Romano’s Macaroni Grill

Romano’s Macaroni Grill
7723 Kingston Pike
To-Go?: YES
Kid-Friendly: YES (Kids menu – includes free ice cream w/ meal, crayons, paper tablecloths to color)
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When I first moved to Knoxville and was living and working in the west end of town, Romano’s was always a favorite eating spot of mine. Having recently moved back to the west side, I decided to revisit it today to see if it still held its old allure. Regrettably, my experience was not that exciting.

First off, the service was a bit slow. Admittedly, it was a busy Saturday lunch crowd, but when the table beside mine was vacated about the time we arrived and still had not been cleared of the dishes by the time our food arrived, I knew that things weren’t moving as smoothly as they should have been. Our server was a bit erratic, alternating between being almost over-attentive (lurking over us every five minutes or so to see how we were doing) and absent-minded (forgetting my mother’s coffee refill after being reminded twice).

The food was not bad, but nothing to write home about either. I was craving seafood, so ordered the Seafood Linguine. It was tasty, though a bit more on the spicy side than what I thought it would be. My biggest gripe was that the shrimp was only half-peeled and, in my opinion, if I’m paying $16 for a pasta dish, I shouldn’t have to wrestle with a sauce-covered shrimp to get the peel off. My little girl ordered the kids’ mac and cheese which she devoured, declaring it to be quite yummy. I was happy to see they they still haven’t stooped to using boxed Kraft mac’n'cheese like so many other restaurants have done. It annoys me to no end to go into a restaurant and pay $3-5 for mac and cheese out of a box. Speaking of annoyances, I do wish that Romano’s would start including soup or salad with their meals. For as much as they charge, one would think that including these would not be a big deal. But….the bread makes up for it, I suppose. I could eat just the bread and be happy.
For dessert, I ordered the Lemon Passion which has always been my favorite. However, it seems that they’ve changed the recipe since the last time I was there. Before, the cake was soaked in lemon syrup and (if I’m recalling correctly), layered with the lemon mousse. Now, according to the menu, it is soaked in sweet cream and the mousse is on top of the cake, which is already topped with a very heavy cream cheese frosting. It’s just not as lemony as I remember and is alot denser. It’s not bad, just not as good as the previous incarnation.

Overall, not a bad visit, but not the best either. I’ll have to return at some future date and try some of their new menu items….the grilled skewers look inticing.

The Market Square Farmers Market

The Market Square Farmer’s Market
Market Square (Downtown Knoxville)
Saturdays (May 2-Nov 21) 9am-2pm
Wednesdays (May 6-Nov 18) 11am-2pm

If you are into fresh, locally-grown organic produce, handmade arts and crafts, and delicious homemade treats, then the Market Square Farmers’ Market is the place for you. And if your not into it…then you need to drop by anyway and find out what you’ve been missing out on!

I discovered this gem of the city back in the summer and have been a (semi-)faithful shopper for nearly every week since then. I’m not going to list every single vendor, but just a few of my favorites. If you have a favorite, then please comment and share your experiences.

• VG’s Bakery: An absolute MUST-visit vendor. They sell the most delictable breads, cookies and pastries. They always use seasonal ingredients, so the fruits used in the pastries and veggies in their foccacias will change from week to week, depending on what they can get their hands on in bulk. Their English toasting bread is to die for….especially toasted and drizzled with raw wildflower honey from Strange Farms (see below). Also in the bread department, they carry an excellent multigrain loaf that’s loaded with tons of whole-grain-nutty goodness and foccacia in various ever-changing varieties (the roasted red pepper is one of my faves). If you’re looking for something sweet, they have muffins, scones, danishes and cookies that just melt in your mouth…and are also in an ever-changing seasonal variety.
• Colvin Family Farm: They don’t have a huge selection of produce, but what they have is always good. And the prevalant cheerfulness and knowledge of the fresh-faced farm boy of the Colvin family that usually runs the stand makes the experience always pleasant. Their yellow squash was some of the sweetest and tenderest I’ve ever eaten. I think I bought half of his harvest over the summer.
• Strange’s Honey Farm: Home to some of the most delicious honey I’ve ever tasted…and where I learned of the wonderful properties of bee pollen. Their raw wildflower honey is oh-so-tasty and with a differnt sort of flavor than your average store-bought clover….almost like the vintage wine of honey.
• Photofusion: Not food, but a wide selection of lovely glass tile jewelry at reasonable prices. Vicky is a charming girl who does a wonderful job at what she does and can make a necklace out of just about any picture you can submit. Make sure to get on her mailing list to get coupons and updates.

I just realized I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Farmers’ Market is worth going to just for the sheer energy of the place. It’s a lively time to be had even if you don’t buy a single thing (but there’s no way you’ll leave empty-handed) with the music of various street musicians wafting through the Square along with the aromas of fresh coffee and baked goods, and the wide variety of people (and animals) you’ll encounter.

Welcome to KnoxFoodie

Hi! My name is Adrienne and I am a food addict. All of my life, special occasions have nearly always revolved around eating. I also love to blog…though have always been at an impasse in regards to what to blog about. My life is pretty uneventful, for the most part, but I love to write. So….I’ve decided to merge my two great loves and (hopefully) perform a valuable service to my fellow Knoxvillians (as well as anyone visiting the city) by writing about all of the wonderful (and some of the not-so-wonderful) eateries around town. I might toss an occasional non-food-related snippet in every now and again as well.

So enjoy! And please feel free to leave any questions, comments and/or suggestions.