My friend, Nadia, and I had lunch at the Crown & Goose in Knoxville today. I have visited the restaurant once before and Nadia was there too. It was our very first book club meeting and I decided to make a meal out of two appetizers. I remember my meal being good then, but not great. Good enough that I would return but not so good that I would order the same thing again. When making this return trip, I wasn’t even provided the opportunity to order the same thing. It was lunchtime, which meant an abbreviated menu. Soups, sandwiches, cheese plates and a couple of house specialties were all that were on the menu. However, I did not feel that my choices were limited, as I could still decide between some of the signature items like Shepard’s Pie and Fish & Chips. In the mood for lighter fare, I chose to stay away from the fried foods and heavy meats and look towards the selection of sandwiches.
I ended up choosing the house cured Salmon Sandwich. I am a sucker for anything that involves salmon and capers. I know I have expressed my love for capers before and I am here to do it again.
Capers: I love you!
But back to the sandwich. The sourdough bread was a good choice as that it didn’t turn soggy with all of the juiciness in the sandwich. There was the dressing with capers and very juicy tomatoes which would have caused regular old white bread to fall apart. The natural choice of a veggie selection for a salmon sandwich is the red onion. There was just enough red onion to balance out the flavor, but not so much that I felt like I was breathing onions all over my dining partner. Overall, a great sandwich that I would order again if I found myself at the Crown & Goose.
However, I would not want those french fries. Some tasted burnt and some were too soft and some were too hard. I was starting to feel like Goldilocks! I like the homemade approach to the fries, but can I get them a little thicker? Or cooked with more consistency? Thank you.
The sandwich gets a thumbs up, the fries get a thumbs down, and the service gets an "Eh?" There was a fairly slow response time for a "lunch rush," but you could hardly blame the guy as he was the only one serving the whole entire lunch crowd. Maybe when more than 3 tables are sat someone else should help the man out?
Final Verdict: I will return to the Crown & Goose, preferably on half price Fish & Chips night! I still haven’t tried that fried goodness.
