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Leave the Kids at HomeChattanooga is a Great Place for a Grown Up GetawayBy Suzanne Hall
This mid-sized city, about two hours from Atlanta and Nashville, has a lot to offer travelers. It bills itself as a “family” destination. And rightly so. It’s safe, manageable, the people are friendly and there are plenty of things for children to see and do. But Chattanooga is not just for kids. It’s also a great place for a grownup getaway. To start yours, book a room at The Chattanoogan, 1201 Broad St (423-756-3400). This urban resort within walking distance of many downtown restaurants and attractions opened its doors in April 2001 and is a perfect base while visiting Chatatanooga. The deluxe double and king rooms are nicely appointed, adequate in size and fairly priced. Rates begin at about $109 per night. Be sure to ask about special packages, combining food, attractions or spa services. Designed in part to cater to small corporate groups who appreciate its richly appointed and state-of-the-art meeting space, The Chattanoogan quickly engages all the senses. Its innovative architecture and decor, including a collection of original art, focus on Chattanooga’s history and natural amenities. The hotel’s a visual delight well worth touring. The nose and palate are tempted by the Broad Street Grille, an upscale restaurant specializing in steaks, seafood and pasta in the evening and offering sumptuous breakfast, Sunday brunch and lunch buffets. The cigar friendly Foundry bistro and bar serves a mean martini and offers a bistro menu as well as the menu from the Grille. There’s a pool table in a side room, should you care to test your skills.
Daytime Delights Once you’re well fed, relaxed and settled in, its time to explore Chattanooga. Broad and Markets streets and the Southside area (around Cowart Street) boast numerous antique shops, book stores and little boutiques. For brand-name out outlet shopping, there’s Warehouse Row (1110 Market St.). Or head across the river on the Market Street Bridge to North Chattanooga You’ll find fast food and sit-down restaurants and numerous galleries and shops to browse in. Behind them, on the river side, there are more shops and Coolidge Park. The site of outdoor fairs and concerts, its centerpiece is a locally built Carousel. It’s definitely not just for children. Be sure to take a ride or two. If shopping isn’t your thing, take the free electric shuttle toward the Tennessee River, making stops at the Chattanooga Regional History Museum (400 Chestnut Street) and the Tennessee Aquarium (One Broad St.). Even if you don’t like fish, you’ll love the world’s largest freshwater aquarium. With 130,000 square feet and four stories of tanks and exhibits (with more to come by 2005), the aquarium’s exhibits trace a drop of water from the mountains, through the Tennessee River to the Gulf of Mexico. About a ten minute walk (uphill) from the Aquarium is the Bluff View Art District (East Second and High streets), an area boasting a bed and breakfast inn, art gallery, outdoor sculpture garden and several excellent restaurants, including Back Inn Café, Rembrandt’s Coffee House and Tony’s Pasta Shop. Across the street are the Hunter Museum of American Art and the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts. The Hunter’s collection includes art from the Colonial period to the present and is housed in a 1904 classical revival mansion connected to a more contemporary structure. The Houston, a most unusual museum, is located in a century-old Victorian home which houses the world’s largest collection of pitchers and dozens of antique glass and ceramic pieces Evening Activities
Chattanoogans will always love the country sound. But in recent years, they’ve developed quite a taste for jazz, pop, rock and just about every other kind of music. The result is a bigger and better club scene, catering to many tastes and all age groups. Check the Friday edition of The Chattanooga Times Free Press for current listings. A not to miss spot, if you’re a jazz fan, is Southside’s Jazz Junction, 114 West Main St. (423- 267-9003). It’s the place for to hear great live performances by local, regional and national artists Wednesday - Saturday. It’s also a good place for dinner. Although it calls itself a tapas restaurant, the large tapas offerings, including chicken, beef, veal, fish and vegetable dishes, served with accompaniments, are not snacks. They make a full meal. There’s also a good assortment of smaller tapas for appetizers. The entire restaurant is cigar friendly. Dinner is served Wednesday - Saturday. Most diners don’t arrive before 8:00 or 8:30 p.m. The restaurant scene in Chattanooga keeps getting better and better. In the last decade, one success story has bred another. Today, while the city can’t compete in variety to big sisters Nashville and Memphis, when it comes to quality locally owned and operated restaurants, it holds its own quite nicely. Downtown and in the North Chattanooga shopping district, there are dozens of places for a quick lunch. Menus range from submarine sandwiches and burgers to soups, salads and complete meals. At Greyfriar’s (406 Broad St.) the sandwiches are made to order and the breads are exceptional, especially the boule. The restaurant, with a few tables on the sidewalk, also is a good place to stop for an early morning or late afternoon coffee and pastry break. Those with a hankering for barbecue have ample options. For a more restaurant like setting, Sticky Fingers Restaurant & Bar (420 Broad St.) is a good bet. When it comes time for dinner, you can still get a great steak and baked potato or a plate of fried seafood. But the wise visitor opts for the contemporary foods created by the city’s best and most creative chefs. The dining room at The Chattanoogan is always a good bet as are the restaurants in the Bluff View Art District. They are just the beginning, though. Long a favorite with Chattanoogans, 212 Market Restaurant, 212 Market St., (423- 265-1212), never disappoints. A consistently imaginative kitchen staff led by a chef-owner turns out a menu featuring pork, poultry, beef, fish and lamb served with a flare. The appetizers, pasta dishes and desserts are excellent. There’s often live music on Friday night and a great Sunday brunch, enhanced once a month by live jazz. Across from the Tennessee Aquarium, it’s open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Southside Grill, 1400 Cowart St. (423-266-6511) is another restaurant frequented by locals in the know. The talented kitchen staff specializes in dishes of the New South, giving traditional ingredients like pork, chicken, fish and vegetables an upscale, contemporary flair. The kitchen does wonderful things with portobello mushrooms. In a restored historic building near the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, Southside serves dinner seven nights a week and lunch Monday - Saturday. The restaurant is totally nonsmoking except for the patio and outdoor wine bar. St. John’s Restaurant, 1278 Market St., (423-266-4400), is one of the city’s newer fine dining rooms. This is a place to see and been seen. Seating is in the bar with its soaring ceiling, in a small room adjacent to it or on the balcony above. The menu is relatively small, but extremely creative. Appetizers could include duck pan rolls and roasted asparagus with sweetbreads. Entrees are created from pork, lamb, veal, beef, chicken and fish. Dinner is served Monday - Saturday. Although you might get lucky as a walk-in, especially at off hours or during the week, if you’re set on a particular restaurant or a specific time, you should make a reservation for any of Chattanooga’s fine dining rooms. And before you leave the city, make a reservation to come back. You’ve only just begun to experience all there is to see and do in Chattanooga. Photographs by S. Parks Hall For Further Information:The Chattanoogan: http://www.chattanooganhotel.com Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau: http://www.chattanoogafun.com |
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In any given week, hundreds of travelers roar down Interstate 75 from
points North, heading to Florida. The route takes them right through
Chattanooga, Tennessee. The smart ones – Stop!
No stay at The Chattanoogan is complete without a visit to the
full-service spa. Hotel guests can work out in the fitness center, swim in
the indoor pool, relax in the whirlpool, steam room and sauna or make an
appointment for a massage, facial or other spa treatment. The Riverpoint
stone massage ($85 for 55 minutes) is a house specialty.
When the sun goes down and you’re tired of sightseeing, there’s still
plenty to do in Chattanooga.