It’s 2026: Let’s get this party started!

Knoxville was freezing cold, but beautiful, last Wednesday as we passed Market Square on our way to J.C. Holdway.

But it was warm inside!

As soon as we arrived, we saw Matt and Leigh Ann Garrett sitting at the “Chef’s Counter.” It’s a special place where you can watch the kitchen in action. They said we were in for a treat.

Randy and Robin Gibson were there, too. We see them there every New Year’s Eve.

John Winemiller, left, and RJ Hinde were getting ready to leave as we walked in. They also told us we were about to be delighted. Plastic bubbles holding balloons — as you can see behind them — were placed throughout the restaurant in anticipation of the midnight celebration.

Bill Pittman and Tina Rolen stopped by our table with a good review, as well.

From left, Steven and Dani Miller with Maria and Kevin McHale. They were seated at a nearby table.

Jerry Lenn, the chef’s father, was seated at the table right next to us. Festive headgear like he’s wearing were at every guest’s place setting.

From left, Michael and Judith Foltz with Hancen Sale. Like us, they were part of the 8 p.m. seating.

Here’s my husband, Alan Carmichael, with my friend Janet Testerman. She and her husband, Joey Creswell, were our fun tablemates.

Here she is with Joey.

Soon, sommelier Jason Drotar brought the wine pairing for the first course. This is a signature Jason pose!

The wine was a non-vintage French rose champagne called Dosnon. It is made from pinot noir grapes.

Here’s what it accompanied: a Maine lobster roll and a baked Murder Point oyster topped with miso hollandaise and sturgeon caviar. That oyster was my favorite bite of the night! Lobster roll was amazing, as well.

Here’s Janet with another friend of ours from another table: Dr. Anthony Wilson, who lives downtown, as we do.

Still more downtown friends: Jim and Kim Hays. They live in the Burwell Building, where the Tennessee Theatre is located. (Love her sweater!)

Here’s the whole table of our friends who were with Jerry. From left, Emily Lenn, Bill and Gay Lyons, Michael and Judith Foltz, and Jerry Lenn. We, along with Janet and Joey, were supposed to be sitting with them. But the restaurant said a table of 10 was too large for them to serve on New Year’s Eve, so they broke us into two tables.

Soon, General Manager Adam Marks showed up with the wine for the next course. He was imitating the “Jason pose.” Ha.

The 2023 Terre Nere, Montalto, Etna Bianco was described as a crisp, dry white wine that pairs well with food. Its grapes come from the Northern slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily. I really liked it.

It was paired with this delicious winter citrus salad. The components — Benton’s 14-month-old ham, arugula, orange slices, and green onion dressed with a pistachio mignonette, produced a wonderful combination of sweet and salty flavors. The wine was a perfect match.

Our next wine was a Chablis. I love a Chablis! This 2023 Laurent Tribute Chablis, a product of Burgundy, France, was delicious.

It was paired with a Hokkaido scallop served atop field pea stew, collards, dill and preserved tomato vinaigrette. I took this course as a nod to the traditional New Year’s meal of black-eyed-peas and greens. It was delish!

As Joey Creswell will attest! Just look at that clean plate!

Time to switch to Italian red wine! This 2022 Massolino Barbaresco was perfect with the next course.

Which was Russet potato gnocchi with amazake butter, chives, and alba white mushrooms that were shaved on top. Had to look this up, but discovered that amazake is a traditional, sweet Japanese drink made from fermented rice, known as a “drinkable IV drip” due to its rich nutritional content! Wow. The dish was fantastic.

A 2022 Sea Smoke “Southing” pinot noir was next. From Santa Barbara, it was much more robust than the previous red.

And it needed to be because it was paired with a roasted Pekin duck breast served with hedgehog mushrooms, sunchoke-black garlic puree, watercress and duck jus. This dish got rave reviews.

I paused to do a little table-hopping. Here are, from left, Preston Mitchell, Hancen Sale, Jared Worsham, Nathan Ogle, and Carson Hollingsworth.

Our downtown neighbors from The Elliott on Church Avenue, Eric and Nikki Elliott.

Bathroom breaks at J.C. Holdway are almost delightful! On New Year’s Eve, they were playing Stanley Tucci reading from his book, “What I Ate in One Year.” And the wallpaper is just a hoot anytime!

Next up: a 2023 Salus Benchlands cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley.

It was served with a wood-grilled filet of ribeye and celery root, horseradish, and Perigord black truffle.

Chef Lenn went to every table spooning out jus.

By the time this course was over, it was 11:44 p.m. and Alan decided to try on his midnight headpiece!

Janet and Joey grabbed a selfie!

This table was ready! From left: Walter Witt, Sara Steffan, Lauren Chiles, and Gerald Witt.

Miranda Van Hoose was pouring champagne!

And brown butter cake with vanilla cremeux, white chocolate-sea salt ice cream, and a hazelnut praline was served.

I loved the adorable little spoons that were provided!

Laura Lenn stopped by to visit and Joey practiced his horn-blowing abilities! It was 11:53.

Jerry and Emily Lenn at 11:56.

Bill and Gay Lyons.

Michael and Judith Foltz.

Andrea and Todd Flanders.

Kim Henry armed and ready with a sharp poker to bring down the balloons. It was 11:57.

And then, at midnight, down they came! Here are Dr. Anthony Wilson and Gay Lyons.

From left: Hancen Sale, Maria and Kevin McHale.

Nikki Elliott and Maria McHale celebrating.

Emily and Jerry Lenn.

Judith Foltz and Hancen Sale.

Staff members kept the bubbly flowing! Here are Domingo Pasillas, left, and Tyler Benfield.

That probably had something to do with Hancen strategically stuffing some balloons up his sweater!

And Maria joining in the frivolity!

Bartender Leah Smith kept her cool.

Laura Lenn started passing out pastrami sandwiches!

Hard to believe that, after all that food, folks still grabbed them!

And Chef Lenn kept turning them out!

A team assembled them.

The crew at the end of the night! Great job, everybody.

Congrats to these two on another amazing success. Folks, every evening at J.C. Holdway is a guaranteed good time. But I can’t imagine a better place to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Take my advice: meet me there on December 31!

And, if you can believe it, we went home with popcorn!