Feuding editor and mayor bring down the house at 34th annual Front Page Follies show

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley

News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy, left, and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett playing themselves at the Front Page Follies

News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy, left, and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett playing themselves at the Front Page Follies

Lord knows the 34th annual Front Page Follies show had plenty of raw material this year.

The annual spoof of news makers produced and performed by the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (and friends) is a series of songs and skits a la the Capitol Steps or the Gridiron Show in Washington, D.C. It raises money for journalism scholarships and was held this past weekend at the Knoxville Convention Center.

The talent in the show was as good as I’ve ever seen it — and I’ve seen it for 32 years. But the show-stopper Continue reading →

Filed under: Events, Journalism, Knoxville, Media, Music, Public Relations, Theater | 13 Comments

Friends welcome Tom Cervone to his new post as executive director of Historic Tennessee Theatre

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley
Tom Cervone and his wife, Susan Creswell

Tom Cervone and his wife, Susan Creswell

“I feel like I’ve jumped from AAA baseball into the major leagues,” said an ecstatic Tom Cervone Thursday night at a reception celebrating his new position as executive director of the Historic Tennessee Theatre. Cervone, the former managing director of the University of Tennessee’s Clarence Brown Theatre Company, said he is “committed to expanding progress and opening the doors more often and to more people.”

More than 100 folks filled the Tennessee’s beautiful lobby to visit with one another and with Tom and his wife, Susan Creswell. In addition to Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, many of the guests were members of the Tennessee and Clarence Brown theater communities. Continue reading →

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Historic preservation, Knoxville, Theater | 2 Comments

The Tree and Vine is open — and it’s so much fun!

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley
Inside The Tree and Vine about two hours after it opened on Thursday

Inside The Tree and Vine about two hours after it opened on Thursday

The Tree and Vine, located at 439 Union Avenue in downtown Knoxville, opened this afternoon and when I stopped by around 1:30, it already was serving a steady stream of customers.

Proprietor Paul Karlsson was staffing the store along with Morgan Fitch, a downtown resident who is best known as a sculptor but who also has just finished culinary school. There are a couple dozen or so opened bottles of interestingly flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars offered along with little paper cups and cubes of bread for tasting. “You are welcome to taste as many as you want,” Fitch urged a customer. “There is no limit.”

Karlsson agreed. “You should never buy an olive oil or balsamic vinegar without tasting it first,” he said. I tried a chipotle olive oil and absolutely loved it. It packed quite a kick and I can imagine finishing a piece of chicken or fish with a drizzle of it. I also tried the 18-year-old balsamic and found it thick and sweet and absolutely delicious. Continue reading →

Filed under: Business, Downtown, Food, Knoxville | 13 Comments

Picnic on “Trail of the Lonesome Pine” offers insights into one of Appalachia’s biggest boosters

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley
The hit of the dinner was this plate of fried apple pies made by Pete DeBusk's mother, Maude. They contain June apples from her own farm.

The hit of the dinner was this plate of apple turnovers made by Pete DeBusk's 90-year-old mother, Maude. They contain June apples from her own farm.

Fifty of us were on a bus the other evening on the way to Gibson Station, Virginia, to a picnic at a farmhouse owned by Pete and Cindi DeBusk. It was one of Knox Heritage‘s fun Summer Supper fundraisers. In fact, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees, it was the hottest one on record!

DeBusk was on the microphone acting as tour guide, pointing out interesting sights in Maynardville, Harrogate and nearby vicinities when a woman shouted out a question to him. “Pete, were you raised in the farmhouse where we are going to have dinner?”

DeBusk chuckled and shook his head. “No, honey. I was raised in a trailer. My parents were in the coal business.” Continue reading →

Filed under: Events, Food, Historic preservation, Knoxville, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Sweet “Solstice Supper” benefits Beardsley Farm

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley
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Bob Due, of Terraced Gardens Farm, provided the butterball potatoes used in the menu. Here he is with his girlfriend, Rebecca Judy.

Alan and I had never been to The Plaid Apron in Sequoyah Hills, but we certainly had heard a lot about it. The so-called “Solstice Supper” benefiting Beardsley Community Farm seemed like a perfect opportunity to check it out.

So we grabbed our downtown friends, Gay and Bill Lyons, along with a couple of bottles of wine and we headed to our old neighborhood for dinner. And what a good time we had. We knew someone at almost every table, which made it even more fun.

The Plaid Apron, owned by Drew and Bonni McDonald, is committed to the farm-to-table movement. Everything they serve is as local as possible and the menu changes daily. The restaurant, located at 1210 Kenesaw Avenue in the heart of Sequoyah Hills, only serves breakfast and lunch, unfortunately. It is open from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. We highly recommend it.

Beardsley Community Farm is a very cool urban demonstration site that has promoted food security and sustainable urban agriculture since 1998. The half-acre main site sits on the former grounds of Beardsley Junior High School. The farm also maintains 6.5 acres in a nearby public park. Continue reading →

Filed under: Events, Food, Knoxville | 11 Comments

Four centuries; four visionaries; four blocks

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley
The Eastern Star meeting room at the Masonic Temple downtown. The Temple was built around an historic home of one of Knoxville's early luminaries.

The Eastern Star meeting room at the Masonic Temple downtown. The Temple was built around an historic home of one of Knoxville's early luminaries.

In the 18th century, the town of Knoxville was established. In the 19th century, it became a railroad town, among other things. In the 20th century, TVA made its headquarters here, changing the economy forever. And now, in the 21st century, creative developers are re-imagining just what downtown Knoxville can be.

Knox Heritage recently celebrated these landmark historical events with a four-block progressive party, one of the non-profit’s successful Summer Supper fundraisers. There were some surprises.

James White, the founder of Knoxville, is buried in the graveyard of First Presbyterian Church. Appropriately, that’s where our evening began. Continue reading →

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Historic preservation, Knoxville | 13 Comments

Business community warmly embraces Lady Vols Coach Holly Warlick at festive reception

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley

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The Knoxville business community gave new Lady Vols Basketball Coach Holly Warlick and her staff a warm reception last week at a well attended cocktail party at the Knoxville Convention Center. In return, Warlick made three commitments that surely gave the business folks comfort: Continue reading →

Filed under: Business, Downtown, Events, Food, Knoxville, UT sports | 9 Comments

Four flights up: Dinner soars to dizzying heights

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley
The hosts called this a "Summer Shrimp Cocktail." It was shrimp served on something like gazpacho, which was deep and flavorful. The little melon pieces wrapped in prosciutto were refreshing, too.

The hosts called this a "Summer Shrimp Cocktail." It was shrimp served on something like gazpacho, which was deep and flavorful. The little melon pieces wrapped in prosciutto were refreshing, too.

Sometimes you just get lucky! That’s what happened to me a few weeks ago when I got to be a “fill in” for a dinner that had been auctioned off by Knox Heritage.

I got to be the “date” of Knox Heritage Executive Director Kim Trent when her pal Dorothy Stair had to back out due to a conflict. Yay, me. The dinner was called “Four Flights Up” and it was a team project to design a dinner to be eaten on every floor of Bill and Gay Lyons’ interesting condo at Kendrick Place in downtown Knoxville.

The host committee was carefully chosen to be a perfect combination of talents: Gay Lyons and Vicki Baumgartner, both of whom have catering experience, were in charge of food; Dennis Perkins, a cocktail expert, was in charge of libations; Sam George, of Samuel Franklin’s Floral and Home, did table styling; and his buddy Cliff Wright came up from Atlanta to help serve.

The guests arrived at the appointed time and were directed to “the mews,” a unique and charming brick alleyway that divides two sets of Kendrick Place condos. There we found our first course: a distinctive cheese and fruit plate and two signature cocktails: cucumber martinis and gin mojitos. Continue reading →

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Historic preservation, Knoxville | 6 Comments

Southern Food Writing Conference attracts its own kind of stars to Knoxville — and they like!

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley
Alton Brown at the Tennessee Theatre last month

Alton Brown at the Tennessee Theatre last month

Everybody knows how much fun we all had last month at the International Biscuit Festival, also known as Biscuit Fest. But, to me, something that was even more exciting and fun was the Southern Food Writing Conference that preceded it.

I am wondering if, properly executed, the food writing conference couldn’t go an even longer way to putting Knoxville on the culinary map. After all, in association with the conference (and the festival), we had Food Network star Alton Brown appearing at the Tennessee Theatre and we entertained food bloggers, cookbook authors and writers from publications ranging from McMinn Today and the News Sentinel to Southern Living and Gannett News Service.

“From the beginning, we wanted Biscuit Fest to have a cultural element,” said “Biscuit Boss” John Craig, a local developer who founded the festival three years ago. “At first it was music.”

But soon, Craig said, he chatted with cookbook author John T. Edge, Continue reading →

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Journalism, Knoxville, Media | 7 Comments

Hope 2012: A new star shines at an over-the-top party benefiting a very deserving cause

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Cynthia Moxley
Surprise guest Daniel Joseph Baker, a semi-finalist on America's Got Talent

Surprise guest Daniel Joseph Baker, a semifinalist on America's Got Talent

I go to a lot of great parties, but I think the one we went to this past Saturday may be in contention to be the party of the year!

It also was nice that this super party was to benefit one of Moxley Carmichael‘s best clients, Covenant Health. Specifically, Hope 2012 is a party and huge auction that funds the Hope Center at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center.

Hope Center provides supportive care at no charge to patients and families affected by HIV or other serious illnesses. Its mission is to address individual needs, quality of life, end-stage care, provide HIV education, and sustain hope in a nonjudgmental environment. Who can argue with those lofty goals?

But, let me assure you, this party, named “A Southern Summer’s Night,” was something else. The surprise guest at the event was Daniel Joseph Baker, the young entertainer who made it to the semifinals in last year’s America’s Got Talent TV show. (Click here to see his progress on the show.)

He brought down the house — before AND after a spectacular fireworks show. Continue reading →

Filed under: Art, Events, Knoxville, Music | 9 Comments