Restaurants in Maryville

Garrett's Downtown Deli borrows both a name and a philosophy from owner and founder Garrett Scanlan, whose childhood job in his father's kitchen and formal apprenticeships at several kitchens across Europe have led to appearances in more than 50 cookbooks and his own television program, 90 Miles with Chef Garrett. Behind the counter, Chef Scanlan and his kitchen crew take time to construct his eatery's deli-style fare as if it were served in a gourmet bistro or about to be sacrificed to a vengeful volcano. Sandwiches are crafted from Garrett's own recipes and contain hand-carved meats that are roasted in-house, including turkey, ham, and corned beef sliced thin, piled high, and paired with a pickle and chips, coleslaw, or potato salad. A hot-entree-and-salad bar poses even more choices for eager eaters, with daily rotating spreads of pasta, barbecue, baked chicken, from-scratch soups, and diet-friendly salads and recipes.

Jose Garcia’s life has drawn him in many different directions. He grew up in Mexico, but he moved to pursue the American dream, which propelled him from a job as a dishwasher at a Chinese restaurant to his current role as chef and owner of WokStar Asian Cuisine. Here, he draws on culinary skills he painstakingly taught himself and presides over cooks who chop vegetables and wok-sear meats before patrons’ eyes. The menu brims with Chinese, Korean, and Thai influences, which infuse the air with the scents of ginger, garlic, and sesame. Spicy fare, such as chili-spiked kung pao, can be cooked according to a personal preference for mild food or a need to teach a robot to sweat.

Using locally sourced meats, produce, and baked goods, the chefs at 11 Cafe cultivate a selection of artisanal drinks, desserts, and Mediterranean fare that is a testament to Knoxville’s culinary chops. The café’s baristas combine The Golden Roast coffee beans with milk from the nearby Cruze Farm on a menu of lattes and espressos that beg in sweet, overcaffeinated voices to be paired with treats from local sweetshops such as Sugar Buzz Bakers, The South's Finest Chocolate Factory, Magpies Cakes, and Hot Bagel Co. The café’s bar houses a large selection of beers on draft and in bottles ready to overflow mugs as guests munch on Mediterranean favorites such as shawarma sandwiches, cheese boards, and excerpts of Plato’s Republic written on a pita.

Some of the tasty pizzas, calzones, and strombolis at Roman’s Pizza share a surprising secret: they’re free of gluten. A separate gluten-free menu sets even sensitive tummies to rumbling for pizza, pasta, and calzones made from the chef's special gluten-free dough, which is tastier than traditional dough whose gluten has been dipped in invisible ink. The standard menu spotlights a range of authentic Italian fare, including Sicilian-style pizzas and hearty lasagna.

At AJ's Diner & Catering, signature twists give an updated appeal to American favorites. To add zest to the Benton's bacon BLT, for example, the cooks smear it with housemade pimiento cheese as sharp as a block of cheese whittled into a knife. The simple quality of their ingredients also plays an important role: free-range chicken breasts go into a curried chicken salad with cashews, and for the tuna-salad sandwich, chefs smoke ahi tuna that's never from a can.

Though born in Mexico, Jose Garcia has built a career focused on fresh, nutritious Asian cuisine. As reported by Carly Harrington of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Garcia’s goal in opening Fan Chao was to supply health-conscious locals with cuisine that harmonizes with their dietary goals or restrictions. So he teamed up with local chiropractor and wellness expert Dr. Scott Courtley to design Fan Chao’s bill of fare. The restaurant’s made-from-scratch, oil-free, and veggie-heavy fare is as tasty as it is wholesome.

The menu tantalizes tongues with bold flavors of flame-seared beef, chicken, and tofu. Many items, including moo goo gai pan and a vegetarian feast with spiced tofu, can be made entirely gluten-free upon request. Sensitive tongues can also request a lower heat level on spicy dishes such as garlic ginger beef or firecracker shrimp.

Knoxville.com also favorably featured the Chinese eatery, highlighting distinctive décor details such as the color scheme of reds and earth tones. A flat-screen TV beams a live stream of Fan Chao's grill chefs, who spend most of their time searing or singing lullabies to each fresh morsel.