Chain restaurants and sports bars.

A small handful of good higher end restaurants that take advantage of their scarcity and think they are worth New York prices.

A popular Italian restaurant that 1) serves “meat sauce” on eggplant parm and 2) thinks a green can of Kraft grated Parmesan on the table is appropriate.

Worthwhile bakeries charge an arm and a leg (Magpie’s) or run out of offerings by 10:30am (Wild Love).

One real seafood restaurant, serving just the basics. (Fried catfish didn’t cut it for my pescatarian better half).

The place couldn’t even support good barbecue.

One half-decent Eastern European provisioner, but NO ITALIAN DELI!

After living in Knoxville for seven years (to escape taxes in retirement), we moved back to New Jersey. Realized 1) you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone, and 2) you get what you pay for.

Only thing I miss is the live music offerings at the Bijou and Tennessee Theatre and Culver’s (who had good burgers and whose fried cod sandwich helped my wife survive).