food – Oh, the Places We See . . .

Father’s Day treats at Rue Beignet, Baton Rouge

If you live in Tennessee, your trips to a beignet shop are few and far between. We just don’t have those flash-fried little doughnut pillows sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar nearby — or even within a day’s drive, if you live in Knoxville! But since we were visiting relatives in Baton Rouge on Father’s Day weekend, […]

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Mixing friendship and Wall Street: A Valentine’s Celebration

Since the late ’90s, I’ve bought and sold stocks with the ladies of WEB Investment Club. When we started the started the club, most of us had no idea how to access stock market info online or place a trade. Now we talk the talk of PE ratios, exchange funds, and the like, even though […]

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Love food? Love art? Route yourself through Chicago O’Hare!

Lately, I’ve done a lot of flying. From Knoxville to Vegas to Michigan to Maryland. A lot of flying. I may even be identifying with George Clooney’s character Ryan Bingham in the 2009 hit movie Up in the Air — almost comfy in the confines of an airport. Not only that, I really love grazing […]

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It’s a Multi-cultural Experience in Downtown Silver Spring

Although I’m no authority on Silver Spring, Maryland, or any big city for that matter, it was my good fortune to explore this progressive downtown area for a few days and get a feel for the people and places that make it unique. Yes, it had the usual national chain restaurants, stores we all know, […]

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Ramsey House Country Market Returns with Fall Kick-off and Glimpse of Simpler Times

Fall for me just wouldn’t be the same without a trip to Ramsey House for the annual Country Market. And since last fall came and went without the annual celebration, I was feeling a bit of withdrawal. The Country Market celebrates so many things I love about East Tennessee: colorful fall flowers, homemade cobblers, homey crafts of […]

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Summer’s Last Sip: Chillin’ Good Cook-Out Milkshake

Now, I don’t even pretend to be a Guy Fieri who knows every drive-in, diner, and dive across America and where to get the best milkshakes. But I do know a GOOD milkshake, if I say so myself. I grew up in small towns where you drove up to a tiny little building and then walked up […]

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It’s Family: Knoxville’s Market Square Farmers’ Market

I was long overdue for a visit to one of the area’s best farmers’ markets — or so I’ve heard it’s the best — right downtown in Knoxville’s Market Square. I marked off this Saturday for my inaugural visit just to see what all the talk was about and to bring home some veggies from the […]

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Ahoy, mates! Trader Joe’s has come ashore!

My second foray into Knoxville’s Grocery Wars occurred this past weekend when I ventured forth to the West Knox Trader Joe’s in Suburban Plaza Shopping Center! I had to go there. After all, I’d heard about Trader Joe’s since I took my mom to California to see the Rose Parade years ago. In fact, we ate […]

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Upscale, Classy, Personable: Publix Opens in West Knoxville

After months of rumors, confirmations, and high expectations, West Knoxville residents are bracing for an unprecedented explosion of new grocery stores — each promising something new, different, exciting . . . even life changing. In fact, within a span of about six months, we’ve seen Aldi (low prices, generic brands, green philosophy) open on Kingston Pike and Kroger Marketplace (expansive offerings: […]