Shopper Blog: 71 South opens next to Baker Creek Preserve
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
71 South opens next to Baker Creek Preserve
Ali James, Shopper News
It almost seemed as if the 87-year-old former Sevier Heights Baptist Church next to Baker Creek Preserve would remain empty indefinitely.
But after stop-and-go on a few different concepts, the building at 3726 Sevier Heights Road has been respectfully brought back to life by a group of Knoxville developers: Jay Benson, Tim Duff, Jason Stouffer and Chris Spiller.
It took two years, but on April 6 the final touches were being made to 71 South ahead of the restaurant’s soft opening last weekend and the grand opening on Monday. 71 South is the first business in the former church campus buildings to open.
The roughly 3,500-square-foot chapel has been painstakingly transformed into a restaurant serving New American cuisine.
As one of the managing partners, Zach Bowlby will oversee day-to-day operations and the front of house. “I’m responsible for the staffing, training and keeping an eye on any trends; seeing what we can do to change and make things better,” said Bowlby, who has three other managing partners, Ryan Steffy, Andrew Crockett and Matt Petro.
71 South will be open from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. on the weekends with an extra hour for brunch.
“The only thing that has changed since the beginning are the aesthetics of the space,” said Bowlby. “We wanted elevated casual. Being close to the bike trails, we are casual, but just a little bit above that. After we finished the buildout, we realized that all of our products and services need to match that.”
Boards have just been removed from the exterior, allowing light to flood through the restored wood-trimmed arched windows. Some church pews have been repurposed into comfortable cushioned seating. The pulpit is now the host stand, and the original hardwood floors and baseboards have been refinished.
“We preserved so much,” said Bowlby. “The bar was handmade from curly maple wood by the father of one of the owners and our shelves have been handmade to match.”
Bowlby and the other managing partners boast years of restaurant experience. Bowlby worked at the Downtown Grill & Brewery but said this is the first time he has helped open a restaurant.
“From the start, we wanted to have a lot of comfort food and recognizable items on the menu,” said Bowlby. “We definitely wanted a focus on healthier options to appeal to the outdoor enthusiasts and bike riders. We are fulfilling a niche, but with a balance and enough options for vegan, gluten free and vegetarian (diets). Then of course we have Southern fare such as cornbread and chili – that was important to us.”
The affordable menu includes starters such as zucchini latkes and crispy cauliflower or chicken buffalo bites. There are sections for kids, sandwiches, mains, bowls, sides, desserts and everyday brunch.
“The tofu banh mi and roasted beet hummus are unique to our style and indicative of the new American cuisine,” said Bowlby. “Our influence and twist is making sure we use fresher and better for you ingredients.”
To start off they will serve the regular menu, but Bowlby said they have discussed some sort of on-the-go food bag or box, a lunch that people can take on the trails.
“There has been a lot of pure excitement that there was another place to eat, and the feedback is tremendous,” said Bowlby. “Not just that we are a new restaurant but about the food we are offering. A huge goal was to integrate into this community making sure we had products they were excited about, not just what we liked.”
71 South has a full-service bar with 10 draft beers on tap. “There will be a lot of local flavors from breweries such as Crafty Bastard and Schulz Brau,” said Bowlby. “American lagers, several IPAs, sours, and seltzers. We will have as much variety as possible and tailor it to their tastes.”
Going into the summer months, customers can enjoy any of the four draft cocktails on tap, cold brew coffee made in-house using Knoxville Coffee Co. beans, and alcoholic ice cream floats.
In addition to full table service, diners can order online or call in their orders. Outside there will be a tented patio with drinks service only, and shelves have been added around the perimeter of the restaurant to allow people to sip on a beverage while they wait for their table.
“Long term we would love to have outdoor dining in the grassy area outside,” said Bowlby. “We definitely anticipate the warmer months being the best season for us.”
FARRAGUT
Catholic High junior shows the way to medical careers
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
It was an exciting day at Knoxville Catholic High School on March 31 when UT LIFESTAR helicopter landed.
Students in the Irish Medicine Club got an up close and personal look at the machine and get an idea of what it’s like being a flight nurse or emergency medical tech.
Members of the club crowded around the helicopter and listened as flight nurses Brooke Bellman and Sierra Roccasalva explained what services they provide and what life is like on UT LIFESTAR in general.
The Irish Medicine Club was started in December by junior Andrew Dreiser. He soon gathered about 60 students all interested in medical service.
“I started the club because all you see on TV is doctors and nurses, but there are hundreds of areas of employment in the medical field – from physician’s tech to occupational therapy, to rehabilitative therapy to anesthesiology tech, veterinary tech … it’s endless,” he said.
Dreiser said he started the club to give students with an interest in medicine hands-on exposure to the numerous fields of medicine available after graduation.
Dreiser practices what he preaches. He organized the club, arranges for medical guest speakers, but he holds several lifesaving qualifications such as Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Life Support Airways. He said he never says no to extra training.
The club has come a long way in its few short months. Dreiser has arranged for several opportunities such as job shadowing, meeting and speaking to health care professionals, facility tours, medicine-based service projects, clinical rotations, and internships.
“Because of the interest and success of the organization, he, in conjunction with Knoxville Catholic, offers an after-school Advanced Medical Pathways Health Science Academy, open only to KCHS students,” said Pam Rhoades, the school’s director of marketing.
“The spring course is offering CPR/AED/First Aid and Basic Life Support. Students who take their licensing exams through this course will be eligible to work as nursing assistants and tech and medical assistants.”
Course agendas have included Fundamentals of Medicine, Basic Orthopedic and Cast/Splint Procedures, Neurology and Cranial Nerves, Cardiology and CNS Pharmacology, Respiratory Care, Trauma, and Nursing, Rhoades said.
Dreiser wants to become an emergency medicine physician. He carries a higher than 4.0 GPA and is currently looking at 10 schools. As a junior he’s got time to contemplate his future.
POWELL
Summer's set for Powell High junior selected for Drum Corps International
Al Lesar, Shopper News
When Hailey Whitehouse talks about juggling a hectic schedule during the school year, it’s nothing compared to what her summer’s going to be like.
Whitehouse is a junior at Powell High School who takes her schoolwork seriously. Her grades – “A’s and B’s” – attest to the dedication. Add in a job at Chick-fil-A and her involvement with the color guard and the winter guard, and her days are full.
This summer, though, will be a case of total immersion.
Whitehouse has been chosen to be part of the Music City team, competing in Drum Corps International from the end of May until August.
“(Being gone all summer) hasn’t hit me yet,” Whitehouse said. “It should be exciting.”
Music City is one of about 40 teams in the U.S. that will bus across the country from DCI competition to competition. The summer starts in Nashville with practice, then zig-zags across the country and ultimately ends up in Indianapolis for the finals at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts.
An early bloomer
Whitehouse has been part of the color guard (marching with the band during football season) and the winter guard (marching on their own) since the eighth grade.
“I was the only eighth grader on the team,” she recalled. “My grandfather had to pick me up (from Powell Middle School) at 3:30, get me home to get what I needed, then get me to the high school by 4:30 – every Tuesday and Thursday.
“It was weird because I didn’t know anybody. But I love competing so much that I got used to it. I’m shy, but eventually everyone started to talk with me.”
That experience has helped her this year. Two eighth graders were on the team. As a junior co-captain, she went out of her way to make sure they were comfortable and felt accepted.
“I love the feeling of winning that we get from a good performance,” she said.
Her brother Skyler, who had been a percussionist in the Powell band before graduating last year, is still helping by mixing the music to which they perform.
Costly adventure
In January, Hailey and her parents, Robert and Tracy Bell, went to Nashville for a three-day DCI tryout camp. Competitors ranged in age from 13 to 24.
“Her mother and I are both clumsy,” said Robert. “We never dreamed Hailey would stick with this this long. When she’s competing, she’s so graceful. She makes it look so easy.”
Results of the competition were given immediately. Those who tried out were given an automatic contract, an invitation for a call-back at a later date, or a pat on the back and a wish for the best.
Whitehouse got the automatic contract.
“That blew us away,” Robert said of the high praise. “We were not expecting to be at that level.”
Along with the contract came a $4,600 bill that could be paid in installments. That takes care of costs for the summer. It came on top of the $300 tryout camp fee.
“Hailey is not a multitasker,” Robert said. “She’s focused on whatever she’s doing. She’ll bury herself in it. That will help her learn what she needs to learn this summer.”
NORTH KNOXVILLE
Calling all nature, history and food lovers for ‘Dinner in the Dogwoods’ at Mabry-Hazen House
Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News
This Saturday, East Tennessee’s nature lovers, history buffs and foodies will get an irresistible opportunity to combine all three interests when Mabry-Hazen House presents “Dinner in the Dogwoods.”
It’s the fifth annual such event, held during the time of year when the historic estate’s 80-plus flowering dogwood trees are in full show, adorning Mabry’s Hill in an array of whites, pinks and greens. The site is also a Level 1 arboretum, conserving more than 30 species of trees including ancient southern magnolias, oaks, and maples.
And there’s already a gourmet cook on site, year-round. Executive director Patrick Hollis is a former chef who honed his culinary skills in Knoxville’s burgeoning restaurant scene in the early 2010s, starting as a dishwasher at Oodles Uncorked and quickly working his way up.
“Since childhood, I always had a taste for history, and while still working in the back-of-house at Oodles and Savelli's, I earned my B.A. in history from UT,” Hollis said. “But my true blossoming as a chef came under the tutelage of Amber Lloyd, former executive chef at RT Lodge, Bistro by the Tracks, and Sunspot, who hired me as her sous chef for the Chi Omega Sorority in 2013.
“I was taking a year off to find a graduate program to study public history, and my experience with Amber took my cooking knowledge and practice to another level.
“I actually still work once a week at the sorority house to this day as a private chef.”
Hollis crafted his own college path at James Madison University, studying public history while blending his passion for history and the culinary arts into a concentration on food, the South and cultural conceptions of taste.
In 2016, he returned to Knoxville, eager for a job in history. While looking, as a way of paying the bills, he went back into the kitchen at Lonesome Dove, the sorority house, and Bridgewater Place catering. He also started volunteering at Mabry-Hazen House. A year later he was named director.
“My specialty is historic cooking,” says Hollis. “I love researching the rules of cooking for a specific era; what ingredients would have been available and what dishes were popular?
“I am most comfortable in the Southern kitchen, but it’s more the time rather than the place, so I’d say 1850-1920.”
Hollis was also the editor of the republished 1911 “The Tennessee and Virginia Cookbook.”
He’ll be hosting a historic dinner with Nourish Knoxville in June, but this weekend’s multi-course repast emphasizes regional rather than historical selections. They include pimiento cheese canapes and sweet potato ham biscuits, carrot fennel soup, smoked pork loin and early spring greens. Jordan Smith of Small Comforts Kitchen will offer one of her delectable desserts – a strawberry galette. The entire meal is gluten free.
“Dinner in the Dogwoods” happens 6-8:30 p.m. this Saturday, April 15, at Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Ave. For tickets, visit mabryhazen.com/events/dogwooddinner-2023.
BEARDEN
Bearden High stages 'The Crucible,' a play for difficult times
John Shearer, Shopper News
After presenting the somewhat lighter “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Metamorphoses” the previous two years, the Bearden High School Theatre classes are putting on the more serious play “The Crucible” April 14-16.
Bearden teacher and play director Katie Alley thought the time seemed right for a variety of reasons to present the 1953 Arthur Miller-written play, which won a Tony Award for its slightly fictionalized account of the Salem, Massachusetts, witch trials of 1692-93.
“It’s one of the great American plays, and I have never directed it,” Alley said. “I had the right cast size and felt like it would be a nice change for the students.”
She added that it is a much grittier play and is grounded in more realism than either of those presented the previous two years. A crucible is defined in religious circles as a trying time that tests one’s courage, and the play focuses on those accused of practicing witchcraft in the Puritan society.
Historical information says Miller wrote the play as a subtle slap at the McCarthyism of the 1950s, when some Americans were accused of being communists. But Alley believes the play also has relevance today, with both liberals and conservatives regularly making accusatory comments about representatives of the other side.
“Both sides are always trying to get someone important in trouble,” she said. “This kind of hysteria is even more widespread now.”
She added that the play explores the human condition and is a cautionary tale about succumbing to irrational fears and mob mentality.
“The message of the play is that it encourages us to be vigilant against the abuses of power and hold people of authority accountable,” she said.
Alley said students in recent days have been practicing several nights and at other times away from normal class hours to get ready. She said she has been pleased with the rehearsals and has some talented students, some of whom plan to study theater after graduation.
“I have great students, and they work super hard and are very devoted and turn out really great performances,” she said.
The cast and crew will present an in-school show April 13, and then present shows to the public at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Reserved seating is $15 and general seating is $12. Those wanting ticket information can go to beardentheatre.com or contact the school.
Cast members include Sarenity Wright, Luke Bouchard, Izzy Fenech, Emery Hammer, Lindy McCool, Isaac Blankenship, Laine Stevens, Lauren Hill, Luke Anderson, Jack Stapleton, Rose Harris, Holt Mackleberry, Annabella Brady, Lilliana Bond, Mason Chugg, Jules Rios, Virgil Voyles, Justine Lattimore Jr., Kas Reeves, Devin Henry, Will Stooksbury, and Braydon Roweton.
Others helping with creative and technical support include assistant director Bella Patterson, stage manager Ashton Hensley, Reid Goad, Stephen Krempasky, Jon Chemay, Joe Payne, Colton Berg, Leann Dickson, Andy Henry, Sandi Robertson, Dylan Murray, and Allyson Lundberg.
NORTH KNOXVILLE
Hunting for eggs all over Northeast Knoxville
Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News
The Easter season brings egg hunts to churches and community centers all around East Tennessee. Two of the biggest happened at two of Knoxville’s best spots for kids – the Western Heights community in north Knoxville and Zoo Knoxville in the eastern part of the city.
Sponsored by First Baptist Church of Knoxville, the Western Heights event April 8 featured 3,000 candy-filled eggs, games and prizes for kids – including four bikes donated by Kickstand Community Bike Shop. The Legacy Housing Foundation/Good Times was there with giveaways of everyday necessities.
In addition to the Easter egg hunt, a community resource fair was held from 3-4:30 p.m. and included more than 25 nonprofit partners sharing information with area residents.
KCDC CEO Ben Bentley considers the event “a touchpoint in our Transforming Western Initiative – a way to get the community together to get to know each other better.” The community has benefited from a new Head Start facility, opened last fall, and an onsite Boys & Girls Club, with plans for expansion to provide an entire continuum of services from birth to age 18. Partnering with KCDC in the three-pronged HUD initiative emphasizing people, neighborhood and housing is Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC), which provides individual case management and a wide variety of assistance programs.
Over at ZooKnox, things were – predictably – a bit more exotic April 1. Not only were children able to hunt their treasures surrounded by spectacular animals, there were also life-like animatronic dinosaurs observing the whole thing.
Thousands of eggs were hidden along the pathways, including some golden eggs. The lucky hunters who found those won one of the grand prizes of food and beverages or a Zoo Knoxville membership. There were two egg hunt areas for designated ages, one for ages 0-3 and one for ages 4-6.
Zoo Knoxville hosted two Easter egg hunts; the first was held April 1 for members. A public event was held April 8.
And what’s to be done with all those empty plastic eggs? All ticketed children will receive a keepsake plush animal when they return their eggs to Zoo Knoxville for recycling, and Soaky Mountain Waterpark will offer each participating child one free ticket to Soaky Mountain that can be redeemed from June 1 until June 30, 2023.
OPINION
Happiness is a skill
Leslie Snow, Shopper News
I’m at the playground with Jordan and the kids. Simon is on the monkey bars showing off his Ninja Warrior skills, Clara is running from the big bad wolf, and Elliott is following his older siblings yelling “I big!” There are three of them and two of us and we fail to wrangle the children successfully.
Jordan grabs Elliott just before he tumbles off the monkey bars while I corral Clara, who wants to play in the lake. Simon, the oldest of the three, is oblivious to the mayhem. I look at Jordan expecting to see stress, but she’s grinning at me, happily.
“My life is madness,” she says with a laugh.
“You’re good at it,” I respond, appreciatively. My daughter has a gift for finding joy in everyday chaos.
Later, when the kids are sitting on a bench sharing a snack, Jordan says something meaningful.
“I used to believe that happiness was mostly luck,” she explains thoughtfully, “but now I think the ability to find joy might be more of a skill.”
Before I can comment or ask her to explain, the kids are shoving banana peels into the trash and running for the swings. But Jordan’s words stay with me.
I think about them the next day when I’m walking with my friend, Cheri, listening to her describe all the complicated details of her son’s upcoming wedding. And I think about them later that afternoon when she calls me, laughing about her makeup trial.
“I look like a scary clown!” she says into the phone. “Or a glamorous madam. Or some terrible combination of the two.”
I think about the source of happiness with each new phone call I get from Cheri. As the wedding day approaches, she calls to laugh about her matronly up-do and her “groovy” pantsuit. She calls me giggling from her dressing room when she’s trying on bras and again when she hears the weather report for the weekend.
“The wind is coming to blow us all away, but what more can you ask for than to be blown away by love.”
And it was windy on the wedding day. The sky was a deep blue, but the wind was whipping across the lake at the guests, at the bridal party, and at all the beautiful décor. I wondered if Cheri would be worried about her hair or her makeup. I wondered if she’d be upset if her vision for the day didn’t match reality.
But then I saw her face as she walked toward the altar with her husband and son. She was radiant with joy. Without a hint of worry, she beamed at me and her other close friends and gave a happy little wave.
She wasn’t thinking about the weather or her hair or even the tulle wrap that was waiving in the afternoon sky. Cheri was living in the moment in a way I rarely do, without a hint of self-consciousness, taking in all the bliss the wind was blowing her way.
I thought of Jordan’s words then and I knew she was right. Happiness is more than just the luck of the draw. It isn’t simply random, and it isn’t merely chance. Happiness is a skill that can be practiced and learned.
After the ceremony, Cheri wrapped me in a tight hug and said, “Wasn’t the wind just perfect? It was so beautiful and wild. It reminded me of being on a boat with my father.”
Happiness is a skill, I thought again, and maybe sometimes, it’s a choice.
Leslie Snow may be reached at snow column@aol.com.
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