Having a best friend who is a life-long Southerner means that I spend a lot of time south of the Mason Dixon line. I always look forward to seeing Patti and to enjoying fried chicken, barbecue, fried catfish, and other classics of Southern cuisine. But time has not stood still in the South, where chefs and diners are embracing international flavors.
That was certainly the case when Patti and I met for a few days in Chattanooga. We decided to start our visit with dinner at Calliope (422 East Martin King Boulevard, callioperestaurant.com). In 2021, chef and co-owner Khaled AlBanna opened what he calls a modern Levantine restaurant to celebrate the cuisine of his native Jordan and the other eastern Mediterranean countries of Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. They are united in the use of fresh, local ingredients and the belief that sharing food brings people together. Patti and I hadn’t seen each other in too long and catching up over a leisurely meal of tempting small plates seemed just right.
Calliope occupies a century-old building with an exposed brick wall and well-worn wooden floors (see above). We appreciated the unadorned wooden tables. We had no need to worry about spilling on a pristine white tablecloth as we dug into a succession of beautiful plates. Patti is also a travel writer, and the food was similar to some that we’ve enjoyed on our travels. But the kitchen brought a modern touch to each dish, with often subtle and surprising flavors.
Small dishes spell too many tenpting choices
We’d been advised not to miss the whipped feta, which we decided to pair with hummus to open the meal. Each dish was elevated with a lovely warm note. The hummus featured serrano pepper relish. Chili honey and black pepper added punch to the feta.
Yellowfin tuna crudo with cucumbler, kiwi, and ginger was another highlight of the meal. We were intrigued by the halloumi and apple dish. The cheese was crisp on the outside and creamy inside. Apples, spicy muhamarra, and pomegranate vinaigrette rounded out the flavors. We could see why it was a diner favorite.
All the menu items were so tempting and we were having such a good time that we ordered way too much food, including a beautiful spinach and arugula salad with strawberry dressing and butterball potatoes with a garlic-lemon confit vinaigrette. They were perfect complements to what the menu called “awarma fried rice.” It was the chef’s variation on traditional roz hashweh, a pilaf used to stuff poultry or lamb. It’s so good that it often stands on its own, as in AlBanna’s version with preserved beef confit, chickpea salsa, and yogurt.
Our only regret was that we didn’t have room to try AlBanna’s intriging take on the Italian classic tiramisu. His version features arabic coffee, dates, cardamom, and pistachio.
