Knoxville wandering

[draggonlaady]

Slept in this morning, and that was really pleasant. Happy to report that we did not wake up covered in bedbug bites. Headed back downtown for lunch at Tomato Head. winnett, if you are ever in Knoxville, find this place. You'll love it. Lots of vegan choices on the menu. Pepperoni rolls were fun but not spectacular, the tomato sauce to dip them in could maybe have used simmering a little longer. The cheese melt sandwich Bruce had was really quite good, and the cheeses were really nice quality all around.

Then we wandered about town randomly, hit a bunch of little stores. Found dessert at Rita's; the frozen custard was really yummy but I was a bit disappointed by the mango ice--it tasted more like orange, very citrusy.

Yee Haw Printers was amazing to wander through. They have banks and banks and drawers of lead printer strikes, carved wooden print presses, some just beautiful stuff. I didn't realize people still did old letterpress printing any more, I guess.

Dinner at Calhoun's for BBQ ribs and pecan pie. Really cheerful, friendly staff, and balcony seating out by the Tennessee river was pleasant. Good place all around, I think.

After dinner we decided on some lechery, and headed out to The Emerald Club for some dancing girls. It was fun, but the variety was all in the girl and not in the dancing. Seemed like they all did very similar routines, and several of them didn't really put much effort into it. Which, you know, Thursday night and only about 10 customers (we were seriously outnumbered by dancers!) I guess they were probably pretty bored. The one lady that really stood out was actually the heaviest of the dancers, but she looked like she was having fun with it, you know? Talked to her a bit after, and she had just started at this place yesterday, after a 4 year hiatus since she danced in Florida. Sweet smile that lady had!

And now, back in the hotel for some sleepings. We'll be flying home tomorrow, wish us better luck than we had on the trip out here!

Comments

[la-roja.livejournal.com]

I love letterpress printing. Seriously love. We had an old printing press for a while when I was young and a long bank of type to go with it. I was fascinated by the entire processes and would go down and open the drawers just to stare at the beautiful type. Man, I want a printing press...

[kresentia.livejournal.com]

The old printing presses are popular with people who do book arts - it's how I used one for a year in college. Lost of fun. I'd love to have one of my own but I bet they cost a not-small fortune...

[neogrammarian.livejournal.com]

ditto what kresentia said- there are letterpress pps out there, but they tend to be old hippies who kept their handpress from their organizing days or ppl into book arts. We had a letterpress man on our seminar this summer, and he was great fun to work with. Did you get to see them actually use an old screw handpress? Pretty cool, I must say.

Thanks for the Yee Haw link- may well look in on them from time to time (since I'm a Book History person, if not a Book Arts person).

[winnett.livejournal.com]

I'll keep my eyes open for it! Not sure when I'll get to Knoxville, though. :) It doesn't sound all that yummy, though, based on your review. hahah

Good luck!

[draggonlaady.livejournal.com]

Well, you wouldn't have liked the pepperoni rolls, I'm sure :P I'm a bit spoiled, i think, for food now that Bruce is cooking for me. A lot of stuff, we order and look at and he says "I could make that. But better." and it's true. Also, he's a bit of a cheese snob...
The bacon they had was delicious, but again, not for you...