So, it is graduation weekend from East Tennessee State University. It is a special day, and it was the graduate’s choice on where to go for dinner. Johnson City has many options, and it was the Label Restaurant that won the honor.
Label offered a great happy hour – even on a Saturday. If you like bourbons, then this is the place for you, they have over 200. Their food menu offers everything from burgers, steaks, and fresh sushi. So everyone in our party would find something they could enjoy.
Now we had just come from a three-hour graduation ceremony, needless to say we were all hangry. Before we even ordered drinks, we put in some orders for appetizers.
The first appetizer was Crab Rangoon. These were wontons stuffed with crab salad. They were fried up till the wontons were crispy. The cream cheese that was in the crab salad melted during the cooking process. This made each bite creamy and crispy. The filling flavor was perfect, there was a slight richness to it. They put a firecracker aioli and sweet chili sauce on the plate for dipping. It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.
The next appetizer was Edamame. There was a pile of freshly steamed edamame with some sea salt on the side. You could put on as much as you would like. As I popped out the edamame from the shells, I could not help but admire how fresh it all tasted.
Now the Garlic Fries were a hit at the table. There was a pound of fresh cut fries that were tossed with garlic, herbs, and parmesan cheese. These had an amazing salty taste that complemented the sweetness of the potato. They served a BBQ aioli on the side for dipping. Some folks at the table used it but I really enjoyed the flavor of the fries all on their own.
The final appetizer that we devoured was the Pot Stickers. These were pork and veggie filled and they were seared until the outside of the wonton wrapper was crispy, but still soft. They served soy ginger dipping sauce on the side. These pot stickers had a amazing savory flavor to them. The seasoning that they used on the pork and vegetables was amazing. I could taste garlic and ginger with perhaps a hint of cilantro.
Now those were enough appetizers to hold us over until our entrees arrived. It was an assortment of main dishes that we ordered. That was the beauty of Label.
To start with I ordered the Blackened Salmon. It was an 8oz salmon filet that was blackened perfectly with a slight salty taste. They put red pepper jam on top, that was amazing. It added more sweetness than heat. They also served asparagus and cheese grits on the plate. I really enjoyed the cheese grits. They were buttery and creamy.
The Bison Chopped Steak was a unique dish on the menu. The bison was tender and extremely savory. They served homemade brown gravy, mushrooms, and sauteed onions on top. This added even more intense savory flavor. The mashed potatoes helped make this a comfort food and a great way to use up all the extra gravy on the plate.
Another dish ordered was the Herb Chicken. This grilled chicken breast had wonderful seasoning on it. The carrots had a pesto cream sauce on top, which accented the chicken perfectly. The interesting side was the black rice. I had never seen black rice before. Black rice is apparently higher in nutrients compared to other rice. What gives the rice its color is anthocyanins (an antioxidant).
As I mentioned earlier, Label also has sushi on the menu. There were two rolls ordered. The Smoky Mountain Roll was unique. It was spicy tuna, cream cheese, and cucumber topped with smoked salmon, eel sauce, tobiko, green onions, tempura flakes, and firecracker aioli. There was a lot going on with this roll, but the elements definitely worked together. This was a filling roll.
The classic Spicy Tuna Roll was also ordered. The spicy tuna was blended with cucumber. It was topped with tobiko and togarashi.
Their list of burgers was extensive. Many, many choices. There were two Politician Burgers ordered at the table. This burger used Kobe beef for the patty. Truffle parmesan cheese was on top along with Southern craft house cured bacon, and sliced tomato. The burger was very juicy and tender. The Kobe beef just melted in your mouth.
The food was all amazing at Label. Everyone at the table ate so much, and everyone was satisfied. Our waitress was fantastic and took good care of the entire table. I would recommend everyone try Label Restaurant if they are in Johnson City.
Check out their menu at www.labelrestaurant.com
Enjoy!
T
