Julia's Fine Food: A Culinary Experience

You probably heard about Julia's Fine Food, the new restaurant that opened on 24 University Avenue a month ago. I decided to give it a try this Tuesday for lunch along with Cody Bennett and Claudia Schreiber. As soon as we got inside the restaurant, we were greeted by Julia Stubblebine and her staff. They were all very nice and welcoming. Three or four people from the Sewanee community were already inside. Making a choice was not easy. The choice is not very large but everything is very tempting. In addition to the all day menu, Julia's offer you a wide range of daily specials. Our waiter, Joshua Mauzy, was genuinely friendly and enjoyed trying to guess where we came from. After a long period of consideration, we finally made our mind. I went for a « Chicken Pesto panini with marinated red peppers and mozzarella » (6.75$) and a glass of mango aqua fresca (1.75$). We chose a table and it took less than ten minutes to get all our food. The pace is impressive. My panini looked really good. The bread itself is studded with pesto which gives it an irresistible taste. The panini oozes hot  mozzarella and the marinated red peppers just melt in the mouth. The chicken, usually the easiest part to criticize in any paninis, is incredibly tender and perfectly seasoned. The aqua fresca was really refreshing and fruity. Claudia went for a daily special: « Chicken Breast stuffed with red pepper, mozzarella, sun dried tomato and basil with its side of rice ». The plate arrangement was really nice and according to Claudia, the chicken was really tasty. Cody also really enjoyed his « Rotisserie Chicken from the Springer Montain Farms, fresh, free range, all natural with a choice of Day's Bean-Rice-Corn salad. » (8.25$).

            The beverages variety is pretty wide at Julia's. I strongly advise you to try the homemade drinks like aqua fresca or unsweetened tea. However, you will not find any alcoholic drinks on the menu. Julia's desserts are incredibly delicious. The first one I tried was the « Kona Coffee Ice Cream Pie with chocolate ganache topping. » The name itself is enough to whet your appetite. The hard chocolate ganache went really well with the coffe ice cream and oreo and each bite created an amazing sensation of freshness. I also had the occasion to try the « Key Lime Pie » during a reception a few days before. The result was equally convincing. The filling, really « limey » unlike most pies I tasted so far, was light and refreshing.

            One of Julia's great advantage is that she can deliver her food in Sewanee as well as in Monteagle. If you call by 1pm, the delivery will be made between 3 and 6pm. Julia's Fine Food is a great culinary experience, probably the finest food you can have in the Sewanee community, as its name implies, and if one had to raise a criticism about this restaurant, it would undoubtedly be: « We want more! ».