Randoms

A few miscellaneous thoughts...

1. If there is a finer bargain in Knoxville than Downtown Grill & Brewery's $1.50 pint night I'd like to hear it. As you know, the authors are quite keen on Tuesday night drinking. It breaks up the post-Monday malaise quite well. Now the Brewery is doing a brisk trade in bottled wine Tuesday evenings as well. It's a little bizarre, swilling wine in a place predicated on brewing beer...but hard to fault the idea. I must have seen a dozen bottles being served last night, so they are on to something. Plus, the regulars are on standby for any largesse. (cough, cough)

2. Always be prepared to run into an old friend. Also, be prepared to flee if it appears they are having much more fun than you are...lest your bar tab pay the proverbial price. This can be further complicated when you come across ANOTHER old friend. The entire idea for $1.50 night is getting polluted on the cheap, and such reunions are dangerous if mishandled.

3. Goddamn rain. Drink your way through it.

Dead End BBQ - Quick Review

Last week I made my inaugural visit to Dead End BBQ for lunch. Some thoughts:

Pros:

Excellent meats – tender pork BBQ good enough to eat without sauce; smoky beef brisket is the best I’ve had in Knoxville by far. I also sampled 1 rib (how much for 1 rib?!) and ‘twas good. This is why I’ll be going back for more.

Convenient location – it’s located on Sutherland Avenue, close to downtown and short-west Bearden.

Beer and Wine – Woodruff IPA on tap along with standard domestics, domestic and import bottles and they serve several wines too (no liquor); happy hours 4-7 pm and beer bucket specials available.

Cons:

Parking – the parking lot is too small to handle peak hours when everyone drives themselves 1 per vehicle so I recommend carpooling if possible. Night hours may be different when the neighboring produce market is closed to allow spill-over parking.

Too clean – It’s brand new and clean as a whistle! Ok, that’s really good but it is too neat and fresh and just doesn’t have that rundown, hole-in-the-wall feel that you expect with a good BBQ joint.

Sides* – the macaroni & cheese and beans with sausage were unimpressive. The M&C was bland and the beans were served at room temperature or below, twice. *I’ve only been once so they probably can do better. The guy next to me at the bar said his greens and corn on the cob were good. The jalapeño cornbread was spicy.

DrinknGame

For those of you with extra cash lying around who love to drink beer while playing video games I think this may be what you’re looking for. Behold the Arkeg, a nifty arcade style gaming system combined with a built-in draft beer dispenser. It’s pretty awesome but the $3999 price tag may be a tad steep for some folks, including me and most people I know. The Arkeg website describes the system with all the games, specs, features, options, etc. in great detail. If you’ve been good this year maybe Santa will deliver one under you tree this Christmas.

Latitude and Attitude

A spate of new food and drink establishments have been opening around town and even more are on the way. This is nothing new as places open and close all the time. Like most people I don’t usually notice these things unless it is a personal favorite or a highly recognized name that draws attention. At least that’s how I used to be. Nowadays I’ve especially been trying to keep track of new bars and restaurants opening in or near downtown and wouldn’t you know I’ve found another one. It didn’t take long for someone to snatch up the vacated World Grotto location that recently closed. Secret, hush-hush sources have revealed to yours truly that the place will become downtown’s finest, upscale sports bar. Yes you heard me right, a sports bar. It’s going to be a few months before they open but I thought I’d put it out there for public consumption just to see what reaction it gets. I’ve been told the name will be Latitude 35, inspired by the marker right in the middle of Market Square, but don’t hold me to that since these things tend to change.

They have some work to do and I plan to visit during the remodeling process and post some updates from time to time. During my visit a couple of weeks ago the GM told me all kinds of ideas and plans they have for the place but to be honest I’d had a few beers too many to remember the details, go figure. Cheers and good luck – now get to work!!

Eat shit

Although somewhat depressing, there is much in this article that pleases me.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8278312.stm


Sure, I lament what has become of the stalwart drinkers of the United Kingdom, but it is good to see them stick it to the man in whatever way possible. Particular bonus points for: making a demon-brew, getting pissy with the gummint, mocking said gummint with a pansy beer, and lastly referencing the true definition of a Speedball. Cram it with walnuts, douchebags.

What Bad Economy?

New bars and restaurants have been popping up faster than I can keep track of. We’ve already covered The Hill and Tin Roof near campus. Now there are two more in Bearden (short west), another one on the way on Sutherland and a resurrected fine dining restaurant just up the road. I haven’t been able to visit any of these places but I do have some balanced second-hand information to pass on. Let’s start some rumors!

Level 10 – Oh boy. The location of this place makes me nervous from the start. Situated on the west corner of The Shops at Western Plaza where Corky’s BBQ used to be, Level 10 is going for the double-whammy of Sports Bar/Live Music Venue. The location is actually pretty good and they rightly point out the ample free parking behind the building. They appear to be aiming for the budget and college crowd. The food menu is basic as it gets and the drink menu features lots of domestic beer deals, happy hours and nightly specials. Here is a not so good first impression of Level 10 by local blogger "Philly".

Hard Knox Pizzeria – In the same shopping plaza Hard Knox Pizzeria is right smack in the middle of the shops between Soho Café and the Runners Market. This is strictly a pizza joint. They bake their pies in a wood fired 850 degree oven, Neapolitan style. This I have to have, and soon. A particular friend has already given it the thumbs up and has become a regular in short time. Yes, they do serve beer, brewed by Knoxville’s very own Woodruff Brewing Company. I will be there very soon.

Dead End BBQ – This is a brand new one I just saw driving on Sutherland Ave. Naturally I stopped for a look and pictures. I don’t know anything about it other than what I read on their website and some random sports blog postings. I get the impression they are going to be good. According to the City of Knoxville’s website they have been approved to serve cold beer. Will this be the barbecue haven so many people have been waiting for? Opening date is Monday, October 5.

The Orangery – Knoxville’s classic fine dining restaurant has reopened with a redesigned bar area and new hours. Great to see them back in business, good luck. Read about it here.

Quick Hit

On this day back in 82, some folks at NBC rolled out this little number:

Longevity. Norm. Cliff. Shelly Long with a career, Kirstie Alley during her "Hot" phase. Truly a bygone era, but it has allowed the dipshit network writers to throw out any mediocre product and expect it to succeed (on principle) because everyone loves a saloon as a headquarters.