Jenn Welsh, a friendly face behind the bar, offering delicious chips for dipping in guacamole, which is made to order tableside.
Looking for an eatery that’s a little different and a lot of fun? Head to 412 S. Gay St., and the historic J.C. Penney Building. Opening today is Babalu — and it is a delicious blast!
Although it is known for its tapas and tacos, there’s a lot more than that on its extensive and creative menu. Some of us got to have a sneak peek recently as the staff “practiced” on us prior to opening.
Babalu is a small chain based in Jackson, Miss. The Knoxville location is its fourth, after Jackson, Memphis and Birmingham. Coming soon: a Babalu in Charlotte, N.C. All of us at Moxley Carmichael have had a great time working with the energetic Babalu team leading up to the opening. We were pleased to hear the marketing manager report that the media coverage for the Babalu opening in Knoxville has been the best of any so far. (Special kudos to our Lauren Miller, who was point person on this account.)
Another special shout-out goes to Bill Regas of the legendary Regas Restaurant fame. The owners of Babalu, who are longtime friends of his through industry contacts, credit him with turning them on to what is happening in downtown Knoxville and sparking their interest in opening a Babalu here.
This sign on the back wall was discovered during the renovation of the building. The J.C. Penney folks wouldn’t sell the sign to Babalu, but they let them “borrow” it. That works!
We started with cocktails at the bar. That’s where we met Amber Pfohl, who was enjoying a signature Baba-rita. It has a touch of pomegranate juice in it, giving it that pretty pink hue.
Cool treatment of the exposed brick wall.
Later we would find downtowners Robin Thomas and Chris Crouch in front of that wall.
Here’s Wes Dockins. He’s about to make us some guacamole. We ordered two kinds — plain and with jalapenos.
A promising start.
Beautiful avocados.
Lots of add-ins.
The fabulous finished product.
I thought the molcajete for the guac was adorable.
JT Dewitt is the general manager of the Knoxville Babalu. Elizabeth Fowler is the marketing manager for Eat Here Brands, which includes Babalu.
We saw these fun News Sentinel folks eating with friends in the bar. Mary Constantine, left, is the food editor. Shelley Kimel covers business. (They were doing research!)
Babalu offers seasonal margaritas. This season’s contains Fresno peppers and cilantro. Wow.
You might not think much of this black napkin, but I do! If the servers notice you are wearing black pants or a dark colored skirt, they offer you a black napkin rather than the regular light-colored ones so you don’t get pesky lint on your clothes! Very nice touch.
At our table, Dawn Ford was doing her own research — on the guacamole. That’s Ellen Robinson beside her.
My hubs, Alan Carmichael, left, with our friend Peter Acly.
All the men at our table ordered the Baba Burger and pronounced it excellent. It is composed of Aspen Ridge natural Angus beef, roasted roma tomatoes, caramelized onions, white cheddar cheese, Haas avocado, applewood smoked bacon and chipotle aioli on a sweet sourdough bun.
Richard Ford, a beef connoisseur, shows his approval.
Ellen and I had grilled shrimp tacos and loved them.
Dawn was raving about her braised beef short rib on grits.
The huge chopped salad was big enough for sharing.
A note about this special restaurant: Your table may not get all its food at the same time. It’s designed that way. The food comes out when it is ready. The kitchen has no warming lamps or microwave ovens, necessities for making all the dishes come out at the same time. The concept of tapas is that they are for sharing. So things are brought to the table as they are prepared with the thought that everyone will dig in.
I decided to table hop a bit.
The bar is very comfortable and inviting.
From left, Monique Anderson, Kris Jones, Bruce Anderson and John Anderson. Kris and Bruce are siblings.
Bill and Gay Lyons.
They were sharing a shrimp and chorizo skillet and it looked amazing.
From left, Marilyn and Patrick Roddy with Greg and Melissa Isaacs.
The charming sidewalk patio will be awesome in the warm weather.
OK. Get down there now! Here’s the sign you are looking for.
Click here for a WBIR story about Babalu and some other downtown happenings.
Click here for a story in the Knoxville Mercury.
Click here for a News Sentinel story.
Click here for a story on the downtown blog, Inside of Knoxville.
Last photo is stunning! What a great addition to downtown Knoxville.
We loved it! Looking forward to going back & trying more things. Given my wardrobe, I predict many black napkins in my future there. What a great idea.
Maria: Thanks. It was a beautiful evening in downtown Knoxville. Babalu is such fun. You will like it.
Gay: Haha! You and me both!
Like Dawn, I was raving about the braised beef short rib on grits. I also loved the seasonal margarita with Fresno peppers and cilantro – just the right amount of heat. But everything I ate was delicious. I’m thrilled that Babalu is right across the street from the office.
The burger was great!
Lauren: Definitely going to try that marg!
Alan: That sure did seem to be the concensus among the burger eaters!
Oh, Cynthia, what a great blog! Babalu looks wonderful. As a Colorado girl, I’m always in search of authentic spicy food. I can’t wait to try it!
Diana: It’s a fun and delicious place!
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