Grub Scout: Venture into the woods for fresh, memorable meal at Maryville's R.T. Lodge

For those who aren’t yet familiar with R.T. Lodge, the first thing you need to know is that the R.T. stands for Ruby Tuesday. Tucked away in the woods behind Maryville College, the lodge had been used by the restaurant corporation for the past 11 years as a retreat and training facility. Prior to that, it served as home to the president of Maryville College and before that, it was as a private home dating back to the 1930s.

In addition to operating the restaurant out of the original home, Ruby Tuesday has built two architecturally similar structures nearby that serve as overnight accommodations, making the site a lodge in the truest sense. The Grub Spouse and I had no overnight plans, however — just a dinner reservation. In fact, it took me two tries to get a Saturday-night dinner slot. When I first called in the previous week, the place was booked solid.

We were greeted on the lower level of the one-time home, which now houses a couple of sitting/lounge areas. A server escorted us to the upper level, which is occupied by several spacious dining areas. We were seated in the center-most room, which, like the others, strikes a delicate balance between upscale and rustic woodsiness. For example, the fireplace in that room boasts a primitive-woodwork mantel, while the chairs are all framed with similar timber. Meanwhile, fine linens and fresh flowers grace the tables and large, framed works of art adorn the walls.

The ever-evolving menu is brief but, not unexpectedly, lays out a tempting array of fine-dining starters and entrees. Starters include shrimp bisque, duck wings and kale-and-white-bean soup. We shared an order of fried oysters that was outstanding. The light, flash-fried breading surrounded oysters that still seemed raw and fresh enough to have just been plucked from the sea. Even the assortment of fresh breads placed at our table helped get the meal off to a memorable start.

Entrees include a Black Angus burger, beef tenderloin, grilled Scottish salmon and a cider-brined pork chop. The Spouse ordered the coconut shrimp ($20), while I selected the champagne-roasted half chicken ($18). Both were wonderful, although I preferred the plump shrimp, which were nicely accented by rice and a coconutty sauce that packed quite a zing. The ample chicken was tender and succulent, although the wine sauce was only faintly detectable. Still, the tarragon and red grapes added flavor to the main course, which was accompanied by a delicious turnip-potato gratin and baby green beans.

For dessert, we shared a banana bread pudding with chocolate drizzle added to the traditional sauce. I’m normally not crazy about bread pudding, but I had no regrets about this particular creation.

The service was crisp and thorough, the only hitch coming from the fact that the presence of the large party in the adjacent room probably slowed down the preparation and arrival of our entrees. But we were content to soak in R.T. Lodge’s atmosphere, especially as the sun disappeared and the interior lights began to burn dimly.

After dinner, The Spouse and I spent a few moments on the back veranda, which leads out to a waterfall and pond, and several areas that are ideal for sitting and sharing glasses of wine. We didn’t have time to indulge on that particular night, but now we have one more thing to look forward to upon our eventual return to the woods.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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