Tag: Johnson City

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

Johnson City is one of three cities in Eastern Tennessee know as the Tri-Cities. Their quaint downtown is seeing a resurgence of development with an array of shops, restaurants, and breweries. It is also not far from the campus of East Tennessee State University.

One of the restaurants in the heart of downtown is Freiberg’s. It is an authentic German restaurant making classic dishes from scratch.

When you walk through the doors, it feels like you are transported to a restaurant in Germany.

As soon as we were seated the waitress brought us some homemade fresh bread with a dill butter. This butter was unique. The butter itself was light and creamy, the flavor of the dill was just like a pickle. There was something addicting about the butter. I could not get enough on the bread, especially as it melted on the warm bread.

We started off with an appetizer to share around the table. We ordered the Kartoffelhaut aus Sachsen. This is basically loaded potato skins.

They took potato haves and covered them with a cream cheese and spinach dip, Swiss cheese, and bacon pieces. These are then baked to warm the dip and melt the cheese. These were definitely different from a typical potato skin. The spinach, cream cheese dip worked so well with the potato. The sharp taste of the Swiss cheese accented the dip which had a slight sweetness to it. The bacon added a great crunch to the overall texture. These potato skins are filling so it is good to share them if you are ordering additional dishes.

For my meal I ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu. They took a chicken breast and filled it with ham and Swiss cheese. Then they hand breaded it. There was not an oily texture, so I think they baked the chicken. Then they melted a little more Swiss cheese on top. The chicken was tender and moist. The have gave it a salty taste and the cheese gave it a creamy texture. The ham and chicken paired perfectly together.

I also got freshly made sauerkraut and Bavarian potato salad. The sauerkraut was warm and tangy. The bite was exactly what you would want from sauerkraut. Having it warm verses cold gave it a comforting feeling.

The potato salad also came out warm, which is typical for this German side dish. It also had a nice tanginess to it because of the vinegar-based dressing that the potatoes were tossed in. They gave such large portions of these sides.

Another dish that was ordered that I got to try was the Cheddar Bratwurst. This homemade sausage was juicy and had amazing flavor from the spices that were infused. The cheddar cheese that was mixed in added a creaminess to the bratwurst. This also came with their homemade sauerkraut.

The Schnitzel Sandwich was also ordered, and I got to try that. This was a pork loin that was breaded and pan fried. They served this on a fresh pretzel roll, along with tomato, onions, mayo, and slices of Muenster cheese. This sandwich was large. The pork was crispy on the outside. That crunchy coating helped lock in the moisture of the pork. It was extremely juicy. The Muenster cheese gave a great creamy texture to the pork.

One of the sides that came with this sandwich was the Bratkartoffeln. These are pan fried potatoes with onion and bacon. The potatoes were nice and crispy. The onions added sweetness, while the bacon accented the starchy potato with a little saltiness. They reminded me of home fries that I get at some breakfast restaurants.

Finding this authentic German restaurant in this small, southern town was fantastic. The food was amazing. I would love o go back during Octoberfest. I sure it is a blast there.

Check them out at www.eatbrats.com

Enjoy!

T

If you have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse, you are in for a treat. It is a parade of meats, coming direct to your table. It was exciting to take someone who had never been before. I knew it would be a fun experience at Rio de Brazil in Johnson City, Tennessee.

To start off with, you must understand the color-coded cards that are on the table.

• GREEN = Yes, I want meat, please come over to the table
• RED = No, I am full so you can pass by

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The next thing to know about Brazilian steakhouses are the salad bars. They are awesome but remember do not fill up on all of that. You must save room for the meat, that’s the main reason to visit. The salad bar had so many options.

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I tried some pasta salad, fresh tomato and mozzarella, and a fresh broccoli salad. I figured this would be a light enough starter. The broccoli salad had a nice sweetness to it. They also had shrimp cocktail which is a great way to start with protein. There were creamy mashed potatoes with gravy on the bar too. I knew this would be the perfect side with steak.

The first meat that came to the table was the bacon wrapped chicken. The bacon was crispy on the outside. The bacon fat helped add to the taste of the chicken as it cooked. The chicken was tender and moist. The flavor they marinated the chicken in had a light teriyaki taste. It was really delicious.

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The next skewer of meat to come to the table was the bacon wrapped filet. As soon as I cut into the filet, the juices just poured out. The meat was cooked perfectly with a little pink. The seasoning they put on the meat was savory and it made each bite more addicting. The bacon added a little extra salty with a crunch.

The flank steak was thin slices of tender meat. I did not even need a knife to cut it. I ate it so fast I forgot to take a picture.

In between the meats, the waiter brought some bananas to the table. This was like a dessert. The bananas were cooked in cinnamon and sugar. The bananas were soft, and the sugar created a caramelization on top. It was a great cleanser to eat a few bites in between the salty meat.

One of the last meats I tried was the garlic steak. The meat tasted like it was marinated in a garlic butter sauce. The garlic complemented the savory flavor from the meat. Even this cut of meat was tender.

I was starting to develop a meat coma. I was surprised when the waiter came around with a skewered pineapple. The pineapple was coated on the outside with cinnamon and sugar. As it rotated over the flame, the sugar melted and caramelized. It was fantastic on the pineapple. The grill gave it a little different texture. It was really delicious. This is something I might try on the grill at home.

The meat was fantastic at Rio de Brazil. The sides were great too even though I did not try many of them. It is a fun restaurant to go to so you can try a variety of things. It is definitely a place to check out.

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Visit their website at www.Riodebrazilsteakhouse.com

Enjoy!

T

The mountains in Eastern Tennessee are absolutely beautiful. I was visiting Johnson City and the campus of East Tennessee State University. While driving around I came across a local donut shop not far from the campus. Daylight Donuts was calling my name.

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When I walked in, I could smell the sweet donuts in the air. I could not wait to get my hands on one. To my surprise, they also had kolaches that they made fresh. I would never have expected to find these in Tennessee.

I ordered a sausage, jalapeno, and cheese kolache. They warmed it up for me. The cheese that oozed out was nice and crispy. When I took a bite, I could taste the sweetness of the yeast roll. The sausage had a slight heat from the jalapeno, nothing overwhelming. The creaminess of the cheese helped calm down any sign of spice.

Since I was originally there for donuts, I made sure to grab two. The first one was the maple donut. This was a yeast donut that was light and fluffy. The maple icing was sweet and full of fresh maple flavor. It was perfect on a cool morning with a cup of coffee.

The second donut I shared. I was starting to get full. This was also a yeast donut and I selected the chocolate icing with multi-colored sprinkles. The icing had an awesome chocolate taste and the sprinkles gave it a nice crunch.

These donuts were very satisfying and the kolache was a great surprise. The staff at Daylight Donuts was great. They were really friendly. If you are in Johnson City check them out. Grab a donut or a dozen.

Enjoy!

T