Bistro by the Tracks

Executive Chef Christopher Stallard blends Southern grace and casually elegant bistro fare for a consistently spectacular menu, and the attentive—but never stuffy—wait staff takes it from there. Small plates like Hudson Valley Foie Gras or Seared Carpaccio set the metropolitan tone and the Southern influence flares up with entrées such as Pan Seared Sea Scallops (with sautéed carrots and Benton’s country ham), Dr. Pepper Duck (pear cherry chutney), or Bolognese beef. Dessert is an event with offerings such as Hummingbird Cake or Toasted Almond Crème Brulee. They offer beer, a full liquor bar, and an extensive wine list. (Lunch, Monday-Friday: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Sunday-Saturday: 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.)

As seen in The Metro Pulse Restaurant Guide

For nearly 20 years, Bistro By the Tracks has remained one of Knoxville’s culinary treasures. Over time the restaurant has striven to provide excellent and new dining experiences for the area, and that diligence and care are certainly part of the reason that this restaurant keeps diners happy and stays near the top of any list of Knoxville favorites.

But owner Randy Burleson, not a man to rest on his laurels, saw a chance to make good things even better. That’s why you’ll notice changes as the kitchen begins to reflect the style and culinary acumen of its new chef, Christopher Stallard. Chef Stallard isn’t new to Knoxville—he was the executive chef at the short-lived but brilliant Little Star and at the Orangery, where he led the restaurant to regain its AAA Four Diamond honor. Recently, Stallard has been honing his craft in Charleston’s vibrant food scene where he taught at the Art Institute of Charleston. Food lovers will be glad to know that Chef Stallard also completed two stages in the celebrated kitchens of the French Laundry and Alinea.

As Stallard gets settled and takes the pulse of the place, he plans to continue the restaurant’s support of local producers in its expression of modern American cuisine, but you can expect an increased attention to seasonality. And as time passes, look for the kitchen to express more of Stallard’s personal style, which he describes as playful but with a serious aim of creating good and creative food that also has an emotional context that will help connect guests to flavor memories. Under Stallard’s leadership, Burleson looks for better quality for his guests with the kind of improvement that will eventually command regional attention for this home-grown favorite.

When coming to taste the new chef’s work, make sure to visit the new neighbor—drink. It’s like an expansion of the Bistro’s already notable wine and cocktail service, except on a new level. The handcrafted cocktail offerings include both in-house creations and tasteful riffs on familiar drinks. Wine lovers will croon over the three imported Enomatics—a nifty, self-serve wine preservation system that works with a pre-paid card and acts as your own personalized wine tasting. It allows drink. to offer 48 wines in three different pour sizes. Happily, drink. is not a typical bar—the big screen TVs run fashion and runway shows, and there’s metropolitan kind of glamour in the air.

All in all, the improvements at this Bearden stalwart merit a re-visit soon. Between the Bistro and drink., there are a lot of smiles in the air, and the staff figures that the more they do for you, the happier everybody will be with plenty of good food, drink, and glamour all round.

Restaurant Details

Locally Owned	Wifi	Patio	Live Music	Accepts Reservations	Party Room (20+)

Kids Menu	Delivers	Buffet	Waterfront	Vegetarian Dishes	Vegan Dishes