These were my favorite 10 places to eat in 2022 | Grub Scout

This was a fun year to be The Grub Scout. The restaurant business continued to bounce back from its pandemic ebb, and my list of new places to try consistently ran about five months ahead. Also this year, I wrote my 1,000th column, and I’m anticipating several other Grub milestones in the coming months.

As always, I’m excited to share some of my recent favorites with you here at year’s end. Following, in chronological order, are the 10 eateries that impressed me most out of the 60-ish restaurants, food trucks and other vendors I visited and reviewed in in the past 12 months.

Bella

The proprietors of Kefi expanded their reach into Blount County with the opening of a restaurant in downtown Maryville, in the spot previously occupied by Sullivan’s. The new tenants made some pleasing aesthetic changes to the cavernous room, giving it a more upscale feel and trotting out a menu that takes a similar approach to Italian cuisine. From the truffle-and-Parmesan-coated French fries to the Atlantic salmon and pappardelle pasta to the white cake with lemon curd, we savored every bite of our culinary tour.

Smash

Marble City Market had its issues overall in 2022, but I’m pleased I spent enough time there to discover what became one of my favorite local burgers this year. The two-patty burger I tried was made with Tennessee beef and featured a righteous truffle mayo as well as provolone cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms. The burger alone was fist-poundingly good, and my tray held enough hand-cut fries to last for days.

Maple Creek Bistro

The Grub Spouse and I made a mini road trip to Kingston for this one, but it was well worth the extra mileage on the Grubmobile. The menu wanders from traditional favorites to Southern classics to pizza, but everything we tried was superb. Look for entrees like shrimp and grits, Atlantic salmon and The Spouse’s choice, Southwestern Meatloaf, an 8-ounce brisket meatloaf medallion. The pizza was pretty boss too.

Loco Burro

March was a big month. In addition to Smash and Maple Creek Bistro, The Spouse and I discovered Loco Burro at West Town Mall. Yes, it had all the earmarks of an overhyped corporate food attraction, geared mainly to drive traffic into the retail areas. But I found it interesting enough, both visually and in terms of the food, to merit sliding it into my favorite 10. I enjoyed lots of Mexican flavors via one of the sampler platters, while The Spouse’s quesadilla did not disappoint. They also have enough tequila onsite to drown a bucket of worms.

The Brass Pearl

I love raw oysters, so visiting this new Market Square spot was a no-brainer. The night we stopped in, they had six different types of shuckables on the menu, varieties that are express-shipped in from throughout the U.S. and Canada. But we took several tasty steps further with hot dishes like lobster mac and cheese, fish and chips, and lobster bisque as well as crème brûlée cheesecake for dessert. It was all tasty grub, well executed and professionally served in a charmingly cozy setting.

Potchke Deli

I was happy to find this deli — located in the rear of the former Regas building — that serves authentic deli-style items like babkas, blintzes and bialys. (Pretty much anything that starts with a B, right?) My solo meal consisted of one of each, and I have to say that my bialy stack was superb thanks to two types of lox, scallion cream cheese and red onion. The sweet babka and potato blintz I tried rounded out a wonderful breakfast, which I washed down with a flavored tonic water. They also serve egg cream drinks.

CAVA

I had always appreciated Zoës Kitchen well enough, but in 2022, those eateries were all converted to CAVA fast-casual restaurants. The good news is that they specialize in one of my favorite cuisine styles — Mediterranean — and they do it right with curated pitas, bowls and more. I adored the lamb meatball pita, while The Spouse tried the chicken and RightRice (made with lentils and chickpeas) bowl. A side of pita chips and Crazy Feta for dipping made a fine munchable side. Now CAVA is one of those places I try to visit on my own time.

Ale' Rae's Gastro Pub

The Spouse and I had checked out their food truck awhile back, but we discovered that Ale Rae’s brick-and-mortar location made for a more well-rounded dining experience. The menu features a little bit of everything, and our naan-based Philly cheesesteak and pulled-pork plate represented well. But I think the upgrade from food truck to new hip-and-folksy digs (that offer everything from cornhole to live music) is what made Ale Rae's Gastro Pub stand out in my book.

201 Cafe and Wine Bar

We tried this new Oak Ridge eatery just a few weeks ago and appreciated everything from the extensive wine selection to our Cuban sandwich and Slammin’ Salmon main dishes to our sweet chocolate torte and tiramisu closers. Located in the former Razzleberry’s location on Jackson Square, 201 Café provides a laid-back setting for sipping vino, savoring good food and, depending on the night, grooving with some live jazz.

Super Chix

It’s not often that I would include a fast-food chain in my top 10 of the year, but my recent visit to Super Chix on Clinton Highway took me by surprise with its delicious chicken sammies and frozen custard. I have to admit it’s the latter that swayed my opinion more; having tried custard at Culver’s, Freddy’s and everywhere in between, I believe the satisfyingly rich and creamy frozen stuff at Super Chix surpasses them all.

That’s it for 2022, folks. Here’s to a happy and healthy new year for all of you!

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Restaurant reviews: Top dishes range from meatloaf to frozen custard.