Southern Grit

When looking for a good brunch spot that offers southern cuisine, great mimosas, and has the atmosphere to match, you can't beat Southern Grit. The Big Dan sandwich (usually smothered in amazing gravy) is my go-to order, but literally everything is great. The buttermilk biscuits are the right amount of flaky, and the chicken has the right amount of crunch. I usually go lighter with the sides, but my husband orders the cheddar grits or the hashbrowns casserole. I highly recommend ordering the pineapple mimosa as well!

Kefi

Kefi was a new restaurant for me and I am not quite sure why I had been waiting so long to eat there. It was amazing! The vibe is family style, but you can order individual plates if needed. I ordered the Pops + Bubbles cocktail and it was a glass of champagne with a flavored popsicle in it! To start. you have to get the Saganaki, which is flambéed at the table, and the traditional hummus as well. For the main course, go ahead and count on the Kotopoulo, which may just be the best chicken I have ever had. For dessert, I stayed traditional with the baklava. Just a note, you can definitely share one piece...I may have eaten it myself.

The Vault

The Vault is a new cocktail lounge in Knoxville. It is below Vida, and it use to be an old bank that was recently renovated. They still have the old vault doors, which is where the lounge got its name. I ordered the Pomp and Circumstance and it definitely lived up to its name. We also had one of the charcuterie boards and it was the perfect appetizer before we moved upstairs to eat dinner at Vida. One note is that they were not taking reservations when we went and due to restrictions, they were not at full capacity. I would recommend going to The Vault prior to dinner to make sure you don't have a long wait.