Ranking the regional “chain” restaurants in the Smokies For years, I didn’t realize that lightning bugs were a regional thing. We grew up chasing them, catching them, keeping them in jars and releasing them at the end of the evening. I thought it was a fairly universal experience. I mean, I didn’t expect Alaskans got a lot of lightning bugs
Which of these two Tradition-Steeped Restaurants is the Best? In the competitive world of the Pigeon Forge culinary scene, there are a lot of angles that have to be considered. It’s not just about who has the best food. You have to stand out. Certainly, you have to be creative. You have to grab some attention. Because, after all, if
When planning your dining for your Smoky Mountain Vacation, these are the places to miss in Pigeon Forge The truth is I’m a pretty easy date. I like to like things. When I spend a night on the town or at the movies or a local restaurant, I don’t like to go in with a critical attitude. I look for
Located six minutes from each other on the Pigeon Forge strip, these restaurants serve classic Southern dishes with a new flair There was a time when Southern dining in the Smokies meant a very specific, downhome type flavor. Maybe it was fried catfish. Maybe it was mashed taters and gravy or meatloaf or ham n’ beans. But whatever it was, it
A local father of 3 offers his advice on the best family restaurants in Gatlinburg For a town built for family vacations, Gatlinburg has relatively few of what I’d consider actual family restaurants. There are a handful of high-end places where kids are certainly welcome, but don’t give off the vibe of a family restaurant. These days, there are more
Blue Moose vs. Calhoun’s: Who ya got? There are many factors in choosing how to spend your culinary budget in Gatlinburg, not the least of which is geography. Are you, your hotel or your car on one end of the strip? Then it doesn’t make much sense to go past dozens of restaurants to get to the other end. In
A local breaks down what may be the biggest season of change since tourists started flocking to the mountains Turn, turn, turn. Change comes to the mountains faster than the seasons. Governed by the unforgiving judgement of those who vote with their wallets, pocketbooks and – probably – a variety of apps, everything in the Smokies is in a state of
Between Townsend and Pigeon Forge, these are the things you shouldn’t do in this under-appreciated part of the Smokies Growing up in Blount County, not far from Townsend, I had three routes from which I could choose when heading to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. Which route I chose often depended on my destination. We could cut through Seymour and head
Choosing among the best BBQ in the Smokies The thing about competition is that most of the time, someone has to come out ahead. Rarely in life can we put something head-to-head – or in this case head-to-head-to-head – and walk away with everyone involved winning. But, when it comes to comparing BBQ joints in the mountains, it is very
Don’t make these mistakes when dining at Sevier County’s best restaurant If you grew up in East Tennessee in a certain era, there wasn’t much reason to stop in Sevierville or ever visit downtown. I suppose if you needed something from the Kmart, you’d swing by. Or maybe you had a home improvement project and preferred one of the downtown