Famous Joe's Pizzeria

It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s and we were getting tired of holiday food—turkey, turkey curry, turkey and ham fried rice. So… pizza!
Beardy, Smalls, and I decided on Famous Joe’s Pizzeria on County Line Road in Madison. Apparently, Joe is famous. The restaurant’s Web site lists Joe’s awards and accolades, including being the Guinness world record holder for the highest pizza toss.

Wintzell's Oyster House

Beardy, Smalls, and I had a late lunch on a recent Sunday at the Wintzell’s Oyster House in Guntersville. We got there at about 2:00 in the afternoon, and there were a few other tables of people eating lunch, but the main excitement was the baby shower going on in the front dining room. The hostess assumed we were looking for the baby shower, and at first I thought, why would she think that? Then I realized we had a baby (sorry Smalls, a BIG GIRL) with us, and I was carrying Smalls’ snacks in a paper bag that could have been a gift bag. We should have crashed the shower for the cake. I bet it was good cake.

We sat down, and the waitress brought us a kids’ menu/coloring sheet with two crayons. Smalls started drawing balloons immediately, and the waitress was so patient when Smalls wanted to show them off to her. The kids’ menu consisted of popcorn shrimp, chicken or catfish strips, grilled cheese ($4.99) or chicken Alfredo ($5.99). The drinks were included in that price, and every meal came with fries. You can get free ice cream if you clean your plate. I mean, your kids do. There’s no reward for you if you clean your plate. We didn’t end up ordering Smalls anything because we really had enough food for her. The meal came with bread, and I’d brought applesauce and cheese with us because I wasn’t sure where or when we’d be eating lunch that day. Also, my shrimp and grits came with several choices for sides, so I ordered broccoli in the hopes that Smalls would eat some (she did—almost all of it!). She prefers broccoli fed to her with chopsticks (this really happens at our house sometimes. Maybe it's a bit indulgent.)

As Smalls gets older and we order off of kids’ menus more for her, I’m going to start asking questions like, can we substitute fruit or vegetables for the fries? I bet some restaurants will be ok with that. I’ll let you know what happens. At least until Smalls demands those fries… We’ll deal with that when it happens.

We had a good lunch at Wintzell’s. Entrees on their lunch menu (available 11 AM until 4 PM every day) are all about $10. You can look at the menus online here: http://wintzellsoysterhouse.com/menus.php. Try to use a real computer, though. The mobile version of their site is annoying. There’s also a Wintzell’s here in Huntsville near the intersection of University Drive and Wynn Drive, but the one in Guntersville is nice because it’s right on the lake. I know the Guntersville location gets the same seafood that they ship to Huntsville, but it’s nice to eat seafood and look out the window and see a body of water. It just makes the shrimp seem fresher.

Toddler friendliness ratings:

Atmosphere: 4.5 out of 5 booster seats

Food: 3.5 out of 5 booster seats (glad they have a kids’ menu, but I’d like to see a side other than fries)

http://wintzellsoysterhouse.com/co_loc_gun.php

Blacksmith’s Bistro and Bar, Chattanooga

So it’s Saturday, and we’ve survived a meltdown at the Tennessee Aquarium, calmed down during a relaxing drive up to Lookout Mountain, and now it’s lunchtime, well, actually way past lunchtime. I know almost nothing about where to go in Chattanooga, so I looked at Google Maps and noticed that there were several (non-chain) restaurants in the St. Elmo district, so we headed that way. This area is at the bottom of the incline railway, so you could ride down and have lunch there. There are a few restaurants within walking distance. We ended up at Blacksmith’s Bistro and Bar because it was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and they had a nice outdoor seating area.

Tony’s Pasta Shop and Trattoria, Chattanooga

Beardy, Smalls, and I recently spent part of a weekend in Chattanooga. We drove up on a Friday afternoon, had dinner, spent the night at a hotel in downtown Chattanooga, and went to the Tennessee Aquarium and for a drive on Lookout Mountain Saturday. We went to Tony’s Pasta Shop and Trattoria for dinner Friday night. The restaurant is in an “arts district” on a bluff above the Tennessee River.