Five Bar is one of the newest restaurants on the Knoxville landscape. Located at 430 S. Gay St., it’s unique in that each day it offers five specialty drinks, entrees, sides and desserts.
Upon my first visit to the restaurant, I was met with friendly faces before being given my choice of seating. The server, who was on his game, then greeted me promptly at my table. For my meal, I settled on an appetizer and a moderately priced entrée.
For my app, I ordered the fried avocado. Basically a creamy concoction of candied bacon and shrimp in a fried avocado placed on a bed of mixed greens, the dish had great depth of flavor and seemed like a fancy salad. It had a soft (but not gross) texture. Along with complex flavor, the bacon added both chewiness and crunchiness to the mouthfeel. I felt that it was thoughtfully planned, interesting and pleasing to the palate.
For my entrée, I chose the $17 paneed chicken over the $28 ribeye due to wallet constraints; this was a tough decision, as the ribeye is my favorite cut of beef. Though not listed on the menu, the dish nevertheless came with a surprise mixed greens salad that featured a very delicate goat cheese by Block & Barrel. Along with dried cranberries, it also was adorned with walnuts. Because some people are highly allergic to the nut, I felt like the inclusion should have been mentioned.
The chicken breast was pounded out to the size of a pancake and laid askew over a bed of mashed potatoes. The latter were very garlicky but not overly so, and they were quite supple in texture. Cooked to perfection, the breast was both crispy and juicy. The caper sauce on the entrée, as well as the light vinaigrette on the salad, was applied sparingly, which I appreciated. No matter how good they may taste, I’m not a fan of over-saucing.
When my table was set, I had been provided with a 750ml bottle of very clean-tasting water to be used for cleansing my palate. My spirited server, along with the other waitstaff, made sure that my small glass (6-8 ounces) was always full. In addition to the atmosphere, I was very pleased with every part of my experience at Five Bar. I would recommend it to anybody wanting a nice solo dinner or treating a date to an evening out.
I’m giving Five Bar Knoxville 4.5 out of 5 Yums! Until next time, this is the Moody Foodie begging you to eat, drink and enjoy life.
foodie@blanknews.com
