Crown & Goose

Alright, it's been long waiting, but here it is, a review of the Crown and Goose!

I've been to C&G three times now. I am in love with the concept of a gastropub. I regularly have flashbacks to my last trip to England; enjoying a warm meat pie in a pub on a rainy Stratford day. I had high hopes for C&G and it did not disappoint. The building is warm and welcoming, though the it looks out-of-place in the eternal hodge-podge of the Old City (seriously, will this area ever find an identity?). I've been there for both dinner and brunch both of which are pretty overpriced, but absolutely delicious.

My major Knoxville (city area) complaint is the lack of a brunch place that goes beyond the omelet and gets into some good pastry and, sadly, my lust must continue. The offerings at C&G for brunch may be a little a-typical, but are not a-typical for Knoxville. This town appears to be eternally stuck in the "more lunch than breakfast" mindset. That said, C&G gives you complimentary donut-holes to eat while you wait and they are beyond amazing. These kinda make up for the lack of sweet options on the menu.

On to dinner: it's awesome, end of statement. The appetizers are incredibly varied but offer staples for any diner. The calamari portion is VERY generous; the claim that their deviled eggs are "seriously the best" comes very close to truth; the mozzarella balls are scrumptious; and the crab cakes are... ok (sorry, I'm from a coastal state). The mains also work well to serve every palate but, unfortunately, the sides tend to outshine their partners. The mashed potatoes are just that good.

My major complaint, however, are the unimaginative and limited dessert options. Do NOT go to C&G expecting to see all of the items you saw on the online menu, they really only serve three or four desserts a night and even these are strange and pretentious (dates in toffee pudding and whiskey soaked... craisins?).

Overall, if you have a lack of sweet tooth, some extra cash, or just want to be able to relax in the pub atmosphere, head to C&G. They do savory right, but I hope they plan to hire a pastry chef soon who will do their ambitions some justice.