30 min southDrive south on Alcoa Highway to Walland; 4,200-acre resort in the Foothills.
Famous for: Foothills Cuisine tasting menu under chef Cassidee Dabney
Blackberry Farm in Walland 30 minutes south of Knoxville, the Relais and Chateaux foothills resort with chef Cassidee Dabney at The Barn, runs top dining.
45 min eastDrive Highway 441 to Gatlinburg through Pigeon Forge; expect heavy traffic in tourist season.
Famous for: Pancake Pantry on the Parkway since 1960, Tennessee's first pancake house
Gatlinburg 45 minutes east of Knoxville at the Smoky Mountains gateway, home to Pancake Pantry on the Parkway since 1960 and Crockett's 1875 Breakfast Camp.
40 min eastDrive Highway 441 east to Pigeon Forge.
Famous for: Old Mill Restaurant adjacent to the 1830 Isaac Love grist mill
Pigeon Forge 40 minutes east of Knoxville, home to the Old Mill Restaurant on Old Mill Avenue adjacent to the 1830 grist mill on the National Register.
35 min southDrive Highway 321 south to Townsend; the alternate Smokies entrance from Knoxville.
Famous for: Quiet small-town dining adjacent to Cades Cove
Townsend 35 minutes south of Knoxville at the Smokies' quiet entrance, offers slower-paced dining as the alternative to Gatlinburg's Parkway crowds.
35 min eastDrive Highway 411 east to Sevierville; closer than Pigeon Forge.
Famous for: Dolly Parton's hometown plus the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball park
Sevierville 35 minutes east of Knoxville, Dolly Parton's hometown and a quieter Smokies-area town with food anchored on the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball.
20 min southDrive Highway 129 south to Maryville; the closest day-trip from Knoxville.
Famous for: Foothills college town with downtown dining around Maryville College
Maryville 20 minutes south of Knoxville, the foothills college town home to Maryville College, anchors a quieter dining strip on Broadway Avenue.