Sky Bar

It's not in the sky... it does have blue lights and laser beams right out of a 90's movie. We've went to Sky a couple times and I held off on my opinion. Maybe they were just getting their legs under them... We stopped in again on First Friday for a couple drinks and to sample their menu. The space is really cool. It has nice architectural bones...but the vibe is too 90s. Now, the owner also owns Hannah's, Mirage, and a few other places so that kinda explains some of the review I suppose.

I think Sky is having an identity crisis. Do they want to be a bar? If so, I think they should just serve bar food. If they want to compete with Sapphire, they definitely are going to have to up their game. Our sever, who took good care of us and asked for and listened to our thoughts on the place, said they were after the college latenight crowd. Well, that'll be a sure way to keep me from going there. In addition, they will need to invest more heavily in social media to get that crowd interested.

We first ordered the hummus. It was a mess of terribly under-seasoned limp goo. The pita bread was great. So we mentioned it and were offered 3 options for basically 'dressings' that they had. We opted for a mild blue cheese dressing to go with the pita. It was OK, but would have been better if served over some delicious home-fried chips.

The menu is a mix of middle-eastern 'inspired' apps and steaks and salads. It's a little schizophrenic in the choices. We didn't try any other food at that point.

Our server was gracious and offered to show us the Jack Cellar in the basement. It's a saloon inspired space complete with whiskey barrel high-top tables. Again, no consistency.

Sky could do themselves a favor by hiring a chef and an interior designer...along with a graphic designer to work on their marketing pieces. It's a fine place to stop in for a drink (which were stout by the way and came in at $5.50 during happy hour). But from out experience with the hummus and 'dips', I wouldn't plan a night of fine dining around Sky Bar. We'll go back probably, but unless we see some dramatic improvements, it will just be for drinks on our way to another venue.

The new Baker Peters Brunch

The wife-elect and i go to Baker Peters on a fairly regular basis as it is one of the best spots to enjoy a cigar, a beverage, and good mellow tunes. Last evening thats just what we were doing. Groove Therapy was providing our entertainment (along with some ladies wearing so much flourescent fabric we are certain the hunting industry will be adversely affected). Anyway our great server, Sarah, was kind enough to give us a coupon for a free brunch this morning. Oddly enough Sarah was our server again for brunch. And she makes a mean bloody Mary. BP has completely redone their patio (after a fight with some people trying to maintain historical accuracy as i understand it...meddling hippies). It is great. Climate controlled. Clean and like you are sitting in NOLA. The menus, while a bit on the expensive side, was outstanding. I chose the steak omlette that had mushrooms and a wonderful smoked cheddar. The omlette was cooked perfectly and very light. The steak was tender, juicy, and well-done (just as I like it). The wife-elect had Sausage and Spaetzle. Which was "like the best mac and cheese I've ever had." as i mentioned, Sarah prepared our Bloody Marys but if you choose, you can build you own at the Bloody Mary/Mimosa Bar. No need when they are as good as this one. Oh and i almost forgot, a sax and keyboard duo entertained us the whole time very cool It is a little on the pricy side as i said, the above totaled out to $60 without our coupon. But for a special occasion or if you have guests in town, I highly recommend it. ~Eric

The New Ruby's

We were invited to attend the opening night of a 'test' restaurant for Ruby Tuesday. It's the Ruby Tuesday at Northshore/Pellissippi. I'd been told that it was a bold departure from the previous version. It certainly is... both visually and epicuriously (no, that's not a word). The chain underwent a rejuvenation a few years ago, and I think it still stands up well. The first thing you notice is the vibrant, hip colors. Primary colors, only slightly muted are throughout the new, open format dining area. The successful salad bar is still there (whew). The floors are large bold tiles. And most of the booths are gone in favor of individual tables and high-top friendship tables. Curtains and dangling beads are hung from the ceiling along with colorful lighting.

To start off with, the menus are very well designed... however it is a little hard to tell that the entrees come with either a side and salad bar or two sides. My fiance had delicious fish tacos and I had blackened talapia with mango chutney. My sides of choice were mashed potatoes and grilled green beans (perhaps they should be haricots verts since the menu has become much more upscale). My talapia was perfectly cooked and everything else on the plate was delish. The pricing seems about the same as it previously was. But what was really a treat (other than great friends to share the evening with), was a steak that one of our dining companions had. WOW!! One of the best steaks I've ever had. This was all the more impressive because last year at some point I ordered a sirloin at that very Ruby Tuesday, and it was possibly the worst steak I'd ever had. This great cut was heavily coated in peppercorn and cooked perfectly. No steakknife was needed for this. Well-done!


Not that Ruby Tuesday is the kind of place that I like to dine at on a regular basis; preferring to stick with local fare rather than chain food; but they have done an excellent job with this concept and I, for one hope that it's successful and is rolled out for the whole chain.

Well Oh Well

There's a new place in town... well, sorta. The Well is at a well-known address; 4620 Kingston Pike. The site of the original swanky martini bar, 4620. One of my all-time favorite places in Knoxville. After a tragedy, it went thru several iterations: hip-hop, poorly-done reincarnation of the martini bar, and alternative bar, etc. It has reopened as The Well. While I was hoping to be greeted by some of the original vibe that made 4620 so special. Unfortunately, it was a bit more like Texas Roadhouse. As should have been evidenced by the name, it is more of a saloon than anything else. It bills itself as primarily a music venue. Whisky barrels and flat gray walls frame the high-top tables. The only hint of the original vibe is the glowing blue bar top. We didn't sample any of the menu items, typical bar fare, and the drinks were fairly priced.

The Well, has a pretty packed music schedule and hopefully will keep that up. We had went specifically to see Hudson K – one of my favorite local groups. The opener was the whining and droning of Joey English and we were glad to see him exit the stage. He was tolerable after a couple antidepressants. But Hudson K changed the mood completely. I've not been to a HK show in a year or so and was delighted with the more upbeat tunes they have crafted since I last saw them. Although I never complained about their ethereal tunes before, this is a whole new spin for them. Poppy, but not top 40 tunes that would embarrass an independent band such as Hudson K. Well-done!!

Venue: B-
Menu: N/A
Bar: Slow...very slow
Clientelle: Mostly grubby hippies and rednecks.
Cover: $5

Weekend music...

I saw several bands at the usual local venues this weekend... unfortunately, none of them held my attention long enough to write a review. One longtime favorite in town even managed to practically empty the place he played. So, tonight I may write a CD review instead.

The Madeline's at Brown Cup Coffee 11-27-2010

"It's like listening to NPR," was one of the comments after the show tonight at Brown Cup Coffee. And they were kinda right. It was like listening in on a group of pro's just sitting around with homemade instruments having fun. Center stage is Jessica Watson who, along with sterling vocals, is a very accomplished guitar player (and banjo, standup bass, and the occasional kazoo). Jessica is also a member of the local New Vernacular band who are quietly making a name for themselves. Brenda Luggie is a music teacher and plays everything from triangle to trumbone to sandpaper... seriously, sandpaper. And new to the group is vocalist Jenny Oleander. For the first half of the show, the group covered mostly singer-singwriter tunes from the likes of Abigail Washburn, Gillian Welch, Fleming and John, and even the Beatles and Gaga... yes, Gaga! But the Madeline's made all these songs their own. The second half of the show was dedicated to the season. The trio did some lovely holiday tunes and had a genuinely good time. Highlight of the evening: Bad Romance.



Sometimes with music, we keep wanting louder, more powerful, more more more! But after a very hectic Thanksgiving weekend, this was a really nice, relaxing show to attend and a pleasant change from the loud, overcrowded Downtown bar scene that doesn't allow for the chance to really appreciate quality music like these ladies make in a laid-back setting. Be sure to check out their site and catch them at Remedy and Kurt's next week. Like the song says, they aim to satisfy.

Elton John & Leon Russell - Chattanooga 11/19/2010

Before I begin, I want to say that, this is just my honest opinion and while I understand that Leon Russell is a legendary piano player and one of Elton's idols, I just need to be honest. His career has, somewhat by choice, been to be largely in the background as a session player, arranger, etc. So I'm sure this explains a lot.

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Wow what a show! Elton John was in fine form and performed an energy-filled set...3 sets actually. I've seen Elton John 20-something times and have seen some great shows and I've seen a show or two that Elton just 'showed up' and gave his performance. This was, energy-wise, one of the top 5. He was really enjoying himself. Now, Leon Russell... That's another story. I think The Union CD is a fine piece of craftsmanship. And I think the songs translated very well to stage. But Leon Russell was introduced by Elton John at the beginning and came onto the stage, sat down, played 7 songs karaoke-style, reading every word from his laptop, and didn't utter a word of thanks for the praise the Chattanooga fans were giving him. I know Leon's health has not been the greatest, but seriously, a thank you to the audience or Elton John for the opportunity would have been nice. The only thing that moved on this man was his lips underneath the sliver mane, and his hands.



After Leon's set with his band, Elton Quickly came onto stage with a rip-roaring Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting and kept the energy level very high for over 45 minutes. He was then joined... ever so slowly, by Leon again and they ran through the highlights of The Union after Elton offered an apology for the audience HAVING to listen to new songs. ELTON! You say you are proud of these songs... act like it! Don't apologize for them. They are great and translate very well live. Highlights for me were Monkey Suit, Hey Ahab, Dream Come True... hey, they were all highlights. Unlike many times when new songs are delivered, I saw few people leaving their seats for refreshments and bathroom breaks.

After Leon closed this set with In The Hands of Angels, it was left up to Elton to blow the roof off UTC Arena... and that he did before closing the evening with Candle in the Wind and Your Song.

I'm sure Elton John is aware that Leon can no longer deliver the kind of energetic performance that will keep 11,000 people from drifting to the restroom. I think that's the very reason he gave an extra special delivery of his own songs. It was an amazing 3.5 hour show but could easily have been trimmed to a quality 2.5 hour show without Leon. I know Elton wants to take care of Leon. He's suffered both physically and financially. But I think he should just put a wad of cash in his jacket and do the shows himself.

Some side notes... the Band is sounding better than ever and the backup singers... in particular the gorgeous Tanya Balam and the uber talented Tata Vega are a great addition. I do wish he had not lost the horn section that was at many of the early Union shows. This is the first time I've seen Kim Bullard, the new keyboard player that took over for Guy Babylon after he passed away. Kim has pared down the keys and is a much more subtle player than Guy who, I always felt was a little over-powering...but very talented. I just think they had him too high in the mix. Kim also throws in a lot of organ which is nice. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me for some reason made me tear up and Take me to the Pilot with some Chattanooga Choo Choo thrown in was awesome.

Overall, I would give this 4 Stars and it would have been 5 if Leon had bowed out. And I had a great time with my niece @taylor dobbs (her first Elton Show) and my cousin Brian and friend Brad. I think we all pretty much agreed on the overall show.