Osteria Stella is an italian fine-dining restaurant in Old City, Knoxville.
Osteria Stella on West Jackson, the Aaron Thompson and Jessica King Italian room above Brother Wolf, runs Italian dinner service in the Old City.
Signature dishes: Pasta, Wood-fired Italian
Must order: Whatever the kitchen is rolling for pasta that night with a glass off the Italian-leaning wine list.
Tip: Sunday dinner is the quieter night; pair with an aperitivo at sibling Brother Wolf downstairs.
Address: 108 W Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Bistro at the Bijou on South Gay Street, the dining room attached to the historic Bijou Theatre, runs a pre-theater menu and live jazz Tuesdays in one.
Signature: Pre-theater menu, Tuesday live jazz
Order: The pre-theater bistro menu with a glass off the built wine list.
Tip: Time the reservation 90 minutes before showtime; Sundays run quieter than Friday and Saturday.
Chesapeake's Seafood House on Locust Street, the Copper Cellar group's downtown seafood room, runs Maryland crab cakes and fresh fish in a historic setting.
Signature: Maryland crab cakes, Fresh fish
Order: Maryland-style crab cakes plus the daily fresh-fish preparation.
Tip: Pre-theater dinner runs faster than the post-show seating; OpenTable opens about three weeks out.
The Plaid Apron on Kenesaw Avenue in Sequoyah Hills, the long-running Southern brunch and dinner room, runs Wednesday-to-Saturday dinners sourcing from East.
Signature: Smash burger, Local-farm dinner
Order: The smash burger at dinner with a cocktail off the seasonal list.
Tip: Wednesday to Saturday for dinner; Sunday is brunch only and the kitchen closes Monday and Tuesday.
Holly's Eventful Dining on Kingston Pike, chef Holly Hambright's Bearden room running a daily-changing menu, anchors Knoxville's local-source eclectic.
Signature: Daily-changing menu, Brunch plates
Order: Whatever Holly's kitchen is leading the daily-changing menu with that night.
Tip: Menu rotates daily; call ahead for reservations and to ask what is on the board for service.
J.C. Holdway on Union Avenue is Joseph Lenn's wood-fired Appalachian dining room since 2016, the top of Knoxville's chef-driven dinner tier.
Signature: Wood-fired Appalachian plates, Local trout
Order: The chef's wood-fired Appalachian protein of the week with a tasting-menu glass pairing.
Tip: Reservations open about a month out on Resy; the dining room sits about 50, so book early for Friday and Saturday.
Emilia on Market Square, chef Matt Gallaher's Emilia-Romagna-inspired Italian dining room since 2016, runs handmade pasta and hand-pulled mozzarella.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Hand-pulled mozzarella
Order: Whichever pasta the kitchen is rolling that night, plus a hand-pulled mozzarella plate to share.
Tip: OpenTable opens about three weeks out; Tuesday to Thursday dinners turn faster than weekend Saturdays.
