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INFORMATION ABOUT THE WALNUT KITCHEN
Location: 606 High Street
Maryville, TN 37804
Phone: (865) 980-8228
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.thewalnutkitchen.com
Overview: The Walnut Kitchen offers a seasonal menu using quality ingredients from local sources. Offerings include a fun selection of appetizers, sandwiches, an array of wood grill meats from the butcher online shop, and other unique entrees. Cocktail service begins at 4pm and the full service menu available at 5pm. Whole animals are broken down in-house by an expert on site butcher, and a butcher counter is open Tues - Sat from 10am - 6pm.
OUR EXPERIENCE AT THE WALNUT KITCHEN
We along with our bestest buds were able to procure some babysitting for the evening so we could enjoy a quiet meal with some good food and recharge time with our chillest friends.
We walked through the door to see the bar stretching out in front of us, and then took a hard left to be led to our table. You can book a table directly through the website which we thought was super convenient.
Though I didn't get a picture, Matt tried the Bearded Iris Homestyle IPA which he described as one of the best beers he has ever had. I'm a beer hater and I took a sip and had to agree... it's one I would actually drink! Walnut Kitchen has an extensive drink menu consisting of cocktails, bourbon, Tennessee craft draft beers and other craft beer varieties.
We started by splitting a wedge salad - iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, bacon, balsamic, and blue cheese dressing. Though I eat and love salads all the time, I'm still coming around to the wedge salad (iceberg is not my favorite lettuce) but this one, with all it's flavors and textures and tang and goodness, was a delight.
We had to try out a couple of the delectable appetizer offerings, so for the table we ordered the chicken lollipops, which is a popular hors d'oeuvre where chicken wings or drums are frenched, meaning the meat is cut loose from the bone and pushed down to the end, creating a lollipop appearance. I could have eaten the whole plate of these as my entree. They were flavored with local honey and seasoned with chilies and thyme. The meat was perfectly juicy and moist so that they practically fell apart... and that bit of sweetness from the honey? Oh, honey, it was good.
We also tried the corn fritters with scallions, goat cheese, sour cream, and and red pepper sauce. The fritters were dense and the outside crispy - a really excellent choice, especially when they get a swipe through the sour cream and red pepper smeared on the plate.
When our entrees arrived, a cast iron skillet of cornbread and some impossibly light whipped butter accompanied them. I'm convinced that the only truly correct way to make cornbread is in cast iron. Change my mind (you can't, so don't bother).
I ordered from the butcher menu and got a 14oz bone-in pork chop, cooked medium, that was served with gravy and my choice of side. I chose the Brussels sprouts, which were crispy, dotted with pecan pieces, and had a delicious sweetness to them. The pork chop was a massive chunk of meat, cooked absolutely perfect on the inside with the outside being crispy, peppery perfection. I couldn't finish it all, but be sure that I chopped up the rest and tossed it in with my eggs the next day... I wasn't wasting an ounce of it!
Matt ordered from the seasonal kitchen menu and chose the cider-brined pork tenderloin served with apple chutney, farro, walnuts, and drizzled with an apple gastrique. The pork was fork tender with a flavorful bark that was complemented perfectly by the sweetness in the apple chutney gastrique. The generous bed of farro underneath added some nuttiness as well as bulk and texture to the dish.
If you're looking for a nice option for dinner with some delicious food to try and an atmosphere that isn't too stuffy or formal, then The Walnut Kitchen might be a great option for you! Let me know in the comments if you've given it a try.
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