If you travel to the Cummins Falls
Marathon, you’ll be well advised to set aside a couple of extra days to see
local sights and sample local restaurants. A famished runner can find a truck
load of cool eating joints in Cookeville, Tennessee. But you need to know where
to look. I am here to help.
One hundred and thirty-two, that’s
the number Google gives me for the aggregation of restaurants in Cookeville.
That’s maybe more than you’d expect for a “small town” of 31,010 souls. But the
town’s activity is much larger than its population suggests: it’s a university
town, with the influx that brings; it sits at the crossroads of TN-111 and
I-40; and it serves as a hub city for the whole Upper Cumberland region. People
come to shop, eat out, see ballgames and watch movies. I once read the dubious
claim that Cookeville triples on the weekend. I don’t believe that number, but
it does grow.
So, yes, 132 restaurants. That
number includes the usual expected chain restaurants such as O’Charley’s,
Outback, Ruby Tuesday, and so on. Most of those restaurants are strung along
Interstate Drive, parallel to and one block north of I-40, visible and handy to
the Interstate traveler. Ah, but I rarely go there. Jo Ann and I chose the home
grown restaurants in the old part of town, in the Westside and Eastside.
Without making any claims of good
taste in food or anything else, I will tell you the places where this runner actually
goes to eat. For what it’s worth, here they are:
Favorites
BobbyQs is the most famous
restaurant in town. Widely written about in magazines and books alike, it’s the
place to go when you want BBQ or catfish. Their banana pudding is better than
sex, they claim. Ask them early on to save you a helping, because it tends to
run out. I’m partial to the BBQ pork, but also go for the house salad topped
with a grilled catfish. Sometimes I make a veggie plate from their selection of
sides, which includes potato salad, fried okra and potato salad. Avoid the
poolroom slaw unless you really, really like the red-pepper hot. If you
absolutely must sample some heat, you might try a split order, half and half of
regular and poolroom slaw. No beer at this place. But their coffee is good,
made from beans they grind themselves.
Moma Rosa’s is the go-to place if
you are craving Italian food. Its lineage is New York. Favorites of mine there are
stromboli and eggplant parmigiana. Jo Ann likes the baked ziti. If I get their
garden salad I always ask for the house dressing. Are you hungry? Moma Rosa’s orders
are large, and we normally come home with a take-out box that makes my lunch
the next day. A few years ago, we took my late friend, ultra runner and vegetarian
Angela Ivory there. She had the spaghetti topped by a sauce sans meat. She
loved it. I was glad we’d picked that place.
Seven Senses is the only new comer
in my group. But it has quickly become one of our favorites. It it’s located on
Broad Street in Westside across from Foothills running Company. It features an
urbane ambiance and a collection of unusual dishes. I suppose you could call it
urban eclectic. I suggest the Papa Tony’s pan seared shrimp. The name honors
the late Tony Stone who was mayor and who began the Cookeville Cook Off. He was
well known for his grilling skill. Jo Ann likes the chicken and waffles dish.
Their seven salad is good too. Ask for a glass of Calfkiller beer, a local
brew.
Taiko is described as a Noodles and
Sushi bar on their banner. If you are in the mood for Japanese food, this is
the place, situated on Broad across from the Depot. Usually I don’t eat sushi,
but there are plenty of other dishes to choose from. Jo Ann likes other places
better than this restaurant, so I usually only eat there when she is out of
town. It’s a nice break in the usual routine, and sushi lovers rave about it.
On Broad just a few steps from
Foothills, the Cajun restaurant Crawdaddy’s is one of Cookeville’s most popular
eateries. Its upstairs bar is popular too. In good weather, check out the
courtyard and balcony seating. Crawfish etouffee is my standard request there;
if I’m going to a place named “Crawdaddy’s” I expect crawfish. If you want
gator tail their sampler will include crawfish, gator and shrimp. Their steaks
are well respected and people hold dinner meeting there. To go with the
crawfish, ask for a glass of Calfkiller.
House of Thai is on Eight Street at
the east side of the Tennessee Tech campus. I’m partial to Thai food, so it’s
one of my favorites. My standard dish there is drunken noodles. They will
season it with red pepper to your taste. Be careful; it can be too hot. Pad
Thai is a close second choice. The curries are good too. Jo Ann is a light
eater. She usually orders a spring roll and rice. We agree on the hot Thai tea.
I could drink a gallon of it.
Mexican restaurant Cinco Amigos is a
favorite watering hole for the Westside Runners. After our Wednesday night runs
we sometimes retire there for our birthday parties. In fact, we find all kinds
of occasions to gather there. The amigos have covered outside seating, which is
where we usually end up. They decorate it for our parties with maracas, party
hats, and balloons. The food is tasty. And nothing I’ve ever eaten there has
given me digestive difficulty. My standard is from the Especialidades menu,
number 27, the burrito supreme. RunItFast hero Lisa Gonzales @runlikeacoyote would
like it, burritos being her weakness – or rather maybe her strength. Of course,
Dos Equis beer goes with that burrito.
I think of Char as a steakhouse. But
their tag line boasts of seafood and pasta as well. I don’t go out for Sunday
brunch very often, but I recall a very good bunch at Char. Char was the first stop
of the first red dress run Westside Runners did. The whole red dressed bunch
retired to the patio where we could be as noisy as we wanted without bothering
anyone else. There we did pleasantly linger a while before shoving off to the
next watering hole. In addition to the patio, Char also has a small covered
outside seating area that overlooks the Putnam county courthouse. Definitely,
at this restaurant ask for Calfkiller beer.
Dipsy Doodle is a blue collar,
meat-and-three joint in the country about five miles west of town on US-70N,
Broad Street. In operation since the 1940s, it is the oldest restaurant in the
area. Josh Hite, @urnewhite, and I frequently go there for lunch after our
adventure runs in remote Jackson County. For lunch, expect lots of home cooked
veggies, a different selection each work day. For example on Monday, they have
pinto beans, boiled cabbage, turnip greens, small whole boiled potatoes. Those
are just the ones I recall from the Monday menu. (I’ve dropped the turnip
greens lately because of too many coarse stems, a small complaint.) For me,
cornbread goes with those country veggies. Veggie selection on Tuesday includes
the old depression-era favorite, tomatoes and macaroni. I’ve never seen that
offered at any other restaurant. The giant burger – you can get it with or
without cheese - is the reason I go there half the time. Jo Ann favors the BLT.
I believe they put more crisp bacon on that sandwich than you’ll find anywhere
else. The “mile-high” meringue on their chocolate and coconut pie is thicker
than a pillow. It’s big; sometimes I share a slice.
These Also Serve
For the sake of brevity – and maybe
it’s too late for that now - I’ve left out so many restaurants, it makes me feel
guilty. Let me quickly toss in a few more.
Spankies, on East Ninth at Tennessee
Tech. Try their French dip sandwich with roasted potatoes. Ask for Calfkiller
beer.
World Foods is a little restaurant
and deli on N. Cedar in Westside featuring Mediterranean foods. It’s where to
go for pizza. Instead of smearing a red slime called tomato paste on the crust,
they use actual tomatoes. Such a difference!
Father Tom’s Pub is a popular local
hangout, also on N. Cedar, near World Foods. I have to shout this one. Show Tom your race number Saturday night and ask for a free beer with your entrée. It can't hurt. Hit him up for
a Calfkiller.
El Tapatitos is the Mexican
restaurant Jo Ann prefers. I like it too. Prices are reasonable and it’s a
popular place, on S. Willow.
Bull and Thistle, maybe the
brightest jewel in the Upper Cumberland, is actually in Gainesboro, seat of
Jackson County, the county Cummins Falls Marathon runs through. Running Buddy
Josh Hite @urNewHite calls it the best restaurant in Tennessee. The chef was
recruited from Ireland. It’s a new restaurant in a renovated historic building.
The server told us the kitchen alone cost $1.5 million. A wide selection of
beer is available. It’s on the courthouse square, seventeen miles northwest of
Cookeville.
