Hillbilly Willy’s was already several years old before I discovered them. George Foster started his business in a tiny little shack in Ooltewah, on the other side of Chattanooga from his present location, about eleven years ago, doing carry-out and catering. Around the same time that he was growing and thriving and looking for a larger space, I was stopping at a Bi-Lo just off I-24 on my way to Nashville for occasional twelve-packs of Double Cola. In time, the Bi-Lo closed, the shopping center’s owners lowered the rent on the smaller spaces to attract business to the mall as it lacked an anchor, and Foster moved in, setting up billboards letting people know about his great barbecue on the west side of town. Continue reading “Hillbilly Willy’s Bar-B-Q, Chattanooga TN”
Tag: tennessee
Julie Darling Donuts, Chattanooga TN
Two weeks ago, we got on the road again for our third trip out of town in three weeks. This time, our destination was the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, about which more in the next chapter, with secondary stops in Chattanooga that I will come back to next week. The most direct route to Scottsboro from Marietta is through Rome and across Lookout and Sand Mountains, but I decided to make this as much of an interstate trip as we could so that we might get there and back quicker. We even thought that we might be home before sundown. Heh. I heard a radio spot at a restaurant in the morning that said, “From Soddy-Daisy to Sand Mountain…” and darned if that wasn’t precisely the range that we covered on this trip. Continue reading “Julie Darling Donuts, Chattanooga TN”
Return Visits to Two Favorites in Nashville TN
It worked out that on our trip to Nashville, I had an appetizer at one restaurant, a main course at a second, and a dessert at a third. I think that I’d do that every evening if only I could. Continue reading “Return Visits to Two Favorites in Nashville TN”
Pepperfire Spiced Chicken, Nashville TN
Nashville is the world’s home of hot fried chicken, and, as we learned from our visit last time to the legendary Prince’s, the city is not kidding at all when they say “hot.” No, sir. However the spice mix is made and however it’s applied to the bird, places like Prince’s or Bolton’s are fully prepared to knock the swagger out of anybody’s walk. But these wouldn’t be worthwhile if all you were getting was a mouth full of lava; there has to be some amazing chicken underneath it. Continue reading “Pepperfire Spiced Chicken, Nashville TN”
CBQ, Smyrna TN
Our trip to Nashville did not go as planned.
Returning to US-41 in the town of Jasper, my idea was to drive at a leisurely pace and stop wherever the roadside lured us. In one instance, this worked out splendidly. We found the gorgeous Foster Falls near the town of Sequatchie, and a better distraction from a drive I can’t describe. We really enjoyed stretching our legs and spending a few minutes walking around there. Continue reading “CBQ, Smyrna TN”
Dixie Freeze, South Pittsburg TN
For many, many years, I have told myself that one of these days, I was going to go visit Nashville and take US-41 to get there. Last weekend, Marie and I finally did this, taking the baby and the teenage girlchild along for a very, very long trek up to Nashville that let us see some amazing scenery and lovely places. I had it in mind to stop at every single barbecue joint along the way, expecting to find a few. In the end, we only saw three, all in the Nashville suburbs, thereby putting a crimp in my plan to scale the Urbanspoon Tennessee rankings. More about that in tomorrow’s chapter. Continue reading “Dixie Freeze, South Pittsburg TN”
The Purple Daisy and The Hickory Pit, Chattanooga TN
Earlier this month, David and I took our every-other-month trek up to Chattanooga and McKay. We’d hoped to have David’s old friend Stephen join us, but he ended up having to work. It was a disagreeably long trip. When we go, we’re on a bit of a time budget to get back in time to pick up my son from day care before he hits the “you’ve been here too many hours!” alarm. Between missing the exit for our first meal destination, necessitating a lengthy detour, the unhurried service at that place, and the agonizing wait for McKay to price the gigantic stack of CDs that David brought to sell – two hours!! – we found little time to relax at the two restaurants where we visited, and no real chance to talk with staff or owners to learn much about them. This, sadly, was a case of eating and running. Continue reading “The Purple Daisy and The Hickory Pit, Chattanooga TN”
Marie, Let's Eat! 