Blackberry Farm chef shares her 3 must-try Knoxville restaurants with Bon Appètit
Everyone has their favorite restaurants to grab a bite, including - heck, especially - top local chefs.
Cassidee Dabney, executive chef at The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, recently shared her own local faves in a Bon Appètit article for a series celebrating East Tennessee's Appalachian culture.
Dabney joined the Blackberry Farm kitchen as a sous chef in 2010 and was named executive chef of The Barn in 2015. And she's actually been recognized by the James Beard Foundation awards - the Oscars of the culinary world, as it were - repeatedly, as a semifinalist for the Best Chef: Southeast award in 2018, a finalist in 2019 and a semifinalist in 2020.
So what recommendations did she share with Bon Appètit readers as "her itinerary for a dream road trip through east Tennessee"?
Knoxville restaurants she recommends
Dabney's Knoxville suggestions began with popular downtown pizza joint A Dopo Sourdough Pizza, where she recommended its "killer spicy greens pie, the best pistachio gelato and an ever-changing wine list."
She also cited Gay Street Jewish deli Potchke for its "rip ’n’ dip," chocolate babka and borscht.
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Sticky Rice Cafe was another of her recommendations for its gluten-free menu items including spicy chicken laab and rice noodle soup.
Maryville restaurants, breweries to try
Jumping over to Maryville, Dabney recommended:
Farm market Horn of Plenty.
In addition to her recommended eats, Dabney noted some favorite spots to hike and find local culture, in keeping with the road trip series' stated goal of "sharing the best ways to get to know Appalachian food, culture, and history as they see it today."
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Blackberry Farm Chef praises 3 Knoxville restaurants to Bon Appetit
