Golden Garden Chinese--Knoxville

It isn't often that you find a restaurant with a 100% voting record.   OK...something here must be good and Miss M and I had to check it out.  

Like most Chinese restaurants, the "hole" in the wall places are usually very good and Golden Garden is no exception.  Stuck in a strip center, Golden Garden is everything you would expect....narrow restaurant with mediocre decor. 

We arrived for lunch at 1PM and the place was busy...but a few tables were open.  Our hostess, server and I might even believe she was the chef immediately got our drink order and was off in a flurry.   We looked over the the lunch menu and was very shocked at the prices.   The Lunch menu runs from 11 to 3PM.    The Lunch Special includes soup, egg roll and entree with rice  from 4.95 to 5.75...and I believe that was the highest price.  The reverse side of the Lunch Special menu contains a dozen or more selections with soups and egg roll at an additional fee.  

Hot/Sour Soup

We both wanted the Hot/Sour Soup with the fried won ton strips.  The soup was a little "thinner" than I was used to..but remained VERY tasty.  The fried won ton strips were a bit stale...not quite the quality I was expecting.  

On to the entrees!   Miss M chose the Kung Pao Chicken with a 5 star heat!    I am a little tamer and chose the Twice Cooked Pork with a 2 star heat.  Two star was plenty enough for me...but the Kung Pao included those little Thai chilies.   It was HOT but she loved it.   My Twice Cooked Pork was wonderful....perfectly cooked, crunchy bok choy, nice carrots and the sauce was outstanding. 

Kung Pao Chicken

Twice Cooked Pork

All in all...this had to be tastiest meal and the entire bill was $13.00 for lunch.   Very good and a place I will return to again and again.  

Golden Garden is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11AM to 9PM.  Closed Sunday and Monday.  Their Dinner menu includes Orange Peel Beef or Chicken,  Singaporean Rice Noodle, and a very large selection including Chicken, Beef, Pork, Shrimp and Vegetable! 

Tanasi Golf & Country Club--Tennessee

Once again, I returned to visit the Tanasi Clubhouse for lunch.   And it is a beautiful waterfront golf and marina.  So nice to sit with friends and enjoy a glass of wine, beer or cocktail.   That is hard to do in these parts, since much of Loudon County is dry.  ...No liquor allowed.   But The Clubhouse has a special dispensation to serve liquor since they qualify as a private club.  

A beautiful day was once again in East Tennessee...but the humidity prevents us from enjoying a waterfront experience.  Got to stay in the A/C just to maintain.  

While browsing over the menu, I had to return to one of my favorite selections the Club has to offer...their Hawaiian Chicken Salad.   Juicy chicken breasts sauteed and other wonderful things like fried wonton, toasted coconut, pineapple, water chestnuts and sliced almonds accompanied with the Poppyseed dressing.   This is just the perfect combination for a filling lunch.  The Cobb Salad and the Fajita Salad provides my friends with enjoyment also.   I do enjoy the menu choice of a regular size salad at eight dollars and the smaller plate at six dollars.   The menu also includes all kinds of sandwiches and wraps.  Another personal favorite is the Club Sandwich with Wheat bread at seven dollars.   All Sandwiches include their Tanasi fries.   I don't know what they do to them but they are extra crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside.   Tanasi serves a great french fry.   Cole slaw and other  side items are available to substitute for great fries.  

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

 You might want to check with the club before hand since different days of the week have the golf leagues and the place can become packed at lunch.   The  mens and  womens leagues play different times and parking can become difficult.  

If you plan around the league events, Tanasi provides a great inexpensive lunch and also offer great dinner meals from 5 until 9 PM.   

McClarens--Sevierville

OK...this place has been on my "Wish List" for many a moon.   But I have discovered placing ANY restaurant on MY wish list will only provoke a stalker. 

Miss G and I were traveling today in Sevierville.   My very best friend, from the English Mountain area has raved over the Sunday Brunch and the Famous Pork Chops that are served by a very competent McClarnes  chef and Kitchen Staff.   

As soon as we arrived to the front Entrance....

 I excused my self.   Walking into the "facility", I began to understand the fun and whimsy this restaurant has to deliver!

McClarens has a VERY Scottish Pub feel....from the Front door to the great menu they present.    After looking around and listening to the 70's music, I felt comfortable.   Growing up in that era was just good...from Light My Fire by the Doors to The Magical Mystery Tour by the Beatles....music I never expected to hear in a Pub Setting, but it was ENGLISH after all.    

Great Tables and Spacious Booths for Six or More

We pored over the menu..and today's feature was a Black Bean Burger.  Sounded interesting, but after looking at the "regular" lunch menu, Miss G wanted to try the Sheperd's Pie with Broke Bread and I wanted to enjoy the Ham And Cheese Sub.   After a little debating, we decided on our choices.   The Shepard's Pie arrived at our table with an inviting presentation.     

Shepard's Pie with Broke Bread

I wanted to try the Ham & Cheese Sub...but watching the carbs....found out I could get the cold sandwiches in a "wrap".    Miss G was wild about her Pie...very tasty, cheesy and nice mashed potatoes atop!     I ordered the Ham & Cheese but requested the sandwich be served as a wrap....trying to cut the carbs of a sub roll.  As I began eating the half wrap, I though...this really doesn't taste like much.  As a matter of fact,....I don't believe it had any "flavor" at all.   A little disappointing, to say the least.    Also, I ordered a side salad with bleu cheese dressing instead of the other high carb offerings on the menu.  The second half of the wrap was removed and piled high on the balance of my house salad.  At this point, I began to taste the Ham and Cheese.   It was very good...I just don't understand why I couldn't taste these flavor while in the wrap!

Ham & Cheese Wrap with Fresh Crisp House Salad

This restaurant is on the "we are trying next time" visit to Sevierville, TN....good food presented very quickly.  

The Bistro Has IT!!--Michigan

What an enjoyable experience The Bistro On the Boulevard provides.  Lush, plush, comfortable!   And St. Joseph on Lake Michigan really has it going. 

Dear friends invited me for lunch.   They suggested the Bistro and I had never been there.   Lived in that area in the late 70's, but things have changed in that beautiful hamlet. 

We began with a prompt server who seated us at a wonderful table with a view of Lake Michigan.  It was perfect to be setting inside with the air...but the open air patio on the second floor provides a beautiful view of scenery.

The Open Air Veranda is available for Seating and Dining

We began searching the inclusive menu, which I found out is very new.   Many summer favorites to choose from including the Chicken Curry Salad which was fresh and tasty.   Our other dining companions choose the Roasted Goat Cheese with crostata toast points.  Nice Lake Michigan fish dishes and I choose the Grilled Chicken on Ciabatta. This was accompanied with fries  or other sides.   I really wanted the fresh fruit cup and it was perfect.   Succulent cantaloupe and Michigan blueberries.  They know how to  do fresh fruits in Southwestern Michigan.     Wonderful food. 

As we were finishing our meal, the restaurant began to fill up rapidly...very rapidly.  Our waiter excused himself and informed us he had  a room service delivery since The Bistro is located in The Boulevard Inn.  That left the entire restaurant with what appeared to be one server who was moving very quickly...but still needed help.  He did his job...but if anyone was waiting for the check to return to work, it provided an awkward delay for them.   We were not in a hurry...but twice we had to remind him as he passed our table it was time to pay our ticket.

Beautiful Entrance to Great Dining