A Week of Driving - help me avoid fast food chains!

Hi - an old college friend of ours who lives in Cinncinnati woke up on June 6th and decided it would be cool to get married on 6/6/06. So he and his girlfriend hopped the border to Covington, KY, found a chapel with a Jimmy Buffet superfan for a minister and tied the knot. Not being Buffet fans themselves, at least they were successful in getting him to play a Buffet Bob Marley cover as their song. Anyway...the "reception" is being held in Dayton, OH on Aug. 19th and we've decided to make it the kick-off stop for a week-long vacation. We are very familiar with the drive from Chicago to Dayton as husband and I both graduated from UD. (A horrible, mind-numbingly boring drive!) Our second stop will be Asheville, NC and the third will be Nashville, TN. We've never been to either spot and I've already checked out some helpful posts on this forum for both cities. Does anyone familiar with driving in those parts have any recommendations for breakfast, lunch or dinner along the way? We are willing to take any reasonable detour off the highways for a "worth it" non-fast food chain meal. On the return trip, anything off 65 between Nashville and Chicago? Any suggestions would be much appreciated - thanks!

It would help to have a little more detail on which routes you plan to take. If you are heading down I-75 from Dayton to Knoxville, I recommend that you stop for fried chicken at Jean's, off the Mount Vernon, KY exit (it is on a small hill, on the Northeast side of the exit).

Ridgewood BBQ in Bluff City, TN is quite extraodinary, but is quite a ways off I-40. The best BBQ in Eastern Tennessee.

The Jarrett House in Dillsboro, NC is really quite good for Southern mountain cooking (trout, country ham), although not worth a huge detour. (It is perhaps half an hour off I-40). (Western Carolina doesn't have great BBQ).

The best Internet source for non-chain choices is Michael and Jane Stern's Roadfood website: http://www.roadfood.com

Thanks GAF for the suggestions. Born & raised in central and northern Wisconsin, I am a lover of trout, walleye, etc...and would be inclined to detour to sample NC preparations. As far as our planned route - from Dayton - 75 thru Lexington and down to Knoxville, then 40 over to Asheville. We're considering a few bed and breakfast spots there and plan to spend 3 nights. Then we'll take 40 over to Nashville. I think we're going to stay at Lowes Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel in an attempt to be out of the heart of touristville. We'll only have one night in Nashville. I definately want a shake at Elliston Place Soda Shop. We also plan on checking out the Farmer's Market, Boot Country (I've wanted a pair for a long time and will be showing them off at Carol's upon return,) Tootsie's Orchid Lounge for a drink and Willie Nelson & Friends Showcase Museum/Gift Emporium because - God Love It - 1 stop Christmas shopping! Then it will be 65 all the way home to Chicago.
Road Food has yielded mixed results for me in the past. IMO, sometimes they are dead on and other times their information is out of date or skews toward the tourist traps. For example, both the Sterns and LTH recommend Elliston Place, but the Sterns rave about Corky's BBQ & LTH says "tourist trap." I tend to trust you all more based on my experiences venturing to your collectively recommended restaurants here in Chicago. Thanks and bring on more suggestions! Lynn

Another place that I can direct you to along I-75 is Weaver's Hot Dogs in London, KY, a little south of Mt. Vernon. Excellent Chili Dogs:

Weaver's Hot Dogs
131 North Main Street
London, KY 40741
606.864.9937

Of course, you are driving by Berea. I have never eaten at the college, but that is an option. At exit 77 (I think) off I-75 is a rather nice Kentucky crafts center, whose cafeteria makes an attempt to serve Kentucky cuisine (also a good place to pick up local candies).

On the west side of the Interstate 75 there is the Shaker Village in Harrodsburg, which has a nice little restaurant. It more upscale than roadfoody, and it is not entirely authentic, but it certainly beats most sit-down restaurants in the area and is set in a lovely environment.

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
3501 Lexington Rd
Harrodsburg, KY 40330
(859) 734-5411

Some ideas:

1) In Berea, KY, approximately an hour south of Lexington, KY, is the Boone Tavern Inn. The Boone Tavern Inn is an upscale inn with an attached tavern/restaurant run by Berea College. Berea College students pay no tuition. All students are expected to work at the Inn, tavern, or the college.

I have tried to dine there on occasion but we have always hit the college either on graduation weekend or homecoming.

http://www.berea.edu/boonetavern/history.asp

2) In Asheville, is the Biltmore Mansion which has a wide variety of dining options, mostly upscale. Personally, I have always enjoyed the Biltmore Dairy which serves some great ice cream.

Biltmore Dairy Bar
800 Brevard Rd
Asheville, NC 28806

3) If you plan to stop at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. stay at the western entrance at Townsend, TN which is very quiet as compared to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. There is a BBQ joint about one mile outside the Cades Cove entrance. I have eaten there a few times but the name completely escapes me.

4) In Crossville, TN, if you get off at the Peavine Rd. exit, there are two pretty good BBQ joints. The better of the two is Lefty's BBQ. LIke all teh places down there, they have ready access of hickory wood and use it for BBQ. Generally, they are more into pork and chicken.

The other place is also pretty decent but I haven't been there for a coupls of years and the name escapes me.

The locals swear that the lodge at the Cunberland Mountain State Park has a pretty good restaurant (most TN state parks have pretty good food) but we haven;t eaten there in 20 years.

5) The Catfish House in Smyrna is a great place if you like fried fresh catfish. Great southern cooking.

6) In Nashville, there is a market area that lies at the base of the hill behind the State Capitol and across from the UST Snuff plant. There is a farmers market with a number of pretty good restaurants. One of the more interesting is Jamaicaway which makes pretty good Jamaican food. Sometimes, it takes a while to get served.

We head down to Nashville / Central Tennessee three or four times a year as we plan to move there is 5-10 years.

I want to second GAF's recommendation of Ridgewood BBQ. I spent quite a bit of time there when I was visiting at ETSU, and it's worth a bit of a detour. If you come out of Asheville, shoot for Johnson City and hang a right. If you go, be sure to buy a few jars of their wonderfully hand-labelled sauce.

Geo

Thanks to all for the recommendations - I really do appreciate it. We're going to do our best to check out as many as we can. I'll report back upon return! Lynn

jlawrence01 wrote:
1) In Berea, KY, approximately an hour south of Lexington, KY, is the Boone Tavern Inn. The Boone Tavern Inn is an upscale inn with an attached tavern/restaurant run by Berea College. Berea College students pay no tuition. All students are expected to work at the Inn, tavern, or the college.

I have tried to dine there on occasion but we have always hit the college either on graduation weekend or homecoming.

http://www.berea.edu/boonetavern/history.asp

I concur with GAF and jlawrence01 that Berea is worth a visit. If you decide to eat at the Boone Tavern Inn do not overlook their justly famous spoonbread. Thanks to the college, the town is a center for traditional crafts of the area (not crappy shoppe-style pot-pourri 'n things), and well worth a browse. I bought the most beautiful broom there-- all chocolate brown straw and a braided handle.

Shaker Village is also worth a stop. At this time of year, the hotel's dining room menu should feature loads of vegetables raised in their kitchen garden. (They were doing this long before it became chic). Also, the lemon chess pie is delicious. Almost good enough to convert a person to the Shaker way of life. Another nice thing about the place is that the meals are prix-fixe and you pay for them in advance with your room. It was explained to us that menus with prices and checks at the end of the meal are thought to be out of keeping with the spirit of the place.

Hi,

I realize you want to avoid chains, however there are chains outside of our region worth visiting. When I go south, I like to visit Waffle House for their hash browns with lots of variations to the pecan pancakes.

Grandy's does a very good biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Lunch and dinner is fried chicken and such, but how many chains do fried gizzards?

Wherever they do exist I like Jack-in-the-Box for the greasy taco because I enjoyed it as a teenager.

Have a good time!

Regards,

When I lived in Georgia, one of the founders of the Waffle House chain lived in my subdivision, and so I have a fondness for the place. And as part of my ritual while driving to North Carolina each summer, I stop in a Waffle House for breakfast to give me fortitude to cross the Smokies. I like their Cheese Grits and their Hash Browns - a guilty pleasure.

Then GAF should know the answer to this question: why are Waffle House's colors yellow and black?

:^)

Geo

I feel a joke coming on.

Why ARE Waffle House's colors yellow and black?

If the question is a serious one, I would place my money on the belief that the founders are Yellow Jacket fans (Georgia Tech for you Yankees). In Atlanta you are either a Bulldog (Red and Black) or a Jacket (Yellow and Black).

GAF--

Bingo! you got it in one! They're Techies, so when they decided on the advertising colors, they went with Yellow Jacket flavors.

(Sorry, no joke coming on... )

We didn't get 'em in KC till just a few years ago. But before then, whenever I was on the road, I *always* stopped there for hash browns. And they'd crisp them a bit extra, if you asked.

Geo

HI,

Geo - you asked the precise question that came to mind when I first read GAF knew a founder. I have to admit the color scheme to me appears instantly dated. Now that I know they are school colors, then it gives it some context.

Big time thanks for asking!

Regards,

Geo wrote:GAF--

Bingo! you got it in one! They're Techies, so when they decided on the advertising colors, they went with Yellow Jacket flavors.

Geo

As a former UGA (University of Georgia) professor that was one that I was not likely to miss.

True Waffle House story:

George Steinbrenner is a long-time fixture in Tampa, where his Yankees have trained since who knows when. (And partly because of this, there exist a fair number of NYC-style pizza, ice cream, bagel and whatever places in Tampa, mostly poor.) Anyway, Steinbrenner for many years held court and conducted most of his business, including many of the biggest trades in baseball history, from a booth in the legendary and somewhat infamous Malio's steakhouse.

Malio's, owned by the Ivarone family (ancient Tampa Sicilians and owners of the Italian-market-turned-excellent-pizzeria, Demmi's), was the Italian steakhouse, the slightly more glamorous, sinister, and cheaper steakhouse in town. Bern's, the celebrated stucco paean to beef and wine with its own farm, cows and the world's largest wine list, was always the place for special occasions, visiting dignitaries, and white shoes/blue bloods. Malio's was the place where Burt Reynolds hung out at the bar between the era defined by Cannonball Run and the 90's, when irony resuscitated the likes of Reynolds and John Travolta (also a late-arriving Tampan).

Along with Reynolds was a revolving cast of glamourous looking ladies with no obvious means of support, supposed organized criminals, assorted B-listers, and others who sought to emulate the lifestyles depicted in movies such as Sarface and Studio 54. Filling in the bench were any number local celebrities, visiting pro atheletes, and lots of couples out for a good steak and some mediocre Italian food at a fair price. In a word, Malio's was the sort of place Bill Clinton would love, and likely did.

Anyway, Malio's was sold to make way for condos a short while back. Displaced from his former perch, Steinbrenner is now a fixture at the nearby Waffle House on Dale Mabry, cutting deals over a plate of scattered and smothered with a side of raisin toast. I don't quite see George sitting in an urban version of the 24-hour southern diner that largely serves the staff and guests from the nearby Mons Venus, but his regular office hours are well documented.

PS, extra credit for anyone who can explain the spooky, Munsters-style graphics used on plates and saucers at WH.

Go Gators.

Hi - we've amended our trip just a bit on the strong recommendation of a good friend to spend one night here - http://www.buckberrylodge.com/lodge.htm and two in Asheville.
According to the friend, the restaurant in the lodge is excellent and we'll probably wind up having dinner there unless someone here convinces me to go down the mountain and into the Gatlinburg tourist zone. If anyone has a secret Gatlinburg favorite please share! Thanks - Lynn

An interesting addendum on the Waffle House story. In Indiana, the chain exists but is known as "Waffle Steak." Why? Because before they moved into Indiana, there was already a local chain of diners call Waffle House, who therefore trumped the national chain with regard to the trademark (yes, strangely enough, sometimes the law still does, quaintly, guard the rights of the little guys and protect them from being crushed out of existence by interstate corporate juggernauts). That said, I've never eaten at a "Waffle Steak," or its non-Hoosier kin. But many's the meal I've enjoyed at (Hoosier) Waffle House, and my family also owes them a great debt. In 1981, my dad entered and won a sweepstakes at Waffle House, with the prize being a trip (for 2) to Hawaii. Dad turned this into a family trip, which is still my all-time favorite vacation memory (although Dad rued this as the "most expensive goddamn prize [he] ever won!").

In the current issue of Time Out New York the lead story is "Why Didn't We Think of That?! How to make New Yoirk Better by Stealing the Best Ideas From Other Cities." One of the entries reads in part:

"Despite the fact that 25 states are currently wolfing down Bert's Chili, heavenly hash browns and pecan waffles there's still no Waffle House franchise here."

At HC Monterrey in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where I had the wonderful arrachera hot off the coals, our waiter was wearing a Waffle House T-Shirt.

Don't know why, but it's true, and pleased me no end.

My sister raves about a place called The Grease Rack outside of Knoxville...with a name like that, it's got to be good, right?

555 Morrell Springs
Newport, TN 37821
(423) 623-9279

OK, so based on the responses thus far, unless there's a Waffle House in Gatlinburg, we should probably just stay on the mountain.

Mission accomplished! No fast food was consumed, although I suppose I should admit to the bag of cheese popcorn, can of honey roasted peanuts and package of Chex mix that traveled with us in the back seat. Thanks again for all the suggestions. After spending the weekend in Ohio we set out on a Monday morning headed to Gatlinburg. Per the multiple recommendations here, we stopped in Berea for lunch. We happened to arrive at 12:15 and went straight to the Boone Tavern Inn. They were unable to seat us til 1:15 so we wandered around the quaint town and poked into the shops. Upon entering the dining room we realized why they couldn't seat us right away - there had to be 4 tour busses worth of retirees finishing up their meals. Seriously, there were probably a hundred people. They bring you their famous spoonbread right away. It comes to the table in a cast iron skillet and is spooned out onto your bread plate where you can add butter if you choose. Yum. I had a very good fried green tomato and cheese sandwich and husband had the country ham and white cheddar sandwich. You choose your side dish - my coleslaw was outstanding but husband's potato salad was nothing special. We didn't have dessert. It was a very enjoyable meal in a setting that transports you back in time.
We took the scenic route to Gatlinburg through the Smokies which added some driving time but was well worth it for the views. Gatlinburg is (IMO,) a smaller, cheaper, and somehow even tackier cousin of the Wisconsin Dells. Pretty much what we expected. Driving through on the way to the lodge we were staying at, we both said "thank goodness they have a restaurant and we don't have to come back down here for dinner!" Guess I should have read the fine print - turns out their restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Doh! So back down the mountain we went. I'm not even going to mention where we ate. It wasn't horrible, it wasn't good, it was sustinance. Despite their restaurant being closed, I will say The Lodge at Buckberry Creek is a darned fine place to stay. If you have the means, go and stay a week. We were in one of the least expensive rooms and it was very spacious with a full kitchen, a small balcony, large sitting area w/ a fireplace, and a huge bathroom (robes included - I love that.) Had we been there more than a night I would have stocked up at a grocery store and cooked our own meals there. We planned on doing some hiking in the morning but it was POURING rain - the only bad weather of our trip. The Lodge is actually four separate buildings and breakfast is served in the main building. You can order off a hot food menu but we found the complimentary continental buffet more than sufficient. There was an excellent homemade granola with assorted toppings, fresh fruit and pastries.
We decided to opt for the scenic route again on the way to Asheville. It stopped raining and we had a beautiful drive through more Smokies and then took the Blue Ridge Highway. They're not kidding about that "ridge" part - I had to use my passenger-side foot break a few times! We liked Asheville a lot. It reminded me a bit of Madison, WI but w/ mountains. There are a whole lot of restaurants for the size of the city so choosing was tough. Our first night we ate here - http://www.thelobstertrap.biz/
We hadn't stopped for lunch and were starving. I started with some oysters on the half shell and husband had the crab cakes. Both were fresh and good. He "went for it" and got the crab legs, while I enjoyed their grilled mountain trout with rosemary and hazelnuts. Nice wine list, good service, some live music and the place was jumping even on a Tuesday night - a good time. Breakfast was at the inn we stayed at - http://www.abbingtongreen.com/index.php Valerie, the innkeeper, was a very gracious host and a good cook. She prepared a two course breakfast every day. Wed. morning we started with a ruby grapefruit half topped with some sliced kiwi and strawberries drizzled w/ a little maple syrup. I'd never thought to do that before but the syrup really complimented the fruit. The entree was a decadent warm croissant "bread pudding" w/ orange cream cheese filling and sausage on the side. Thursday's breakfast began with a blueberry parfait and the entree was quiche w/ crispy grits-coated bacon on the side.
After breakfast on Wed. we headed to the Biltmore. We thought not going would be like visiting Memphis w/o stopping at Graceland. We rented the headphones and did the self-tour of the main house. This is not a cheap attraction. W/ the headphones (and you really do need them,) I think it was $48 per person. You could spend anywhere from 2 hours to an entire day there. In addition to the house there is a winery, a working farm, lots of gardens, horseback riding, several restaurants..... We stopped in the winery because you get a "complimentary" wine tasting with your paid admission. You are given a huge list of available wines and can pick 5 you'd like to taste. Nothing impressed us enough to make a purchase. I think we spent about 3 hours on the property and then headed back downtown for lunch. We ate here - http://www.tupelohoneycafe.com/about.htm and it was delicious. I had planned on having the shrimp and grits but at this point my body was screaming for some fresh veggies so I ordered the Southern Spring Salad w/ grilled marinated tofu instead. It was a really nice combination of flavors and textures and the homemade basil vinaigrette was excellent. Husband had the Charlston Chicken Sandwich w/ their homemade sweet potato fries. I'm not usually a big fan of sweet potato fries because I find most not crispy enough for me. These were salty and crispy-good. This place was also packed - we waited about 20 min. at 1pm on a Wed.
After the late lunch we really weren't in any hurry for dinner. We wound up at a tapas place around 9pm. I can't remember the name but I think it's the town's only tapas spot. It was below street level in a pretty cool space. I found it better than average and our server was very knowlegable, friendly and timed everything well. The stand-out tapa was the selection of cheeses. They offered a Spanish assortment or a local one. We opted for the local cheeses (one from NC, one from TN and one from Virginia,) and they came with some good slices of crusty bread, seasoned walnuts and homemade apricot preserves.
After breakfast at the inn on Thursday, we made the 4 1/2 hour drive to Nashville. We skipped lunch and had a few of the aforementioned car snacks instead. Nashville was a bit of a revelation to me. I liked it so much more than I thought I would. We stayed in the Vanderbilt neighborhood at the Lowes Vanderbilt hotel. It was a splurge for us. It's the kind of hotel where the entire staff seems to know you by name and you can't figure out how they're doing it. We had a drink at their bar and the bartender brought out a complimentary dish with some delicious little nibbles - marinated olives, tiny pretzels, nuts, etc... We then explored the downtown area and went into Ernest Tubbs record shop where I bought the latest Hank Williams III CD. Next, I dragged the husband into Boot Country as planned. The first thing I noticed were signs all over the place "buy one pair get two free." WHAT?! There has to be a catch, right? No catch, I am now the proud owner of not one, but three pairs of cowboy boots.
We stayed in the Vanderbilt area for dinner, dining at a casual "southern" cafe/bar for dinner. On Friday, after checking out of the hotel we went to Elliston Place Soda Shop for lunch. It's Nashville's oldest restaurant and possibly home to Nashville's oldest waitress. Service is not it's strong point but the overall experience is just so much fun. "Retro" does not even begin to describe it. I had a "meat and two" - being Friday, I chose the fried catfish w/ broccoli and mac & cheese as my sides. Husband had a burger and fries and we split a chocolate shake. The shake was perfect - thick, but not so thick you couldn't get it up the straw. Before leaving Nashville we took a spin by the Grand Ole Opry area. Never got out of the car - started having Gatlinburg flashbacks. Sorry Willie Nelson's Museum and Gift Emporium - maybe next time.
All in all, a very nice vacation. We ate well, but the first thing we wanted when we got back to Chicago was - pizza! Saturday night was Candlelite.

HI,

Thanks for the report. I have relatives in the Asheville region who are forever pleading for us to visit. I will be referring to your thread when the time comes.

I will make one wee departure from your trip: my Waffle House fix!

Thanks again for the detailed report!

Regards,

Jean's (Fried Chicken in Mount Vernon, KY) is now, sadly, closed. Weaver's in London, KY is doing well under new owners. And in Corbin, KY, try the Root Beer Stand.

Waffle House is doing well, although I learned that they pay all their staff as servers (so they pay the lower minimum wage since they assume that they will be making tips, even if they are primarily cooks). I tipped generously as a result, but I was disappointed to learn of their stance (I am sure that they are not alone in this).

JeffB wrote:PS, extra credit for anyone who can explain the spooky, Munsters-style graphics used on plates and saucers at WH.

Is there an answer to this, or is this just a
Jerry Seinfeld/Andy Rooney-style pondering?
We've been waiting 6 years for the answer!