Judith Foltz preparing bruschetta in the kitchen of her new downtown digs.
I have mentioned before how some of us downtown dwellers use progressive dinners as a method of recruiting our suburban friends to move downtown. Our thought is that if we take our “targets” from one great place to another while enjoying an evening of interesting eats and camaraderie, they will see what an amazing place downtown is and will eventually opt to join us here.
I am happy to report another success story. Our friends Judith and Michael Foltz are not quite ready to give up their lovely home in Westmoreland Hills, but they have rented a cute little apartment above the Orange Leaf yogurt shop on Market Square! Yay! I believe Michael, who was the holdout, actually is more excited about downtown living than even Judith is.
To celebrate this fabulous development, we planned a progressive dinner that would start at the Foltzes’ new place and then continue to Tim Young’s stylish condo above Mast General Store, ending with dessert at Monique and Bruce Anderson’s beautiful residence in The Glencoe. Come along!
We always have a theme for our progressive dinners and this time the theme was “guinea pigs.” That meant the cooks were supposed to create dishes they had not made before. We would all be “guinea pigs.”
Here's the living room of Michael and Judith's new apartment. Michael, at right, is talking to Mickey Mallonee, one of our progressive dinner regulars, and my hubs, Alan Carmichael.
The elegant bedroom
Alan enjoying the serenity of the living room.
Judith loves flowers and sets a stunning table.
The Barefoot Contessa's recipe for rosemary cashews was yummy.
As was the colorful -- and flavorful -- bruschetta.
Loved the cheese plate and the tiny little grapes. The cheeses: balsamic belavita, smoked gouda with bacon, and pesto cheddar.
After about an hour, we gave Tim Young, his friend Jeff Cupp, and Gay Lyons a 15 minute head start to head to Tim’s place. Tim and Jeff were in charge of the cocktails for the next stop and Gay had volunteered to make the food at Tim’s house.
Tim and Jeff did a great job with the sangria!
Tim has a fantastic kitchen.
In honor of our guinea pig theme, Tim put out this great fellow!
We moved everything upstairs to Tim's rooftop deck and set up a buffet.
These were intriguing: cardamom poached apricots stuffed with mascarpone and dipped in chopped pistachios.
Ginger roulades: pickled ginger, watercress and cream cheese wrapped in tortillas.
Palmetto brand pimento cheese with jalapenos. "The best pimento cheese on the planet," Gay insists. I have to agree that it was mighty tasty.
The Barefoot Contessa's recipe for pasta salad. Delicious. It includes feta, tomatoes, and Niscoise olives.
Eggs stuffed with smoked trout
The upper deck is a relaxing spot. You can see House Mountain on the horizon toward the left.
Bruce and Monique Anderson enjoying the respite - and the sangria!
Michael and Judith Foltz
Bill Lyons and Mickey Mallonee
And then it was time to move on!
We were making good time when we arrived at the Andersons' condo in The Glencoe for dessert.
Monique, an excellent cook, serving over-the-top cheesecake. It was an orange and almond cheesecake topped with an orange sour cream layer and served with orange whipped cream and fresh raspberry sauce!
We headed into The Glencoe's beautifully appointed courtyard.
These big planters at the entrance offer privacy.
We settled in to enjoy dessert al fresco on a lovely night.
Here's the night time view of First Presbyterian Church across State Street from The Glencoe.
The moon was just coming up.
Oops! Well, it's not a party until something gets broken!
Cute pic of Gay and Judith
Tim and Jeff saying their goodbyes.
It was a relaxed and celebratory night. Welcome to downtown to our friends Michael and Judith. Who’s next?
Reading The Blue Streak is better than attending a Tour of Homes! Thanks for the great shots of these residences. Glad the Foltzes took the downtown challenge!!! What fun you all are having!
What fun! I love our progressives. It’s time to plan the next one–got a couple of targets in mind. We’re on a roll!
Rusha: Thanks. You’d better be careful or we will get you and Bert in our crosshairs!
Gay: Can’t wait to hear who your “targets” are!
We have such fun! Let’s plan the next one.
Yes, Monique! We need to get on that!
OMG – I could never live up to the fabulous decor and menus! It sounds wonderful and what a beautiful night you all had to progress.
These just keep getting better…the food was awesome and the company was incredible…glad to know each of you as friends…keep the progressives going Gay…and thanks Cynthia for your wonderful documentation !!! ENJOY LIFE !!!!
Looks tasty. But really, Gunea Pig night and no cuy on the menu?
Thanks, Jack. Not! I looked up cuy on the Internet and yuck! Damn straight we didn’t have it. I’m going to throw up now! (But, on the positive side, it seems like a word that will come in handy on Words With Friends! Or Scrabble.)
May I just tell you how much I love The Blue Streak? I have become totally addicted, like a kid with my nose pressed to the glass. It is wonderful to read about interesting people, doing wildly creative things and having so much fun! Thank you, Cynthia…..
Carol: What a sweet thing to say! I am so flattered. The Blue Streak is really just a hobby of mine because I think Knoxville is so much fun — and I want everyone to feel the same way. Part of what makes Knoxville so great is its cultural offerings such as those at Clarence Brown Theatre. Thanks for all you do to support that wonderful treasure. It was fun seeing you there last night.
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