Eat Real with Local Food
“I always say that I don't believe I'm a chef. I try to be a storyteller.” Jose Andrés
Storytelling isn’t only for the great authors of our time. You’ll find it here in our kitchen, vibrating through the clanks of our pots and pans; it’s in our hands mixing and sautéing and perfecting each plate. But we tell our real story through our food. You get a taste of our restaurant philosophy and our values in every bite you eat.
Our local food is a big part of that story, too. We couldn’t create our dishes without the support of our local farms! Our unpredictable East Tennessee weather gives us a run for our money sometimes, but we all make it work.
But why put so much time and effort to eat local?
Fresh. Sustainable. Community. Variety. And the list goes on!
When you eat local, you eat real food. It’s not frozen or microwaved. It sustains the local economy. It fosters community engagement and connections. It offers exclusive dishes during the seasonal harvest.
Basically, local food tells us a story. Let us show you our summer story using our local seasonal summer veggies and fruits. Next time you eat at Royale, we want you to see the food in a different light. Pick any of our top three summer dishes below. Take a look at the dish, notice the seasonal veggies we’ve introduced, and see where we added dashes of nostalgia and summer memories into the plate.
Pan Seared Snapper - step into the cool waters around the Carolinas where snappers are freshly caught by boat (next day delivery for the win!). The rocky sand, the sounds of the waves, and the low sunset bring memories of our childhood at the beach. That al-dente bite of heirloom tomatoes bubbles up memories of fresh grown tomatoes in your mother’s garden and sunflower shoots give that toothsome bite of lemon. Try the Pan Seared Snapper with our Diora Pinot Noir from California.
Confit Short Rib - Adirondack chairs. Ice cold beers. Smoky scents gently breezing over the grill. Our Confit Short Rib wears the summer barbecue badge here. It has all the components of a traditional barbeque (yes, we got potato salad for you!) fine-tuned to represent our style. Any dark reds will do but we recommend the Peju Cabernet Sauvignon to heighten the bourbon cherry barbecue sauce.
Bucatini Bolognese - Your grandmother’s kitchen. You see her standing over the stove twirling the thick strands of spaghetti around the fork. Nothing beats her sauce but we’ve got a house-made ricotta that’ll remind you of home. We can’t get enough of the light oregano and basil combination, too. An acidic Italian red wine is perfect with the bolognese. Take the If You See Kay Cab Blend for a swirl.
The kitchen is our platform but the local food is where it shines! We hope you’ll stop to try these three dishes and bring up some wonderful summer memories. Just like Jose Andres, we try to be storytellers - the best of them in Knoxville.
A shout out to our local friends: Mountain Meadows Farm, A Place of the Heart Farm, Lacewing, Circle V, Wolf Creek, Huff Farm and many more who have done a great job rolling with the punches of mother nature to supply us, and the public, with wonderful seasonal products!
PS: Bring on the new season! Sign up for our newsletter for an exclusive look at our upcoming Fall Menu >>> Click HERE to sign up!