Hello Thursday.
April 18 2024
New foodie destination: Flora de Mel meadery + Calliope Restaurant opened last week in Rossville, GA — about 10 minutes from downtown Chattanooga.
While you’re texting your friends to check their dinner plans, chew on this. 👇
The entrance to Calliope + Flora de Mel | Photo via NOOGAtoday
Flora de Mel
Have you ever tried mead? The folks at Flora de Mel — which translates to “flower of the honey” — want to open your eyes to the honey-based beverage. All the ingredients used to make the mead, like blueberries, honey and sugar, are locally sourced within ~30 miles of the business.
And the mission is to bring more awareness to the beverage in an attempt to help save honeybees. That’s pretty sweet, if you ask us. 🍯
If mead isn’t your thing, the bar also offers cocktails + beer.
The meadery from the outside| Photo by NOOGAtoday
Calliope Restaurant
Once you’ve sweetened your palate with the Adagio cocktail, get ready to dig into some Southern-influenced Levantine cuisine from Calliope, the resident restaurant at Flora de Mel, featuring a hyperseasonal menu by Chef Khaled Albanna.
Chef Khaled was the Executive Chef at the Edwin Hotel before pursuing his own business and passion. “I want to bring my heritage and tradition to the Southeast and tell my story through the dishes I create,” he said.
His heritage lies in Amann, Jordan — a part of the Levant in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
On the menu you’ll find familiar and approachable dishes like hummus, charcuterie, and braised beef. There are also dishes that are less familiar, though still approachable, like “Galayet,” made with ember roasted tomatoes, green chile, pine nuts, and mint + Knafeh, a dessert made with shredded phyllo dough, ricotta, orange-blossom syrup, and pistachios.
Chef-recommended dishes:
Ember-roasted chicken
Grilled merguez lamb sausage
Mezze (a spread of chef favorites)
If you can’t decide on just one menu item, there’s good news — it’s all made for sharing. Astamtae, Nooga.
Use the buttons below to share this story with your BFFs (best foodie friends) + that one person you know who always lets the camera eat first.
Today
- National Treasures: Party at Point Park | Thurs., Sept. 9 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Point Park, Lookout Mountain | $100-175 | Proceeds support the conservation of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.
- The Waymores in Chattanooga | Thurs., Sept. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Wanderling Brewing Co., 1208 King St. | $7 | Wife + husband duo Kira Annalise and Willie Heath Neal play acoustic country music together. 🎵
- Back Alley Boogie | Thurs., Sept. 9 | 6 p.m. | Cooper’s Alley | Free | Get your groove on for a night of dancing, art, food, and drinks.
Friday
- Chanel Ali and Hilliary Begley | Fri., Sept. 10 | 9:45 p.m. | The Comedy Catch | $15 | Chanel Ali appeared on Comedy Central and Hilliary Begley appeared in the Netflix original “Dumplin’.”
- Cha Cha Time | Fri., Sept. 10 | 7:30-10:30 p.m. | Wesley Memorial UMC, 6314 Brainerd Rd. | $5+ | Learn how to do the Cha Cha with the Choo Choo Chapter of USA Dance. 💃
Saturday
- Halloween Decorating Social | Sat., Sept. 11 | 5:30 p.m. | Joli Jardin Flower Shop, 1263 Market St. | Free | Sip on some elixirs and watch the folks at Joli Jardin change out the front floral display to something eerily beautiful for spooky season.
- The Fall Market at Collegedale Commons | Sat., Sept. 11 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | 4950 Swinyar Dr., Ooltewah | Price of purchase | Enjoy a petting zoo, pony rides, food + drink, and multiple vendors. 🛍️
- Finding Freedom in North Georgia: Enslavement and Escape on the Underground Railroad | Sat., Sept. 11 | 2 p.m. | Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, 3370 Lafayette Rd., Fort Oglethorpe, GA | Free | This ranger-led program explores the “fugitive” status of enslaved African Americans from North Georgia who lived in + around present-day Chickamauga Battlefield.
Sunday
- Buskers Day | Sun., Sept. 12 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | First Tennessee Pavilion | Free | The Chattanooga Market will be a platform for street performers, from musicians, dance acts, and artists, to jugglers, mimes, puppeteers, and magicians.
Plan Ahead
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
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Weather
- 82º | Sunny | 5% chance of rain ☀️
Civic
- The Chattanooga City Council unanimously passed Mayor Kelly’s city budget at the council’s first reading on Monday. The proposed city budget includes pay raises for city employees — including the Chattanooga Fire + Police departments — and funding for city road repaving. The second reading takes place on Sept. 14. 📝 (WRCB)
- The Red Bank Board of Commissioners named Martin Granum as the new City Manager for Red Bank. Granum is originally from Portland, Oregon + previously served in the Air Force as a civil engineer before becoming involved in his local school district. (NewsChannel 9)
Announced
- The Chattanooga Pride Board announced yesterday the cancelation of this year’s Chattanooga Pride Week, festival, and parade scheduled for Sept. 26.-Oct. 3. The decision is due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases + the ongoing public health emergency in Hamilton County. The board plans to try again in 2022.
- The Chattanooga Airport recently confirmed that the SkyWest non-stop flight to Houston, Texas will be suspended as of Oct. 1. This decision is due to operational challenges arising from the developing state of the COVID-19 pandemic. ✈️ (News Channel 9)
Development
- New York City investment firm KKR & Co. recently purchased the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel — located downtown on Chestnut St. — from previous owners + Chattanooga-based company Vision Hospitality Group. Vision operates 13 hotels in Chattanooga. 🏨 (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Coronavirus
- Tennessee set a new record for COVID-19 hospitalizations. The Tennessee Department of Health’s data shows that 3,693 people are hospitalized with coronavirus as of Monday, surpassing the previous high set the day before + the high point of 3,351 from early January. (NewsChannel 9)
- Get Vaccinated Chattanooga is hosting a Neighborhood Block Party and Health Fair at Second Missionary Baptist Church on Sept. 18. The event will feature live music, free food, and health screenings. CHI Memorial medical staff will provide vaccination information + administer COVID vaccines to anyone interested. 💉
Edu
- The University of Tennessee system has extended its campus mask requirement amid Tennessee’s continued spike in COVID-19 cases + hospitalizations due to the delta variant. The masking requirement remains for indoor public spaces, with plans to reevaluate in a few weeks. 😷 (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Community
- The Cherokee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America announced a MoonPie selling campaign, in partnership with Chattanooga Bakery, to raise funds for local troops from Sept. 11-Oct. 31. Local Scouts will sell in their neighborhoods + set up sale booths at local businesses.
Try This
- The 2021 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival — taking place on Oct. 15-17 — will now feature a collection of rare vintage Ferraris, thanks to a partnership with the Ferrari of Atlanta dealership. The festival will also offer “automobilia,” Car Club gatherings, special car displays, panel discussions, and more. 🚗 (The Pulse)
State
- The Tennessee Wildlife Federation is asking the public to vote for the best photograph after receiving more than 3,200 wildlife + landscape submissions for its 7th annual photo contest. Voting closes Sept. 14 at 11:59 p.m.
Tech
Biz
- Congrats to Chattanooga-based HHM CPAs, recently named a Best of the Best Firm for 2021 by Inside Public Accounting (IPA) as well as a Top 200 Largest Accounting Firm by IPA earlier this summer. 👏 Ⓟ
On Sept. 19, local business Bike the South will launch its first season — a 6-week mini-season with day-long and short staycation tours in Sequatchie Valley, Mountain Cove and Chickamauga + the Ocoee, Hiwassee, and Tellico region.
And, in the meantime, check out some of the other programming Bike the South offers.
- Bike and brew tours | Thursday evening guided, leisurely bicycle tours that stop at 4 Southside + Downtown craft breweries (NOOGAtoday readers get a 50% off discount on this and next week’s tours with discount code: NOOGA50)
- E-bike tours | Choose from 3 different guided tours that are E-bike only, making the ride a lot easier — perfect for beginner and leisure cyclists
- Private tours | By request only — there are 11 different tour offerings to choose from + they are recommended for a small group of 4 or more
Bonus: Be on the lookout for a “Try This” story of a Bike the South tour from the NOOGAtoday City Editors — we even want some of you to join us. 🚴
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Answered: Yesterday, we laid out all the details of Chattanooga Audubon Society's upcoming Torchlight Gala + asked you which wildlife sanctuary you're most interested in learning about. Here's the breakdown. 👇
46.2% | Maclellan Island
32.3% | Audubon Mountain
12.3% | Mackey Branch Wetland
9.2% | Audubon Acres
Looks like a research trip to Maclellan Island is in our future, and we aren't complaining about that one bit.
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