: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tootsietruck

Savory & Sweet: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savorysweetfoodtruck

Cruze Farm: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CruzeFarm

Dale’s Fried Pies: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dalesfriedpies

Good Golly Tamale: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodgollytamaleknoxville

This is post #16 for National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) for 2013.

Layer cakes filled a showcase inside with cakes for weddings, showers, and special occasions.  Like this one that definitely speaks Texan to me: Western elements — belt buckles, rope, paisley print and monogrammed logo — in one tastefully layered cake!

More great cakes await you on the Legacy Cakes website. Some layered. Some sculpted. All creative!

Legacy Cakes Bakery

120 S. Main Street, Suite 20

Grapevine, TX 76051

817.442.9999

http://www.legacycakesbakery.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legacycakes

This is post #15 of National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) 2013.

Make Grandma Proud!!!

We first took note of Buttermilk Sky this past week.  Their newly launched Facebook page already had requests for additional help to prepare for their opening this Thursday, November 14th.  Then we drove past, noting that the parking lot was full, and lines were forming outside the shop!  (And they’re not even officially open.)  Top that with ads that say, We open at 11:00 on Saturday and will sell ’til the pies are gone! That’s when we knew: There’s a hit in the making in the Bearden area.

At 11:00 Saturday, we were on their doorstep talking to the owners, Scott and Meredith Layton.  Scott’s a farmboy from Missouri married to Meredith, a Memphis girl whose grandmother made homemade ice cream for family get-togethers on Sunday. They’ve combined their love of fresh ingredients, natural flavors, and Southern cooking to bring made-from-scratch pies and ice cream to Knoxville.

Owners Meredith and Scott Layton of Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop

You’re not even open, I said to Scott, and you’re selling out already. 

He wiped his hands on his apron and replied, We thought last Saturday would be just a slow test run, so we made 200 pies.  By the end of the day, we had sold 800!  We just kept cooking and cooking all day long!

As busy as they were, Store Manager Morgan welcomed us in to see the new place.

The store has a clean, yet comfortable vibe with white walls, black signage, kraft paper boxes tied with twine, and the store’s blue ribbon logo affixed to take-out orders.

Looking is part of the fun — and that’s OK since you may be in line for a while, depending on when you arrive.  We noted boxes of seasonal favorite pumpkin pies ready for take-out, but, hopefully, their other best-sellers will be there, too:  Nanny’s Pecan, Southern Buttermilk, and Chocolate Meringue.

Notable are the little four-inch pies that sell for $4.25 or four for $16.00 that you can purchase as a four-pack sampler.  (Which we did!) By the way, Bert loves the buttermilk pies; I prefer chocolate meringue.

Also for sale is good coffee . . .

and that homemade ice cream Meredith grew up loving.

Our friend, Wayne Christensen, came for pies but did a little impulse buying when he heard about the homemade ice cream!

In the not-overly-big-but-hardworking kitchen, Jenna was rolling out the dough for thumbprints which Meredith said would be ready in about an hour.

Most every customer on Saturday took their orders home, but you can eat at the picnic table outside or on a stool inside.  Maybe.  If there’s room.  But if the lines are any indication of what’s gonna happen this Thursday, there just might not be any room to breathe!

A long line — and the store’s not officially open yet!

If you click here to their website, you’ll see the names of the mainstay pies:  Granny’s Apple, Southern Buttermilk, Chocolate Meringue, and Nanny’s Pecan.  But there are seasonal offerings in the works.  This fall will bring on Spiced Pumpkin and Caramel followed by the winter delights of Kentucky Derby and Coconut Cream.

Their phrase (and mine, too):  Pie oh my!

You can even vote for next month’s Pie of the Month.

Something we couldn’t see yet are the Scratch Made Buttermilk Biscuits, Whipped Butters, and Biscuit Toppings like Warm Chocolate Gravy and Sweetwater Valley Farm Buttermilk Cheddar Cheese.  But what we did see made us realize that this place will be busy from Grand Opening Day ’til Christmas, for sure.

So, if homemade pie is on your list of favorite desserts, or you crave cookies, biscuits and such, you just may want to head to Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop.  It really is a Sweet Spot!

Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop

5402 Kingston Pike

Knoxville, TN 37919

865.330.3694

www.buttermilk-sky.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Buttermilk-Sky-Pie-Shop/210533802332348

Twitter: @buttermilkskypi

Grand Opening:  November 14, 2013

Click here for Knoxville News-Sentinel article “Bearden to get a new pie shop.”

This post is #10 for National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) 2013.

So, RED is one of my go-to colors in scarves, shoes, accessories for the home, flowers in my flowerbeds, etc.  It’s just me.  And on my recent visit to Washington and Idaho, we picked the juiciest, crispest red apples right from the trees!  Wouldn’t you know I’d be drawn to this luscious basket of ripe RED apples as the Hue of Me!

For more entries in the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: The Hue of You, click here.

Apples are from Kelley’s Canyon Orchard, 1903 River Road, Filer, ID 83328.

If you park in the adjacent Galvez Garage, you’ll walk directly inside to the Main Street Market where, on Saturdays, you can watch the Fresh from the Market Cooking Demonstrations beginning at 10.  The chef on board this Saturday blended a mixture of fresh veggies and tomato juice for a healthy, colorful gazpacho while guests sipped coffee and sampled breakfast breads from Our Daily Bread right next to the cooking area.

Blending a healthy, colorful gazpacho at the Main Street Market

Loaves of fresh bread line the counter at Our Daily Bread.

We meandered through the crowded aisle, past the demo and the tempting breads, so we could sample freshly made pork sausages neatly pinned by toothpicks and placed within reach at Cutrer’s.  We can’t serve deer meat here, the vendor told me, but I was content with the delicious pork version offered to us.

Offering samples of reshly made sausages from Cutrer’s

At Millitello’s Gourmet Specialties booth, we sampled fresh tilapia baked with Militello’s signature Sicilian Olive Oil with herbs and spices bottled right in. I had to bring home a bottle of this goodness after watching this gentleman offer us a second sample.  First, he added a little balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, and granulated garlic to a tablespoon or two of the oil.  Then he dipped french bread into the mix.  Can’t wait to serve the fish or the dippin’ bread at home!

Fresh tilapia baked in Militello’s Sicilian Olive Oil was our treat from this booth.

I passed on this gorgeous three-layer lemon cake only because I knew there was more temptation outside . . . and I was right. But you can buy one slice or one cake — your choice.  Pretty cakes, right?

Outside, we met Frances Chauvin whose blue ribbon pies could have won recognition just for their looks alone.  There’s nothing more Southern than homemade crusts filled with luscious coconut or pecan or fruit fillings, and these looked genuinely hand-crafted.

When Francis told me she had just been to Knoxville this past spring to see Robin Roberts (anchor on ABC’s Good Morning America) inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, I asked her how she knew Robin.  She worked for me when she attended college in Hammond where we’re located. Robin made $4.75 an hour when she worked for us, but even then I could tell she was going to be somebody.  At the Hall of Fame, I spent an hour with her afterwards.  I’m kind of a second mama, I guess.

The story about Robin Roberts who worked with Ms. Chauvin held us captive, but the pies were what we took home.

My friend (and willing partner in sampling the goods), Cathy Dunn of Meadville, Mississippi, stood next to a stack of shoe soles.  You read that right — shoe soles.  Ms. Chauvin had to “larn us” what they were:  You take whatever pie crust you have left over, shape it in a circle, and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  And we call ’em shoe soles!  (We call ’em yummy!)

Cathy Dunn stands next to a tall stack of shoe soles from Frances Chauvin, the “Pie Lady.”

Some vendors brought goat cheese, some hauled in their greenest perennials, and some laid out their best summer vegetables like okra, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce.  What do you think of this head of bibb lettuce that the vendor said was also called butter lettuce? I think it’s picture perfect!

At the Bocage Honey booth, I fell in love with a honey-based soap for my sister Marilyn, a die-hard LSU Tiger fan.  It’s hard to see in this picture, but there’s a very clear likeness of Mike the Tiger embedded in the top of this soap.  (My sister may not even let water touch it!)

It’s a cake of soap with a tiger picture right on top!

At the end of our journey, we wandered back inside only to be drawn to  GoYaYa’s where they make crepes filled with sweet (Nutella, Strawberry, etc.) or savory fillings (Monte Cristo, Ratatouille, Muffaletta and more)!

Cooking great crepes at GoYaYa’s

We split a Muffaletta Crepe, and, as you can see, this half of that delicious olive-laced concoction was plenty!

Half — yes, just half — of a Muffaletta Crepe from GoYaYa!

If you’re in Baton Rouge “of a Saturday mornin’,” stop by Red Stick Farmers Market, a place I first read about in a blog from Traveluster that you, too, can read here.

And if you have a favorite farmers market of your own, let us hear from you in the Comments.  Where should we go next to find the best veggies anywhere?

Red Stick Farmers Market

Fifth Street at Main Street in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Saturdays: 8:00 AM til 12:00 PM

redstickfarmersmarket.org

For more information:

To read about the “Pie Lady,” Frances Chauvin, click here.

GOyaya’s Crepes is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GOyayas-Crepes/186937798019822

The Traveluster’s blog post: Baton Rouge’s Local Food Evolution: http://thetraveluster.com/2013/09/baton-rouges-local-food-evolution/