Oh, too bad. It appears that a giant wedding cake has fallen on top of a no-good, cheating husband!

Let’s say you are 63 years old and have been married to your husband for 42 years, since you were 21. And let’s say you found out he has been cheating on you — with a woman he also had an affair with 30 years ago! What would you do?

If you are estate attorney Anne McKinney, you get a divorce, keep the house and your ex-husband’s very favorite guns from his sizable collection (just to make a point!) and you throw yourself a massively fun divorce party — complete with song and dance numbers centered around the lout in question!

Oh, and you auction off your wedding dress, wedding crystal and china and give the money to charity!

That, friends, was the occasion last night at Southern Depot for Anne McKinney’s “Brave Heart Party.”

“Welcome, everyone, to my Brave Heart Party, where we’ll be celebrating my new life and my new, brave heart after the end of my 43-year marriage,” Anne said at the start of the festivities. “The last 5-1/2 months have been the hardest of my life.

Anne

“But the love and support of family and friends have kept me strong and helped me make my heart brave for the future. I’ve found some wonderful blessings in this awful experience. And that’s what we’re here to celebrate tonight.”

The girl’s got guts! The party was on what would have been her 43rd wedding anniversary. The judge signed the final divorce decree the day before.

“I stand before you happier than I’ve been in years,” she announced. “We are celebrating the removal of the large unsightly growth known as my ex-husband.”

If you don’t know Anne as an attorney, you may know her from the annual Front Page Follies Show, the gridiron-type program put on by local journalists and friends that spoofs politicians and other notables with parody songs. Not only does Anne perform in the show each year, she helps write many of the numbers. She did much the same thing with her program last night.

You kind of got an idea of the tone of the evening when she referred to her ex as a “lying, cheating rat bastard.” But, just to drive the message home, the opening number, “You Cheating Fart,” to the tune of the Hank Williams classic, “Your Cheating Heart,” left no room for doubt that this would be an over-the-top romp at the rat bastard’s expense.

There were 200 people there. After every few numbers we were asked to raise our glasses in a toast. Instead of saying, "Cheers!" we said, "Freedom!"

There were philosophical moments mixed in as well. Like when she discussed “the blessing of learning the truth.”

“Even the toughest truth is better than the prettiest lie,” she noted.

I loved the song she wrote to the tune of “My Favorite Things.” It was renamed “His Favorite Guns.” She introduced that segment by saying, “It’s a good thing I found out about the affair when I was 63 and there is still time to make a life. If I’d been 83, I’d have had to shoot him!”

Anne, left, with Nick Cazana and Kay Clayton

According to Anne, this whole process has been cathartic. Not only has she lost 34 pounds, but she has reconnected with old friends and been drawn closer to her sisters and brother as well as her son. “Songwriting is cheaper than therapy,” she advised.

To the tune of "Happy Trails to You," we now had "Happy trails, you two; Let's never meet again!"

Anne's siblings, from left, Leila Lott, George Zenni and Liza Zenni. She said they literally came to her rescue and took care of her during this ordeal. A spike in her blood pressure caused her to have to be hospitalized.

Carol Zinavage, the Knoxville Symphony's principal pianist, played keyboards for Anne's performance and Emily Schoen sang backup and performed during breaks. I particularly loved her rendition of "Cry Me a River."

Anne's sister, Liza Zenni, was 12 years old when Anne got married. She didn't like the groom-to-be. "I bit him on his wedding day!" she related. He unwisely tried to put his arm around her, apparently.

Mickey Mallonee, in back, and Ellen Adcock

P Smith, left, and Carolyn Neil

From left, Jenny Hines, Annette Winston and Alan Carmichael

Anne's friend Helen Johnson, a retired professional singer, did a great version of "Crazy."

From left, Phyllis and Kim Williams, David and Susan Lauver. Kim Williams, a well-known songwriter, came with his wife from Nashville for the occasion. He helped Anne with some of the songs.

From left, Ann and Dick Goldstine and Margaret Fuller Sadler

Anne's neigbor Blenza Davis walked to Anne's house every day after she heard the news. She kept coming until she caught Anne at home "because she wanted to give me a hug," Anne said.

Anne's sister Leila with husband, George Lott

The wedding dress was lovely. Proceeds from the silent auction were divided between Horse Haven, Leila's favorite charity, and the Arts and Cultural Alliance, Liza's fave.

The wedding china, also sold in a silent auction, was a Lenox pattern.

I think I would have been tempted to smash it. But this was so much more civilized.

In addition to the wedding cake on top of the bad husband at the beginning of this blog, there was a "Freedom" cake.

"What did Texas do?" I asked. It was the scene of some of the transgressions, I was informed.

From left, Kay Clayton, Amy Williams, Janna Hubbs and Jenny Hines

Anne chats with Jim Ensor.

“Living well is the best revenge, as they say,” Anne noted. “And I intend to live very well!” We think she is off to a good start!

Mickey Mallonee makes good use of one of the fans which were provided for dinner guests on the porch of Middlebrook's Summer House.

The wonderful series of events that is Knox Heritage’s “Summer Suppers” began last Saturday in spectacular style with a Gay Nineties theme at the beautiful Middlebrook plantation.

Middlebrook, tucked away at 4001 Middlebrook Pike, was constructed circa 1795 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the oldest existing frame residences in Knoxville.

Owner Rick Fox said Saturday that most people think of the Civil War when they think of Middlebrook and it did play a role in that war, serving as a hospital at one point. Prior to the war, it was a slave-run plantation. But that was just one era of the home’s long life. The estate has been continuously occupied all along and, in the 1890s, long after the Civil War had ended, it was owned by Major Thomas Shapard Webb’s family.

That was the time setting for the Gay Nineties party, and most of the menu items Saturday were based on recipes from the 1901 “Knoxville Cookbook,” which included dishes from Major Webb’s wife, Blanche McClung Webb, and other family members.

Middlebrook

Host Beverly Linkous, distributed calling cards to guests and explained that in the 1890s, one would send his or her messenger to present a calling card to the lady of the house signaling one's intention to pay a visit.

Alan Carmichael presenting his calling card to Rick Fox, the owner of Middlebrook.

Host Jenny Hines offering Southern sausage balls as guests arrive.

You've got to be impressed with a house that has its own cocktail napkins!

Guests, from left, Cheryl Light, Susan Morris and Janet Hogan

Host Susan Brown passed canapes as host Tom Jester took drink orders.

The dainty finger sandwiches included pimento cheese, cucumber and cream cheese and chicken salad. Perfect for a summer night.

Kelly and Mike Conley chat with Kim Trent, right, Knox Heritage's executive director.

Host Ralph Cianelli, center, who resides at Middlebrook, greets guests Joan and Glenn Swift. Cianelli and Fox met the Swifts on a cruise and they have become friends.

Guests Michael Combs and Jennifer Holder

This is Major Webb. He would have been our host had we actually visited Middlebrook in the 1890s.

This guest bedroom is carpeted, Fox said, to cover the blood stains on the hardwood floor left from its previous use during the Civil War. It was the hospital's amputation room.

Ralph Cianelli, left, and Rick Fox listen as Kim Trent welcomes guests.

When it was time for dinner, we walked to the Summer House, located behind Middlebrook. We passed this lovely view of Third Creek.

The Summer House

These are the members of Boogertown Gap. They provided tunes from the Gay Nineties.

I thought the table, set up on the porch for 24 guests, was stunning.

Two of the hosts, Chris Davis and Craig Shelton, interior designers who own The Drawing Room in Homberg Place, created the lush flower arrangements.

I was told that host Janet Testerman came up with the idea of using a Granny Smith apple and sprig of rosemary for place card holders. Loved it.

Melt-in-your-mouth sweet potato biscuits were made by host Gay Lyons.

Cold salads started the dinner. That's a congealed salad on the left, an artichoke and rice salad at the top, three kinds of deviled eggs and pickled okra and corn which host Sam Maynard provided. (He even gave me extra okra because I love it so!)

Sam made the most interesting and refreshing peach soup. I had never had peach soup before, but really liked it.

Baked ham, scalloped potatoes, corn pudding and the most delicious green beans in the world (made by Janet Testerman) were the entree.

We were served red and white wines all evening, but to accompany dessert we got a little taste of muscadine wine, which may have been served at Middlebrook.

Dessert was honey lavender ice cream with a pistachio shortbread cookie. (Cruze Farm made the ice cream just for this occasion and it was fantastic.)

A hand for the chefs! Sam Maynard with Gay Lyons, center, and Janet Testerman

After dinner, the women were served sherry inside the Summer House and the gentlemen retired to the arbor to partake of cigars and bourbon.

Chris Davis pouring sherry for the ladies

Sam and Tom Jester unwinding.

Meanwhile, although I'm sure he was exhausted, host David Butler attacked the dishwashing chores. I'm sure he was very glad at this point not to be living in the 1890s.

Everyone received a package of bourbon and amaretto truffles for the trip home.

Yum!

There are 13 Summer Suppers left in the lineup. Click here to see the listing and sign up. Each one is a unique experience that will not likely be repeated. Don’t miss out.

Here is the list of the generous and talented folks who hosted this one: Linda Gay Blanc and Marshall Peterson, Mary Ellen Brewington, Susan Brown, David Butler and Ted Smith, Ralph Cianelli and Rick Fox, Chris Davis, Amy and John Gibson, Jenny Hines and Tom Jester, Beverly and Randy Linkous, Gay Lyons, Sam Maynard, Craig Shelton and Janet Testerman. Thanks, folks!

Here is a 6-second clip of what music sounded like in the 1890s! To turn on the sound, just mouse over the picture and click on the microphone logo.

Shaun Fulco and Roger Hyver on their wedding day earlier this month. (Photo by Dawn Isbell)

To make up for that recent blog post about a romp of a divorce party (click here), I will now pass on a story about love.

Shaun Fulco was 15 years old in 1982, working nights and weekends at the bowling alley her father managed in the New Orleans suburb of Chalmette. She noticed an attractive and talented bowler named Roger Hyver, who also lived in her town. He was there all the time practicing. Shaun says he was good enough to have been a professional bowler, had he had the financial backing. He was 19. To say Shaun was smitten would be an understatement.

“I made a friend of mine come day after day to the bowling alley to sit with me and watch him bowl,” she recalls. “We would watch him for hours. My friend would beg me to leave.”

Roger was unaware of the teen’s affection and attention. But Shaun’s father was not unaware of it. And he was not amused. “My dad said, ‘No way!’ because of the age difference,” Shaun says. “He was not going to let his 15-year-old daughter get involved with a 19-year-old guy.” Her father kept an eye on the situation. If he noticed Shaun paying too much attention to Roger, he’d change her assignment and make her go work in the bowling alley’s day care center, out of sight of the bowling lanes.

Shaun and Roger's friend John Fee performed a song he wrote called "Marry Me" as the processional.

His plan worked. Although it was a small town and everyone knew the families of one another, Roger was only vaguely aware of her existence as he spent time with his older friends. Eventually, he married someone else and, years later, so did Shaun. They both had children and went about their lives. From time to time, they would see one another at a gathering of mutual friends, but those times were infrequent and uneventful. Still, even as they pursued their careers, Shaun would kind of keep an ear out and, every now and then, make note of where Roger moved after he left town. After more than 20 years, though, she had lost track of where he was.

Then, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, killing almost 2,000 people and doing $81 billion in property damage. Like many others, Shaun, her then-husband and her son, Jacob, lost their home and most of their belongings. When they returned to their house many weeks later, they found it deep in mud and infested by snakes. Her Lexus was in the swimming pool where, again, snakes were slithering in and out of it. The house was declared a total loss. Her excellent job as CFO of a multimillion dollar business was wiped out as the company also was devastated by the historic storm.

The Rev. Phillip King performing the brief ceremony.

She and her family went to Orlando where she had friends and then moved to East Tennessee where her sister, Kathryn Lovell, lived with her husband, George, in Sevier County. Shaun and Jacob decided to stay here. “I just couldn’t go back,” she says. “That place was not my home anymore.” Her husband, though, did want to go back. They divorced. Shaun got a job at Sevier County Bank.

It was during this post-Katrina turmoil and trauma that many folks who had fled the hurricane set up a chat room to keep track of each other and compare stories. In this chat room, Shaun ran across Roger Hyver’s nephew, Chris Hyver. She asked about Roger and learned he was living in Las Vegas where he had a successful 20-year career working for the company that manages the Las Vegas Convention Center. “Is he on Facebook?” Shaun asked Chris. He was.

And the rest, as they say, is history. At first the Facebook contacts were casual, catching up with each other’s lives and comparing notes on old friends and acquaintances. But, soon, things got a little more personal and Shaun confessed to Roger that she had had a girlhood crush on him. (One thing she most regrets losing in the flood following the hurricane is her school notebooks where she had written, “Shaun loves Roger.”) Roger was shocked to learn of her long-ago infatuation.

Pretty new rings (Photo by Dawn Isbell)

Shaun and Roger assured each other that it was silly to think this relationship would go anywhere. It just wasn’t practical. By now, Shaun was the CFO for a great little downtown Knoxville public relations agency called Moxley Carmichael and Roger had a solid career in Las Vegas. “I told him I would not leave Knoxville,” she reports. Roger decided to come to Knoxville for a visit. He never had been here before.

The visit went great, but it was just for a weekend. I remember Shaun telling me that they were in love. They decided to have a long-distance relationship. I have to admit I was skeptical about the chances of that working out.

And it didn’t. They couldn’t stand it. So, on October 15, 2011, Roger quit his job, packed up his car and drove to Knoxville. The 2,000-mile trip took 31 hours. He drove it non-stop.

Not only does Roger love Shaun, but Roger loves East Tennessee. He has a job that he enjoys with the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee.

Shaun and Roger got married earlier this month in a sweet little lakeside ceremony at Angelo’s at the Point in Dandridge. A bunch of us from Moxley Carmichael were there, along with the couple’s other close friends. “It really is a dream come true,” Shaun says. Best wishes, friends! (Now, doesn’t this make up for that divorce story?)

From left, Marcella Ketrow, Jacob Sercovich (Shaun's son), Louis Fulco (Shaun's brother), the bride and groom, Kathryn Lovell (Shaun's sister), Jason Henry (Shaun's nephew) and George Lovell

Shaun getting ready to walk down the aisle.

She surprised Roger - and all of us - by singing as she came down the aisle! The song? Appropriately, Etta James' "At Last." (Photo by Dawn Isbell)

Shaun's son, Jacob, and his girlfriend, Marcella, during the recessional.

Moxley Carmichael's creative director, Charley Sexton, with his wife, Linnie, and girls Haley (in front) and Riley.

Bruce and Tami Hartmann with Alan Carmichael, right. Tami is with Moxley Carmichael. (So is Alan, of course.)

Moxley Carmichael graphic designer Erica Beck and her husband, Karl.

Lauren Christ of Moxley Carmichael with her fiance, John Miller.

Scott Bird of Moxley Carmichael, right, and Michael Higdon

Jennifer Lawson of Moxley Carmichael

Bob Wilson of Moxley Carmichael with his wife, Angie

George and Kathryn Lovell

From left, Dawn Isbell, Stephanie McAnally, Pennie Cox, Chris Lambeth and Christy Berry

Christine Bieniek, formerly of Moxley Carmichael. (She's getting married this weekend!)

From left, Leon Thomas, Roger Hyver, Laura Trent, John Fee, Leon Thomas Jr, and T.J. Salans (Photo by Dawn Isbell)

From left, Michael Higdon, Scott Bird, Amanda Shell, Bob and Angie Wilson, Jennifer Lawson. Amanda also is with Moxley Carmichael. (Photo by Dawn Isbell)

From left, Tresse Hicks, Megan Webb, Matt McCarter and Diane Wilder (Photo by Dawn Isbell)

From left, Ryan Dale Day, Jacob Sercovich, Marcella Ketrow and Sarah Beth Manis (Photo by Dawn Isbell)

Happily ever after! (Photo by Dawn Isbell)

Knoxville Botanical Garden Executive Director Keyes Williamson with author Judith B. Tankard at the Stairs' home earlier this month.

I have to say, the entry of the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum onto the Knoxville social scene definitely has expanded the diversity of cultural activities available. Case in point: a lecture by an expert on famous gardener Gertrude Jekyll was recently the excuse for (what else?) another garden party!

This one was at the beautiful Lyons View Pike home of Caesar and Dorothy Stair and also included tours of their fabulous gardens. A fundraiser for the Botanical Garden, the dinner was held on the eve of a speech by Judith B. Tankard, who is the author of eight books on American and European landscape history and is the foremost Jekyll expert.

Although the actual meal was moved inside because of rain, I have discovered that a little moisture will  not prevent avid gardeners from perusing a lovely estate.

Dr. Alan Solomon, who also owns one of the most celebrated gardens in Knoxville, with Natalie Haslam.

They simply raise their bumbershoots (Jekyll was English) and plow on. And this was indeed the case that Friday evening.

Tankard’s most recent book is “Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden” and celebrates the work of one of the most important garden designers of the twentieth century. A prolific writer and a hugely influential plantswoman, Jekyll’s circle of friends included some of the most distinguished architects, horticulturists, artists, and writers of the time. She is said to have laid the basis for modern garden design and is credited with popularizing an informal, naturalistic look as opposed to the rigid, formal landscapes of the Victorian era. Her 30-year collaboration with architect Edwin Lutyens produced seminal garden masterpieces of the Arts & Crafts movement.

Interestingly, her younger brother, the Reverend Walter Jekyll, was a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, who borrowed the family name for his famous novella Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

I thought the food and the company at the Stairs’ event were every bit as stimulating as the horticulture we saw and discussed. So, if you are looking for some interesting new social activities, I heartily recommend checking out the Botanical Garden’s website for a list of some to consider.

Click here for a story in the News Sentinel that includes a short interview with Judith Tankard along with her advice for amateur gardeners.

Jim Haslam and Jackie Wilson. Jackie's garden was the scene of another recent fundraiser for the Botanical Garden.

Here is the view of the Tennessee River from the Stairs' terrace.

A very distinctive fountain

The hydrangeas were in full bloom the night of our visit.

Beautiful pathway

Another lovely fountain

I think Gertrude Jekyll would have liked this garden because it is very "architectural."

Pool house

Wow. Stunning.

Everywhere I looked in this garden, I saw something beautiful. Even on a rainy evening.

From left, John Tankard, Ethiel Garlington and Tom McAdams

I love herbs. I see Dorothy does, too.

Holly Hambright of Holly's Eventful Dining was the caterer. She made even the simple cheese plate into a work of art.

Crostini were passed during the cocktail hour.

The centerpieces were breathtaking.

Caesar Stair and Ileen Cheek

One of the best salad courses ever!

University of Tennessee Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, sitting, and Jim Haslam

The sole a la meuniere was out of this world! Everything else was good, too. But the sole trumped them all!

Jeff Chapman and Mary Johnson

Tom McAdams and Vicki Chapman

Melissa Williamson and my husband, Alan Carmichael

Jim Haslam and Betsey Bush. Betsey also has a fantastic garden behind her Kingston Pike home.

Mary and Rick Johnson

Alan's favorite course

Vicki Baumgartner of the Botanical Garden and Betsey Bush

From left, Tom McAdams, Dorothy and Caesar Stair and Alan Carmichael

Rain on a hydrangea. It was a gentle end to a stressful work week. I love Knoxville.

Here is a link to a Saveur recipe for classic sole a la meuniere. Click here. I may just have to make it this weekend, thanks to Holly turning out such a delicious version of it.

From left, CBT's new managing director, David Byrd; artistic director, Cal Maclean; and board chair, Liz Stowers

That’s what Cal MacLean, artistic director of the Clarence Brown Theatre, told supporters to expect from the Theatre starting Sept. 5. And he brought the goods to prove it at the preview party held at the Southern Depot earlier this month.

Actors rose from the audience to perform snippets from most of the eight plays set for the upcoming Theatre year.

“We are about to start a new adventure,” MacLean related. “And tonight is the first step.”

The artistic director said a season is “an expression of who we really are.”

“It’s about our desire to bring to our community a conversation about what’s important,” he added.

Liz Stowers, chair of the Clarence Brown Theatre’s advisory board, noted that the organization is very much in the news these days with talk of possibly building a new facility on World’s Fair Park. “It’s great for Clarence Brown Theatre to be on the front page of the News Sentinel and on the radar of the highest echelons at UT and the city of Knoxville,” she said. “We need to be sure our students have the best possible training to start their careers.”

The Clarence Brown is both a professional theater company serving the community and the University and a learning laboratory for students and graduate students in the University of Tennessee’s acclaimed Department of Theatre. MacLean serves both as artistic director of the Clarence Brown Theatre and as head of the Department of Theatre.

The preview party also served as an occasion to introduce David Byrd, the new managing director of the Clarence Brown Theatre. Byrd, who came to Tennessee from Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, CT, is a North Carolina native with extensive experience in the operation of theater groups and dance companies.

The Clarence Brown season will start with “Noises Off,” which MacLean described as “one of the funniest plays ever written.”

Actress Carol Mayo Jenkins performing a scene from "Noises Off," which is a play about a theater company.

CBT advisory board member Judi Starliper, left, and Phyllis Driver at the preview party.

Opening Oct. 5 in the Carousel Theatre next door to the Clarence Brown will be “Our Country’s Good,” which MacLean himself will direct. He said it is another play about theater, but this time “a drama of the first order.” It is about the founding of Australia and is based on real events. MacLean said it is about a play performed by convicts and it demonstrates “the transforming power of theater.”

This is Cory Pniewsky-O’Brien performing a scene from "Our Country's Good." All the actors in this production will be grad students.

Keyes Williamson, the executive director of the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, left, and Alan Carmichael enjoying the preview party.

Opening Oct. 24 is “Ctrl+Alt+Delete,” said to be “a sharp satire on commercialism, greed and corporate ambition.”

Terry Weber, associate professor of acting and voice, rose for a short excerpt from "Ctrl+Alt+Delete.'

From left, Karen Clark, Jerry Baker and Brooks Clark at the party. Brooks is a member of the CBT Advisory Board.

“A Christmas Carol” will return. MacLean said it will be the same production as last year “but with some new things.” Hmm. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what those are. It will run Nov. 27 through Dec. 15.

“The Whipping Man” will play at the Carousel Jan. 30 through Feb. 16. MacLean said it is about “the essential contributions of African Americans and Jewish Americans to our culture.” Set in Richmond after the Civil War, it involves a badly wounded Confederate soldier and two former slaves. “This is a part of our national story that needs to be recounted,” MacLean said.

Townes Osborn and her father, Art Lavidge. Townes is a former chair of the Clarence Brown Advisory Board, as am I.

Maggie Erickson, left, and Robin Turner, who is a member of the advisory board

Feb. 20 through Mar. 9 brings “A Trip to Bountiful” featuring Carol Mayo Jenkins in a role MacLean says she was “born to play.” After that, WRENS, inspired by the playwright’s own involvement with the British Women’s Royal Navy Service (WRNS) as a young woman in war-torn England, is Mar.  27 through Apr. 13. In their cramped Orkney Islands barracks on the eve of VE Day, seven women confront the prospect of peace, which also means an end to their new-found wartime independence. Sounds good.

Rebecca MacLean, Cal's wife, and Terry Silver-Alford. Silver-Alford, a professor in the Department of Theatre, played keyboard for some of the performances at the preview party.

Like this musical number from "Spamalot," which will close the season Apr. 24 through May 11.

Micah-Shane Brewer in a scene from Spamalot

Dawn and Richard Ford

CBT staff members Sharon Ward, left, and Julie Summers

Dr. Lynn and Georgia Blake

Bob and Margie Parrott. He is a long-time member of the advisory board.

Carol and Joe Pelliccia

From left, Susan Greer, board member Mary Stuart Neely and Sarah Stowers

Jayne and Myron Ely with Dale Wortham, on right.

Russ and Florence Johnson

Dr. Margo Uri Simmons, left, and LeAnne Dougherty

Robin Conklin of CBT, center, with Kim and Constantine Christodoulou

Julie Howard and Ted Flickinger

From left, board member Sheena McCall, Alan Carmichael, Richard Ford and Brooks and Karen Clark

Since the event was at the Southern Depot, a train station, they went with an "All Aboard!" theme. The luggage came from the CBT prop shop.

The sunflowers that were everywhere hit a perfect summer note.

Sponsors of the preview party were Southern Depot, World Venture Tours and Travel and All Occasions Party Rentals.

Planning committee members were: Barbara Apking, Amy Morris Hess, Brenda Madigan, Peggy Turner, Robin Turner, Melanie Wood and Wendy Wortham (chair).

I join Cal in being very excited about this season. We are buying opening night tickets. To order your tickets, click here. See you there!

Jamar Rogers, a 30-year-old singer/songwriter who is HIV-positive, brought the star power to Southern Summer's Night.

It has come to be known as THE fun event of summer. Southern Summer’s Night, also called Hope 2013 (this year), is the huge outdoor gala held every year at the historic Middlebrook mansion to raise money for Covenant Health’s Hope Center.

Hope Center was established in 1996 to address the unmet needs of patients infected with HIV in Knox and the surrounding 20 counties. Due to gaps in care for this population, Hope Center began developing practical supportive care programs at no charge to inpatients, outpatients and families affected by HIV and other serious illnesses. The Center relies entirely on charitable gifts and donations for its existence.

Southern Summer’s Night is part of that fundraising effort. Special musical guest this year was Jamar Rogers, a finalist on “The Voice” who himself is HIV-positive. Rogers also has battled an addiction to crystal meth and admits to sharing needles and having sex with women and men in exchange for drugs or money. But all that is behind him now. He is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on a social awareness campaign called “Let’s Stop HIV Together.” As he showed during his performance in Knoxville, he has a very engaging personality. Rogers’ personal history gives him credibility and makes his message even more powerful.

We have been to this event for several years now and just find it to be so much fun on a balmy night in the middle of summer. More than 350 folks were there this year and they snapped up some great deals in the silent and live auctions. I’m sure you’ll see friends of yours in these photos. Plan to join them next year!

From left, Ralph Cianelli and Rick Fox of Historic Middlebrook with Mary Ellen Brewington and Craig Shelton, co-chairs of the event

Covenant Health CEO Tony Spezia and his wife, Sharon

Alan Carmichael with state Sen. Becky Massey, center, and Courtney Kohlhepp

Kelly and Mike Conley

From left, Jeff Cupp, Jim Landreth, Bart Weaver and Tim Young

James Newburn, left, with Tina Rolen and Bill Pittman

Joan Ashe, left, with Kent and Kim Lauth

Michelle Hardin, left, and Pam Fansler

Jerry Bodie and Gay Lyons

Bill and Ginny Morrow

Rock and Debby Saracini

Hosts Rick Fox, left, and Ralph Cianelli, right, with Ralph's sister and brother-in-law, Vivian and Alex Massimi, who flew in from New York for the party. (Photo by Craig Shelton)

Michael and Judith Foltz with Scott Bishop, right

Tony Spezia, left, with Allison Beaver and Michael Strickland

Frank Munger

From left, Rosa Mar, Dawn Ford, Susan Brown and Mark Grayson

Sam Maynard and Susan Rothchild

Mary Ellen Brewington and Morton Massey

Ralph Cianelli, left, and Alan Carmichael

Artist Cynthia Markert had a nice piece in the silent auction.

Richard Jolley had a self-portrait.

I liked this bird. And there were scores of other offerings.

From left, Craig Shelton, Rick Fox and Gary Young of Covenant Health

From left, Nancy Strange, Carolyn Schwenn and Jackie Lane

Dr. Michelle Brewer, left, and Sherri Gardner Howell

Victor Ashe, left, with Jennifer Holder and Richard Ford

Jacqueline Newman, left, and Willene Chalmers

Rick Fox, left, with Janet Testerman and Joey Creswell

Steve Brewington with his (and my) favorite brand of beer!

From left, Jeff Cupp, Mary Ellen Brewington, Shanna Browning and Tim Young

Knoxville Museum of Art Executive Director David Butler and Terry Holley

From left, Laura Wallace, Susan Rothchild, Morton Massey and Nathan Rothchild

Jackie Wilson, left, and Dawn Ford

Sid and Jo Blalock

Michael Higdon, left, and Scott Bird

Ralph, left, and Rick, right, pose with the star of the evening, Jamar Rogers.

Jenny Hines

Mickey Mallonee

Jamar Rogers told his story and delivered a great performance.

He is committed to helping lift the stigma associated with being HIV-positive.

This is Jamar's mother, with whom he said he has reconciled after a long period of estrangement.

As you can see, the crowd was really into the performance.

And then, fireworks!

It was a great evening.

Breese Johnson; Faris Eid of Design Innovation Architects and the CDC Market Square Committee; and Sandi Swilley of Leadership Knoxville

Thanks to Lauren Christ of Moxley Carmichael for writing this guest post for the Blue Streak — Cynthia Moxley.

Last month, the Community Design Center (CDC) presented its 11th Annual Fundraiser and Tour, which this year focused on one of the hallmarks of downtown Knoxville - Market Square.

The CDC is a nonprofit whose mission is to make East Tennessee a better place to live and work by bringing professional design and planning assistance to community groups and nonprofit organizations. The CDC offers its services through pro bono contributions of architects, landscape architects, planners and other professionals.

Mark your calendars for next year because this is a one-of-a-kind event that showcases the beauty, excitement and diversity of downtown living and commerce - whether you’re thinking about moving your home or business or you simply want to explore more of what our vibrant city center has to offer. Here’s a glimpse of the evening, including the spectacular views from the tour.

The Thursday evening started out with a reception and silent auction at the Knoxville Downtown Design Studio on Gay St. Refreshments were provided by downtown vendors Tupelo Honey, Bella Luna, Café 4, Magpies and Woodruff Brewing Company.

CDC Executive Director David Watson and City Councilman Marshall Stair

Folks were especially intrigued by this tomato soup with salsa and fresh basil, coupled with cucumber and pimento cheese sandwiches from Tupelo Honey. Yum!

Rick Emmett; City Councilman Nick Della Volpe; Ellen Adcock; City Councilman Duane Grieve; and City Councilwoman Brenda Palmer

Kim Henry and City Councilman Finbarr Saunders

The self-guided tour through Market Square included several stops.

I started at 4 Market Square, an address you might recognize as Café 4 and the Square Room. Above the restaurant and event space, however, the third and fourth floors house the young men and women in the Knoxville Fellows Program.

Led by director Rick Kuhlman, the Knoxville Fellows program is a nine-month curriculum for recent college graduates who are participating in local internships and studying their Christian faith. It serves as a leadership development program.

Let’s see if you can guess from these photos who lives on the 3rd floor and who lives on the 4th floor.

Fourth-floor living room

Fourth-floor décor

Third-floor living room

Third-floor décor

It’s not too hard to figure out that the guys occupy the third-floor apartment along with a ping pong table and video games in a self-proclaimed man cave. The women Fellows live in the fourth-floor apartment and have decorated with a bit more of a feminine touch. Either way, you can’t beat the location.

I especially liked the view of Market Square from the main room because the beautiful trees added a feeling of privacy between you and the hustle and bustle of the square below.

The next stop was the home of Jim Hasler in the Steamboat Building at 7 Market Square. The Haslers are ranchers from Missouri, who fell in love with Knoxville about six years ago and decided to buy a condo downtown. They weren’t able to be in town for the tour, but Ghada Eid, wife of Faris Eid who designed the space and who became friends with the family, was on hand to show us around.

Here is the spectacular open kitchen

“What makes this place so unique is that it’s not a condo,” she said. “It really is a home.”
And, she’s right. It didn’t feel like a condo at all. It was a large, warm, inviting space.

The original balcony was pretty narrow, so the wall was pushed back to make the outdoor space larger - well worth the effort when you’re overlooking Market Square!

With a wider balcony, there’s now enough room for two of these tables and plenty of comfortable seating.

The view from the balcony down to Market Square

The back stairwell opens to the alley and features a small elevator. When the family has groceries, they just pull up to the back door and load the elevator.

When the elevator is lowered, its top fills in the gap in the floor, maximizing the condo space. Genius!

I especially loved the unique, personalized décor in this home, including these banjos, pipes and books about Knoxville.

My next stop was the home of Amanda Rankin & Philip Welker in the Bliss Home Building at 29 Market Square. The couple live here with their three-year-old son.

And what three-year-old wouldn’t love this room? It feels like a little fort or hideaway.

This home has a terrific view of the Bill Lyons Pavilion on Market Square and its many wonderful performances. While on the tour, the Knoxville Community Band starting playing.

Love these windows

Beautiful view from the rooftop patio, which included a fun child’s teepee.

Next, I headed across the square to the new apartments in the Orange Leaf Building at 36 Market Square. Designed by DIA Design Innovation Architects, these new luxury apartment units are available starting July 1.

A view of the kitchen area

From a back window, I caught a glimpse of some impressive graffiti.

From the front unit, I could see the Knoxville Community Band and hear them as they started playing “A Spoonful of Sugar” from Mary Poppins.

There are one- and two-bedroom units available for rent. For more information, contact Ken Mills at 865-250-9145 or marketsquare36@aol.com.

Next, I visited the newly opened event venue, Market Square 211. To learn more, check out this article from Carly Harrington at the News Sentinel.

You access Market Square 211 from the staircase in the back of Oodles restaurant, but this unit is technically above Earth to Old City next door to Oodles.

This is a great space for an intimate event of about 50 people, whether in the condo space or on the rooftop patio. You can rent it for an event like a birthday party or rehearsal dinner, but you can also use it for overnight rentals. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a full kitchen. Best of all, this space has a lot of character.

Beautiful dining area with lots of natural light from windows and skylights

Colorful kitchen

A free-standing tub in the master bathroom

From the rooftop, you can see folks enjoying a cold beer on the top level of Preservation Pub – the Moonshine Roof Garden.

At this point, I ran out of time and didn’t make it back across Union Avenue to the Arnstein Building to visit the homes of Richard Allen Foster and Millie and Jerry Shelton. I really regret having missed those. (If you were on the tour, let us know what you thought!)

As always, there was too much to see downtown. And admittedly, I got distracted by this cutie as I was traversing the square.

Molly was enjoying the warm evening outside. Everyone else was enjoying how stinkin’ adorable she is.

If you’re considering downtown living, I hope this helped to whet your appetite. But if you’re not planning a move, there are also event spaces to rent, community concerts to listen to, fun activities to attend, and cute dogs to pet - to name just a few reasons why you should visit Market Square soon!

Next time you do, keep an eye out for these great buildings. Here’s what they look like when you’re passing by.

4 Market Square – Above Café 4 and the Square Room

Steamboat Building at 7 Market Square

Bliss Home Building at 29 Market Square

Orange Leaf Building at 36 Market Square

Market Square 211

Arnstein Building at 505 Market Street (The new Urban Outfitters store is located here – just across Union Avenue facing Market Square.)

Lovely table set for the garden party. That's Gay Lyons checking out the menu.

Remember when I noted earlier this year that there sure does seem to be an inordinate number of garden parties around here? Well, here’s another one — and it was a doozy!

This one, a fundraiser for the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, was to celebrate the summer solstice last month. It was just a relaxing time in the great outdoors with convivial friends and acquaintances — the best kind of garden party if you ask me. No formal program. And, best of all, no auction!

We worried about the weather all day, but fortune smiled upon us and the rain held off. One side benefit, as you will see from these photos, was a pretty double rainbow. Always a welcome addition to an outdoor occasion.

As far as I'm concerned, you can't beat sunflowers in a summer centerpiece.

Betsey Bush, left, and Dr. Michelle Brewer

It was a lovely setting for cocktails.

Angela Howard and Rick Stone

Joan Ashe, left, and Mary Ellen Brewington

Mickey Mallonee, left, and Allyn Purvis Schwartz

Alan Carmichael and Jackie Wilson

Carol Evans passing appetizers.

Other volunteers, Sam Maynard and Kim Henry

Rick Fox, left, and Ralph Cianelli

Mike Combs and Marsha Hollingsworth

From left, Paul and Susan Campbell, Botanical Garden Executive Director Keyes Williamson, Gideon Fryer, Fran Scheidt and Georgiana Vines

The delicious first course was a sweet vidalia onion tart with beet salad.

Sometimes it is so festive to eat at a really long table like this!

Fun, fun.

Gay Lyons and Dr. Steve Brewington sat across from Alan and me. (Gay had taken a fall in her kitchen, which accounts for the bandage.)

Music was by Nancy Brennan Strange and her bandmates, from left, Will Yeager, Dan Gammon and Don Cassel.

Focaccia from Flour Head Bakery and garlic scape pesto. I cannot tell you how good this was!

This double rainbow came out during dinner! Magical.

Grass fed beef from Strong Stock Farm with mushroom marmalade: yum.

Keyes Williamson, left, with Ryan Patrick and Danielle Velez, who are brother and sister. (Their father, Michael Patrick, is a long-time News Sentinel photographer.)

John Niceley and Martha Strong Kern of Strong Stock Farm.

Roasted Kennebec potato salad from Shelton Farm.

Grainger County tomato basil bread salad.

Veggies on the grill

The band played on.

This delicious dessert was Cruze Farm buttermilk pound cake with black raspberries and fresh cream. Alan was in heaven.

Vicki Baumgartner serving dessert.

The caterers were Amy and Ben Willis-Becker and they did a fantastic job. They formerly operated Harry's, a restaurant on the 100 block of Gay Street.

Rush and Alexis Niceley

John and Karen Kalec

Shonda Robbins and Rob Wallace

Stuart Worden and Lane Hays

We loved the guest appearance by Carrie Niceley. Here, she is doing a fabulous rendition of "Crazy."

I am liking this great new garden party trend. Bring on the next one!

Europa and the Bull, located on the University of Tennessee campus on McClung Plaza, is one of three recasts of the work by Swedish sculptor Carl Milles that exist in the world.

So how’s this for a creative idea for a fundraiser?

Knox Heritage every year asks photographers to take pictures of historic buildings in a different part of Knoxville. It then selects the 12 best photos and makes a set of postcards out of them. In addition to selling them as a package on the Knox Heritage website (click here), the non-profit sells tickets to a guided tour narrated by Jack Neely of the locations that were selected, preceded by a cocktail party.

Pretty fun, huh? And interesting.

So, last month Alan and I signed up for the tour. The location: the University of Tennessee. Come along!

The cocktail party was held at McClung Museum at Circle Park on the UT campus. McClung Museum has some very interesting artifacts about our area.

This mosasaur, a sea dinosaur, was above our heads at McClung Museum while we enjoyed cocktails and appetizers.

Dinosaurs of several different kinds constitute just one facet of the extensive collection of artifacts at McClung Museum, located in UT's Circle Park.

John Owens and Karen Sundback examine the dinos as they wait for our tour to start.

Another secton of McClung features Native American items including this arrowhead collection.

Native American sculpture: a bottle found near Chattanooga

This little hippo is in the Egyptian section of McClung.

As is this.

The inner coffin of an Egyptian priestess

Julia Bentley, left, and Kim Trent in nearly matching prints, relaxing before the Friday evening tour.

Barbara Apking, left, and Joan Markel

Stained glass from Knoxville's L&N Depot. I was partial to this because Alan and I had our rehearsal dinner at the L&N Station.

One of the two Chinese Lions of Fu at McClung. It dates to the 19th century.

My favorite part of any museum is the gift shop!

Another set of matching outfits: Angie Campbell and Mike Combs

Alan Carmichael and Carol Cortese

Mike and Sallie Ehrhardt

Jack Neely, an expert on Knoxville history, told us the tour was about to start.

First stop: Circle Park

UT dates its founding to 1794 when Blount College was built on the site where the Tennessee Theatre now stands. But that school was closed for 11 years beginning in 1809. It reopened as East Tennessee College in that spot. It moved to “The Hill” in 1826 and reopened in 1828 in its current location which was, at the time, outside the city limits of Knoxville. In 1879 it became the state University of Tennessee.

Stone outcropping at Circle Park

Neely said most people look at Circle Park and assume it was a landscaping project that UT might have undertaken sometime in the 1960s. But, actually, it is the oldest public park in Knoxville, having been built in 1888. Considered the public park for West Knoxville, it originally was surrounded by Victorian houses.

Margaret Weeks, left, and Elizabeth McCarty. Elizabeth's husband, Bruce, was considered UT's "go-to" architect in the late '60s and '70s, Neely said.

Bruce McCarty was the architect for McClung Tower, our next stop.

Terry and Donna Wertz at McClung Plaza

The Clarence Brown Theatre was designed by Bruce McCarty in 1970. It is named for the Hollywood director whom Neely described as "the most generous donor in UT history."

Clarence Brown worked closely with McCarty to design the building so that “every seat seems close to the stage,” Neely noted.

Jack Neely is a great guide. He is very familiar with his topics, but also knows to share the little fascinating details that folks will find interesting.

Neely didn't say anything about this controversial sculpture outside Clarence Brown Theatre. Folks either love it or hate it. I'm in the "love it" camp.

Next we went to Melrose Hall, built in 1946. It was a Barber and McMurry design. "Charlie Barber loved 'collegiate gothic,'" Neely noted. "He was a romantic and loved this Old World style."

Here we are at Melrose Hall.

This is Hopecote, built in 1924, located on Melrose Avenue.

Hopecote, designed by John Fanz Staub, won “House Beautiful” magazine’s first design competition in 1925. It is considered an excellent example of the English Cottage Revival style and was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

We were lucky to run into Gary Stinnett, who has been the caretaker of Hopecote since 1990. He had the keys and invited us inside. Today, Hopecote is a guest house for UT's distinguished visitors.

Hopecote features hand-hewn timber salvaged from a 19th century barn on the grounds of the birthplace of Admiral David Farragut.

This photo of Mrs. Albert Hope made in the 1890s has come to be known as "the Knoxville madonna." She and her husband commissioned their nephew, Staub, to design the house.

Bonnie and Dick Anders

Next stop: Tyson House, also listed on the National Register, located at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Volunteer Boulevard. It is named for Gen. Lawrence D. Tyson, who was UT's military commandant in the 1890s and would later serve in the state Legislature.

Tyson House was built in 1895 and remodeled by George Barber in 1907. Today it houses the Office of Alumni Affairs.

If you are ever asked in a trivia contest to name a place on UT campus where you can find Corinthian columns, say "Tyson House."

This is the Weston Fulton House and it is slated to be torn down by UT. Located at 900 Volunteer Boulevard, it was built in 1913 by Knoxville industrialist Weston Fulton, who lived in it for 30 years. It also has been a hospital.

Tennessee's largest persimmon tree, according to Jim Cortese of Cortese Tree Service, is located at Henson Hall.

At this point, though the tour still had a few more stops, Alan and I peeled off and headed to dinner. On our way to the car, we saw this beautiful little cat beside Stokely Management Center.

The cute kitty would not let us get near it.

It was a lovely Friday evening. Thanks to all who put it together and, especially, to Jack Neely.

Melynda Whetsel was the design coordinator for the Knox Heritage event held at The Standard last month.

Every year, one of the Knox Heritage “Summer Suppers” — a series of fundraisers for the preservation-minded non-profit — is at a secret location.

The ticket-buyers are simply told to show up at a certain spot for cocktails and they then are led to the ultimate destination. This year, we were told to show up at 11 a.m. at the large parking lot on West Jackson Avenue and, after a drink or two, we were led across the street to 416 West Jackson Avenue to The Standard, a new event space recently completed by developer David Dewhirst.

It was fun to be among the first to see it. At the time of the Summer Supper last month, there only had been one wedding held there. But I predict that with its exposed brick, huge skylights, multiple windows and general urban vibe, it will be very popular. With all those textures and light, it will make for gorgeous wedding pictures.

The Standard can accommodate up to 1,000 guests and it also features a bridal changing suite complete with a shower, a “man cave” for the groom and his guys, a catering kitchen, dance floor, plentiful parking and all the tables and chairs one would need.

Come have a look. But first, we will start in the parking lot where cocktails were served under a big tent as a hot jazz combo provided tunes.

There were 60 guests and 27 hosts involved with this event.

Mickey Mallonee, right, was the lead host. Here she is with guest Pandy Anderson.

My husband, Alan Carmichael, right, with our friends Dawn and Richard Ford.

The jazz was nearly as hot as the temperature!

Alice and Charlie Mercer

Yum, yum! The Bloody Marys were awesome.

Mike and Jane Fowler

Barbara Apking, left, and Sheena McCall

Fran Scheidt, left, and Georgiana Vines

Two of my accident-prone friends, Gay Lyons, left, and Regina Dean. Gay cut her head when she fell in her kitchen. Regina broke her arm when she took a spill.

Before long, Mickey led the way just across the street.

And more of our hosts greeted us as we entered. Isn't it pretty?

One of two available dining areas in The Standard.

The tables were lovely with those lush centerpieces.

Isn't it fabulous?

Here's an even closer look.

Two of the hosts were Ken and Tammy Knight of the Crowne Plaza, which provided all the food.

A view from above

I think this fountain will be in a few wedding photos!

Here's the other room, which was not being used. It can accommodate 500 guests comfortably. Or the spaces can be combined for a larger crowd.

Mickey made a few remarks and was joined by Scott Schimmel, the chairman of the Knox Heritage board.

The breakfast pastries were fab.

I loved the extensive fruit selection.

Of course, it's not brunch without grits.

These crepes contained ricotta and chives. My friend Gay, something of a foodie, went back for seconds. Now that is high praise!

If you weren't in the mood for breakfast food, there were heartier selections such as this salmon with herb butter, which is what I had. It was terrific.

Two kinds of little tartlets made my husband a happy fellow.

The hosts. From left, Jennifer Holder, Michele Hummel, Bob Whetsel, Melynda Whetsel, Ken Knight, Tammy Knight, Peyton Hairston, Lisa Sorensen, Bruce Anderson, Karen Eberle, Lorie Matthews, Chris Kahn, Narda Cappucilli, Monique Anderson, Mickey Mallonee and Scott Schimmel.

Tracy Morrow, left, and Angie Campbell

Alicia Merrifield and J.J. Rochelle (despite what his nametag says!)

I had some friends on the host committee who know I prefer pinot grigio to some other white wines. Notice my initials on this label? Thanks, buddies!

Connie and Lanny Owen

John Sanders and Joy Lauderdale

Ruth and Don Horton

Kara McFarland, left, with her husband and his parents. That would be Joe, Patty and Scott McFarland.

Pat and Morgan Fitch

Some of us decided to go down and check out the man cave.

It actually is a boiler room!

Allyn Purvis Schwartz checking it out.

Jennifer Holder, too!

There's even a little fridge down there.

On our way upstairs to check out the bridal area, we passed this wall. Wouldn't it look great in wedding pics?

Brides and their attendants need lots of mirrors and good lighting.

I guess a shower could come in handy for some. Hmmm.

A view of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church out one of the windows. (That's where Alan and I got married in 1984!)

When we got back to the main area, dancing had broken out. Here are Angela Masini, left, and Sheena McCall.

David and Lorie Matthews

From left, David and Marlene Nicholas, Carol Davis, Catherine Braden and Barbara Apking

Allyn Schwartz and Sam Maynard

Michele Hummel, left, and Lisa Sorensen

Cathy Briscoe, left, and Angie Campbell

These are the die-hards: the last ones to leave. From left, Chris Kahn, Allyn Schwartz, Cathy Briscoe, Monique Anderson, Jennifer Holder, Mickey Mallonee, Angie Campbell, Melynda Whetsel and Gay Lyons

The Summer Supper series is sponsored by Home Federal Bank. The bank's trademark red rocking chair makes an appearance at each one! (And Gay makes an appearance at a lot of them, too!)

Pam Reeves and Charles Swanson welcomed 50 of us guests into their Holston Hills home one Saturday in June.

If you ask me, nothing says summer like an outdoor barbecue dinner on the banks of a river with a big moon coming up overhead. Throw in some watermelon, grilled corn on the cob and ice cream and, well, it just doesn’t get any better.

That was pretty much the plan last month at another of Knox Heritage’s “Summer Supper” fundraisers. This one was held in Holston Hills at the home of our friends, attorneys Charles Swanson and Pam Reeves. A bunch of other lawyers helped them out, as you will see later in this post.

For a party of 50 people, it felt amazingly intimate. Which just goes to further my opinion that Knoxville is, in many ways, just like a giant high school. At a certain point, it seems as if everyone knows everyone else. Fortunately, I really liked high school!

The first stop we made was, of course, at the bar where we were greeted by these three hospitable fellows: from left, Bill Charles, James Anderson and Michael Rogers.

Hahaha. Sign on bar.

Gay Lyons tastes the signature drink, a Big Orange Dream.

Jon and Mintha Roach. Jon used to be the city law director. Now Swanson holds that post.

Two of the hosts, Ursula Bailey, left, and Tasha Blakney. Both are attorneys.

Here's that watermelon! It was refreshing on a sweltering evening.

Guests Harvey and Sylvia Sproul during the cocktail hour.

Host Kay Ward with one of the appetizers, pasta skewers.

Aren't they pretty?

Have you ever seen a more matching pair of twins? These are Ralph, left, and Carl Herbert.

Here's a closer look. Amazing.

As you can see, it was a hot but very beautiful night.

We decided to take a walk down to the Holston River.

Here's the peaceful view.

A view of the house from the river. The path is made of Georgia marble.

My hubby, Alan Carmichael, with my friend Mintha Roach

Jerry and Peggy Faeber

Michael Rogers continued the hard work of bartending for this group.

They even had Cheerwine, "the nectar of North Carolina."

From left, Charles Swanson, Gay Lyons, Booth and Kurt Kammann

Host Richard Ward, left, and guest Bill Lyons

Soon, Charles and Pam welcomed everyone to their home - and opened up the buffet line.

Pulled pork and barbecue sauce, were made by Ralph and Celeste Herbert. The pulled chicken came from Archer's BBQ on Kingston Pike.

Charles and Daryl Clemes were responsible for the grilled corn.

A delicious chopped salad was made by attorney Heather Anderson.

Corn muffins and yeasts rolls were courtesy of Ursula Bailey.

Two of the hosts, Melissa Charles, left, and Celeste Herbert

Guest Denise DuBose

Celeste helps Jerry Faerber with the barbecue sauce.

Bright daylilies lined the patio.

Another hard-working bartender, Nathan Rowell

These calico baked beans were awesome. Melissa Charles made them.

It was perfect timing to sit down to dinner just as the sun was setting.

Here's what the striking centerpieces looked like. We got to take them home, which was great because blue is my favorite color.

Hosts Karen and Charlie Sterchi

The presence of the red rocker indicated that the event was sponsored by Home Federal Bank, which uses it in bank ads. Home Federal is a great Moxley Carmichael client.

Here is a happy man! Alan loves cobbler and ice cream.

The blueberry-peach cobbler was made by attorney Dawn Coppock who could not attend the party because she was in North Carolina competing in a pie-making contest with this very recipe. Guess what: she won!

Pat and Henry Herzog in the cobbler line

John and Phyllis Eldridge

Albert and Carmen Harb

Attorney Sarah Sheppeard was another host.

Rachel Hurt, left, and Heather Anderson

Adlai Hurt, left, and Reedy Swanson, Charles and Pam's son

When we stepped inside the downstairs entertainment area to use the restroom, we saw this funny sign on the shower.

And then, the moon came up.

It was a lovely, lovely Knoxville night.

.

My sweet husband, Alan Carmichael, right, and actor Mark Dacascos, who portrays "The Chairman" on Food Network's "Iron Chef America." This photo was taken in the lobby of the Hotel Gansevoort.

It was an Iron Chef weekend in New York City for us, thanks to a generous auction item donated by Scripps Networks at “Cork Savvy,” a wine-tasting event put on by the Urban League Young Professionals.

The package included round-trip airfare, three nights at the Hotel Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District (an interesting place), being in the audience at a taping of “Iron Chef America,” and dinner at two restaurants of our choice owned by Iron Chefs. And then, of course, we added two Broadway plays to the mix. It was a fantastic whirlwind of a three-night visit. We also discovered a new favorite little place that we definitely will return to on our next visit. You might want to include some of these stops in your next visit, too. Come along!

As an aside, let me just repeat something Chris Whittle told me in an interview a long time ago. He said that having a company with its headquarters in your town means so much more than just the actual jobs it provides. Having a headquarters really contributes to the fabric and character of your community. Scripps Networks is a good example of this. Not only do they provide hundreds of good jobs out there in west Knoxville, but they also support local charities and events with corporate contributions and donations such as this. And their employees and executives serve on dozens of boards of civic groups and contribute individually to causes they care about. And Knoxville is better for it. So, thanks again, Scripps folks!

A sign in the elevator of Hotel Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District claims that it is “the hippest hotel in the world.” I’m not sure I agree with that, but there is a definite vibe to the place. Clearly, the Food Network and the Cooking Channel make use of it because it is only two blocks from Chelsea Market, where both those organizations are located. And the Meatpacking District definitely is hip.

This is the shower curtain in our room at Hotel Gansevoort! We felt as if she were in the bathroom with us!

One of Hotel Gansevoort’s claims to fame is that a famous scene in the TV show “Sex and the City” was filmed there. You might remember it. It featured Carrie and her pals at the hotel’s rooftop pool.

Here's that scene.

The hotel was built in 2004 and has been remodeled once since then. The hotel’s restaurant is closed right now for another re-do with plans to open in the fall of this year. After 8 p.m., the pool area opens as a nightclub and the management sets up velvet ropes on the sidewalk outside the hotel to regulate the number of folks who get up there. (Very “Sex and the City”-like!)

Alan on the Hotel Gansevoort rooftop with the Hudson River in the background.

This is the bar that opens onto the pool deck. Large photographs of "beautiful people" like those above Alan are prominently displayed throughout the hotel. There are hundreds of them.

The Hotel Gansevoort by day.

After sunset, the lighting sets a party mood.

Here's the lobby bar by day. Yes, that's a purple pool table.

We had been looking forward to seeing Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde Pierce in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” so after we checked in and had a bite in the pool lounge, we headed to the John Golden Theatre at 252 W. 45th Street. “Vanya and Sonia” won the Tony Award for Best Play this year. It is about three adult siblings and the varying choices they have made in their lives. We loved it and highly recommend it.

Alan outside "Vanya and Sonia."

In some ways, we are creatures of habit. And one of those habits is Sardi’s after a play. We seem to head there once during every New York visit.

Sardi's, where the Tony Awards originated, was founded in 1927 and is located at 234 W. 44th Street.

My Sardi's tradition. Doesn't it look wonderful?

Alan always orders Chicken Sardi's. It's not on the menu anymore, but they'll still make it. A casserole of tender chicken, mashed potatoes, cheese sauce and fresh asparagus, it is the richest dish I've ever eaten!

I ordered the steamed mussels and they were garlicky and delicious.

Hundreds of caricatures of celebrities are the Sardi's trademark. The restaurant is a true New York classic.

New York was scorching hot this past weekend. Perhaps it was the heat that gave Times Square a kind of misty, romantic look.

Believe it or not, we actually got back to Hotel Gansevoort at a reasonable hour and hit the hay. We had to be at Food Network for the taping of “Iron Chef America” by 9 a.m. on Friday. I have been a fan of the show for years and couldn’t wait to be inside “Kitchen Stadium” where it is set.

We made it!

Yay!

OK, so here’s the deal. We had to sign a confidentiality agreement to see the “Iron Chef America” taping. If we reveal anything about what happened before the show airs, we have to pay a big chunk of change. So, needless to say, we ain’t talking! I will tell you this, though. The show exceeded our expectations. Because Knoxville is home to several television production houses, we have seen our share of TV shows being taped. Moxley Carmichael also was selected to handle public relations when “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” came to town, and we saw a lot of behind the scenes action on that show. So we expected a lot of re-takes and delays and all that goes with making a reality TV show.

But, although there was a certain amount of that on “Iron Chef America,” those 60 minutes of cooking that are at the heart of the show are totally real - and in real time. It’s fast; it’s loud; it’s frantic; and it’s exciting. Host Alton Brown is simply amazing. He’s better than any newscaster I’ve ever seen in how he keeps up a steady commentary on what’s going on — and he turns on a dime and tapes cut-ins for the commercial breaks while the cameras are rolling. The confidentiality agreement expires when the show actually airs, so we will post some inside scoop when that happens later this year.

Chelsea Market itself is an interesting experience for any food lover. When we arrived there to get our passes and wait to be admitted to the taping, the place was deserted.

Chelsea Market at 9 a.m.

But by the time we left the television studio four hours later, it was bustling.

Chelsea Market in the afternoon.

Chelsea Market once was home to the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), which, starting in the 1890s, baked everything from Saltines to Oreos there. Those ovens have been cold for more than 50 years when the company moved out, but plenty of other ovens have taken their place. Chelsea Market contains scores of restaurants, bars, bakeries, wine shops, produce and spice vendors and kitchen supply stores.

For lunch, we picked a seafood spot called the Cull and Pistol and boy are we glad we did!

Haha! Cute seafood fork!

Alan ordered a lobster roll. If you can believe it, there's a hot dog bun in there somewhere!

I had some crab claws, steamed shrimp and these awesomely good baked oysters.

I also had bok choy, stir-fried with soy sauce, sesame oil, jalapenos and garlic. Going to try to reproduce it at home with bok choy from Market Square Farmers' Market.

The folks at the next table got this very enticing sampler platter.

Chelsea Market is visually very interesting.

It is filled with funky historic touches.

I am crazy about exposed brick like that in the wall behind this busker.

One of many very cool retailers, this is Ruthy's Bakery.

Loved, loved, loved this minion cake at Ruthy's. Also loved his movie, "Despicable Me 2."

We went back to the hotel for a nap. And to try to get hungry for our evening visit to our first Iron Chef restaurant of the trip: Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain, located at 152 W. 52nd Street. We had been several times to one of Flay’s other eateries, Mesa Grill, but this was our first time at Bar Americain, a place several of our friends had raved about.

The visit did not disappoint. This dining experience turned out to rank among our top ten of all time, including some pretty great ones in Italy and France. And the service was equal to the food. Although Scripps had supplied us with a $200 gift card, Bar Americain’s general manager, Orlando Ramos, went even further by sending out complimentary courses and sitting with us to chat for a few minutes. He said he loves working for Bobby Flay and that when Flay drops by the restaurant, he engages easily with the staff and customers.

Oh my God! This is one of those "extra" courses Mr. Ramos sent out. Homemade potato chips with blue cheese dipping sauce. That dipping sauce would be good on anything.

Alan had snapper prepared "Florida-style." Those are thinly sliced green plantains coating it.

Cioppino for me.

This wine, a Sancerre recommended by the sommelier, was a perfect complement to our entrees.

I didn’t want to use my flash, so the pictures are not as good as they should be. I wish I had taken a photo of one of the appetizers we received. Imagine this, if you will: crispy squash blossoms stuffed with barbecued pork and ricotta cheese served in a black pepper vinegar. Worth the trip to New York! Alan, a total dessert aficionado, loved the triple cherry cobbler he ordered.

The restaurant design is stunning.

Looking into the kitchen from the dining room.

I adore sunflowers.

It was, all-in-all, an unforgettable dinner. And an unforgettable day.

The next morning, we made another culinary discovery in the Meatpacking District: a French bistro called Pastis, located at 9 Ninth Avenue, right across from the Hotel Gansevoort. We had brunch there: an omelet and a salad Nicoise. Both were fabulous, as was the Sancerre we ordered at the server’s recommendation. (This is quickly overtaking pinot grigio as my current wine of choice.)

Brunch at Pastis

The opening set of "Kinky Boots," at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. We caught the matinee.

“Kinky Boots” is the winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The music was written by Cyndi Lauper and it was so much fun. It is the story of a floundering shoe factory that is saved when it switches its production to create very special boots that appeal to a narrow niche market. Please do try to see it if you get to New York.

Alan outside the Hirschfeld Theatre at 302 W. 45th Street.

Hahaha!

With time to kill before our reservation at our second Iron Chef restaurant, Morimoto, we hung around midtown for awhile.

We got this shot of Times Square from the ninth floor of the Marriott Marquis.

Then it was back to Chelsea Market to dine at Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s chic Japanese eatery.

Morimoto is located on the 10th Avenue side of Chelsea Market.

The decor at Morimoto is very sleek and ultra modern.

Very interesting wall treatment

I don't normally take pictures inside the women's restroom, but I had to make an exception here. I don't know how they did this, but what a beautiful view behind the toilet! Another surprise: the seat was heated!

The food was excellent at Morimoto but the server did not make a very good wine recommendation. We realized later that the restaurant has an extensive sake menu. That’s what we should have gotten. Next time.

We split a California roll as an appetizer. Yum.

I ordered seabass and was not disappointed. That is an avocado tempura in front. The fish was prepared with sweet sake kasu, Japanese eggplant and miso.

Alan ordered halibut in black bean sauce with shaved ginger and hot oil. He thought it was stellar.

We held off on dessert because we wanted to go back to Pastis for that.

This peach melba at Pastis was right up Alan's alley!

A glass of port for me and a glass of Sauterne for Alan closed out a great night and an extremely memorable New York visit.

Thanks again to Scripps Networks and the Knoxville Area Urban League Young Professionals.

Click here for an interesting New York Times story about my new favorite wine, Sancerre.

Click here for an update on what Chris Whittle is doing these days.

Have you ever seen a happier face? This is my husband and business partner, Alan Carmichael, indulging his famous sweet tooth and clowning around at one of the restaurants on The Blue Streak's top ten list. Read on to find out which one! See if you agree.

We at Moxley Carmichael are restaurant people. We eat out all the time. We eat out for business, we eat out for pleasure. We eat out for lunch and dinner and brunch.

Because of these habits, Alan and I often get asked for restaurant recommendations or we are asked, “What are your favorite restaurants?” So, I’ve taken a stab at picking The Blue Streak’s current 10 favorite restaurants, within a few parameters.

• They must be locally owned;
• They must be located in Knoxville;
• They must be a sit-down restaurant where a meeting can take place.

The locally owned rule leaves out several restaurants we love and patronize regularly. Chuy’s, which hired us to help them open in this market, is one of them. So is Bonefish Grill in Bearden, which also was a client of ours. And Tupelo Honey and Salsarita’s. We also can regularly be found at Bravo! Cucina Italiana and Ruth’s Chris and Fleming’s.

I’m also not saying these top 10 are the best restaurants in town. But I am saying they are The Blue Streak’s favorites. The reasons for each one’s selection will differ and I’ll try to explain my choices. I hope you will add your own in the comments section. Here goes.

No. 10: Nama at 506 S. Gay Street

Alan with his utensil of choice at Nama.

The food at Nama is flat-out great! The wait staff is generally friendly and knowledgeable and the decor is sleek and sophisticated. And you can’t beat the location. Nama is right across Gay Street from our office and two blocks from our condo. It’s right next door to Regal Riviera Cinema and just down the street from both the Tennessee and Bijou theaters.

The really good thing is that Nama has an extensive sushi bar with both sushi and sashimi offerings, but it also has cooked food, called “Hot Nama” on the menu. So you can go with a mixed group of people — including those who don’t care for traditional sushi. The bar is great, too, with a nice wine list and awesome martinis. Check out their website for specials including half-priced rolls on Monday and Thursday.

My only small complaint is that I hate the miso soup — and it’s the only soup they have. I wish they had tom yum soup or egg drop or won ton.

Crunchy shrimp at Nama

My favorite item at Nama: sweet-chili ahi tuna and noodles.

Alan's favorite: Asian bbq salmon

The plants in the entryway give Nama a modern Asian feel.

No. 9: Chez Guevara, 8025 Kingston Pike

We met our friends Tim Young, left, and Jeff Cupp there for dinner last Saturday. I love the big cacti out front.

Unbelievably, this restaurant does not have a website! Maybe it doesn’t need one. Lots of folks have been going there for more than 30 years, since it was part of the small La Paz chain. It’s always packed. If you are going on a weekend night, you’d best get there before 6 — as we did this past Saturday — if you want to avoid a long wait. It is located in the Suburban Shopping Center, where Trader Joes and Toys “R” Us are located.

The food, which is more of a California Mexican style, is consistently fabulous, maybe a little on the spicy side, which is how I like it. The margaritas are tart and pack a wallop, as they should. And the decor is just so eclectic and hilarious that it’s almost worth the trip just for that. Heavy on velvet paintings, Elvis pictures and kitschy souvenirs, it will always provide a conversation starter.

Only down side is there is not much of a wine selection. But thank goodness they have pinot grigio!

Tim always orders the black and blue nachos.

I had grilled fish tacos. They were filled with jalapenos, which really woke up my taste buds.

Alan always orders chicken quesadillas and asks them to leave off the jalapenos. (Wimp!)

Jeff got Cuban quesadillas.

Here are Jeff and Tim digging in.

Here's an example of the decor! Ha.

We ran into our buddies Kristi Ogle, left, and Deane Conley in the bar, which is our favorite place to sit at Chez Guevara, by the way.

Chez Guevara definitely has a sense of humor. They placed these signs out front. "Detox" points to a yoga studio next door. "Retox" points to Chez Guevara!

No. 8: The Tomato Head on Market Square.

Alan grabbing a quick lunch -- his favorite pizza, "Number 9."

You are not going to find any food remotely like The Tomato Head’s anywhere else. It’s vegetarian friendly and made from scratch with a bias for locally sourced ingredients. The wait staff is a little “crunchy granola” which is exactly as they should be. And every last one of them is friendly and helpful. They know the menu and the food inside out and can describe it for you in detail and answer questions. They make sandwich and burrito specials every day — but don’t get attached to the specials because they never repeat them! We love their Sunday brunch, where they have a waffle bar and an also-never-repeated enchilada special.

But the most frequent time you will find me there is at lunch. They serve a fabulous and fast lunch. At lunch, you must order from the counter and the food is then delivered to your table, but in the evening they have regular table service. My guess is that this arrangement allows them to get lunch on the table more quickly.

My only small disappointment is that they do not serve mixed drinks, only wine and beer. Sometimes we have to choose another brunch spot if we are with friends who want Bloody Marys with their Sunday noonish repast.

The Number 9 features turkey, spinach and red onions. It is no longer on the menu, but if you ask for it, they still will make it for you (and Alan).

My go-to lunch order is a small (yes, that's a small!) Southwestern chicken salad with Southwestern vinaigrette.

Number 7: Naples, 5500 Kingston Pike

Alan is addicted to steak Chianti at Naples. He orders it every time and raves about it every time!

My husband, a Knoxville native, has been going to Naples for nearly 50 years! It used to be known as Alberti’s. Then and now, Naples personifies a good ole neighborhood, red-checked tablecloth, Italian restaurant. Owned by Bob and Becky Luper, it is super, super casual, super family-friendly and super consistent. The menu features classic Italian dishes as well as fresh daily specials to keep things interesting. The wine list is superb. And, thanks to a Cruvinet, a temperature-controlled wine dispensing system, great wines by-the-glass also are available.

Very often, I order the fruitti di mare, a fabulous dish featuring all kinds of shellfish and fish in a red sauce served over pasta. It no longer is on the menu, but is still available if you know to ask. Another old favorite they will still  make, although it also is not on the menu, is pane basillica, a small pizza crust dressed with chopped fresh tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. Yum, yum.

I can’t think of a single thing I would change about Naples. We see other diners we know every time we go in there. It’s like old home night. A classic Knoxville eatery.

Here is Alan's steak Chianti.

I got steamed mussels on this particular night.

We almost always split a slice of spumoni - a kind of Neopolitan ice cream creation featuring stripes of chocolate, cherry and pistachio ice cream.

Repeatedly, in contest after contest and year after year, Naples gets voted "most romantic" restaurant in Knoxville. I think it's the cozy ambiance.

Number 6: The Stir Fry Cafe, 7240 Kingston Pike

The veggie egg roll, Alan's favorite, at The Stir Fry Cafe

We have been going to The Stir Fry Cafe, located in The Gallery Shopping Center, for more than 20 years. It used to be my all-time favorite restaurant when we lived a little closer to it. I liked it so much that I recall one week eating there five different times. Now that’s liking a place! Alan and I were such good customers that when the former founder and owner, Kenny Saio, passed away years ago, Alan was one of the speakers at his funeral. (I knew I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without breaking down.)

Why do we like it so much? The food is fresh and unique. Asian and Thai, mostly. And the staff treats you like family. You can eat at the bar, which we sometimes do, at a tall table, at a traditional table, in a booth, or (my favorite) outside on the patio. If you go there on Saturday, you will find half-price sushi and $10 off bottles of wine. Or watch the restaurant’s Facebook page (click here) for other specials.

The Stir Fry Cafe is just so much darn fun.

Our friends Jerry Harnish, center, and Dr. Duree Snapp joined us at one of our favorite tables on the patio of The Stir Fry Cafe. Jerry is fire chief for Rural/Metro. Duree is a veterinarian.

Moo goo gai pan is Alan's most frequent selection at Stir Fry.

Jerry is a vegetarian and I've never seen him order anything but home style bean curd. Stir Fry is very vegetarian friendly.

It was sesame chicken for Duree.

Bangkok rolls for me. Fresh and light.

Number 5: Cru Bistro and Wine Bar Downtown, 141 S. Gay Street

Citrus chicken pasta, Alan's recent dinner order at Cru Bistro and Wine Bar downtown.

Cru, which also has a location way out west in Turkey Creek, has been part of the revitalization of the historic 100 block of Gay Street. One of the best things about Cru is its menu — it is huge and diverse. You can bring a group to Cru, and everyone will find something they want, from steaks to pasta to salads and personal pizzas. And, guess what. If they don’t find something they like on Cru’s big menu, they can order off the menu of the sister restaurant next door, the fabulous Shuck. Both eateries are owned by the same folks.

You also have a choice of atmosphere because Cru is divided into two rooms and each has its own vibe. I prefer the room with the bar. It is more lively and you have more interaction with the bartender and wait staff as they pick up and deliver drinks to the other patrons. But the other dining room can accommodate larger parties, so sometimes it is the best option.

Wild mushroom pizza with pesto at Cru

Cru also is open late at night, which can sometimes be a challenge with other restaurants. Cru is open until midnight Monday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Even on Sunday it is open until 10 p.m. Manager Joan Marshall says they hope to develop an after hours following among other hospitality workers. Speaking as someone who has taken guests to the Knoxville Symphony Pops concerts on Saturday nights and been told it’s “last call” when arriving at other downtown locations for a drink after the show, I am grateful to have a nice place that stays open late.

Our friends and fellow downtown dwellers Bill and Gay Lyons joined us for dinner at Cru last Sunday.

Bill had the seared petit filet with blue cheese crumbles.

Gay had the grilled salmon with blue crab butter and broccolini.

Cru has some good wine choices. We loved this 2011 blend made from zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and syrah grapes.

The white chocolate raspberry cheesecake satisfied Alan and Bill's dessert cravings.

Number 4: Chesapeake’s, 600 Union Avenue

This Maryland seafood salad is my go-to lunch order at Chesapeake's.

For us at Moxley Carmichael, Chesapeake’s is the new Regas. Regas used to be practically our company cafeteria. Now Chesapeake’s is. It is a perfect place for a business lunch: the food is high quality and consistent; there is ample free parking for those driving into downtown from elsewhere; downtowners can walk to it; you can make reservations; the staff is friendly and professional; they appreciate “regulars” and, if you are one, they go above and beyond to take care of you and your guests.

Chesapeake’s also is a great place to meet a business associate (or friend) for drinks after work. They have great $5 appetizers in the bar and on the patio and the bartenders are friendly and attentive. The wine list is good and the martinis are tops. We also enjoy their Sunday brunch, which features a Bloody Mary bar with every kind of condiment you can imagine for the popular wake-me-up.

It’s funny, but just like at Regas, the decor at Chesapeake’s is a little stale and out-of-date. But instead of that being irritating, it’s actually kind of comfortable and reassuring. I’m fine if they don’t change it.

Fresh seafood is flown in every day and the specials change daily. This is the grilled salmon on a recent lunchtime visit.

This is my favorite booth in the bar. On this day, I was meeting my friend Carolyn Neil, CEO of Elder Advocates. And that's Jim Burgin, one of the best bartenders of all time.

Number 3: Shuck, 135 S. Gay Street

This is The Tower and it is my favorite thing to order: shrimp, lump crab, pico de gallo, avocado, romaine, honey chipotle dressing.

Another big player in the exciting development of the 100 block of Gay Street is Shuck, owned by the same folks who own Cru and Nama. Shuck always has a great selection of oysters on the half shell, of course, and a lot of other great — and very creative — seafood dishes as well. It is a tiny place, but filled with fun. Sit at the bar if you’d like to watch the oyster shucking process or sit in a cozy booth if you want more privacy and intimacy.

Shuck will be opening a second spot in the Bearden space formerly occupied by Chez Liberty. But that’s a much larger space and I don’t see how they will be able to pull off the feeling that you are really a part of the action, which is what happens in the downtown location. The place is so small that the bartenders and servers almost can’t help but get involved in conversations with the customers. And the food is creative and flawless, as I think you will see from these pictures.

Here is a fish taco at Shuck. You can get at least five different kinds.

Crab cakes

This is a fantastic offering called "Oysters Four Ways."

From the top, at 12 o’clock and then clockwise: Greek (cucumber-olive relish, cherry tomatoes, and lemon); shooter (Bloody Mary mix, celery, lemon, chives, Tabasco); champagne (caviar, chives, lemon, cocktail sauce, house mignonette); and chimi (fresh jalapeno, lime, cilantro, chimichurri sauce).

Here's a closer look at that champagne version. Yum.

Alan loves the key lime pie.

Here's a look at the cozy bar.

Number 2: Knox Mason, 131 S. Gay Street

I'm guessing this is the most popular menu item at Knox Mason because everyone who has it raves about it: roasted Springer Mountain chicken breast, Anson Mills farro risotto, Granger County tomato broth and Farm Market vegetable relish. Folks are amazed by how tender it is.

Knox Mason is located in the former location of Harold’s Delicatessen, later Harry’s Restaurant. The food: upscale Southern. Knox Mason is pricey. It is tiny. It has a very limited menu and a very limited wine list. But as far as quality and creativity go, it’s probably the best restaurant in Knoxville right now. As much on the menu as possible is locally sourced.

Chef Matt Gallaher is a young guy, but he has worked at Blackberry Farm and in the Tennessee Governor’s Residence. I have recommended Knox Mason to some of the biggest food snobs I know and they all have thanked me later. A few items on the menu to give you an idea of what we are dealing with here: braised pork belly and Anson Mills polenta with Benton’s bacon, black-eyed peas and marinated Grainger County tomatoes; crisp North Carolina

San Marzano tomato soup with grilled bread

redfish, Carolina Gold rice with crayfish and lemon, and roasted fennel puree; Georgia quail stuffed with Swaggerty’s Sausage, Carolina Gold fried rice, Kentucky soy and Coca-Cola glaze, with spicy peanut sauce. Get the idea? Highly, highly creative. And beautifully executed.

If there is one thing that is a little irritating about Knox Mason, it is that they will not take reservations. (Honestly, they don’t have to.) The one exception is if you have a party of six or a few more, they will take a reservation for you at either 6 or 8 p.m. We have been known to actually recruit an extra couple to join our original party of four just so we could get a reservation. Just get there before 6 and you should be OK.

Small, cramped and nearly always full.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but you must, must order the pork rinds! I told this to Joan Snoderly, a first-time visitor at the table next to us, and when she tasted them, she couldn't thank me enough.

This is Chef Matt Gallaher, the mastermind behind the food at Knox Mason.

Number 1: Bistro at the Bijou, 807 S. Gay Street

Grilled tuna with feta and roasted tomatoes. My order.

The Bistro, with its big naked portrait of “Miss Lil” over the bar, feels as much like home to us as our own kitchen. We go there when we are too tired to cook. We have business meetings there, if we are meeting with someone else from downtown so that parking is not an issue. We go there with friends before concerts, plays and other activities. Sometimes we go just to sit at the bar, have a drink and listen to jazz. Sometimes we sit at the bar, have a drink and then go home and make dinner ourselves. (We think drinks taste better when someone makes them for us!)

And we love Saturday and Sunday brunch there. If we have weekend guests, we almost always take them to brunch at the Bistro.

To say that the food there is locally sourced is an understatement. In the summer, most of the vegetables come from owner Martha Boggs’ own Holston

Zucchini lasagna

Hills vegetable garden. And Martha does the cooking herself during brunch. She makes up the menu, which changes seasonally. Everything is homey but still creative. You just can’t go wrong.

I love the sense of humor the place has and the versatility. For instance, there’s a “Lipitor burger” on the menu: two 8 oz. patties, four strips of bacon and two slices of cheese. (That’s a POUND of hamburger, folks!) And the “Cool Hand Luke:” a 10-egg omelet (”Just tell us what you want in it!”) served with grits or potatoes. But they’ll also make any dish with tofu instead of meat, making it one of the most vegetarian friendly eateries around.

There’s live music toward the end of the week. Happy hours from 3 to 6 p.m. And a great downtown vibe. If you go, you’ll probably see us there.

12-ounce bone-in grass fed ribeye with garlic butter and green beans.

Our buddies Dawn and Richard Ford love the Bistro almost as much as we do.

Chocolate cake. Yep, that's what Alan was eating at the top of this blog post.

Alan and Bistro proprietor Martha Boggs last week.

OK. There you have it. The Blue Streak’s favorites. Of course there are some other great places that we love, as well. I enjoy Bistro by the Tracks. That’s where Jim Haslam always chooses to go when I have lunch with him. The Orangery is fun. That’s where Mary Ellen Brewington picks when I meet her for lunch. Cocoa Moon is where we often find Tim Young and Jeff Cupp, and we enjoy the fact that you can eat Asian or Mexican there. When we want barbecue, we head to Sweet P’s Barbeque and Soul House owned by our friend Chris Ford. And everyone we know loves Foothills Milling Company, but it’s in Maryville, so we don’t get there too often.

Do you agree with our picks? What are your favorite restaurants in Knoxville? We are lucky to have so many good ones.

Cindi DeBusk on a bathtub of gin!

I was a little confused at first by the invitation from “the big cheese and his doll.” It urged us to “get your wiggle on with some hooch, show your gams with an old sport and be gay.”

Fortunately, there was a translation on the back of the card. The “big cheese” was businessman Pete DeBusk with his wife, Cindi, as his “doll,” of course. We were being invited to a “Great Gatsby” party! There even was a password for entry: cat’s meow.

Seems the couple recently had seen the latest version of the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and had fallen in love with the lavish party scene. And they have just the kind of over-the-top home, situated between Halls and Powell in North Knoxville, that would allow them to duplicate that fictional soiree.In the 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, Jay Gatsby drives a Rolls Royce. It just so happens that Pete DeBusk also owns a Rolls — but his is a 1986-1/2 vintage.

Alan Carmichael, left, and Gay and Bill Lyons pose with Pete's Rolls, which was parked out front when we arrived.

Unfortunately, we had to leave our guns outside.

I think Jay Gatsby would have approved of the setting.

Cindi helping "the big cheese" with his tie.

Fred and Faye Langley looking dapper.

Annelle and Warren Neel

Kati and Jim Blalock with Pete DeBusk, center

Stunning orchids, a very popular flower in the 1920s, were everywhere throughout the party. These were flown in from New Zealand.

The book is set in 1922, so Cindi did a lot of research on what was popular in the 1920s when planning the party. At one point, Fitzgerald writes, “Every Friday, five crates of oranges and lemons arrive from a fruiterer in New York.” So oranges and lemons were a big part of the decor.

Crates of oranges and lemons

Citrus and orchids

More. Wow.

Tony and Sharon Spezia

Mike and Kelly Conley

Cindi DeBusk with Kay Clayton, center, and Brenda Wood

Pete joked that these are the most expensive boxes in the world because Cindi stopped production in the print shop of Pete's company, DeRoyal Industries, to get them printed! Ha.

Cindi's mother, Pat DeBusk, made all the food for the huge spread with help from a couple of friends. It was delicious.

Cold fried chicken, Cindi's research showed, was a popular 1920s party staple.

Reuben sandwiches

Pineapple upside down cake

I guess chocolate cake is popular in every generation!

Music was by the Brad Walker Orchestra. Here is Brad Walker dancing with Tori Tate.

Brad and Tori

Cindi knows The Charleston!

So does her mother, Pat. Interestingly, Pat also married a man named DeBusk. "I married the poor one," she quipped. Ha.

Pete made a few introductions and remarks.

Sylvia and Dr. Jack Lacey with Sherri Lee, right

Ann and Dick Goldstine

Avis Phillips and Pete

Tony and Sharon Spezia

The DeBusks, center, with Teddy and Christy Phillips. (I almost didn't recognize Teddy with that fake mustache!)

Sherry and David Milhorn

Vocalist Valerie Duke

There was plenty of space for mingling when you weren't dancing.

And then a poker game broke out! (I guess this is why they collected all the guns!)

But the dance floor stayed crowded. Here are Mike and Allison York.

Cindi's brother, Sonny Gresham with his wife, Stacy

Cindi and her niece, Misty Gresham

Some folks enjoyed the patio out back. There are those orchids, again.

Kristin and Mark Williams

Bill Lyons tried on Alan's hat. I think he looks good in it!

Out front, the beautiful sunset highlighted the huge fountain.

If any person in Knoxville could tame a lion, it would be Tony Spezia!

And the dancing continued! Tori Bowling, left, and Marcinda Asburry, Cindi's daughter.

Cindi with her other daughter, Madison Wilder, visiting from South Carolina.

The house at night really did remind me of those scenes from "The Great Gatsby."

A night to remember, for sure.

Click below for a 15-second video of Cindi and her mom on the dance floor. Cute.

Here are some other folks on the dance floor.

And still more.

News Sentinel Publisher Patrick Birmingham greets professional golfer Robert Gamez, right, and his wife, Denise.

A festive party at Chesapeake’s last night designed to let the amateur golfers know what professional golfer they would be playing with today marked the official start of the News Sentinel Open presented by Pilot. The Summit Medical Group Pro-Am kicked off this morning at Fox Den Country Club. The News Sentinel Open runs through Sunday.

The golf tournament, part of the the Web.com Tour, has been held in Knoxville for 24 years. The Web.com Tour is important to professional golfers because it is a way for them to earn points that will propel them onto the “big” PGA tour. It’s important to Knoxville because it gives us a chance to check out the up-and-comers and it also raises money for charity. In addition, it has a big economic impact. With more than 100 Web.com Tour players and 40,000 expected attendees, the Knoxville Chamber and Visit Knoxville estimate that the event has had a $3.5 million impact since the News Sentinel took over its operation three years ago.

Moxley Carmichael has a foursome in today’s Summit Medical Group Pro-Am in which four amateur golfers get to play with a professional. Our design director, Charley Sexton, is being joined by U.S. Congressman Jimmy Duncan, Knoxville Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis and Alvin Nance, president and CEO of Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation. Our team’s professional is Dusty Fielding. (Alan Carmichael, our firm’s president, usually plays, but he is out of commission for a few more weeks as he recovers from having a pacemaker put in.) Some of the funds raised today go to the benefit of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, the reason for Summit Medical Group’s involvement, CEO Tim Young said at the pairings party last night.

We are happy to be working some of the events associated with the Open on behalf of the News Sentinel. We also represent Pilot, the presenting sponsor, and Summit Medical Group, the sponsor of today’s Pro-Am, so we have many reasons to be interested!

If you’d like to see a schedule of events, click here to go to the Open’s website. Tickets are inexpensive and you just may get to see the next Tiger Woods. (Pray that the rain holds off.)

Professional golfer Jeremy Berbert, left, and News Sentinel staffers, from left, Paul Abraham, Bill Osborne, Diana Condon and Marti Townsend. Berbert was discussing his new minimalist golf shoe line, Barefoot B.E.R.B.S.

Dr. Ty Kirby of Summit Medical Group, left, with his wife, Amy; Tim Young, Summit's CEO; and Jennifer Lawson from Moxley Carmichael.

From left, Terri and Bob Zavidil, Tim and Wendy Hamilton. Wendy is with presenting sponsor, Pilot.

Dr. Craig Rylands of Summit Medical Group, with his wife, Sue.

Ashley Morrison offering cucumber martinis.

Katie Hinton was passing sangria.

Musicians, from left, Josh Gaither, Josh Cole and Taylor Coker kept the mood mellow with smooth jazz.

The seafood martinis were cold and fresh!

As were the three kinds of oysters, which were freshly shucked all evening.

A fancy baked brie highlighted the cheese table.

But my favorite thing at Chesapeake's is the crab fingers.

Alan is partial to the key lime pies!

Tim Young made one of the shortest speeches I've ever heard. "I don't want to stand between you and the food and drink!" he quipped.

From left, Jamie Stokes, Sandi Swilley, Rob Hardin, Anita Lane, Robert and Denise Gamez

Adrian Pearce, left, of the News Sentinel, and Dino Cartwright of Prestige Cleaners. They are on the tournament's host committee.

Sonny Bailey, left, and Gene Bailey

Stewart Smith, left, with Cara and Justin Plummer

Gary and Kathleen Cox with Ben Harkins, center

Rocky and Janet Goode

Dr. Wes Dean of Summit Medical Group and Jennifer Lawson

Natalie Lester, left, and Lauren Christ, both of Moxley Carmichael, taking a break from staffing the check-in table.

From left, Brent and Kayla Green and Tracy and Travis Holifield

From left, Patrick Birmingham, Gene Bailey and Patrick Nichol, the tournament director.

From left, Connor Pearce, Dino Cartwright, Kelly Pearce, Adrian Pearce and Valerie Pearce

Jim Wakefield, left, and Rocky Goode

The Moxley Carmichael team teeing off this morning at 11:50. From left, Congressman Jimmy Duncan, Knoxville Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis, pro golfer Dusty Fielding, Charley Sexton of Moxley Carmichael and Alvin Nance of KCDC.

Fore!

Selena Hernandez opens her new sneakers at Shoes for School last Saturday.

Every year, right before school starts, hundreds of volunteers converge on Caswell Park in East Knoxville to distribute more than 1,000 pairs of new sneakers to children who have been pre-selected by local social service organizations to receive them.

The shoes are paid for by donations from the public in a program called Shoes for School which is a joint project of the Knoxville Area Urban League and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This past Saturday marked the 10th year for this heart-warming event.

Although new shoes are the central point of the morning gathering, there is much more to it. Children are invited to visit dozens of booths set up by area businesses and organizations to distribute school supplies, a wide variety of huge inflatables fill the park, there are games of every description, a disc jockey plays music ranging from country to hip-hop, and the Urban League Young Professionals cook hotdogs and pass out chips, popcorn and drinks. It is, in short, a festival built around a good cause.

“Whenever someone gets involved in Shoes for School, whether as a volunteer or a financial supporter, they never say no to us the following year,” said Phyllis Nichols, president and CEO of the Knoxville Area Urban League. “It is a very rewarding experience.”

Here are a few photos from this past Saturday.

Tim Romero of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, at left, prepares to open Shoes for Schools with a balloon release. In the center is Knoxville Area Urban League President and CEO Phyllis Nichols and City Councilman Dan Brown.

Here's a better view of Tim. He serves on the Urban League's board, as do I.

Another board member, Drew Starke of Nissan, chats with Phyllis.

Although there were a lot of lines to stand in, everyone was in a great mood.

More than 1,000 children were given shoes and more than 1,500 received school supplies.

Jacob Nathaniel Drinnon tries his hand at the beanbag toss.

Lelsye Hartsell, a friend of mine who works at KUB, was giving away popcorn at a booth staffed by members of her church, Freedom Fellowship Christian Church.

Maliyna Tate tries a ball bouncing game.

Phyllis Nichols gives an interview to Mike Blackerby of the News Sentinel.

Wokie Massaquoi-Wicks greets City Councilman and former Knoxville Mayor Dan Brown.

Urban League Board member Rosa Mar distributing notebooks.

Board member Rita Geier helping out.

Presley Ford, for the third year in a row, helped distribute books as part of the Urban League's Read and Rise program.

Volunteer Harold Hicks helped with that task, as well.

Crystal Lewis and other folks from Sysco were giving away fruit.

Erica Moore helped her colleagues from U.S. Cellular give away bags of school supplies.

Henry Morgan, whose father works at Scripps Networks Interactive, worked in that company's booth.

Jayden Norries, left, and Asia Looney took advantage of the cotton candy being handed out in the food area.

Urban League Young Professionals Tyler Jordan and Lydia McCoy minded the hot dog grill.

Malaina Leffall was eager to open up her new shoes.

"These are so cool!" exclaimed Chase Smith when he saw his.

Katie Smith got some pretty plaid shoes. She loved them.

The slide was popular.

So was the football toss.

Kim Woods of Home Federal Bank stayed busy passing out supplies.

I think everyone liked the t-shirts designed by Moxley Carmichael graphic designer Erica Beck.

Thanks to WBIR-TV for covering this sweet event. Click here to see their report.

Click here for reporter Mike Blackerby’s story in the News Sentinel.

Mark Beaty and News Sentinel Advertising Director Diana Condon at the pairings party Monday at Smoky Mountain Brewery in Turkey Creek.

In addition to the chance to see the golf stars of tomorrow, the News Sentinel Open also is a great business tool. There are three wonderful parties associated with it and the hospitality tents provide excellent chances to spend quality time with clients and friends throughout the run of the tournament.

Our company, Moxley Carmichael, purchased a hospitality package that gives us and our guests access to the “Copper Cellar 19th Hole,” which is large tent that is air conditioned, flat-screen TV-equipped (tuned to the Golf Channel, natch!) and stocked with an open bar and great food by the Copper Cellar. Guests enjoy all this while perching on tall chairs with a fantastic view of the 18th hole.

Alan is out there today with Congressman Jimmy Duncan. Alan and I shared lunch yesterday with Farragut Mayor Ralph McGill and chatted with state Reps. Ryan Haynes,  Roger Kane and Bill Dunn. We also had fun with our buddies Rocky Goode, Sterling Owen IV, Patrick Birmingham and Dino Cartwright. In short, it’s a once-a-year chance to do something a little different while sharing quality time in a fun and relaxed environment.

I’m just saying all this to make the point that the News Sentinel Open is so much more than just a sporting event and I hope it continues for many years to come. But for that to happen, the local business community needs to support it through sponsorships, participation in the two pro-am tournaments and taking advantage of the various hospitality opportunities. Call Tournament Director Patrick Nichol at (904) 910-2690 next week and commit early to next year’s Open. His email address is pnichol@tourvisionpromotions.com. See you out there!

Country singer Matt Stillwell performed at the Smoky Mountain Brewery during the second pairings party on Tuesday.

Stillwell's wife, Jessica, and daughter, Carolina, came to the party, too.

Realtor Rich Levenson with Connie Frasier, left, and Tasha Mahurin at the Smoky Mountain Brewery party.

Alan Carmichael, left, with John and Debbie Geppi.

Farragut Town Administrator David Smoak, left, and Sterling Owen IV.

Farragut Mayor Ralph McGill and his wife, Marianne

George and Cheryl Kershaw, left, with Debby and Mitch Steenrod

The News Sentinel's Jack Lail, left, and Alan Hill on the patio of Smoky Mountain Brewery during the pairings party.

Rocky and Janet Goode

Tim and Wendy Hamilton

Regina and Terry Turner

Bill Osborne, left, of the News Sentinel, with Realtor Steve Fogarty, center, and Mike Townsend

Dugan McLaughlin at the pizza station

Yum!

The two kinds of quesadillas were gooey and hot.

From left, Shaun Fulco, Amanda Shell and Scott Bird, all of Moxley Carmichael, staffed the check-in table.

Tom and Blanche Vester, left, with David and Kathy Dooley

From left, Marti Townsend of the News Sentinel, Mike Townsend, Nina Reineri, Lisa Lonas and Meredith Pelehach

Alvin Nance, left, of KCDC, with News Sentinel Publisher Patrick Birmingham

From left, Doug Sweitzer, Susan Niedergeses, Cindy and Tommy Hindman

Patrick Birmingham and Rich Levenson

Adrian Pearce, left, of the News Sentinel, with Alan Carmichael outside Smoky Mountain Brewery

Patrick Birmingham and Farragut Mayor Ralph McGill in the Copper Cellar 19th Hole on Thursday.

In addition to the pairings party featured in these photos, another pairings party — for the Summit Medical Group Pro-Am — was held on Monday night. Click here for pictures of that. The Knoxville Chamber also hosted its monthly cocktail party, Business After Hours, at Fox Den Country Club on Thursday and had an excellent turnout.

From left, Jane Jetson (a.k.a. Ellen Robinson); George Jetson (a.k.a. Peter Acly); Elroy Jetson (a.k.a. Doug McKamey) and Judy Jetson (a.k.a. Nora Robinson)

The year was 2062 — exactly 100 years after “The Jetsons” first aired on American TV. The setting: Orbit City, where George Jetson lived with his wife, Jane; son, Elroy; and daughter, Judy. The food was exactly what many of us ate as we watched the original “Jetsons” TV show: Salisbury steak! We even had TV dinner  trays.

In reality, we were at a Summer Supper, a fundraiser for Knox Heritage. But who wants reality when you can party with all the fun Jetsons characters. Especially Rosie the robot! Here are some sights from an out-of-this world evening in Knoxville’s own Space Age icon: the Sunsphere.

One of the hosts, Melinda Meador, in a Space Age collar that fellow host Margaret Samples made for everyone.

Hosts Mark and Cathy Hill, left, with Erin Donovan as "Rosie the Robot."

Here's another take on "Rosie!" This one is actually Rosa Mar.

Hosts David Butler, left, and Jim Samples

Host Gay Lyons passing appetizers.

Kim Trent, the executive director of Knox Heritage, with coconut shrimp, a favorite snack in the early 1960s when "The Jetsons" were on TV.

Margaret Samples with a food popular in every decade -- pizza!

Guests Amanda Messer, left, and Katy Harp

Hosts Bill Pittman and Tina Rolen

Guest Tamera Easterday

Rosa Mar with the evening's special signature drink, "The Liftoff!"

Flat screen TVs were showing "The Jetsons," of course!

Here's host Sheena McCall.

On the name tag table were these little Jetson figures that belonged to hosts Deanene and Tom Catani. I wonder. . .

Host Milton McNally

Guests Michael and Judith Foltz really got into the spirit of the evening!

As did Beth Christensen!

The biggest problem with Erin's "Rosie" head? Difficult to drink!

Here's Angie Campbell's take on Jane Jetson.

My sweet husband, Alan, takes a turn at being George Jetson.

From left, Susan and Robert Hawthorne, Angie Campbell and Rosa Mar. Ha.

From left, Michael Foltz, Dan Chips, Pamela Chips and Judith Foltz

Caterer Holly Hambright, who managed to make a meal modeled after TV dinners actually be delicious! These colorful props were made by the Clarence Brown Theatre prop shop.

Futuristic centerpieces were appropriate.

Ben and Sara Hedstrom Pinnell enjoying their "Liftoffs."

Christi and Scott Branscom

Alan Carmichael happily in the buffet line.

The plates even had a "Jetsons" feel about them.

Alan's '60s era dinner. Yep. Salisbury steak!

Dinner high above Knoxville -- in Orbit City.

The view to the east. That's the Knoxville Convention Center at the bottom.

Nancy and David Goodson

Jeff and Julie Greene came in from Jefferson County for the festivities.

Hosts Gary and Julia Bentley drove in from Sequoyah Hills. Ha.

Look what dessert was served in! TV dinner containers! Cute. Dan and Pamela Chips were my models.

Two kinds of cobbler, brownies and ice cream sent my husband into an orbit of his own!

A great job by all the hosts pulling off a very unusual evening. Thanks!

Click the link below for a six-second video of our lovely parting gifts! (Scroll over the image and click the microphone icon if you’d like to turn on the sound.)

Abby Ham, left, and Moira Kaye of WBIR-TV at the pre-opening of Anthropologie last night.

So I finally know what all the fuss is about.

I had never been to an Anthropologie store before. But from the moment I walked in to the new retailer on Kingston Pike in Bearden last night, I started to understand. It is visually stunning. The store’s grand opening is today. Last night, it opened its doors to supporters of the preservation organization, Knox Heritage, and donated a portion of the evening’s sales to the group.

An indication of how important design, “look,” and attitude are to the lifestyle brand, is the fact that Knoxville’s new Anthropologie not only has a store manager, but a “visual manager” as well. It also has an artist on the staff.

You can certainly see — and feel — the results.

“We want you to have an unimagined experience,” the visual manager, Heather Watson, told me. “Things here are handmade, authentic and special.”

For instance, look at this display for a bed.It is constructed of 1,500 books, gathered from McKay Used Books, CDs & More and  numerous vintage stores, Watson said.

Visual Manager Heather Watson in front of the fascinating bed display made of vintage books.

Watson herself moved to Knoxville from New York City only six weeks ago because, she said, she wanted “a quieter life that was more artistic.” I think my jaw dropped when she said that. Can you believe someone thinks Knoxville offers an opportunity for a “more artistic” life than New York City does? I was thrilled beyond belief.

Some of the decor is made from what Watson called “found objects.” She clearly has discovered many area vintage and antique stores as well as an Army/Navy surplus store.

Old Army canteens decorate several shelves, adding a pop of visual interest.

Portions of an old military backpack hold table linens.

And dishware.

Everyone loved the warehouse feel of the space that once was an old roller skating rink.

There were a lot of "oohs" and "ahhs."

Store Manager Marty Heatherly, left, with Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and City Councilman Duane Grieve

OK, back to the decor. It seems that if the design staff didn’t “find” something to meet their vision, they made it. Like these delicate moths.

Handmade moths flutter around a jack rabbit painted by Nashville artist Elizabeth Foster.

Look how intricate the work is.

Although it is only a display, someone tried to purchase this last night!

From left, Kreis Beall, Kay Clayton and Brenda Wood were checking out the scene.

Allyn Purvis Schwartz, left, and Elaine Clark

Knox Heritage CEO Kim Trent and her daughter, Kate

Watson, the visual manager, made good use of a local woodcutter.

Slices of wood are used in many displays.

Isn't the use of this cordwood clever? (Although I almost cringe to use the word that is so politically charged in our community at the moment.)

Birch is a beautiful wood used in several store displays. Came from the same woodcutter.

Rebar and whisk brooms make these hanging displays.

Very neat.

The staff made this mobile from Mylar paper and twine!

The hanging lamps over the checkout? The staff made them.

Cindi DeBusk, right, and her niece, Misty Gresham

Sisters Nora, left, and Ellen Robinson headed straight to these cute purses.

From left, Store Manager Marty Heatherly, Jeannie Dulaney, Visual Manager Heather Watson, Julia Bentley and Kathy Boyd

Watson has an uncle who owns two antique shops in Clinton. That's where many display pieces, like this silver pitcher, were found.

The backgrounds for the window diplays were made of chicken wire and canvas. The mushrooms were formed from moulding clay.

Oh, there was food last night, catered by Tupelo Honey Cafe. And champagne.

Tupelo Honey's chef, Brian Sonoskus

A variety of nibbles.

Falafel balls

Dorothy Stair with her son, City Councilman Marshall Stair

City Councilman Finbarr Saunders with his wife, Ellen Bebb, and daughter, Emily Saunders

Developer Tony Capiello looked like a proud father!

Maureen Bosch checking out the jeans.

And, speaking of jeans, look what the designers did when they thought they needed an extra splash of blue!

The jeans for this hanging came from visits to 10 thrift stores, Watson said.

Mickey Mallonee, left, and Barbara Apking

"A" is for Annette -- and for Anthropologie! This is Annette Brun, president of the Knox Heritage board.

From left, Sarah Pattison, Kreis Beall and Samantha Bradford

Annette Winston

Huh? What is Stephen Brown holding?

Why, it's Dolly Poulet, a silky chicken!

I guess I should show a few pictures of some of the clothes that caught my eye.

This bright dress was a show-stopper.

Several people were trying on this one.

My friend Gay Lyons loved this outfit.

I loved this shirt. I might have to go back and get it.

They also have vintage jewelry.

Anthropologie, owned by Urban Outfitter, is headquartered in Philadelphia. The Knoxville store is one of 175 locations.

You can't miss it. It's right in the heart of Bearden. Welcome to Knoxville, friends!

Judith Foltz preparing bruschetta in the kitchen of her new downtown digs.

I have mentioned before how some of us downtown dwellers use progressive dinners as a method of recruiting our suburban friends to move downtown. Our thought is that if we take our “targets” from one great place to another while enjoying an evening of interesting eats and camaraderie, they will see what an amazing place downtown is and will eventually opt to join us here.

I am happy to report another success story. Our friends Judith and Michael Foltz are not quite ready to give up their lovely home in Westmoreland Hills, but they have rented a cute little apartment above the Orange Leaf yogurt shop on Market Square! Yay! I believe Michael, who was the holdout, actually is more excited about downtown living than even Judith is.

To celebrate this fabulous development, we planned a progressive dinner that would start at the Foltzes’ new place and then continue to Tim Young’s stylish condo above Mast General Store, ending with dessert at Monique and Bruce Anderson’s beautiful residence in The Glencoe. Come along!

We always have a theme for our progressive dinners and this time the theme was “guinea pigs.” That meant the cooks were supposed to create dishes they had not made before. We would all be “guinea pigs.”

Here's the living room of Michael and Judith's new apartment. Michael, at right, is talking to Mickey Mallonee, one of our progressive dinner regulars, and my hubs, Alan Carmichael.

The elegant bedroom

Alan enjoying the serenity of the living room.

Judith loves flowers and sets a stunning table.

The Barefoot Contessa's recipe for rosemary cashews was yummy.

As was the colorful -- and flavorful -- bruschetta.

Loved the cheese plate and the tiny little grapes. The cheeses: balsamic belavita, smoked gouda with bacon, and pesto cheddar.

After about an hour, we gave Tim Young, his friend Jeff Cupp, and Gay Lyons a 15 minute head start to head to Tim’s place. Tim and Jeff were in charge of the cocktails for the next stop and Gay had volunteered to make the food at Tim’s house.

Tim and Jeff did a great job with the sangria!

Tim has a fantastic kitchen.

In honor of our guinea pig theme, Tim put out this great fellow!

We moved everything upstairs to Tim's rooftop deck and set up a buffet.

These were intriguing: cardamom poached apricots stuffed with mascarpone and dipped in chopped pistachios.

Ginger roulades: pickled ginger, watercress and cream cheese wrapped in tortillas.

Palmetto brand pimento cheese with jalapenos. "The best pimento cheese on the planet," Gay insists. I have to agree that it was mighty tasty.

The Barefoot Contessa's recipe for pasta salad. Delicious. It includes feta, tomatoes, and Niscoise olives.

Eggs stuffed with smoked trout

The upper deck is a relaxing spot. You can see House Mountain on the horizon toward the left.

Bruce and Monique Anderson enjoying the respite - and the sangria!

Michael and Judith Foltz

Bill Lyons and Mickey Mallonee

And then it was time to move on!

We were making good time when we arrived at the Andersons' condo in The Glencoe for dessert.

Monique, an excellent cook, serving over-the-top cheesecake. It was an orange and almond cheesecake topped with an orange sour cream layer and served with orange whipped cream and fresh raspberry sauce!

We headed into The Glencoe's beautifully appointed courtyard.

These big planters at the entrance offer privacy.

We settled in to enjoy dessert al fresco on a lovely night.

Here's the night time view of First Presbyterian Church across State Street from The Glencoe.

The moon was just coming up.

Oops! Well, it's not a party until something gets broken!

Cute pic of Gay and Judith

Tim and Jeff saying their goodbyes.

It was a relaxed and celebratory night. Welcome to downtown to our friends Michael and Judith. Who’s next?