Roy Exum
In my travels over much of the world, I’ve been lucky enough to eat at some of the greatest places that ever served a meal. I’ve eaten in some fancy French places, with cute little names, that I thought were as overrated as the old Edsel and I’ve been to some that said merely “Eats” that I’d still take a detour in order to eat there again.
So I can say, with a degree of gastronomical sophistication, that not long ago I ate one of the all-time Top Ten dinners in my life when a crowd of people I love sat around a table at a packed place called Restaurant Linderhof. It’s on my personal five-star list, I’m telling you, but it gets better.
I adore different types of food when it is cooked just right and the German meals at Restaurant Linderhof are so savory that Knoxville could have gotten the Volkswagen assembly plant instead of Chattanooga had the VW people only known.
Actually, the little place is in Farragut, just this side of Knoxville near the Fox Den golf course, but the draw is that the place is now owned by a wonderful kid named Aaron Schmissrauter. You may remember when he wrestled at Baylor, or when he was a student at Maryville and eventually emerged into the promising guy he is today. He earned a degree in music and virtually mastered a parade of musical instruments in the process.
But as he worked his way through school, he hooked on with a delightful restaurant, Linderhof’s, and fell in love with the sauerkraut they import from the oldest maker in America – some place in upstate New York – and the fact they serve authentic German draft beer that is flown in from the Old Country with names a Southern tongue can’t pronounce.
He learned to make dumplings as big as potatoes, weiner schnitzel with pork so tender you cut it with a fork, and a virtual myriad of other authentic dishes that parade out of the marvelous kitchen. How about a dish called Abgebraunter Leberkase, which is a baked sausage loaf with a fried egg on top, German fried potatoes and the best red cabbage you ever tasted?
Just as Aaron was graduating from college, the popular owner decided to close the doors. He’d done it all his life and now, advanced in years, he was ready to retire. That’s when Aaron, so full of vigor, worked a stunner of a deal where he would serve the last year as the owner’s apprentice and then take his turn at carrying the Linderhof flag. Oh boy, today it is better than ever.
His brother painted murals on the walls. His cousin Joe is the bartender. His waitresses are all a hoot and he kept the food so authentic you’d swear you were in Munich. Moreover, his passion is reflected in every dish. The Goulash, for example, is Hungarian style and takes hours to cook before it is perfect.
I’m not making this up. One of the Gretel-like waitresses, who warns you not to have other plans because you’ll cancel them in order to eat the Black Forest Cake or Cherry Struedel, brought a platter that had 10 kinds of sausages, three kinds of mustard, two kinds of cabbage and a heap of German-style potatoes.
Well, at the peak of the meal, when everybody was laughing and having the most stunning “taste test” ever, Aaron himself provided the night’s most delicious moment when he appeared carrying a huge accordion – so help me – and deftly playing everything from polkas to marches to Happy Birthday as he strolled through the dining room to everyone’s delight.
Now, in journalistic honesty I’ve loved the Schmissrauters forever. Aaron’s pop, Mark, was the only reason I drove for an hour and 20 minutes to get to Restaurant Linderhof, but I give you my oath that I know why the place was just chosen as “The Most Underrated Restaurant in Knoxville.” Friendships heighten appetites, I know that, but this food is beyond compare.
So friendship aside, Restaurant Linderhof is, hands down, on my all-time Top Ten. Sadly, it is only open at nights and, doubly sad, Aaron says he’s not going to open one in Chattanooga until he’s sure his savvy can match his King Ludwig of Bavaria chicken.
The Linderhof’s address is 11831 Kingston Pike and, if you’re driving up, take I-75 until it merges with I-40 and then take the first exit. If you’ll call 865-675-8700 they’ll give you better directions, but be careful on weekends because a lot of Knoxville people have learned the wait is worth it.
royexum@aol.com