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feature articles Entre Nous: Introduction | Entre Nous: Introduction |
| Written by Steve Manolopoulos | |||||||
| Tuesday, 01 April 2008 | |||||||
 When I was a young boy growing up in Montreal, Canada, the city where I was born, I was raised by immigrant parents from Greece. My father was a restaurateur with over thirty eateries under his belt. At the age of seven I had my first good look at what the food and beverage industry was all about. I can't say that it was love at first sight, but I can say that it sparked an interest in me that has turned into a passion for food, wine and the truly gratifying experience of making people smile.
The same feeling we acquire when we have friends and family over for dinner and drinks. It's the need to please, the festive atmosphere and the sparkle in their eyes that creates an unforgettable experience. Now take these attributes and try to replicate them in an extremely large setting. This is the mark of a true restaurateur. This is the challenge that my father has placed in front of me. So after 25 years in this industry I am still trying to build restaurants that live up to these standards. I have opened restaurants in several cities throughout North America but I can't tell you how excited I was when I found this gem called Knoxville, Tennessee. The mountains, the lakes, the people, the southern hospitality, and last but not least, the BIG ORANGE. I was asked, to my surprise, to start this column called Entre Nous, a French expression meaning "between us." This is a non-structured setting in which I will value your thoughts, opinions and ideas.
Now we all know that any restaurant in any city that would dare have this sort of attitude or service would not last very long, but it seems that the airline carriers and other services near these airports don't give a hoot. Well, enough about that. I am so very excited to be a part of this community and this publication. Now let's talk about what topics we will be focusing on monthly. Our headliners will be Food Trends, What's New, Recipe of the Month, Wine Not, Red or White? and, of course, your Q & A. Food trends this year have generally been the same: Italian, Italian, Italian. This does not mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that if you own an Italian restaurant you will automatically be successful. It just means that a large portion of the population enjoys Italian cuisine. Case in point, The Italian Market and Grill and Johnny Carino's closed a few months ago. The people of Knoxville are all very educated not only in the sense of education but also in a culinary sense. Knoxvillians understand service and food quality, and for those of us who are in this industry, we should all respect your opinions. Now I heard, and if it's true, I am very excited that Nama, the great sushi restaurant I frequent downtown, will be taking over the old Cha Cha on Kingston Pike in Bearden. Also in Bearden, Vinny and Me is opening a new concept called Black Coach Tavern, a 1920's style Tavern/ Steakhouse in the old Highland Grill/Andrew Morton House at Kingston Pike and Old Kingston Pike in Sequoyah. White or Red Wine
Now with these simple rules, we can talk about our first wine. And oh by the way, yes, at times, I do purchase a bottle of wine because of the label, but please don't tell anyone. As you all know, I am the owner of Vinny and Me so my love for Italian wines is strong, but I promise that we will be sampling a variety of wines from around the world together. This month's wine is a Santi Valpolicella Classico Superiore "Solane." Santi traces its origins to 1843, when Carlo Santi established his wine cellar in Illasi near Verona. This wine is a full bodied Valpolicella that is a little heavy, dry and very rich. It is similar to a baby Amarone because the wine ferments on the Amarone skins. This procedure is called "ripasso." The best thing about this wine is that it pairs well with chicken, pork and my favorite, pizza. It's a bargain at $13.99, so gentlemen go to the Turkey Creek or Farragut Wine & Spirits, grab a bottle, pick up some pizza and a movie, get a babysitter, surprise your spouse and bah da bing!!! Recipe of the Month At Vinny and Me, Vesuvio is a great northern Italian dish that is full of color, texture and, of course, flavor. This dish originated in an area called Campania which also has a wonderful hotel called The Grand Hotel Vesuvio near Naples. Ingredients
Preparation Warm up your sauté pan with olive oil blend, lightly flour your chicken breast and add it to the oil. In another sauté pan add 2 oz. of olive oil, sauté your Italian sausage, add your fresh crushed garlic, escarole and cannellini beans for about 4 minutes, then add the marinara sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. Place your cooked chicken breasts in the pan with the sauce so the chicken can get some color and then place the chicken in the center of the plate and add the other ingredients over the top. Now enjoy and Buon Appetito!!!!! Your questions and comments are welcomed so please direct those to me, Steve Manolopoulos, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Buon Appetito!           
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This is a very common question. Experts believe that white wine with fish, red with meats, and then to make things more difficult, pairing the right food with the right wine. Well, for us novices, there are some simple rules:
