Eating in Chattanooga is a treat if you know where to go. We've got our favorite places, but we like discovering new ones. We enjoy passing along our recommendations. Like anything, you might get a hit or a miss with dining. Fortunately on this road trip we found all winners. We're going to go in chronological order of the recent Saturday and Sunday we spent in town.
Champy's is a treat, especially if chicken is your thing. Their delicious fried chicken is made from scratch and savory with their Champ's sauce and great sides. All of their dishes are made from scratch. We know people who live in Atlanta who drive up just to have lunch! On this trip, John had the Mississippi Delta Homemade Hot Tamales and I tried the catfish plate. Delicious as always. There's indoor and outdoor seating. We ate on their patio and wore our masks in between table service to be safe.
Totto's Sushi and Grill
We were staying at the fabulous Read House Hotel, but decided to try a sushi restaurant for dinner that I'd spotted on my last day trip in June. The North Shore adjacent to Cooledge Park offers numerous coffee houses, retail shops, and restaurants. A lot are closed or have restrictions due to the pandemic so it's wise to call ahead or look them up to be sure what their protocols are. Totto's did not take reservations while we were there due to the pandemic. They might when the world is operating normally, but for now, it's first come first serve. It was a beautiful, slightly cooler summer evening so we hung out on the sidewalk and people watched as we waited. We felt good about the food since we asked one of the servers at the Read House for her sushi preference around town. Totto's was carefully spacing diners apart, plexiglass was attached to the booths for safety, menus were contactless and scanned on your phones, and our server maintained her distance with us. The menu has a lot to offer and the food was simply wonderful. We'll definitely go back or get takeout on our next visit.
Returning to the hotel, we took our cocktail and beer up to one of their balcony alcoves and spent a little time together just sitting and appreciating the hotel's decor and our own company. We had reservations in the morning for an 11:00 brunch so no worries over our next dining experience.
Bridgeman's Chophouse
Peter aka “Peter Rabbit” was a Read House staff member for 47 years and they named their upscale venue after him. How cool is this? What an honor. Popular with guests and city residents the menu lived up to its promises. I love Eggs Benedict and ordered the crab cake one in addition to 2 mimosas while John had their shrimp and grits. Both dishes were amazing. We have already booked another stay in December and we'll make reservations at Bridgeman's for brunch again! You do need to make reservations. I made ours on the RESY app.
Read more about our remarkable overnight stay at the Read House Hotel here. We also have posts under our Travel tab detailing other Chattanooga restaurants and places. Have a great time if you visit the city or are returning to it and try the places we've recommended!
