Restaurants with a View: Dining at Water's Edge

Being seated at a window table adds a special treat to a delightful dinner out, but when that window offers a view of the river, the entire experience is enhanced. Our area is home to several restaurants that take advantage of the view afforded by the beautiful Tennessee River and its surrounding lakes. Some of these provide both window views and outdoor dining right on the water. Others give diners the chance to enjoy a meal not just at the water’s edge, but actually on the river.

Aris’ Harbor Lights
One step inside the door of Aris’ Harbor Lights Restaurant and your eyes are drawn immediately to the wall of windows that provides a breathtaking view of the Tennessee River. A shaded deck, with seating for 100, runs the length of the restaurant and sits just 10 feet above the river. Located on Hixson Pike approximately 10 miles north of Northgate Mall, Harbor Lights’ menu includes grouper and fresh oysters, as well as Greek and Italian fare, and “the best shrimp in town,” according to Aris Sklavenitis, the owner and chef who has been in the restaurant business for 44 years.
Reservations: Yes, (423) 843-2800, www.arisrestaurants.com, Dinner Entrées: $9.95 – $19.95

The Back Inn Café
From its opening in 1993 as a sandwich shop, the Back Inn Café has evolved to include both inside and outside dining, with charming views of the river from the sun porches and terrace. The restaurant’s menu includes Asian-inspired and Italian dishes, but focuses on American entrees. Favorites include the Martin House Steak and The Rembrandt, a 10 ounce New York strip steak coated with a House Blend espresso rub. While the Back Inn Café is often chosen for romantic evenings and special occasions, it also offers a relaxed bar atmosphere as well.
Reservations: Yes, 800-725-8338 ext. 1, www.bluffviewartdistrict.com,
Dinner Entrees: $14.00 – $28.00

Blue Moon Cruises
Climb aboard this 70-foot cruise boat and prepare for a totally relaxing experience. Starting at Ross’s Landing at the City Pier, the 17-mile, 3 ½-hour tour takes passengers through the Tennessee River Gorge at a comfortable pace. The naturalist crew is adept at pointing out birds and animals in their habitats. Shuford’s Smokehouse caters the barbeque dinner served on the Blue Moon; additionally, there is a full-service bar. The dual-deck Blue Moon offers passengers the choice of being outside on the upper deck or enjoying the sights from the climate-controlled, enclosed lower deck. Operating year-round, the Blue Moon not only offers a regular dinner cruise, but also a fall color cruise, the Grand Illumination cruise, holiday cruises and private charters.
Reservations: Required, 1-888-993-2583, www.bluemooncruises.org
Dinner Cruise: Adults $39; Youth $32; Children $25

Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar
Lawton and Karen Haygood brought the best of their favorite Gulf Coast flavors home to the Tennessee Valley, establishing a restaurant that takes full advantage of its riverside location and a menu that keeps customers coming back for more. The recipes that receive rave reviews – such as the Poblano Peppers and Matagorda Bay Fire Roasted Oysters - are often Lawton’s own. Lotta Lotta Garlic Chicken, a House Specialty, and the Wood Grilled Tilapia are also customer favorites. The Boathouse offers 20 outside tables that can be used most of the year because of the fans, shades and outdoor heaters that moderate temperatures. The location of the Boathouse not only offers a view of the river, but also a perfect venue for watching river traffic, sunsets and downtown fireworks shows.
Reservations: No, (423) 622-0122, www.boathousechattanooga.com, Dinner Entrées: $9.95 – $26.95

Dockside Café
Located next to the marina at Harrison Bay State Park, the Dockside Café offers a family-friendly, casual dining experience. Dock space allows boaters to tie-up, and diners may enjoy their meal at tables inside or out. Owner Sam Welton says, “Friday’s all-you-can-eat catfish is a great draw for customers, but the tilapia and grouper are also popular menu items.” Welton believes the restaurant’s t-shirt slogan sums up what the Dockside Café has to offer, “Great Food, Beautiful View.”
Reservations: Yes, (423) 344-9998, www.dockside-cafe.com, Dinner Entrees: $7.99 – $13.99

Fox Cay
The reality of Fox Cay (pronounced “Key”) began as a daydream in the Bahamas. Owners Jimmy Taylor and Dave McDonald brainstormed the concept while on a fishing trip and opened the restaurant in 2006. Located adjacent to Island Cove Marina and Resort and only 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, the restaurant is open year-round. Taylor says that menu selections reflect what he has experienced in travels with his business partner and interpretations of dishes they enjoy. Most of the seafood is flown in from Honolulu, particularly the tuna and blue marlin. Another menu favorite is the pork tenderloin, but according to Taylor, everybody says they have great burgers and wings, too.
Reservations: Yes, (423) 648-2800, Dinner Entrees: $9.95 – $29.95 / Market price for fresh fish

Riverside Catfish House
The Massengale family has owned and operated the Riverside Catfish House since 1963. Sitting above the Tennessee River, diners can enjoy the river traffic, as well as the restaurant’s popular offerings. Eyes roll with pleasure at the mention of their homemade coconut cake or buttermilk pie, but it’s the farm-raised all-you-can-eat fried catfish that is the mainstay of the menu. Este Massengale explains, “As far as I know, we’re one of the few restaurants serving grain-fed catfish from Mississippi.” The menu also includes frog legs, tilapia and grouper. Sides of cole slaw and hush puppies are also musts.
Reservations: Yes, for parties of 10 or more, (423) 821-9214, Dinner Entrees: $8.95 – $14.95

Steve’s Landing
Steve Russo is from New Orleans and opened Steve’s Landing in 1996. He says right away that he is not a chef but “If you’re from Louisiana, you had better know how to cook!” Located next to Pine Harbor Marina, the restaurant’s wooden boardwalk leads customers to the large tree-shaded deck where they may enjoy their meal, but then continues inside where they will find a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Steve’s Landing boasts an eclectic menu. “The ribs are our calling card,” says Russo, “but the fried shrimp and catfish are just as popular.” This busy lakeside restaurant serves many made-from-scratch sauces, dips and desserts. In fact, Russo’s grandfather provided the recipe for their New Orleans-style bread pudding.
Reservations: Call-ahead seating, (432) 332-4098, Dinner Entrees: $7.25 – $17.99


Southern Belle Riverboat
Choose a night of the week to visit the Southern Belle Riverboat and find yourself not only enjoying a paddlewheel journey on the Tennessee River, but also the featured dinner fare and accompanying music. Beginning at Pier 2 at the Landing, the Dixieland Cruise is the best-known for its popular country music and delicious prime rib and shrimp creole. The 2 ½-hour dinner cruise takes passengers around Moccasin Bend to Brown’s Ferry and then back upriver around McClellan Island. Recent renovations include the addition of a 2,500-square-foot kitchen, which allows food to be prepared on-site by Executive Chef Jack Martin, who oversees preparation of the regular menu and also caters private parties.
Reservations: Required, (423) 266-4488, www.ChattanoogaRiverboat.com
Dinner Cruise: Adult $21.50 – $36.50; Children $10.50 – $18.50

Healthy Wines from Organic Vines

By Alison Matera, DWS

The supply and demand for organic wines is growing at a rapid pace worldwide. Organic wine is both good for the environment and good for our bodies.

There are several reasons why I have always been an advocate for the promotion and consumption of this enticing, aromatic, fermented goodness we call wine. First of all, it’s yummy and secondly; it has many health benefits. When consumed in moderation and as part of a healthy diet, wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. It has also been shown to slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and improve lung function, to name a few.

Organic wines are becoming increasingly more popular, but much confusion still exists about what the term organic means. When a label says organic, it means the wine has met certain standards that are set by a government agency. Different nations have their own certification criteria, so what’s organic in one country may not be so in another.

This topic is in constant debate as the various organizations concerned with this matter study the subject in detail. However, farmers share a common belief that the purpose of growing organically is to bring about a healthy soil, as well as to produce the highest quality product, that is beneficial to consumers and the environment. Some of the terms used to describe organic wines are: organically grown, certified organically grown and biodynamically grown.

An organic vineyard is one where grapes are grown without harsh chemical fertilizers, weed killers, insecticides or other synthetic chemicals. This method of growing grapes tries to eliminate the use of chemicals in favor of natural cures to vineyard problems. Several problems plague vineyards, but one in particular is the presence of pests that can ruin a vintage. Organic farmers combat this problem by using organic viticulture. This involves locating insects that will eat problem bugs that are feeding on their plants, such as ladybugs.

Organic farmers also aim to maintain healthy, biologically active, fertile soil using plants that fix nitrogen from the air. In a vineyard this means planting cover crops between the vines instead of applying herbicide.

Certified organically grown designates that the grapes in the wine are not only grown and certified by a government or private certifying organization, but that the wine has been produced and handled without adding color additive or any prohibited materials. Many wineries that are producing organic wines choose not to be certified because of the added expense and bureaucracy of registering. As a result, there are a number of organic wines in the market that are not labeled “organic.”

Biodynamic farming treats the whole vineyard as an ecosystem. This process is guided by natural cycles that rely upon both plants and animals for success. The farmers also pay close attention to the rhythms of the earth and the solar system. The wine making process is accomplished as naturally as possible.

The label on your bottle of wine may say “organic wine” or it may say “wine made from organic grapes,” and this can be confusing. In the United States, wines labeled “organic” are produced without added sulfites; wines labeled “made with organic grapes” can add sulfites to the wine. Sulfites are a naturally occurring compound found on grapes, onions, garlic and many other growing plants. They are nature’s way of preventing microbial growth and also act as a preservative in wine. For those of you that are more sensitive to sulfites or have sulfite allergies, please read the label carefully, and as always, “drink what you like and like what you drink.”