The tastes of Tennessee are much more than its iconic confectionary delights of Goo Goo Clusters and Moon Pies and the savory taste of Bush's Baked Beans, all of which originated and are made in the Volunteer State. A Southern meal is a special thing, and finding unique places with great plates and ingredients sometimes requires the effort of detouring off the beaten path and wandering the back roads to find authentic culinary gems.
Just west of the Smokies, clustered roughly in the corridor of rich, fertile lands paralleled by Interstate 75 and the southwest to northeast state line boundary of North Carolina, lie the ancient hills and verdant valleys of East Tennessee.
Beginning in Chattanooga and then zigzagging northwestward toward Knoxville, in between the two cities is a patchwork quilt of back roads and small towns that beckon like a siren for an old-fashioned road trip, sort of a culinary ramble where you can find plenty of opportunities to sample Southern goodness of whisky and wine, ham and honey, and chocolate and cheese.
