Richard Ford tips his hat to the last few hours of 2012.
We have found, over the years, that the kind of New Year’s celebration we enjoy most is the kind where we go to several different places in a night. Rather than stay at one party or one restaurant, we like to move around and see what folks are doing in a number of venues.
Since it’s not a great idea to do a lot of driving on New Year’s Eve, the perfect place to have the kind of evening we are looking for is – you guessed it – downtown. In downtown Knoxville, you can walk to a wide variety of settings and still end up close to home when the festivities are over. (Or when you are over the festivities.)
Although we are downtown residents, we’ve noticed a wonderful new trend among our suburban friends and acquaintances. More and more local folks are renting hotel rooms in downtown Knoxville when they want to spend an evening or weekend in the city. We think this is a great idea and ran into several friends doing just that this past New Year’s Eve.
As for us, our evening started about 7 p.m. when our friends Dawn and Richard Ford checked into our “guest condo” in Cherokee Lofts and then strolled across the hall to our place. Dawn and I each prepared two hors d’oeuvres, we poured some classic champagne cocktails, and the four of us started celebrating the last night of 2012.
We only scratched the surface of what was offered downtown on New Year’s Eve, but I think you’ll get an idea of the great diversity of things to do. And maybe next year, you’ll join us in ringing in the year in the little treasure that has become downtown Knoxville.
Dawn brought delicious wings.
And these wonderful Greek pinwheels, from a recipe she got from the Kraft Foods website.
I made what I call "Pain in the Rear" Shrimp. Ha.
Click here for a link to that shrimp recipe that I got from Pinterest.
My other recipe also was from Pinterest and it has a downtown story connected to it. I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to make it on New Year’s Eve, but I waited until the day before to really start thinking about it. Unfortunately, it called for a spring-form baking pan, which I do not own. I racked my brain to try to figure out where I could buy one downtown so I could avoid going to west Knoxville just to buy that one item.
I remembered that the new gourmet olive oil and vinegar shop, The Tree and Vine, located on Union Avenue, also carries some fancy cooking equipment, so I headed over there. But, alas, no spring-form pans. I mentioned to the store clerk, Morgan Fitch, that I guess I would have to go out to the suburbs to find what I was looking for. “Oh, no!” he said. “I have one. Would you like to borrow mine? I just live a block away and I’ll run over and get it.” Yay! I took him up on his generous offer and my dish turned out great. I’ve lived in Knoxville for 33 years, mostly out west, and, I have to say, I’ve never had a shopkeeper be so accommodating. I truly think it is a downtown thing! Another reason to love the downtown lifestyle.
Isn't it beautiful? It's called a chili cheesecake.
If you are interested, click here for the recipe. I’d recommend doubling the amount of chili powder and cumin the directions call for, though. We served it with Tostidos.
Dawn and Richard at the buffet
Richard topped off our champagne cocktails.
And then we headed over to the Knoxville Museum of Art for a sold-out special New Year’s Eve program featuring the bluesy music of Jenna and Her Cool Friends and a barbecue dinner by F.A.T.S of North Knoxville.
This beautiful nutcracker greeted us at the check-in at the museum. I think I've mentioned before that I love nutcrackers.
Here's Jenna and some of her Cool Friends.
Here's a view looking down into the Great Hall from the balcony. Packed.
Radio guy Terry Gillingham and his wife, Antje
The most popular place to be: the dance floor!
Joanne Rice was hard to miss in the drink line! That dress was perfect for New Year's!
That's where we saw Jeff and Misse Nitz, as well.
Dawn and Richard ran into some friends, Ruth and Don Horton.
From left, Heather Kline, Rhonda Ledbetter and Holly Lampert
Cute pic of Dawn at our table
Our friendly table mates: Giovanna Love, left, and Becky Snyder
Here's just some of the food that was available. (But I couldn't eat a thing after all we had at our place.)
The Fords cutting a rug
Jenna kept belting them out!
And the dance floor stayed full.
This is Michael Gill. He was in charge of this party -- and all the Alive After Five programs at the Knoxville Museum of Art. Great job, Michael. (A little pinot grigio at the bar would have been nice, though.)
We left the KMA quite a bit before midnight because we wanted to be on Market Square to see the ball drop and the fireworks. But on our way to Market Square, we just had to make another stop: Windows on the Park, the cool bar at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair.
That's where we ran into a fun little group that included Tyler Vineyard.
“I can’t believe I’m spending New Year’s Eve in the bar of a Holiday Inn!” he laughed. “But I’ll be darned if it’s not the most beautiful bar I’ve ever seen in a Holiday Inn!”
Our stuff just says, "Happy New Year!" doesn't it?
My hubby, Alan Carmichael, certainly seemed relaxed.
We only had time for one drink there because of our impending midnight deadline to get to Market Square.
Some folks were there before us!
Yep.
Everyone was in a good mood!
Pretty soon the ball was lowered.
And the fireworks exploded!
Mission accomplished.
As we headed back to our condo, we ran into our friends Pace and Karen Robinson. They live way, way out west -- we say their zip code is 379-too-far! But they had taken a room at the downtown Hilton for the night. Very smart and trendy!
The folks who rented this vehicle, parked at Krutch Park, had a good idea, as well. There's really no reason to be driving yourself around on New Year's.
We went to bed around 2 a.m. and had a deadline of being to the breakfast buffet at the Hilton by 10 a.m.
That's where we hooked up with our friends Judith and Michael Foltz, another west Knoxville couple who had opted to stay downtown overnight. The Foltzes stayed at The Oliver Hotel on Union Avenue to make it convenient for Judith to perform her New Year's duties as the city's director of special events.
Cheers, Michael.
After breakfast, we chilled at the condo for a little while discussing the events of the previous evening. But pretty soon, it was time for us to venture to west Knoxville, after all. Dawn and I headed to the home of Madge and Barry Cleveland, who always host a fantastic New Year’s Day feast. (We couldn’t budge Alan and Richard, who had settled in to watch football.)
Madge with an empty skillet of the best cornbread you will ever put in your mouth!
Here's the essential good luck portion of the meal!
A country ham, top, and a city ham! Yum!
Barry was in charge of the bar. He did a good job!
Our friend, photographer Jack Rose
A relaxing time with good friends to start the new year. And that includes one of our favorite dog friends, Annie, in the foreground.
Another tradition is that we go to see a movie on New Year’s Day. Dawn and I headed to “Les Miserables,” while Alan and Richard went to “Django Unchained.” (Dawn and I made the better choice!)
Happy 2013, everybody! We hope you’ll join us downtown as we welcome in 2014. You have a year to plan it!
Did Annie finish Jack’s food?
No! She’s a very well-behaved doggie and she’s not allowed to eat people food.
Knoxville is THE PLACE to be. Especially since the man who dropped the first NYE got his celebratory muse from Ktown. You all do him justice. Love Jenna.
Hey, John, really? What is the story?
You are so right about Windows on the Park. Teresa and I had dinner there before joining Judith and Mikey at the Oliver. The food was fantastic and the service was wonderful. It didn’t stop there. After spending the night we were treated to a wonderful complimentary brunch. Yes it is downtown again next year for us.
Love Evie
Oh, so glad to hear you all stayed downtown as well, Evelyn! All the rooms at the Holiday Inn have been remodeled and it is a great place to stay. Keep that in mind, suburban friends, when you are making your smart plans to sleep downtown. Evelyn: We need to coordinate a meeting downtown next New Year’s Eve. And sooner, of course!
Morgan Fitch is a wonderful personal chef, so, of course he would have a spring – form baking pan!
Sheena: Very lucky for me!
Cynthia: I have a springform pan and lots of other cooking pans and gadgets. Don’t ever hesitate to ask. I would do delivery service as well!
Happy New Year!!
Thanks for your recap, Cynthia! I am usually a stay-home girl on NYE but your tour-de-downtown may make me rethink plans for next year!
I think John B. above is referring to a Metropulse blog post by Jack Neely, posted on New Year’s Eve. This comments section won’t let me post the link (understandably), so you’ll have to find it on your own. I just googled the terms “ochs ball drop knoxville”.
Monique: Thanks so much! I’m thinking of buying a spring-form pan because it worked so well. But who knows what other exotic cooking tool a Pinterest recipe may call for!
Becky: You need to get out there with us! And thanks for the info about Jack Neely’s post on The Daily Pulse. I looked it up as you suggested and that is, indeed, John’s reference.
I have got a springform pan in my kitchen as well. Don’t hesitate to call any time you need a piece of cooking equipment or an ingredient. Downtown is the friendliest neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. I once went next door to Chesapeake’s to borrow a cup of sugar. Love that “pain in the rear shrimp”!
Cynthia, I went to college with Tyler Vineyard! So funny to find him on your blog! 🙂 Thanks for taking us all along for the ride.
Oh, Natalie, that’s funny! It was just a chance meeting. I hope he gets to see himself. He seems nice.
Alan, I had to fight your wife for that last piece of Madge’s cornbread. No way I was gonna let Annie have it.
Jack
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