Editorial
Front Page - Friday, September 25, 2009
Weekly Indulgence
Samara Litvack
A little more than a year ago, I drove up to Sewanee to interview Joel Cunningham, the vice chancellor and president of the University of the South. While in town, a local restaurant – Jim Oliver’s Smoke House – caught my eye and I stopped in for a bite to eat. I so enjoyed my pulled pork barbecue sandwich and my trip to the fresh veggie salad bar that I wrote a column about it. I planned, if ever in the area again, to visit the Smoke House in the future.
Several months later, I got an e-mail from Mr. Oliver, inviting me back to Monteagle to visit his lodge. If you’ve never been up that way, the Smoke House encompasses quite a bit of land – the restaurant, the Best Western hotel, several cabins behind the hotel and even a real estate company.
It took us several months to finally set a date, but last weekend I headed back up to Monteagle Mountain. Over the next few weeks, I will share my experiences with you, and I hope after reading about my weekend, you’ll make the short drive up I-24 to see what the town has to offer.
I began my visit with check-in at the Smoke House Lodge. In the main building, I was greeted by two very friendly ladies, Kay and Jamie, who smiled and laughed the entire time they helped me. The cabins, they explained, are located behind the actual lodge. They gave me a map of the premises and directed me to my cabin with a trail of pink highlighter.
The map trail led me straight to my cabin, which was quaint and private and absolutely wonderful. I entered through the back door, into the mini kitchen. It included everything you need for a weekend away from home – a stove, a refrigerator, dishes and a double sink.
I continued on into the living area, where a kitchen table, a very nice leather sofa, a gorgeous stone fireplace, a flat-screen TV, a large armoire and a king-sized bed awaited me. I was in awe of my little cabin’s beauty. Gorgeous cathedral ceilings, wood accent tables, elegant light fixtures – it was nicer than I’d imagined.
In the corner of the room was the hot tub, which, I must clarify, is more of a whirlpool tub (but equally relaxing). The bathroom (though usually not my favorite part of a vacation home) was immaculate, with its marble countertop, super high ceilings, extra large tub and huge showerhead (with amazing water pressure).
To top things off, I stepped out the front door to a beautiful covered porch, complete with a rocking chair and an Adirondack chair, different shades of red with the same country feel. Beautiful latticework stretched the length of the porch and lined the roof, and the view was serene, squirrels darting across the lawn and birds flying from tree to tree.
Once the car was unpacked, I realized how hungry I was. I headed down the main road in search of a Monteagle restaurant and came upon High Point, a local landmark included in the National Register of Historic Places.
The building is a 1929 mansion, believed to have been financed by Al Capone. (This theory is supported by its structure, as it’s built from stones that jut out sporadically, perfect for the criminal needing to evade police from a second story window.)
I began my meal with the Black Thai Duck, sesame crusted and served with an oriental sauce. While a little undercooked for my liking, the outside pieces of this dish were well seasoned and extremely flavorful. The sauce was amazing, and made a wonderful dressing for the arugula salad served with it.
My next course was a bowl of lobster bisque soup, served with a delicate pastry crouton and a dash of sherry. The soup was unbelievable, very rich and smooth, and the pastry added a fantastic texture to the dish, as well as a nice, buttery flavor.
For my final course, I had the “Chicago Meets Miami” filet mignon and lobster tail. My steak, cooked medium, was wonderful, as you might expect with filet mignon. But the lobster, while smaller than I’d envisioned, completely surpassed my expectations. Served with a side of drawn butter, it was unbelievably sweet and created a fantastic complement to the savory sauce served on the filet. I chose asparagus with hollandaise sauce as my side item, and by the time my meal was over, I was delightfully full and ready to head back to the cabin for a night of relaxation.
I brought in wood from outside (the Smoke House provides each cabin with a stack, right outside the door) and started a fire before filling up the whirlpool. I spent the next hour or so relaxing, before drifting off to some of the best sleep I’ve gotten in months.
Contact Samara at samara@hamiltoncountyherald.
com
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