The 10th Annual Metro Pulse Readers' Poll
Food & Drink
Middle Eastern Food:
King Tut
Runners-Up: Falafel Hut, Sitar
Sports Bar:
Bailey's
Runners-Up: Rookie's, Rick's Place
Best Sunday Brunch:
Italian Market and Grill
The best way to describe the I.M.&G.'s renowned Sunday brunch is simply Too Much. Too much of everything, from breakfast favorites to garlic- and pasta-laden Italian specialties to scrumptious pastries and desserts that make the waistline expand on sight. Get there early, though, because Market Sundays fill up quick.
Runners-Up: Copper Cellar, O'Charley's
Best Wings:
Hooter's
A perennial favorite in the wings category, Hooter's offers up a thickly breaded specimen, zesty and rich and flavorful in way quite unlike any other wing that comes to mind. And of course, there are always plenty of Hooter's scantily clad servers about ready to bring you another plate of goodies, or else more suds to wash it all down. (We could make a crack here about wings and breasts, but we'll resist.)
Runners-Up: Spicy's, BW3
Best Steak:
Ye Olde Steak House
Venerated as it has been by connoisseurs of cow flesh for Ye Olde ages, some jerk set fire to the original, campy South Knoxville location on Chapman Highway, causing a traumatic temporary move to the L&N Station downtown. The cuts of beef are as choice and prime and princely and the meat is as carefully grilled at the new edition of Y.O.S.H. as ever, but the gap left behind south of the river is enormous.
Runners-Up: Chop House, Regas
Pizza:
Papa John's
Runners-Up: Mellow Mushroom, Tomato Head
Best Salad:
Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday got its start in Knoxville, and it still has its corporate HQ in Maryville, so even though it's long gone from its original campus location (where Charlie Pepper's is now), supporting Ruby's still feels like rooting for the home team. Speaking of rooting, if you root around in their Serious Salad Bar, you'll find enough garden greens, vegetables, and fruits to feed the healthiest of lifestyles—and the toppings, dressings, and potato & pasta salads to sate the most decadent of appetites. (Get a salad as half of the Loaded Baked Potato Combo if you like to indulge your craving for the especially sinful.) Don't neglect the menu salads, either—Carolina Chicken Salad, yum!
Runners-Up: Olive Garden, Tomato Head
Hamburger:
Litton's
Runners-Up: Hardee's, Back Yard
Best Barbecue:
Buddy's BBQ
Oh, man. Stacked, packed samiches of chicken, pork, or beef, slippery, drippery ribs, creamy dreamy slaw, the best baked beans this side o' the Mason-Dixon line, and barbecue sauces to suit all tastes, from mild to wild. Buddy's is an East Tennessee tradition, one that must be partaken of regularly to keep the faith alive. Also, it's really good.
Runners-Up: Corky's, Famous Dave's
Seafood:
Chesapeake's
Runner-Up: Red Lobster
Lunch Spot:
Sun Spot
Runners-Up: Tomato Head, Lunch Box
Coffee House:
Starbucks
Runners-Up: Java Old City
Beer Selection:
Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria
Runners-Up: Union Jack's, Preservation Pub
Wine List:
Orangery
Runners-Up: Regas, Naples
Desserts:
Melting Pot
Runners-Up: Litton's, Regas
Best Vegetarian Restaurant:
Sun Spot
Knoxville doesn't really have a vegetarian restaurant per se, not since the All Night Eggplant shut down in the '90s. You can eat vegetarian at almost any restaurant, although the pickings can be mighty slim at places like Buddy's or Calhoun's. I don't begrudge any omnivore his or her juicy red meat, but I appreciate it when restaurants accommodate us vegetarians with more than a house salad and baked potato (and don't forget to hold the bacon bits). The Sun Spot goes several steps further, with a menu that is about half vegetarian and draws on Italian, Mexican, Asian and American cuisines. All of it is excellent and the cooks are eager to fill special requests for even more restrictive diets (they know what vegan means). Of course, the Sun Spot is a lot more than just a great restaurant. With their expanded bar, they've got an enormous assortment of beers, wines and liquors to accommodate happy hour or a nightcap. And since they don't discriminate against meat eaters, everyone will be happy.
Runner-Up: Tomato Head
Italian:
Naples
Runners-Up: Olive Garden, Carraba's
Asian:
P.F. Chang's
Runners-Up: Mandarin House, Stir Fry Cafe
Mexican:
El Charro
Runners-Up: Cancun, Don Pablo's
Deli:
Nixon's
Runners-Up: Harold's, Lenny's
Bakery:
Panera Bread
Runners-Up: Rita's, Atlanta Bread
Romantic Dining:
Naples
Runners-Up: Melting Pot, Regas
Eat Alone:
Panera Bread
Runners-Up: Home, Puleo's
Ribs:
Calhoun's
Runners-Up: Corky's, Famous Dave's
New Restaurant:
P.F. Chang's
Runners-Up: Pulèo's, Famous Dave's
Ice Cream:
Marble Slab
It may be the Slab itself that makes these frozen treats so fun. Not only can you choose from a dozen or so premium flavors, you can get the helpful counter folk to slap your scoop on the slab and mix in all sorts of goodies, like M&Ms, cookie bits, and, if you're health-conscious, fruit. This much pleasure has to be good for you on some level, though, no matter which combination you choose.
Runners-Up: Baskin Robbins, Brusters
Gourmet:
Orangery
Runners-Up: Mango, Melting Pot
April 24, 2002 * Vol. 13, No. 17
© 2003 Metro Pulse
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