What could HIPAA violation cost your practice?
9 years ago
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Mass edits are coming ...
I've decided to finally augment prior posts with photos that I've taken with the ole-cell-phone. So if suddenly posts have pictures and they lack explicit notes of edit... guess what, I did it unappologetically!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
McScrooge's ... a Really? from the past
It's one thing to vanity-google yourself and another thing entirely to peruse BeerAdvocate, read a review of a beer store you haven't looked at in a long time and find yourself completely agreeing with a review only to realize that it's your review from 9-10-2007, right after you arrived in Knoxville. For authenticity's sake what follows is simply a copy-paste of that review because my tone in describing McScrooge's. Of course this means it is a bit out of context so you can read the original and other quotes for the feelings of others on this particular booze-ateria.
I suppose it makes sense to provide some additional information over a year later. I don't go to McScrooge's, mostly because it is so far west and we have perfectly good stores (soon to be reviewed) much closer to home, all of which are making a great effort to stock quality beers of both the Belgian and American varieties. I'd be a liar if I didn't admin that my interaction with the sales guy has also colored my view a bit and makes me less inclined to return. That being said I do refer people who live out west to the little Irishman if they require some high-gravity beer or a decent wine selection.
"I also found this place thanks to the guy behind the counter at "The Leaf and Ale."
Firstly, their wine selection is excellent (the second best we've found in/around Knoxville) and their spirits collection is good too (if either of these things matter to you)... now onto the beer.
Our first trip there was great... the selection is effectively the de-facto Knoxville selection with a few nice surprises. For me the best surprise was the quantity of Rodenbach Grand-Cru on the shelf. I bought them out. It was great. I don't recall anything about the service on our first trip.
The reason for my poor service and quality review was the second trip. My father was coming to town and was very excited about the possibility of Rodenbach. I was disappointed to find zero on the shelf. A friendly guy asked me if he could help. The conversation was as follows:
Me: Yeah, I was wondering if you had any Rodenbach in back since the shelf is empty.
Him: What? Is that wine?
Ed Note: Fine, you don't know your whole selection. I understand.
Me: No, it's a Belgian beer you had last time I was here.
Him: Oh yeah. The really bitter beer. I had it once and I thought it had gone bad. It is SO gross. Oh, but I guess you like it.
Then he disappeared into the back, and found none. I also purchased, as a poor replacement, a Brugse Straffe Hendrik, which was 99% flat. It may be that this is out of their control or it may be old stock, but it was no good.
They have a nice Creme de Cassis for Kir (if you're into that kind of thing) so I may stop in when I am out there and check their beer selection but I will never drive all the way out there just for their beer. If you live in that part of the city then it will provide you with all the standard Stone / DFH / Delierium / Chimay / etc which are standard for Knoxville."
Firstly, their wine selection is excellent (the second best we've found in/around Knoxville) and their spirits collection is good too (if either of these things matter to you)... now onto the beer.
Our first trip there was great... the selection is effectively the de-facto Knoxville selection with a few nice surprises. For me the best surprise was the quantity of Rodenbach Grand-Cru on the shelf. I bought them out. It was great. I don't recall anything about the service on our first trip.
The reason for my poor service and quality review was the second trip. My father was coming to town and was very excited about the possibility of Rodenbach. I was disappointed to find zero on the shelf. A friendly guy asked me if he could help. The conversation was as follows:
Me: Yeah, I was wondering if you had any Rodenbach in back since the shelf is empty.
Him: What? Is that wine?
Ed Note: Fine, you don't know your whole selection. I understand.
Me: No, it's a Belgian beer you had last time I was here.
Him: Oh yeah. The really bitter beer. I had it once and I thought it had gone bad. It is SO gross. Oh, but I guess you like it.
Then he disappeared into the back, and found none. I also purchased, as a poor replacement, a Brugse Straffe Hendrik, which was 99% flat. It may be that this is out of their control or it may be old stock, but it was no good.
They have a nice Creme de Cassis for Kir (if you're into that kind of thing) so I may stop in when I am out there and check their beer selection but I will never drive all the way out there just for their beer. If you live in that part of the city then it will provide you with all the standard Stone / DFH / Delierium / Chimay / etc which are standard for Knoxville."
I suppose it makes sense to provide some additional information over a year later. I don't go to McScrooge's, mostly because it is so far west and we have perfectly good stores (soon to be reviewed) much closer to home, all of which are making a great effort to stock quality beers of both the Belgian and American varieties. I'd be a liar if I didn't admin that my interaction with the sales guy has also colored my view a bit and makes me less inclined to return. That being said I do refer people who live out west to the little Irishman if they require some high-gravity beer or a decent wine selection.
Friday, December 19, 2008
The French Market - une bonne crêpe
I am particularly picky about my French food as a Francophile (or maybe a Europhile), and after briefly living in Paris I am completely a snob. Paris will do that to you, don't hate me for it. Even if you do hate me for it, there is plenty of really good French food available on this side of the pond, and that's what I want and expect when I go out for it. Luckily for you and me, The French Market provides a good local crêperie!
The menu includes both crêpes and baguette sandwiches and various pastries including the misleadingly misspelled macaron (they labeled them "macaroon"; both are delicious but they are very different things, as David Lebovitz is quick to point out). Our party of four all descended on the crêpes, which come in two varieties (other than sweet and savory): galettes (partly buckwheat flour) and the standard wheat flour variety. Since there doesn't appear to be a bakery on-site I would guess they buy their bread locally and daily but that is still in the air (all the more reason to come back, no?)
I chose the vegetarian galette packed with spinach, artichoke hearts, and plenty of gruyere. Two others in our party decided on the crêpe mixte consisting ham, gruyere, and lots of black pepper. The final, and perhaps most adventurous member of our party chose the crêpe saumon with cured salmon and crême friache.
Since they lack a beer and wine license, which is a major shame because I really wanted a cool glass of Rosé to complement my meal, drinks are of the soft-drink variety.
After placing our orders we weren't sure if we were to pay immediately or after the meal and all stood around gazing at our navals waiting for some prompting from those behind the counter. Instead of providing any clue as to what we should do, they argued about orders that had or hadn't gone out. Finally I asked whether we should pay now or later to which they looked surprised and happily took our money. Ok, no problem.
At this point the cadre went outside to the extremely welcoming patio and took a seat, but I realized, as I finished paying, that I didn't have a glass for the can of Dr. Brown's Ginger Ale (it's like Rosé, right?) and didn't want to drink out of the can. I asked the woman behind the counter if I could possibly have a glass for my drink to which she replied "we don't have any ice!" Really?! Whoa. I was so taken aback that it took me a minute to explain that I didn't want ice (the drink was cold) so much as something to drink out of. Somewhat begrudgingly, she provided a small plastic cup and I retreated to the safety of the patio.
The food arrived promptly by the crêpe master of the establishment and we were all quite satisfied by the food. I quickly gobbled mine down and started trying to pick at my wife's (we had spent the morning caring for our huge yard and were both ravenous). For some reason she actually gave me a few full bites and it was also delicious.
The location is good, the interior and exterior of the restaurant are pleasant, and aside from the strange interaction at the counter, everyone in our party was quite satisfied. We will definitely be returning to try their sandwiches and desserts as well! Regrettably, rumor-has-it that the location is on its way out due to a California real-estate developer purchasing the space. Let's hope this is not the case!
The menu includes both crêpes and baguette sandwiches and various pastries including the misleadingly misspelled macaron (they labeled them "macaroon"; both are delicious but they are very different things, as David Lebovitz is quick to point out). Our party of four all descended on the crêpes, which come in two varieties (other than sweet and savory): galettes (partly buckwheat flour) and the standard wheat flour variety. Since there doesn't appear to be a bakery on-site I would guess they buy their bread locally and daily but that is still in the air (all the more reason to come back, no?)
I chose the vegetarian galette packed with spinach, artichoke hearts, and plenty of gruyere. Two others in our party decided on the crêpe mixte consisting ham, gruyere, and lots of black pepper. The final, and perhaps most adventurous member of our party chose the crêpe saumon with cured salmon and crême friache.
Since they lack a beer and wine license, which is a major shame because I really wanted a cool glass of Rosé to complement my meal, drinks are of the soft-drink variety.
After placing our orders we weren't sure if we were to pay immediately or after the meal and all stood around gazing at our navals waiting for some prompting from those behind the counter. Instead of providing any clue as to what we should do, they argued about orders that had or hadn't gone out. Finally I asked whether we should pay now or later to which they looked surprised and happily took our money. Ok, no problem.
At this point the cadre went outside to the extremely welcoming patio and took a seat, but I realized, as I finished paying, that I didn't have a glass for the can of Dr. Brown's Ginger Ale (it's like Rosé, right?) and didn't want to drink out of the can. I asked the woman behind the counter if I could possibly have a glass for my drink to which she replied "we don't have any ice!" Really?! Whoa. I was so taken aback that it took me a minute to explain that I didn't want ice (the drink was cold) so much as something to drink out of. Somewhat begrudgingly, she provided a small plastic cup and I retreated to the safety of the patio.
The food arrived promptly by the crêpe master of the establishment and we were all quite satisfied by the food. I quickly gobbled mine down and started trying to pick at my wife's (we had spent the morning caring for our huge yard and were both ravenous). For some reason she actually gave me a few full bites and it was also delicious.
The location is good, the interior and exterior of the restaurant are pleasant, and aside from the strange interaction at the counter, everyone in our party was quite satisfied. We will definitely be returning to try their sandwiches and desserts as well! Regrettably, rumor-has-it that the location is on its way out due to a California real-estate developer purchasing the space. Let's hope this is not the case!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Cosmo's Café - so close but sometimes so far
Cosmo's Café is one half of what should be the perfect destination for foodies in Knoxville, sharing a space with Gourmet's Market.
It should be said, and early on in this mini-rant, that when the food at Cosmo's is good, it's very good. Breakfast covers the standard eggs, bacon, and potatoes range that you might expect but includes huevos rancheros (which I am biased against as a southwesterner), a fairly tasty breakfast burrito, and a very well laid-out omelette bar where your eggy concoction will be made before your eyes in real time. The coffee at Cosmo's is properly gourmet with two varieties of caffeinated and a decaf at all times.
Having been there on multiple occasions, early impressions were that this would be our de facto breakfast destination for a long time to come. During our first visits we were not exposed to "one Knoxville Standard Service" (which will be fully explained in its own rant later... all in good time, you'll get the idea soon enough) but rather the manager took personal interest in customers, the staff was fairly attentive and food was brought out quickly and warm. Prices were a tiny bit high but since that's the case everywhere in Knoxville we had no problem accepting it and enjoying well made food (and raving about it to others).
One friend in particular had custom omelettes several times in a row and they were all perfect. I had various breakfasts, almost always centered around my favorite part: potatoes, and the wife enjoyed her eggs and bacon tremendously.
Then, as is my particular gift to find, service started to slide radically. It started with "oh, we're out of potatoes." They had just opened. And potatoes are cheap and easy to keep warm and fairly moist and tasty even if it were later in the day. I don't get it. When I want (or need) potatoes that's a problem. Ironically, in this case it wasn't me ordering anything with the succulent flesh of potatoes, but the wife. Then food took forever to come out on multiple occasions. Sure, in one instance it was a time-change and half the staff didn't show up but... Actually, food not coming out became a serious problem. I'm pretty patient and unwilling to confront staff almost ever but I had to ask about my food multiple times. I was frustrated. Luckily, since coffee is self-serve, and was readily available I was never driven to caffeine-withdrawal spurred rage. The pattern of course was clear, there was no one driving the kitchen. No expediter, no manager keeping things going when it was desperately needed.
I would love for this to change because, as I said before, when the food is good, it's really good and I could use a stable, no-thinking breakfast locale when I just don't want to get going in the morning.
It should be said, and early on in this mini-rant, that when the food at Cosmo's is good, it's very good. Breakfast covers the standard eggs, bacon, and potatoes range that you might expect but includes huevos rancheros (which I am biased against as a southwesterner), a fairly tasty breakfast burrito, and a very well laid-out omelette bar where your eggy concoction will be made before your eyes in real time. The coffee at Cosmo's is properly gourmet with two varieties of caffeinated and a decaf at all times.
Having been there on multiple occasions, early impressions were that this would be our de facto breakfast destination for a long time to come. During our first visits we were not exposed to "one Knoxville Standard Service" (which will be fully explained in its own rant later... all in good time, you'll get the idea soon enough) but rather the manager took personal interest in customers, the staff was fairly attentive and food was brought out quickly and warm. Prices were a tiny bit high but since that's the case everywhere in Knoxville we had no problem accepting it and enjoying well made food (and raving about it to others).
One friend in particular had custom omelettes several times in a row and they were all perfect. I had various breakfasts, almost always centered around my favorite part: potatoes, and the wife enjoyed her eggs and bacon tremendously.
Then, as is my particular gift to find, service started to slide radically. It started with "oh, we're out of potatoes." They had just opened. And potatoes are cheap and easy to keep warm and fairly moist and tasty even if it were later in the day. I don't get it. When I want (or need) potatoes that's a problem. Ironically, in this case it wasn't me ordering anything with the succulent flesh of potatoes, but the wife. Then food took forever to come out on multiple occasions. Sure, in one instance it was a time-change and half the staff didn't show up but... Actually, food not coming out became a serious problem. I'm pretty patient and unwilling to confront staff almost ever but I had to ask about my food multiple times. I was frustrated. Luckily, since coffee is self-serve, and was readily available I was never driven to caffeine-withdrawal spurred rage. The pattern of course was clear, there was no one driving the kitchen. No expediter, no manager keeping things going when it was desperately needed.
I would love for this to change because, as I said before, when the food is good, it's really good and I could use a stable, no-thinking breakfast locale when I just don't want to get going in the morning.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Old Mill Bread Company ... a bakery reward for going West!
I so rarely go to west Knoxville for anything unless forced that I would almost certainly never have found Old Mill Bread Company without being kidnapped. Luckily I was recently forced out of my comfort zone for training for work and found myself hunting lunch on Cedar Bluff. Monday I searched for some reasonable sustenance during the lunch hour and was excited by the non-chain option of eating at Old Mill but it was closed and I was forced into sandwich purgatory (actually Hell) at Subway. Great disappointment followed (no surprises here). Tuesday was Taste of Thai, and finally Wednesday we found ourselves in the same strip mall as Monday, but luckily this time we were not forced to eat bad bread or lousy sandwiches.
Old Mill Bread Company is precisely what I've wanted in Knoxville: a bakery and a no-nonsense sandwich shop. For $5.49 you can get a sandwich, made to order on homemade bread, and a cup of soup (for about $4.50 you can get a half sandwich and a cup of soup, or just a sandwich for around $3.50). Soups are made in house and are also very tasty as proven by the creamy chicken tortellini. Our small clan chose any combination of meats (turkey, roast beef, and chicken salad) and toppings and everyone was happy. The sandwiches were made to order extremely quickly and came with a single bite brownie to top off the meal.
At the end of meal I could not resist a low-fat oatmeal chocolate chip cookie (delicious) and a loaf of honey whole wheat bread to bring home for the fam.
Service was prompt and very friendly. Payment is cash only which might catch you by surprise so see an ATM first. Questions were answered without hesitation and hints about making sourdough at home were given for only a small fee (ok, none). If you're stuck out west for work or errands make a stop you won't regret it!
Old Mill Bread Company is precisely what I've wanted in Knoxville: a bakery and a no-nonsense sandwich shop. For $5.49 you can get a sandwich, made to order on homemade bread, and a cup of soup (for about $4.50 you can get a half sandwich and a cup of soup, or just a sandwich for around $3.50). Soups are made in house and are also very tasty as proven by the creamy chicken tortellini. Our small clan chose any combination of meats (turkey, roast beef, and chicken salad) and toppings and everyone was happy. The sandwiches were made to order extremely quickly and came with a single bite brownie to top off the meal.
At the end of meal I could not resist a low-fat oatmeal chocolate chip cookie (delicious) and a loaf of honey whole wheat bread to bring home for the fam.
Service was prompt and very friendly. Payment is cash only which might catch you by surprise so see an ATM first. Questions were answered without hesitation and hints about making sourdough at home were given for only a small fee (ok, none). If you're stuck out west for work or errands make a stop you won't regret it!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Taste of Thai ... not Thailand but delicious
... actually, I don't know if it is anything like Thailand, having never once been to Southeast Asia! I've had loads of Thai cuisine in cities and towns all over the West, Southwest, and NYC, and Taste of Thai is comparable to many of them. I was hoping for a spice-fest of incomparable proportions after reading the reviews declaring the food edible lava. Regrettably, it did not live up to those standards at all, but having visited it twice in two days (thanks to an enterprising co-worker), I can say it is certainly very tasty.
I have many favorite dishes in the broad selection of Thai dishes, and most of them are present and accounted for on the menu: Curry (of course, but of several varieties including green, red, yellow, masaman, rama, and my favorite, penang), Tom Yum Gai, a chicken soup with coconut milk also available under a similar name, beef salad, green papaya salad, and a wide variety of noodle and rice dishes including the requisite Pud Thai. The heat selection is on a scale of 1-5 where 5 is meant to be "Thai Hot," an often feared and always respected title. Being into very spicy thai food (or macho according to friends) I, of course, demanded at least one dish be a 5 (and I always order Indian food "Indian hot" because I'm like that).
Our party ordered one rama curry with pork (3/5 for flavor), one red curry with beef(5/5 - Thai hot), one garlic sauce with chicken (3/5 to prevent the chicken from being over-powered), and to start a green papaya salad and an order of crab cheese rolls along with the requisite Thai iced tea. The tea is delicious, and a mandatory experience for those unfamiliar with the delightful drink. The concoction of condensed milk, tea, and sugar is pretty amazing and recalls melted rich vanilla ice-cream! I had never had crab cheese rolls and they were tasty regardless of their authenticity (I have no idea... are they traditional??) The green papaya salad was extremely tasty and is highly recommended. It lacked the tiny dried shrimp it often has, which are delicious, but remained a great appetizer and I even resisted licking the plate clean.
The main courses arrived and I was disappointed to find that the "thai hot" red curry was just not hot, but it was tasty. It was a bit heavy on the coconut milk, which while being required for all curry, isn't generally the predominant ingredient in the sauce. After getting past my disappointment at not fainting from capsaicin poisoning (often a goal of mine, unless the source is raw cayenne, and then I am punished but unexcited) I found the dish quite tasty. The asian eggplant was perfectly cooked and the dish was well executed. The rama curry was equally tasty and not intended to be nearly as spicy a I had hoped mine would be. The garlic sauce chicken was, strangely, spicier than my curry, quite tasty, and seemed to satisfy.
The service was attentive, friendly, and with a great sense of humor. Our server was in the midst of explaining that to make the papaya salad they had to get a papaya from the tree, which wasn't quite finished growing according to him, but the salad arrived in the midst of the story. His disappointment was palpable and made the joke even funnier.
Dessert was just not to happen but the fried ice cream was definitely calling me and will have to be revisited sometime when I don't make a complete pig of myself.
Strangely I was to return to the restaurant less that 16 hours after my first visit during a lunch break from work. I was really excited to try dishes that I had missed from my first visit: tom yum gai and beef salad (that was lunch if I had my way). I found that the lunch menu is a very abbreviated version of the evening menu so I was to be denied both soup and salad and ended up with Rag Nar (chicken, broccoli, wide noodles, and gravy) which was quite tasty but has 0 spice (and usually does so I was surprised when they gave me the ole 1-5 spice option). Others in my party ordered Pud Thai (which looked tasty and the inexperienced thai diner who ordered it seemed happy), Red Curry (ordered with 2/5 heat and was exactly as spicy as the night before), and cashew chicken (which also looked good and nothing like the standard chinese version of the dish).
Lunch found all of the tables jammed and the staff working double-time but the service was prompt and friendly.
The only strange thing is the menu posted in the window which insists that entreés are not to be shared! I saw no evidence of this being enforced as I ate off of everyone else's plates both days (not that I'm embarrassed about it... I was a complete piggy!!)
Don't be put off by the dire warnings of insane heat that pepper the newspaper clippings in the window (ahem... that pun is pretty terrible), I've seen no evidence of said spice (and would like to)! If you find yourself in West Knoxville for whatever reason, probably against your will, this is one more good lunch or dinner option to investigate.
I have many favorite dishes in the broad selection of Thai dishes, and most of them are present and accounted for on the menu: Curry (of course, but of several varieties including green, red, yellow, masaman, rama, and my favorite, penang), Tom Yum Gai, a chicken soup with coconut milk also available under a similar name, beef salad, green papaya salad, and a wide variety of noodle and rice dishes including the requisite Pud Thai. The heat selection is on a scale of 1-5 where 5 is meant to be "Thai Hot," an often feared and always respected title. Being into very spicy thai food (or macho according to friends) I, of course, demanded at least one dish be a 5 (and I always order Indian food "Indian hot" because I'm like that).
Our party ordered one rama curry with pork (3/5 for flavor), one red curry with beef(5/5 - Thai hot), one garlic sauce with chicken (3/5 to prevent the chicken from being over-powered), and to start a green papaya salad and an order of crab cheese rolls along with the requisite Thai iced tea. The tea is delicious, and a mandatory experience for those unfamiliar with the delightful drink. The concoction of condensed milk, tea, and sugar is pretty amazing and recalls melted rich vanilla ice-cream! I had never had crab cheese rolls and they were tasty regardless of their authenticity (I have no idea... are they traditional??) The green papaya salad was extremely tasty and is highly recommended. It lacked the tiny dried shrimp it often has, which are delicious, but remained a great appetizer and I even resisted licking the plate clean.
The main courses arrived and I was disappointed to find that the "thai hot" red curry was just not hot, but it was tasty. It was a bit heavy on the coconut milk, which while being required for all curry, isn't generally the predominant ingredient in the sauce. After getting past my disappointment at not fainting from capsaicin poisoning (often a goal of mine, unless the source is raw cayenne, and then I am punished but unexcited) I found the dish quite tasty. The asian eggplant was perfectly cooked and the dish was well executed. The rama curry was equally tasty and not intended to be nearly as spicy a I had hoped mine would be. The garlic sauce chicken was, strangely, spicier than my curry, quite tasty, and seemed to satisfy.
The service was attentive, friendly, and with a great sense of humor. Our server was in the midst of explaining that to make the papaya salad they had to get a papaya from the tree, which wasn't quite finished growing according to him, but the salad arrived in the midst of the story. His disappointment was palpable and made the joke even funnier.
Dessert was just not to happen but the fried ice cream was definitely calling me and will have to be revisited sometime when I don't make a complete pig of myself.
Strangely I was to return to the restaurant less that 16 hours after my first visit during a lunch break from work. I was really excited to try dishes that I had missed from my first visit: tom yum gai and beef salad (that was lunch if I had my way). I found that the lunch menu is a very abbreviated version of the evening menu so I was to be denied both soup and salad and ended up with Rag Nar (chicken, broccoli, wide noodles, and gravy) which was quite tasty but has 0 spice (and usually does so I was surprised when they gave me the ole 1-5 spice option). Others in my party ordered Pud Thai (which looked tasty and the inexperienced thai diner who ordered it seemed happy), Red Curry (ordered with 2/5 heat and was exactly as spicy as the night before), and cashew chicken (which also looked good and nothing like the standard chinese version of the dish).
Lunch found all of the tables jammed and the staff working double-time but the service was prompt and friendly.
The only strange thing is the menu posted in the window which insists that entreés are not to be shared! I saw no evidence of this being enforced as I ate off of everyone else's plates both days (not that I'm embarrassed about it... I was a complete piggy!!)
Don't be put off by the dire warnings of insane heat that pepper the newspaper clippings in the window (ahem... that pun is pretty terrible), I've seen no evidence of said spice (and would like to)! If you find yourself in West Knoxville for whatever reason, probably against your will, this is one more good lunch or dinner option to investigate.
Barley's Pizza or hardware and feed
Barley's Pizza is one of the first restaurants I found while researching Knoxville on the interwebs before moving here. I was focused on priorities; in that case, Belgian beer available in bars. As it turns out Belgians are not the reason to go to Barley's, but there are many good ones!
The history of Barley's as a local chain is actually part of what makes it interesting. Starting in the nearby and truly hip Asheville, NC as a pizza joint and later micro-brewery, they expanded to the nearby lands in the hope of pushing good pizza and beer on the masses. The full history is on their website, and an interesting read, but what makes it interesting to me is what happened to their microbrew. Highland Brewing, also out of Asheville, actually started in the back room of Barley's and has blossomed into a quality brewery. Suffice to say, as I'm not reviewing Highland at this point, that their Kashmir IPA and their Oatmeal Porter are both delicious. I would love to say the same of their Mocha Stout but, since it isn't sold in Knoxville, I can't sample it. In fact, neither is the Kashmir, but I've had it in NC while visiting family and it is high quality.
Since Barley's is one of my standby "I don't want to cook tonight" haunts I've been there many many times with lots of folks. The service is consistently good. Certainly, I've had a few nights where the small tip reflected the service, but that happens so rarely that it never makes me hesitant to go back.
Barley's beer list is substantial, both on tap and in bottles, and has in fact introduced me to some beer I would never have tried otherwise. Depending on the server and the current beer selection they may or may not have an up-to-date beer list that matches anything resembling reality. That's fine, just go the bar, read the chalkboards behind it listing the beers or look at the taps. The high-gravity beer list (beers 7% and stronger) is not terribly impressive but that's a function of Knoxville and its available selection combined with an incredibly high beer tax rather than Barley's itself. For me the standby beer is Rogue's John's Locker Stock, or just Locker Stock, which is a brewer's special of sorts that rotates constantly. The Locker Stock is often fabulous and never bad, and it's to the point that unless I have a hankering for something else specific I just order it and then ask what it is right now.
Pizza is definitely the star of the menu and many of the off-the-menu pizzas are simply amazing, or compose your own. The wife and I tend to stick with a vegetarian, hold the mushrooms (allergies, I love them personally) and add ham on sourdough crust. It's not very vegetarian but it is delicious. Every other pie I've had has been equally good, and to start the hummus is pretty delicious, as are the chips and queso. For those not interested in pies, the sandwiches, including the Sunspot Burger, are delicious, as are the accompanying fries.
Since Knoxville passed the indoor smoking ban Barley's is even more pleasant inside in the evenings, but during the summer months it is worth braving the smoke to enjoy the inviting patio where you might even see the Barley's hawk that lives on the roof. The upstairs bar has a different selection of beer as well as billiards and other bar games. There is an entire subset of Knoxvillians who only go upstairs, and another set who only go downstairs. Investigate both for yourself and report back!
The history of Barley's as a local chain is actually part of what makes it interesting. Starting in the nearby and truly hip Asheville, NC as a pizza joint and later micro-brewery, they expanded to the nearby lands in the hope of pushing good pizza and beer on the masses. The full history is on their website, and an interesting read, but what makes it interesting to me is what happened to their microbrew. Highland Brewing, also out of Asheville, actually started in the back room of Barley's and has blossomed into a quality brewery. Suffice to say, as I'm not reviewing Highland at this point, that their Kashmir IPA and their Oatmeal Porter are both delicious. I would love to say the same of their Mocha Stout but, since it isn't sold in Knoxville, I can't sample it. In fact, neither is the Kashmir, but I've had it in NC while visiting family and it is high quality.
Since Barley's is one of my standby "I don't want to cook tonight" haunts I've been there many many times with lots of folks. The service is consistently good. Certainly, I've had a few nights where the small tip reflected the service, but that happens so rarely that it never makes me hesitant to go back.
Barley's beer list is substantial, both on tap and in bottles, and has in fact introduced me to some beer I would never have tried otherwise. Depending on the server and the current beer selection they may or may not have an up-to-date beer list that matches anything resembling reality. That's fine, just go the bar, read the chalkboards behind it listing the beers or look at the taps. The high-gravity beer list (beers 7% and stronger) is not terribly impressive but that's a function of Knoxville and its available selection combined with an incredibly high beer tax rather than Barley's itself. For me the standby beer is Rogue's John's Locker Stock, or just Locker Stock, which is a brewer's special of sorts that rotates constantly. The Locker Stock is often fabulous and never bad, and it's to the point that unless I have a hankering for something else specific I just order it and then ask what it is right now.
Pizza is definitely the star of the menu and many of the off-the-menu pizzas are simply amazing, or compose your own. The wife and I tend to stick with a vegetarian, hold the mushrooms (allergies, I love them personally) and add ham on sourdough crust. It's not very vegetarian but it is delicious. Every other pie I've had has been equally good, and to start the hummus is pretty delicious, as are the chips and queso. For those not interested in pies, the sandwiches, including the Sunspot Burger, are delicious, as are the accompanying fries.
Since Knoxville passed the indoor smoking ban Barley's is even more pleasant inside in the evenings, but during the summer months it is worth braving the smoke to enjoy the inviting patio where you might even see the Barley's hawk that lives on the roof. The upstairs bar has a different selection of beer as well as billiards and other bar games. There is an entire subset of Knoxvillians who only go upstairs, and another set who only go downstairs. Investigate both for yourself and report back!
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