Background: Whitebird is a brunch and dinner restaurant located in the Edwin Hotel by the river. The name came from the town's founder Chief John Ross whose Cherokee name was Mysterious Little Whitebird. Their goal is to honor the rich culture and familiar cooking styles of the region by partnering with local artisan producers.
First Impressions: The environment of the Edwin already captures the local eclectic feel of Chattanooga and welcoming atmosphere of the South and the Whitebird restaurant is no different.
The decor is clean with lots of whites and greens that tie into the array of local art and knickknacks. The staff seemed joyful to be there and made sure to take good care of Grandma and me.
Drinks: I don’t always include a beverage section but I would be remiss not to talk about the flavorful selection of drinks. The orange juice was fresh and not too sweet. The latte was creamy and had a great coffee flavor. Grandma loved their loose leaf English breakfast tea. They may have convinced her to get her own loose leaf pot.
Food: If you feel like something is missing in your life it’s almost always a biscuit; and if you haven’t had the Whitebird’s, you most certainly are missing out. The fluffy biscuit was so good with the perfect blend of an almost corn taste and sweet sugar. Besides the biscuit, the potatoes had so much color and flavor that went marvelously with the bacon. Yes, I used marvelous and bacon in the same sentence, which does not happen often.
Overall: Whitebird, with its views of the bridge and water, embodies so much of what Chattanooga is supposed to be. The food is made with ingredients grown locally and is served on dishes made locally - which is not always easy to find these days.