Chowing and Chewing in Chattanooga

It used to be hard to find good vegetarian food in the south. But this is no longer the case, especially in the foodie mecca of Chattanooga.

I spent a few days chowing down (and drinking well) in the small city, with plenty of cool activities to fill the times not eating or drinking.

Calliope: Worth a Special Trip

Calliope, awarded a spot on the NYT Best Restaurants in America, deserves every accolade. The “modern Levantine cuisine’ has plenty of local produce, with Middle Eastern ingredients like mhammara, toum and tahini. I had a plum and heirloom tomato salad with zhoug and burrata; beets with labneh and dukkah; and burnt carrots with tahini and aleppo pepper.

Care is take with drinks, too. Caio Bella was outstanding: rye, Cynar and vermouth, smoked at the table.

Little Coyote and the Incline Railway

Little Coyote, in the historic St. Elmo district, is across the street from the bottom of The Incline Railway.

Though Little Coyote specializes in smoked meats, they also had a smoked squash entree with corn chowchow and local tomatoes. I had more of those tomatoes in a stuffed avocado appetizer with chimichurri and homemade tortillas.

Afraid of Heights?

I’m generally fine with heights, but I was in Chattanooga shortly after the funicular accident in Lisbon, and the description of the pulley system sounded suspiciously like the one used in Portugal (in fact, on the website, it is called a funicular). And The Inline Railway is one the steepest passenger railways in the world. But since the Chattanooga Choo Choo no longer operates, I just had to ride this.

How steep? A 72.7% grade at the top. Wow. You can choose your poison – park at the bottom and go up first, or park up top and go down. Either way, you take a round trip, with time to wander around at either end.

Where to Stay: Hotel Chalet at The Choo Choo

At The Hotel Chalet, you stay in actual train cars, kitted out with luxury bedding. There is an outdoor pool – in October, it was warm enough to sit on the comfy lounge chairs or take a dip. The boutique hotel also has more traditional hotel rooms, but staying in the train cars is a must.

In addition to the cool, historic factor, the hotel is also convenient to many of Chattanooga’s top attractions, with a free electric shuttle bus running daily and a docking station of the bikeshare program, Bike Chattanooga. And The Hotel Chalet is the centerpiece of reuse of the old train station, with a grand station hall (home to a cafe) and a brewery, distillery, and destination restaurant all on the campus.

Elsie’s Daughter at the Choo Choo

Elsie’s Daughter calls itself an Applachian Bistro, so you can have biscuits and gravy for brunch or fried green beans with ranch at dinner. I had an autumn sald with arugula, butternut squash and goat cheese (hold the bacon vinaigrette) and a vegetable filled Thai curry.

Signature Cocktails

Signature cocktails at Elsie’s Daughter included the Conductor, with rum and orgeat, and the Rail Yard, with whiskey and espresso. I had the complex and delicious Snakeroot, with rye and three amaros. I could have been in Brooklyn!

More Brooklyn Callbacks

Gate 11 Distillery, also part of Chattanooga Choo Choo Terminal Station, makes its own gin, vodka, absinthe and rum. I tried an absinthe and gin cocktail with smoked sage. The bar has live music and comedy, and is open to the courtyard for a delightful indoor/outdoor experience

Tailgate Brewery, based in Nashville, has a taproom across the street from the station. The 30 beers on tap include 5 or 6 made in Chattanooga. I had a perfect hazy IPA on a hot day

Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery

The Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery, the first to distill whiskey in Chattanooga since Prohibition, opened in 2011. I took a one hour tour, which included a sampling of six iterations of brown spirits.

Start Your Day With Great Bread: Niedlov’s

Niedlov’s Cafe & Bakery specializes in sourdough breads. They also have an extensive pastry rotation, and serve breakfast and lunch.

I chose my usual, yogurt granola and berries, but the house made granola elevated the experience. And I had some of the excellent toast on the side, along with rich coffee.

What is your favorite thing to eat or drink in Chattanooga?

Disclosure: I was a guest of Visit Chattanooga. Opinions and calories are all my own.