Relocating to Knoxville.... Good Restaurants? Grocery Stores? Pho? Sushi?

[sfafard]

Hello Everyone, I am relocating with work for a year from Maryland down to Knoxville, what are some good restaurants in that area? Good grocery stores? I must have a good sushi place with fresh fish and a good pho place. What re your recommendations?

[Milt]

I would highly recommend Foothills Milling Co. in Maryville. A professional chef in Knoxville recommended this establishment when I asked him about Knoxville dining. He was quite correct. We had a fabulous meal there.

-----
Foothills Milling Co
315 S Washington St, Maryville, TN 37804

[Khotso98]

I agree with others who suggested Tomo, it is very good. I should have recommended it too in my first post. Also, just to note, The Knoxville Community Food Co-op/Three Rivers Market, that I mentioined, has now moved from Broadway to a larger new location at 1100 Central Street in North Knoxville and it is really fabulous. I like the fact that it is community owned and is in a slightly scruffier neighborhood as compared to the other "healthy/organic" stores in Knoxville that are all concentrated in the wealthier western part of town. I would probably shop there all the time if I didn't live south on the other side of the river. http://www.threeriversmarket.coop/

[whodie]

East Japanese restaurant is by far the best, most authentic sushi in Knoxville. It's in Farragut (~15 mi. from town), but is easily worth the drive. Tomo on Kingston pike is also decent.

I'm up here from Nashville, and now that you mention it I don't really know of a good pho/vietnamese restaurant, but some other restaurants serve it (like this place : http://www.asiakitchenknoxville.com/ ).

As far as grocery stores, Earth Fare is probably my favorite, and we have Fresh Market too. These can be found right next to each other on Kingston Pike, and they both have another location in Farragut.

If you want an international grocery store, we have Sunrise Market (http://www.sunrise-supermarket.com/) also conveniently on Kingston Pike.

Hope that helps! Enjoy your stay in The Marble City/Underwear Capitol of the World, East TN is actually really nice if you appreciate the outdoors.

-----
East Japanese Restaurant
11509 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37934

[Evrett]

I'd 2nd Tomo as best authentic sushi..their rice is uninspired but they've got a great selection and all you can eat sushi in the evenings. Plus tatami tables!!

-----
Tomo Restaurant
848 E High St, Lexington, KY 40502

[jjspw]

+1 on East Japanese and Sunrise Supermarket.

I visit Knoxville a few times per year for work (I live in the Detroit area), and these are two of the few passable Asian food places I've found in the area. The only other Asian restaurant I'd recommend is Zhu Garden (http://www.zhugarden.com/), but ONLY for their Thai-style curries, which are quite fantastic. The rest of their menu is just mediocre. It's a Thai-and-Chinese combo restaurant (most Asian restaurants in Knoxville seem to be something-and-Chinese), but run by a couple from Malaysia, so they make good curries.

I guess another fair place is Kaya Korean Restaurant (7818 Montvue Center Way, [phone]). Pretty good jap chae and kim chi pancake, but 'meh' banchan.

How is Bida Saigon? I'd never even heard of it until I saw it mentioned here. I have been looking for good Vietnamese food here for years. Everyone recommended T. Ho restaurant, which I thought served absolutely revolting food, and was glad to hear it finally closed.

As a side note, the strip mall Sunrise Supermarket is in has grown into quite the center for Chinese food. There seem to be two new-ish Chinese restaurants there--Asian Kitchen and Little Sichuan. I haven't tried either, but would be interested to know what others have to say about them. Little Sichuan says they do Sichuan food and dim sum... a weird combination, but whatever.

Sunrise Supermarket is actually a really great place. It's a better Asian market than any of those we have in Detroit, and I always find myself taking groceries back home with me from Sunrise. They're a little weak on the Japanese products, but have an excellent selection of Southeast Asian, Taiwanese, and Chinese groceries. They also carry Nigerian and West African groceries, which are RIDICULOUSLY hard to find anywhere, so that's absolutely fantastic!!!

-----
East Japanese Restaurant
11509 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37934

Zhu Garden
120 S Peters Rd Ste 5, Knoxville, TN 37923

[BaseballNut]

Sunrise Supermarket and Little Sichuan are owned by the same family. I'm not an expert on dim sum by any stretch (my only other dim sum experience was in Chinatown in SF), but I thought the dim sum at Little Sichuan was very good.

[Khotso98]

The Tomato Head
12 Market Square
Knoxville, TN 37902
865-637-4067
http://www.thetomatohead.com
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jul/19/leading-with-her-heart/

Sunspot Restaurant
1909 Cumberland Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37916
865-637-4663
http://www.sunspotrestaurant.com

Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria
200 East Jackson Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37915
865-521-0092
http://www.barleystaproom.com/knoxville/

Savelli's Italian Restaurant
3055 Sutherland Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-521-9085

Naples Italian Restaurant
5500 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-584-5033
http://naplesitalianrestaurant.net/

King Tut Grill
4132 Martin Mill Pike
Knoxville, TN 37920
865-573-6021

Ponchos Mexican Restaurant
7509 Chapman Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920
865-577-3333

Senor Taco Mexican Restaurant
3325 N. Broadway
Knoxville, TN 37917
865-688-0306

Harby’s Pizza
3718 Walker Boulevard
Knoxville, TN 37917
865-688-5657

Golden Roast Espresso Café
825 Melrose Place
Knoxville, TN 37916
865-544-1004
http://www.thegoldenroast.com

The Bistro
807 S. Gay Street
Knoxville, TN 37902
865-544-0537
http://www.thebistroatthebijou.com/

Dowtown Grill and Brewery
424 S. Gay Street
Knoxville, TN 37902
865-633-8111

Litton’s
2803 Essary Drive
Knoxville, TN 37918
865-688-0249
http://www.littonsburgers.com/

Nama Sushi Bar
135 S. Gay Street
Knoxville, TN 37902
and 5130 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-633-8539—Downtown
865-588-9811—Bearden
http://www.namasushibar.com/

Bida Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant
8078 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN
*Have not been there but heard good things; they serve Pho and Banh Mi.

Rita’s Bakery
3023 Tazwell Pike
Knoxville, TN 37918
865-688-5484
http://www.ritasbakery.net/

Knoxville Community Food Coop—Three Rivers Market
937 N. Broadway
Knoxville, TN 37917
865-525-2069
http://www.threeriversmarket.coop/

Sunrise Supermarket
8509 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-693-2677
865-691-1275
Really great Asian market.
http://www.sunrise-supermarket.com/
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/apr/03/asian-food-goes-retail-at-sunrise/

Holy Land Market
3609 Sutherland Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-525-4659
http://www.metropulse.com/places/holy-land-market/

La Espiranza—Mexican/Latino Market and Restaurant
2412 Washington Pike
Knoxville, TN 37917
865-637-9292

India Market
1645 Downtown Blvd. #26-27
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-951-2423

The Shrimp Dock
5210 Kingston Pike
865-558-1237
A very good seafood market.
See website for other area locations
http://www.shrimpdockmarket.com/

[sfafard]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I will add them all to my list!