Blissful

One of my favorite shops in Knoxville has got to be Bliss. There are two Bliss Home locations (Market Square and The Gallery out west), which concentrate on furniture and home accessories, and Bliss Home & Art on Market Square, which has tons of cool jewelry, clothes and gift items. Bliss Home has stylish, modern furniture, but not so modern that it won't mesh with the more traditional Knoxville aesthetic.

Unfortunately, their website doesn't feature furniture right now, so I'll have to make a trip out and take some of my own photos. But for now, some of their quirky accessories and gift items are available. Here are a few examples:

Guitar ice cube trays with built-in stirrer!

Bracelet made of recycled bicycle chain, beautiful handmade jewelry....

Other fun pieces: a fly swatter clock, voodoo doll toothpick holders, and a yoga-inspired card holder. Have fun shopping and tell them I sent you!

Archived restaurant reviews-Amerigo's

Sharing some reviews from my former blog. This one is from November 26, 2007:
I took a friend to the new "Amerigo's" last week for her birthday lunch. It is a high-end Italian spot, with other locations including Nashville and Memphis.The service was attentive, though our waiter was very impressed with himself and very young to have such a high opinion of his abilities. He did a good job but got a bit too involved in the conversation for my taste, not to mention marketing his own up and coming business when he had a chance.Amerigo's has a nice wine list, with a couple reasonably-priced bottles that quickly escalated to pricey picks like Cakebread.I have to absolutely RAVE about our appetizer: cheese fritters that are out of this world! I had questioned our waiter about them, thinking they might be a fancy version of good-ole frozen mozzarella sticks, but not to worry. These are hush puppy-like in texture, with a mixture of melty cheese inside, served on a plate with both a marinara and creamy dijon-style sauce. The one order contained six fritters, so we each got two and that was more than enough. You MUST try them! Apparently they have garnered mention in Bon Appetit, and I can see why.My entree was not as impressive. I tried the chicken and spinach canneloni. I loved the fresh pasta and the creamy sauce, but the filling was a bit overcooked. My two friends both really liked their pasta though, so perhaps mine was an anomaly.We shared the obligatory birthday dessert; a warm apple/pecan confection with ice cream, which was really sweet and really rich. I liked it but it was maybe a tad too sugary.I will definitely go back for dinner. The atmosphere is very warm and soothing, and the food seems to be compelling enough for a second visit

Archived restaurant reviews-Lakeside Tavern

Review #2 is from November 30, 2007:
Went for a post-party snack last night. Enjoyed the atmosphere in the bar, which has a huge, beautifully lit Christmas tree. Enjoyed a really nice Coppola claret -- I've never been disappointed by a Coppola! My friend and I shared the "wedge," which I've never been a huge fan of, but it was nice and crisp with a good blue cheese dressing and some bacon sprinkles. We also shared the ahi tuna appetizer, which they serve on a bed of fried wontons with wasabi. It was perfectly seared and the wasabi had just the right amount of spice (for me that means quite spicy!). Our 12-year-old friend had a cup of clam chowder that she only half-finished, and I'm not sure if that was due to the quality of the chowder or the capacity of the 12-year-old, so the jury remains out on that one. I can recommend Lakeside, but it always drives me insane that the first "signature dish" they list on the menu is chicken fingers! That is just SO Knoxville!