champagne in scenic city!

Public House restaurant in Chattanooga's Warehouse Row. How swanky awesome is that?!

My good friend Natalie and I have this ongoing joke that whenever we're together we're on "vacay." We are, therefore, allowed to treat ourselves to an expensive cocktail or add a cheese plate (or both) to our meal. Which is exactly what we did when we made dinner reservations at Public House in Warehouse Row in Chattanooga.


Public House was packed on New Years Eve, so Natalie and I found seats at the adjoining bar, The Social, while we waited for our table. We started the night off with French 75's (my favorite champagne cocktail that I first discovered while living in Dallas, TX for a summer). Our table was ready in no time, so we took our bubbly back to Public House and ordered a cheese plate.

Girls will be girls?! Myself and Natalie, New Years Eve 2013

Anyone who knows me knows I'm nuts for cheese. Y'all. The cheese at Public House. I'm still speechless. Form sentences I cannot. Wanna hear about it? Good, I'll tell you.

Beemster Gouda, goat's milk, Netherlands
Asher Bleu, Sweet Grass Dairy, cow's milk, Georgia
Grayson, Meadow Creek Dairy, cow's milk, Virginia

We chose the first two right off the bat, but had difficulty deciding which to choose for our third. When our wonderful waiter offered a cheese that "is not on the menu because it's quite stinky and not for the faint of heart..." we accepted with an eager heck yes. True to his word, the cheese was as delicious as it was stinky.

What followed the cheese was even better:

I ordered lobster bisque and shrimp and grits, a blasphemous act for anyone from the lovely land of coastline who is landlocked in the mountains, but hey, sorry I'm not sorry (though I might still be a little homesick for the Lowcountry!).  The bisque was perfect and velvety, and the shrimp and grits were also quite good! They were prepared in a red pepper sauce, lending them a smoky, spicy taste which was enough of a deviation from my traditional Lowcountry favorite that I didn't compare the two.

As for Natalie's salad and duck confit-- all reports said they were delicious as well.

We finished the meal with coffee and Bailey's, just in time for Rob and other Chattanooga friends to meet us for the New Years festivities at The Social.

The rest is history! Champagne, wine, NYC ball drop, midnight kisses, and party hats ensued.

If you're looking for a simply elegant dining experience in Chattanooga, give Public House a try. The restaurant itself is of modest decor, accentuating the amazing taste and presentation of the food. For the most part, ingredients are locally-sourced, highlighting the wonderful agriculture of Tennessee. If you go, call me and I'll meet you there for more cheese. Cheers!