A chef-driven restaurant is changing the possibility of what dining in the mountains can be
I’ve thought a lot about the right words to use about my new favorite restaurant in the Smokies. Words that can convey the experience without seeming like they’re hyperbole or exaggeration.
I’ve thought a lot about the peculiar combination of artistry, science, passion, and expertise that must come together to make a place like The Appalachian possible. The instinct is to reach for the flowery words, more elegant phrases that we reserve for the lofty ideas, the big moments that supersede the vernacular of our everyday lives.
I’ve thought about the word intentionality. In other words, a clear-driven purpose of creating a modern Southern Appalachian restaurant. A place where food carries the history of the mountains. Specifically, where traditional ingredients are used in modern ways that create an authentic experience that respects the nostalgia of the old ways without being beholden to them.
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I considered the word, nonconforming. The idea of building something unique in the middle of the most copy-catted culinary culture I’ve ever seen. The quickest path to success – in my lifetime – in the Sevier County culinary.
But I sit here now, a couple of days after our most recent meal, where we spoke with many of the chefs behind The Appalachian’s menu. And the word I keep coming back to isn’t complicated at all. That word is ‘possibility.’
Each day possibilities abound at The Appalachian. It’s the possibilities born of the flexibility only a restaurant like The Appalachian can offer. And it’s that possibility buttressed by all the other big words that make The Appalachian what it is. The best restaurant in Sevier County and, maybe in East Tennessee.
What is The Appalachian?
It is a unique culinary dining experience steeped in the history and culture of the mountains. Driven by a culinary team passionate about creating fine dining experiences, it’s based on what’s locally available in season. It’s about Southern Appalachian dining made new, taking classic ideas and using them to create something modern, sometimes delightfully unexpected with abundant flavor.
The Appalachian is located in the renovated Downtown Sevierville in a building that was probably a paint store decades before. It is the king of the Downtown Sevierville foodie movement. While Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg continue to churn out cookie-cutter restaurants with big names on the marquee, Downtown Sevierville is loaded with interesting restaurants where the food is the star.
What’s on the menu at The Appalachian?
What day is it, what month or what season? There’s a reason the menu at The Appalachian Menu isn’t laminated. Most menus in the region are essentially written in stone. But The Appalachian menu is locally – or regionally – sourced.
Want to know what will be on The Appalachian’s menu in July? Ask the local farmers what they put in the ground in March or April. The Appalachian’s larger menu changes seasonally, depending on what is fresh and available.
But the possibility runs deeper than that. Joey Potter, the chef de cuisine, told me that at the end of the night, the culinary team gets together to discuss the night’s successes. And also any adjustments that can be made or should be made. It’s a possibility that is rare in culinary cultures but exceptionally rare among the restaurants in tourist places like the mountains of East Tennessee.
Direct communication with suppliers
They communicate with their wide array of suppliers about what’s now available. But also what will be available and then the team figures out what they can do with it. For instance, the chef told me about the guy who grew the mushrooms that were used to stuff the quail. And even about the cave from which the sea salt was harvested.
“We come in with an overall vision,” Potter said, adding that the goal is to create something visually appealing with flavors and textures that are eclectic but also local – or at least regional. It’s about honoring what has come before in the creation of the new. The team at The Appalachian is on a first-name basis with most – if not all – of their suppliers.
“I know where everything we got comes from,” said Derek Green, director of culinary operations. “If you know who’s growing your food, you know it’s going to be taken care of.”
I am not casting aspersions. But I doubt the folks at your various big box eateries in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg have the same sort of relationship with their suppliers.
Dining at The Appalachian
We were seated in the front of the restaurant, where we could feel the heat from the large wood-burning hearth on which many of our dishes would be prepared. The décor was as you’d expect in a fine dining establishment. There was dark wood on the walls brightened by colorful artwork with patterns that seemed inspired by the Southwestern United States or Latin America. There aren’t that many tables, which leaves a nice spacious feeling and allows you to dine without feeling like you’ve been seated with a group of strangers. It also means that reservations are a good idea.
For our meal, we had two starters, two mains (one of which was split between us) and a dessert. Starters we didn’t try but looked fantastic included the wood-grilled romanesco – carrot Puree, pepper emulsion, crispy shallots, pickled peppers – and the roasted bone marrow – shallot, fresh herbs, green peppercorns and a grilled baguette. Mains we marked for our next visit included the shrimp & grits – andouille sausage, lunchbox pepper, shallot, fermented peppers – and the roasted chicken breast – mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, spiced chicken jus. I also saw that several people ordered the Appalachian burger. It looked massive, and I bet it would be a steal at the menu price of $21.
For this experience, we went with the chef’s recommendations. They were:
Deviled egg toast
At the end of the night, some chefs came over and asked about our favorites. I waxed poetic a little too long about the deviled egg toast. I sensed a tinge of disappointment that I wasn’t mentioning the more intricate dishes. But let me tell you, the Deviled Egg Toast is legit. Essentially, this is a play on the idea of avocado toast. But with the avocado being replaced by a deviled egg spread that is made with egg yolks slowly cooked sous-vide and then whipped to the smoothest, creamiest egg spread I’ve ever had in my life. It paired so nicely with the onion jam underneath and the crispy chicken skins sprinkled on top that it was astonishing. And it immediately opened my eyes to what was to come.
Chicken liver and waffles
Chef Nan Brown brought this dish to our table. She explained some of her thought processes in creating this play on a classic dish available in pancake houses across Sevier County.
The savory cornbread waffle was light and fluffy. It easily broke apart, working with the crispy breading on the chicken liver, which had the rich, earthy flavor that organ meat is known for. The gochujang hot honey and chipotle aioli brought enough heat to provide spice to the livers. Yet, it did not overwhelm the dish. There was heat but no pain. The best bites were when the waffle squares captured the hot honey and aioli. You get all the flavors of the waffle, the chicken, and the sauces, as well as the bright crunch of the green onion. I have never ordered chicken livers at a restaurant. That said, I would order this dish again.
Roasted quail
In an upset of somewhat epic proportions, my favorite dish of the night was not the excellent steak we will talk about in a minute. It was the roasted quail stuffed with mushroom duxelles, and pistachio nuts served with a crispy grit cake and acorn squash puree.
Reader, I took four years of French in high school and another four semesters in college. I had six minor roles in a single French production at the University of Tennessee. I’ve been to France three times. And until I set foot in The Appalachian, I had no earthly idea what a duxelles was. Turns out it’s a mince of mushrooms, onions, herbs and black pepper and it may be my favorite thing on Earth. I’m having it for Christmas dinner this year. Turducken is history.
Shoutout to Josiah at Extraterrestrial Fungi in Powell, who I was assured is a mushroom deity. I subsequently found out you need a password just to access his website. Add extremely exclusive mushroom farmers to the list of things I never knew existed before I went to the Appalachian.
Each bite of this dish was fantastic. The perfectly roasted quail with the duxelles and the crunch of the minced nuts was delightful. The crisp grit cake soaked in the squash puree only enhanced every bite. I’m already pining for the day when I can eat this again.
Dry-aged Kansas City strip
Mercifully, we split this, or we would have burst and died right there on the floor. I didn’t get to speak with Johnny Hogg – the excellently named butcher and grill master who prepared our steak. However, the man’s work belongs in the Louvre. Can you hang meat in the Louvre? They need a section devoted to perfectly prepared meat next to the Mona Lisa.
Our dry-aged Kansas City Strip was masterfully done. At some point, my rating system for steak hits a ceiling. I find it hard to compare one excellent steak to another. But this one was as good as any I’ve ever had. Juicy and smoky and with a brush of sea salt from some cave somewhere.
At any other establishment, this would have been the absolute highlight, the best of the best. I rate the quail slightly higher as a tribute to the quail. Our steak was served with grilled broccolini – again smoky with butter and lemon. The potato cake was cold-pressed mashed potatoes fried into a patty. They told me what was in it, but I was too focused on the steak and didn’t write it down. It was good, but next to the steak and broccolini? Put it this way, it’s hard for a star to shine next to the sun.
Chocolate apple cake
When Chef Brown brought out the chocolate apple cake with bourbon caramel, grilled apple butter, and vanilla ice cream, I thought briefly she might be trying to kill us via food coma. But after one bite of this chocolate apple slice, I knew we had a moral obligation to finish it. The chocolate-apple combination itself is interesting. But the added drizzle of bourbon caramel – she told us the intense process of making it – with the Granny Smith grilled apple butter and ice cream? That’s gold. I don’t know if grilled Granny Smith apple butter is a thing, but I strongly support it becoming a thing.
What about drinks?
My word. The drinks. The bar is … extensive. I didn’t do a hard count, but I believe the whiskey and Scotch menu runs about 200 deep. It includes legendary pours like Pappy Van Winkle 15-year, George C. Stagg and Johnny Walker Blue. They also offer a wide range of beers, cocktails, and tequila and dessert drinks.
The George Dickel “Appalachian” comes from a specific barrel, aged 16 years before the Appalachian staff toured the Dickel facility in Middle Tennessee. They selected this whiskey specifically for the bar. It found it smoky, leathery, and surprisingly easy to drink. The cliché is to call such a spirit smooth, but it was. It was perfect with the onion jam on the deviled egg toast and with the heat of the chicken liver and waffle.
Is The Appalachian expensive?
By Smoky Mountain standards, a little, yes, but really, no. Two mains were under $30 and all five were under $40. The steaks run at what I would say are typical steakhouse prices, but most of the apps were between $10 and $20. If you wanted to order the best whiskey and the most expensive steak, you could get into some money. But overall, I think a date night at $90-$120 is easily doable and you could get out for much less if you both ordered the burger. But having eaten there, I enjoyed the possibility. I’ve paid a lot more for meals that I enjoyed a lot less.
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Wish the trolley went into Sevierville. I travel in a class c motor home and use the trolley to get around.