I was looking for a new place to eat. We were going in cycles between our usual eateries and I was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic. I wanted somewhere different. Somewhere I’d never been. Somewhere that could fill in the empty space. Jeff said he knew just the place.

He took me on a scenic tour to get there. We drove past beautiful houses with huge front lawns, long white fences, and horses grazing about lazily in the late sun. We talked about our fantasy farm where Jeff raises pigs and cows and I run the cheesery, the winery and the bakery. Oh, and I’m also a bee whisperer. Erwin can be very inspiring that way.

We drove all the way out to Unicoi and finally pulled in to the Maple Grove diner.

Ah, the diner. One of my favorite hangouts. There’s something about the atmosphere of a diner that makes you want to just sink in to the booth and escape the hustle and bustle of life.

The menu had all the diner standards: Monday night meatloaf, BLT’s, pork chops and ribeye.

As an added bonus, they also had broaster chicken. I haven’t had that since I was a kid. I ordered the four-piece meal for Jade, which was probably more than a 6-year-old can eat but nostalgia got the better of me. It came with two vegetables and a biscuit so he picked green beans and potato cakes. Jeff went with the catfish and mashed potatoes. I got the pulled pork barbecue with onion rings and cole slaw.

I don’t think people appreciate a good cole slaw like they should. It’s not easy to get the right ratio of mayonnaise to crunch. This one had a light sprinkling of pepper on it too. A subtle, but important feature that can make or break a cole slaw.

The potato cakes were these little round numbers like a thick potato chip. There was some kind of herb mixed in. I could be wrong, but I think I tasted just the slightest bit of dill. Jeff’s mashed potatoes were smooth and creamy and came topped with gravy. All the deep frying was spot on, from the catfish to the onion rings.

Maple Grove’s dessert selections were too good to pass up.

The three of us were pretty full so we split a slice of coconut cream pie. It was lovely. The cream part had set just right keeping it upright but still moist. The crust was light and flaky. It was just like I always wished Mom would make.

We had quite a bit of food to take home. I had the rest of my barbecue pork for lunch the next day.

Maple Grove was exactly0 what I was looking for. Not too far. A pretty drive. Somewhere to get away from it all. As we were leaving, the parking lot was filling up.

Apparently it’s exactly what other people were looking for too. I have to go back and try the lunch sandwiches and the hot fudge sundae.

And I hear breakfast is even better.

Maple Grove is located at 1207 Gouge Road in Unicoi.

For more information, call 423-735-3003.

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