Aunt Mahalias Home Made Candy

 

Welcome to Aunt Mahalia's Home Made Candy shop. Located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, right on the corner of the strip coming in from the 441 highway. I have been going to Gatlinburg for over 45 years and always make it a habit to stop in and buy just about everything in the store with chocolate. And let me tell you, they have a wide variety of delicious treats.

This time, this day, just last week, I bought some of my favorite candy confection. As you can see, it has melted chocolate on top. Below of course it has very good tasting cashews. I don't know how many, perhaps, 10 cashews. Intertwined is a caramel swirl that holds this delightful piece of candy together. 

Let me pause for just a moment please....

OK, I'm back. 

Of course the taste was out of this world. Seriously, out of this world. I cannot eat just one. (And neither can you) I bought six pieces, yes, six pieces. I ate two of them in mere minutes. 

The cost, seriously, not bad. Remember this place should be in Christmas Town. However, each one cost $1.50. (Well worth the cost. Even for an old retired chocolate junkie like myself)

The Grassy Knoll highly recommends Aunt Mahalia's Home Made Candy for all your chocolate desires. 

 The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and highly recommends Aunt Mahalia's for at any time you feel the need for brilliant tasting chocolate. 

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Wonder Works Pigeon Forge

 

Wonder Works, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, at 100 Music Road, Pigeon Forge, TN, 37763. 

Do you see the parking lot? It looks packed, only a few parking spaces available. I wondered why! I mean I have driven by this establishment maybe one hundred times and never did it dawn on me pull in, park my car, and see what wonders the attraction had to offer. 

(Side note. I will be there in early November, and I will take the tour. A report with plenty of photos will follow.)

Anyway, as you look at the building, you immediately notice that it is upside down. The entrance is in the center of the bottom. 

Inside the Wonder Works, it offers hundreds of exhibits, plus laser tag, a rope course, and a 4D motion ride. I have to believe the exhibit is well planned and entertaining. 

However, there is one exhibit I was told about inside the building. It is attached to the RMS Titanic disaster sinking from 1912. Of course, the exhibit had photos of the Titanic ship, both inside and outside. But one part of the exhibit, there is a vat of water. The inscription simply read, inside this vase, this is the temperature of the ocean water the night the Titanic sunk after ramming into an iceberg. A sign states that the water temperature that night was 28 degrees. It also dares you to put your hand in the water to see how long you can keep it under the cold water.

Las Vegas Luxor also has a Titanic exhibit with the Big Piece of the ship that they raised. It also has the cold water exhibit with eh cold water. And, I did put my hand in the water. My hand lasted just about ten seconds. I pulled my hand out and rubbed it to warm my hand up. 

Second Side Note: By the way, although the Wonder Works building appears to be upside down on the outside. On the inside, it is not. 

When in Pigeon Forge, try the Wonder Works exhibit and let us know how it was for you.

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Flapjacks Pancakes - Gatlinburg

In Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge there are more than enough restaurants to eat breakfast at. Problem is, they are busy all the time. Flapjacks on the Parkway was no exception but they had a good system that kept customers happy.

On our way to Pigeon Forge, we stopped at Flapjacks for breakfast. The parking lot was crowded but the restaurant was large, much larger than the Flapjacks in the heart of Gatlinburg.

We walked in and we were greeted by the hostess asking how many. We answered two. She said it would be about 10-15 minutes. No problem at all.

In less than 10 minutes our name was called and we were seated. Our waitress appeared and asked for our drinks and promptly returned with them.

I order the Wonderland Egg Breakfast for $9.49. It consisted of three eggs, with bacon, sausage, home fries, and two good sized pancakes.

In less than ten minutes our breakfast was served. And it was good. Real Good. My eggs well cooked as well as the bacon and sausage. The home fries were very tasty and the pancakes, or flapjacks, were delicious.

Great service, great food, great value.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Flapjacks for breakfast. 

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Dicks Last Resort - Gatlinburg

We stopped for lunch on a busy day in Gatlinburg. We had eaten at Dicks Last Resort before so we knew the atmosphere going in. It was such a nice day we asked to be seated outside. Our waiter said, "I don't care, sit wherever you want." It had begun.

In short order our waiter returned and asked what we wanted. We aksed for cokes and we ordered our meals. He wroye it down and then threw half a dozen straws on our table and said, "Here, I'll be back. Maybe!" He did return with our drinks and sized us up and informed us he'd be right back again.

While we were waiting for our lunch our waiter came back with several large white sheets of paper. he proceeded to write something on each and folded them into the signature "Dick Hats." He placed mine on my head and one on my wife's head. He sneered at us, chuckled, and left. (Check the photos below for our dick hats)

Our lunch was brought out and our waiter placed, or well, sort of tossed our lunch on the table. He said, "There you go!"

I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries. The burger was well cooked, the bun fresh and not soggy, the cheese melted and the bacon cooked and not chewy. The fries were there, not many, but they were adequate. The burger however tasted very good.

Our waiter came back to check on us several times to check on us and throw out a few one liners at us as he refilled our cokes and checked if everything was OK. It was.

All in all, we got off easy. Lunch must be really tame for the time we went in the evening, it was rowdy as all H.E. double hockey sticks.

I recommend Dicks Last Resort, but only if you have a good sense of humor. It was a fun time had by all.

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Timberwood Grill -The Island

Patty and I went to "The Island" located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for the day. At lunch we were starving. We spotted the Timberwood Grill and quickly agreed upon lunch.

Let me say the service was fantastic, the waitress friendly and efficient. Our order was taken and our drinks brought to our table. We opted for outside on this pleasantly warm October day.

In short order, our lunch was brought out. The bacon cheeseburger was fantastic. Again, fantastic. It tasted amazing. Was well cooked. Bun fresh and good. Bacon plenty and crisp. Cheese melted.

Cost was very cheap. about $12 dollars without tip.

I highly recommend Timberwood Grill at the Island.

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Ben And Jerrys Ice Cream - Gatlinburg

This first November week in Gatlinburg has been very warm. Hence, the need for ice cream. Ben abd Jerrys is right on the Parkway and was just a short walk from the convention center.

I walked in and ordered two scoops of mint chocolate chip in a cup. At first I thought the employee was making a mistake as he scooped out my ice cream. It looked like vanilla ice cream. I told him I thought mint chocolate chip was green. He smiled and said that Ben and Jerrys do not add any artificial coloring to their ice cream and I was getting the flavor I ordered.

He handed me the cup and I went to the cashier. The cost for two scoops was $5.46 with tax. I tossed the 54 cents into the tip jar and made my way to a bench on the parkway.

I must say, the ice cream was delicious. And frozen, not mushy like some other retailers hand out. The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 4 out 5 shots with a one shot deduction for the price.

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The Peddler Steakhouse Filet Mignon - Gatlinburg

When in Gatlinburg, you must make time to eat at the The Peddler Steakhouse. Yes, it is always crowded, but the wait is worth it.

Tip #1: To avoid a potential long wait period, simply go into the bar / lounge area and take an open table. Usually there is a table or two open. From there, simply place your dinner order when the waitress comes by.

We took the lounge option and and found a table upstairs. The view is nice, overlooking a small river running beside and under the restaurant.

Peddler Salad Bar

As on cue, the waitress asked if we were here for dinner or just drinks. We choose option dinner and drinks. After we ordered, we headed downstairs to the salad bar. And when I say salad bar, I mean amazing salad bar. As you can see by the pictures, I had of course lettuce as a base, several types of cheese, carrots, celery, hard boiled egg halves, green olives, real chopped bacon, (Not the cheap fake bacon bits from other salad bars) and about another half dozen items piled high on my salad plate. The salad was tremendous.

Peddler Filet Mignon

As if on cue, as soon as we finished our salads, our steaks were delivered. I order the Filet Mignon well done and butterflied and a baked potato. The steak was cooked perfectly and it tasted fantastic. No doubt the best steak in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The baked potato was well cooked and smothered with butter which was perfect.

Peddler Cherry Cheesecake

For dessert, we shared a piece of cheesecake covered with strawberries. It was the perfect topper for a splendid meal.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends The Peddler Steakhouse for dinner.

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Apple Barn Chicken Plank Dinner - Gatlinburg

Apple Barn - Gatlinburg - Chicken Dinner
The Apple Barn, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is one of my favorite restaurants. The reason are simple. Excellent home style cooking food. Reasonable prices. Good service. Cheerful and nice employee's. As you can see, I ordered the chicken planks dinner with mashed potatoes with gravy, mac and cheese, fresh rolls, plus a diet Coke.

The chicken was hot, crispy, and excellent tasting. The mashed potatoes were real, not the fake flakes from a box. The mac and cheese hot and good. And the roll, fresh, hot, and tasty. All for about 12 bucks.

The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 5 out of 5 shots and recommends Apple Barn for dinner.

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Burg Coffee - Gatlinburg

Burg Coffees Of Gatlinburg

Every year I return to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and even though it appears to not change, new businesses do spring up along the Parkway. Berg Coffee's is one of the new shops on the scene.

It was raining hard in Frisco,
I needed one more fare to make my night.....
Wait a minute, wrong city.
It was raining hard in Gatlinburg,
I ducked inside for shelter from the rain.
The sexy redhead Russian hostess asked me what I desired.
I said a large ice cream twist please.

My apologies to the late Harry Chapin for mangling his lyrics.

The red head whose name was Veronica struck up a conversation with us. Asking where we were from, if we were here for work or pleasure, (Yes, those were her words, spoken in a sexy Russian accent) and how long we planned on staying.

As I enjoyed the ice cream, which cost $3 dollars was on the average size for around these parts as was the cost. If I were in Geneva, the size of the cone and ice cream would be at least double this size for 50 cents less. Yes, that big.

But, this ice cream was served by a sexy 20 something red head in tight jeans and perky breasts with a killer accent. Now you can see the reason for the up-charge.

The taste was standard fare, the cone fresh and not soggy, and as ice cream cones go, it was adequate. The Burg dispenses ice cream as a side item. Specialized coffee was their forte as their menu had many types and variations of coffee.

Because of the sexy red head, The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 3.25 out of 5 shots and recommends Burg Coffees for an exquisite pause from inclement weather. And sunshine as well.

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Old Mill Restaurant - Gatlinburg

Old Mill Restaurant

I have been going to Gatlinburg for over 20 years and finally stopped for dinner at the Old Mill. I had heard good things about the Mill, good food, good service, fair prices.

Being November, of course this was a 20-30 minute for a table, but no problem, the air that evening was warm and the Christmas lights were on. The wait wasn't as long as expected and we were seated in less than 20 minutes. Rolls, butter, and an assortment of breads were brought right out along with menu's. So far so good.

Old Mill Soup And Salad

I ordered one of the popular house entree dinners, Southern fried chicken. Soup, house salad, mashed potatoes and corn came with the meal. I asked the waitress if I could have macaroni and cheese (Which was a side order on the menu) but she flatly said that no substitutions were permitted with the dinners. I politely pointed out that it was on the menu as a side but she again said no substitutions were permitted.

No big deal. Odd, but no big deal. My soup and salad were delivered to my table in minutes. Not bad service and not a bad salad either. The soup, chicken noodle, was bland, edible at best.

Southern Fried Chicken

As you can see, the fried chicken was golden brown and the pieces were average sized. And it tasted OK. The batter was crispy and the chicken juicy, as expected. The potatoes were all right but the corn was horrendous. (Now I understand why there were no substitutions, they were pushing the corn.)

The cost was just under $20 without tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute awards 2.5 out of 5 shots as the food was average, nothing special, and points deducted for not being able to substitute a side dish and with that does not recommend the Old Mill for lunch or dinner.

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1. 
   

   Gumby said

   February 26, 2008 at 12:52 pm e
   Serious, that doesn’t sound good to me. The chicken looks dry and old. From the looks, I would rate below a 2.
   Reply
2. 
   

   Uni-Verse said

   February 26, 2008 at 2:12 pm e
   The proverbial shit on a shingle dinner.
   Reply
3. 
   

   Lolo said

   October 30, 2011 at 8:11 pm e
   the mill is something my family and i go to eat at everysingle time we come to gatlinburg. Ya’ll don’t know what u r talking about.
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     October 30, 2011 at 8:18 pm e
     Lolo.
     I call them as I see them. Perhaps the waitress was having a bad night or whatever but, the fact is that she was border line rude and I really never heard that you couldn’t substitute one of the side dishes from your main course.
     Reply
   • 
     

     Deeroddy said

     February 17, 2012 at 1:12 am e
     We eat at the old mill everytime we are in the area. Always great service and great food. We love it !!!!!
     Reply
     • 
       

       LOTGK said

       February 17, 2012 at 8:44 am e
       I’m glad you have a great experience when you dine there. Perhaps our waitress was having a bad day.
       Reply

The Smoky Mountain Brewery - Large Pizza

Smoky Mountain Brewery Cheese Pizza

As you can tell, the Smoky Mountain Brewery and Restaurant is one of my favorite places in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This trip, I decided on their famous home made pizza. I choose BBQ chicken as the topping. During football season, it is better to get to this restaurant early lest you want to wait a while. We got lucky and got squeezed in before the crowd came to watch the many college football games on the numerous flat screen television sets positioned around the restaurant.

As you can see, the pizza was a large, a 12 inch pizza. It was delivered in about 20 minutes, which is pretty damn quick as it takes about that time for the pizza to bake in the oven. The crust was thin and crunchy, the cheese plentiful and  the sauce zesty and good. And oh yea, the BBQ chicken topping was generous and tasty.

The cost was fair, about 14 dollars without tip. The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4 stars out of 5 to the Smoky Mountain Brewery Pizza and recommends them for dinner.

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1. 
   

   Ohio J said

   January 10, 2008 at 8:33 am e
   Damn that looks good. Maybe pizza from The Elmton tonight for dinner. BTW the secret ingredient in thier fab pizza……Swiss Cheese!
   Reply
2. 
   

   Jungljim69 said

   January 10, 2008 at 8:47 am e
   The Elmton! YUMMY. Don’t forget to have a few chicken wings to go with the pizza
   Reply
3. 
   

   LOTGK said

   January 10, 2008 at 11:43 am e
   Yes, I have to get those pictures up. So far behind.
   Reply
4. 
   

   Valdunagan said

   January 10, 2008 at 1:08 pm e
   I don’t see the chicken. Is it under the sauce. Looks good, I love thin crust pizza thats crunchy.
   Reply
5. 
   

Peddler Steakhouse - Filet Mignon

Peddler Salad

The Peddler Steakhouse has a reputation as being the best steakhouse in the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountains. We are all about to put that reputation to the test.

Yes, the Peddler has already been critiqued, but the steak was so good last time, it would merit a second visit. As usual, the Peddler was packed, all the tables occupied and about 100 people waiting to get a table. Knowing the little secret to secure a table we moved to the cocktail area overlooking the scenic stream. (You see, there is usually an hour to two hour wait for a table down stairs but if you go to the cock tail area, there are tables scattered about and you can order dinner and sit there.)

Our waitress came over and asked us what we wanted to drink. I went with the diet Coke and said we would also like to order dinner as well. (In like Flint) I began with the salad, one you make yourself from the salad bar down stairs. Notice the huge chunks of ham and hard boiled egg halves plus real bacon, not those cheap baco bits. The salad is a meal in itself. There were dozens of choices to select from. No two salads are the same.

Peddler Filet

The Gatlinburg Peddler is famous for steak, so of course I ordered the filet mignon and a baked potato. For the restaurant being so crowded, the service was quite peppy. In less than 20 minutes our steaks were delivered to our table plus another round of diet Cokes. Of course the filet was prepared perfectly. The taste was exquisite, yes, I said exquisite. Zero fat and juicy and tender and bursting with flavor. One of the best steaks I have ever had.

The only setback for the Peddler is it's own popularity. No matter when you go, no matter what day, you will always wait. Always. A one hour wait time is the average to get a seat.

The cost for the dinner is around $45.00 without tip but you get a fabulous salad, great steak, big ass baked potato, hot fresh rolls with butter, and the soft drink, (Coke) of your choice.

Yes, the Gatlinburg Peddler Steakhouse reputation does exceed expectations. With that, The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4.75 out of 5 shots to the Peddler and recommends the steak house for dinner.

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1. 
   

   Chica said

   January 23, 2008 at 12:05 am e
   It’s taking a day or more to recieve your alerts in my email for your posts. :/ Shame on you for posting such delicious food, I’m fighting not to gnaw at my monitor..LOL
   Reply
2. 
   

   LOTGK said

   January 23, 2008 at 8:52 am e
   Do you mean the Yahoo alerts? if so, there is no problem. I just don’t update it as I should.
   However, if you subscribe to the feed…
   http://lotgk.wordpress.com/feed/
   Either through Feedburner or Google reader, you will receive updates as they happen.
   Reply
3. 
   

   Chica said

   January 23, 2008 at 10:26 am e
   WEll I have since done that, because I did finally realize it was slow. 
   Reply
4. 
   

   LOTGK said

   January 23, 2008 at 10:31 am e
   Thank you.
   Reply
5. 
   

   Kathy said

   January 23, 2008 at 1:22 pm e
   The salad is an entire meal in itself. Looks yummy.
   Reply
6. 
   

   Lead Scientist said

   January 24, 2008 at 6:21 am e
   and its only a 5 minute walk away.
   Reply
7. 
   

   LOTGK said

   January 24, 2008 at 8:31 am e
   Everything in Gatlinburg is a five minute walk away.
   Reply
8. 
   

   Paul said

   December 25, 2008 at 7:16 pm e
   Metal plate looks good.
   I am Paul.
   I love steaks and steakhouses around the world!
   Reply
9. 
   

Aunt Mahalia's Chocolate Confections

Chocolate Heaven

Walking on the Parkway, (The main drag in Gatlinburg) I happened by Aunt Mahalia's Homemade candy store. A huge picture window dominated the store showcasing all the sweet confections.

I decided on the artery busting cluster confection of chocolate, cashews, and caramel.

In a word, it tasted delightful. However, the cost was $2.49 for this one piece of delightful. Not so delightful anymore. (Do you think I can squeeze the word delightful in this post one more time?) The cashews were fresh, and whole, (Whole cashews just seem to taste better than pieced cashews) the chocolate was divine, and the caramel nice and thick. It was very good tasting for sure.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 2.5 shots out of 5 and only recommends Aunt Mahalia's delightful (Ding, ding, ding) convection only if you got money to throw out the window.

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Apple Barn - Potato Soup

Apple Barn Potato Soup

I have already critiqued several meals from the Apple Barn in Gatlinburg, Tennessee so tonight it's all about the soup. As in potato soup.

When you order an entree at the Apple Barn, you get your choice of soups and I always selected the chicken noodle but just recently, potato soup was added to the mix.

The broth was thick with bits of bacon and plenty of cheese melting on top. Of course, big generous chunks of potato wedges were swimming in the cup.

And the taste, absolutely wonderful.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 5 shots out of 5 and recommends the potato soup at the Apple Barn.

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Side Walk Cafe - Ober Gatlinburg

Ober Gatlinburg Sidewalk Cafe

The city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee is nestled at the foothills of the great Smoky Mountains. There are an endless number of restaurants to tempt your appetite. But there's more. Take a right hand turn on Ski Mountain road and it will twist you through the mountains and take you to the top where Ober Gatlinburg stands.

At the top of the mountain sits of course many elaborate ski slopes but also a small amusement park, an ice rink, carnival games, a black bear habitat, and several food stands and restaurants.


The Side Walk Cafe over looks the ice skating rink with several retail shops dotting it's surroundings. We had just spent several hours at the amusement park and came inside for a quick bite.

Ober Fries And Corn Dog

Since we were there in the off season, it was not very crowded so there was no line and placed our order. I ordered the corn dog and fries. You are looking at $6 dollars of food here. The corn dog was readily available but the fries were cooking in the fryer. My order was called out in a matter of minutes.

The corn dog was standard fare as corn dogs go. Well cooked, fresh, hot, and good taste. The fries were of fresh cut variety but as you can see, not to plentiful. However, they were fresh, well cooked, and hot and tasted good. It was a good fast food meal that filled me up and got us on our way to our next Ober Gatlinburg adventure.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.25 out of 5 shots and recommends the Side Walk Cafe in Ober Gatlinburg for lunch and dinner.

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1. 
   

   LOTGK said

   September 23, 2011 at 3:34 pm e
   Moominboy
   One of those days I’ll taste a corn dog 
   LOTGK in reply to Moominboy
   If you like hot dogs, you will love corn dogs. Trust me….
   Reply