Let’s Do Brunch

There is one thing about Sunday's in the Smokies, we all like to slow down a bit, gather around a table for great company and even better food! Starting April 3rd Dancing Bear Restaurant is offering Brunch on Sundays! You can enjoy fresh takes on southern staples like Cornmeal Dusted Trout with Benton's Bacon and Grits or the new DBL Burger that Chef has spent the past winter months perfecting with house made mustard and ketchup and of course Chef’s famous pimento cheese. We are also excited to share a few beverage creations that tip their hat to classic brunch time favorites like our Smoky Mountain Bloody Mary's and Bearly Bubbly Bellini (or Peachy Paws).

Chef Carter enjoyed diving into creating Dancing Bear Restaurant's new brunch menu. "I wanted to create a menu that was both fun and approachable, while still sharing what is best about region with great trout dishes, local eggs, and of course, delicious homemade bread," says Chef Carter. The menu aims to create classic favorites while keeping up with seasonal ingredients and influences. Brunch will be offered every Sunday between 11am - 2pm.

Call 865-448-6600 to make reservations!

Spring Fever in the Kitchen

Spring always triggers a chef's creative juices, and this year is no different. With the first signs of Spring already making their debut, Chef Carter shares some of the seasonal flavors and local ingredients that that make up the Spring Menu.

Currently, we are serving a dish featuring Braised Niman Ranch Pork Cheeks with Benton’s Bacon, Creamy Polenta, and Tomato Relish. Benton’s Country Hams is right up the road, in Monroe County, and they supply us with a delicious bacon product that is hickory smoked in an old wood stove. In this dish, the creamy polenta has a light sweetness that works beautifully with the smoky flavors of pork, and the tangy blend of relished garden tomatoes.

Also, new to the menu is Country Ham wrapped Mahi-Mahi with Anson Mills Farro Verde, Arugula, Lemon Vinaigrette and House-made Hot Sauce. We use Anson Mills Farro for its wonderful, old-time characteristics. Its nutty flavor complements the delicate fish and slightly salty ham. For a little kick, our hot sauce is made from the local farmer’s market selection of chili peppers. If you’ve saved room for dessert, we are featuring Falls Mill Cornmeal Cobbler with strawberries and Meyer lemon ice cream.

Read more about our restaurant or call for reservations today at 865-448-6000.

All Opened Roads lead to Dancing Bear Lodge

We are excited to announce the spring opening of some of the National Park's mountain roads. During the winter, the national park closes several of the roads for maintenance as well as winter weather, but the National Park Service has opened roads that lead to some of the best hiking and views in the Smokies.

Little Green Brier opens March 11st

Parson Branch (one way, gravel road) opens March 11

Rich Mountain opens March 11

Roaring Fork opens March 11

Roundbottom/ Straight Fork opens March 11

Clingman's Dome, opens April 1

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for weekly trail openings!

Are You Ready for Spring?

The warm days are rolling in, and you can bet there will be quite a few Dancing Bear cycling jerseys out on the East Tennessee roads! With Dancing Bear Bike Bash just around the corner in April, we are gearing up for a great ride. Some of you might be ready to ride year round, but if you need a refresher course to get you motivated here are a few tips to get you ready to ride April 15 - 17th, 2011!

1. Knock the dust off your bike! And get it tuned up. Make sure someone you trust looks over your bike to ensure it is ready for your first rides of the season.
2. Re-evaluate your riding. Now is a great time to look back and think about what you need to do differently this year. Did you have the tools you needed for your flat, did you carry enough water, etc.
3. Set some realistic goals. If you set goals based on your current skill level and your desires for the year, you will have a better riding season. Set a few ambitious goals, but build in smaller ones along the way. That way you can see progress, which should inspire you to accomplish the bigger ones.
4. Don’t be an eager beaver. Start short and/or slow. Most people lose some muscle mass/strength over the winter due to not riding as much. If you start too hard you could injure yourself and miss the start of the season.
5. Compare your times with the spring of last year, not your times before the winter break, as you were in better shape in the fall than the spring last year. This will help to give you a true comparison of how you are doing year after year.
6. Increase your riding time and intensity each week, but take time to recover, meaning do not ride. There is thought out there that you can engage in “active recovery”, but unless you are planning on racing this season it is a bad idea.
7. Watch and adjust your nutrition. I tend to eat differently during the winter when I am not riding as much, which isn’t always what I need when I jump back into it.
8. Stretch! I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. You should stretch every day, riding or not. You can stretch before a ride, but I usually warm up by starting my route slowly and at a high cadence. When I focus my stretching is after the ride. I tend to get better and deeper stretches, and find that I see overall improvement because of it.
9. On a scale of 1-5, strive for a 5, but know that it will probably take you six to twelve months to bump it up one number. A one is touching your ankles. A five is being able to bend over with your legs straight and placing your palms on the floor without warming up. I am not a five yet but working on it.
10. Ride in local group rides in your skill level. This will help you get reacquainted with the dynamics of riding with others.
11. Take time to enjoy yourself, it’s why you are out there in the first place.