We got a very late start home from Nashville on Saturday afternoon. Part of the problem was that the baby had been cranky and fighting a cold most of the time. He wasn’t horrible, just clingy to Marie, and not a particularly fun guest. After lunch, he cheered up tremendously, and while the clock said we should’ve already left, we just didn’t want to strap the little stinker in the car when he was finally showing signs of his usual, playful self for Tory. So we let him run around the yard for several minutes, and he gave good hugs and kisses. He was also breaking Marie’s heart just a little. He’s calling me “Dada,” and her “Daddy.” This prompted some – I hope – good-natured grumbling from Marie. “I want to be Mommy,” she pouted, but it sure was funny watching him run across the length of Tory’s yard bellowing “DAH-DEEEEEEE” and jump into Marie’s arms. Continue reading “Mojo Burrito, Chattanooga TN”
Tag: chattanooga
Taco Mamacita, Chattanooga TN
One of Chattanooga’s most popular restaurants these days is a fun little drinking hole, just a little bit naughty-minded, within a short walk from the main drag along the North Shore. Taylor and Mike Monen opened the first Taco Mamacita in 2008. It’s in a really curious location. They found a dying strip mall, anchored, sort of, by a Family Dollar, and opened the restaurant in the corner slot. It has been a huge success, allowing the Monens the chance to not only branch out into burgers via their popular Urban Stack, but also expand to other cities. The second Taco Mamacita opened in Nashville in late 2009, and a third opened on South Carolina’s Sullivan Island last summer. Continue reading “Taco Mamacita, Chattanooga TN”
Clumpies Ice Cream, Chattanooga TN
This is Marie, contributing an article about a cute little place that serves ice cream that a fair number of Chattanoogans seem to think is quite tasty. We went to Chattanooga to relax and had a simple vacation day without filling in all of our spare time at new restaurants. First, we went back to Champy’s Fried Chicken, which we visited the month before. Grant wanted to try the tamales and the catfish, which he says were pretty good, but not as good as their fried chicken, which was excellent. Continue reading “Clumpies Ice Cream, Chattanooga TN”
Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken, Chattanooga TN
In May, I wrote about our lip-biting personal disappointment of a trip to Gus’s Fried Chicken in Memphis. For those who don’t recall that chapter or don’t feel like clicking the link, it was a disappointment because I skipped out on the really, really good food to play “see, yer old man’s not so bad” with my oft-times exasperating teenage daughter and just ordered what she did: tenders. And those were mighty good tenders, but not a patch on the glorious dark meat that Marie shared. Continue reading “Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken, Chattanooga TN”
Pure Sodaworks, Chattanooga TN
One day early this summer, one of those little recommendations on the right-hand side of Facebook actually proved useful. It suggested that I look at something called Pure Sodaworks, and I’m glad that I did. Last year, Matt and Tiffany Rogers and their friend Shawn Clouse opened a little storefront on Chattanooga’s River Street, and also put a cart together to go join the food trucks, wherever they roam. They’re making some very clever and very tasty soda concoctions from an old-fashioned jerk pump, squirting the syrups and mixing them with bursts of soda water. They use natural cane sugar along with “organic ingredients, locally sourced fruits, and focus on funky flavors,” and are in the process of attracting investors to get their bottling operation up and running. Continue reading “Pure Sodaworks, Chattanooga TN”
Urban Stack, Chattanooga TN
We had not been planning to make any out-of-town trips in July, although, happily, we’re about to head out on the road in a couple of days. One evening in July, the baby began his little shtick of bringing Marie one book after another to “read” and we started looking at the damage, in some cases very nearly trashcan-worthy, that he’s ladled out to his favorite books. He barely lets us finish turning the four or five board pages before going to get another, and gnaws and tears at them while we’re not looking. He has quite a little library, but none of it’s in good shape. His favorite book, incidentally, seems to be one called That’s Not My Puppy. A replacement is sought. Continue reading “Urban Stack, Chattanooga TN”
Kay’s Kastles, Soddy-Daisy TN
Revisiting Kay’s Kastles has reconnected me with another part of my past, and, reading up on the very small ice cream parlor, I’ve learned a lot about this very old company, and how its fortunes have withered so badly. There is only one Kay’s Kastles store left, north of Chattanooga up US 27 in Soddy-Daisy, and it is a shadow of its former self, but I’m so glad that I stopped by to say hello to an old friend. Continue reading “Kay’s Kastles, Soddy-Daisy TN”
Marie, Let's Eat! 