Pop Up Food Tour - Guest Blog by Artist Denise Stewart Sanabria

The second event during my Exhibit "Eat Me Two" at downtown Knoxville fabricator extraordinaire Paulk & Co was masterminded by Knoxville Food Tours owner Paula Johnson. She enlisted 12 local eateries to invent dishes based on the food paintings I had in the exhibit. Best Idea Ever. The chefs exceeded my expectations. (The full menu is printed after the images.) Sunday evening, March 30th was devoted to eating our way through these culinary masterpieces while listening to local pianist and flautists Dr. Douglas H. Manley, Carla Brown & Bethany Brown. Below are images of the food and paintings that inspired them. (The really cool thing is that I had a set-up in the office of scrap marble and props, and did a photo shoot with some of the food for reference for future paintings. There will be four.)

Set up

 Virginia Adams setting up dipped strawberries from The Melting Pot

Culinary reps from Aisle Nine and the UT's Culinary Institute



Dazzo's Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Marinade and Whipped Feta on Pita getting assembled

Inquisition Vanita oil on panel 20” x 16”



Surrounded by Eggplants oil on canvas 2’ x 4’ $2,800

The Devil Lives in a Quart Jar oil on canvas 36” x 36” inspiration, below..

Watermelon Mockjito with Fresh Mint and Pickled Watermelon Rind The Fresh Market/The Peanut Shop

The Food

Shonos In City Red Velvet Dessert Sushi Roll under my FD&C Red #40, oil on canvas 4' x 6'

The Melting Pot's dipped strawberries under my Wet Strawberries acrylic on canvas

Black Eyed Pea Fritters with Tzatziki Sauce from The Bistro at the Bijou

Purple Hull Beans oil on canvas 20” x 30”

Almond Butter and Muscadine Bruschetta The Peanut Shop of Knoxville

Muscadines and Scupernogs Squared 36” x 48” oil on linen

Spicy Pepper Cheddar Cheese Corn Muffins with Honey Butter from Mast General Store

Cosmetically Exterminated oil on canvas 48” x 48”

Bok Choy and Radicchio Salad in Parmesan Cup The Fresh Market

Radicchio and Bok Choy Oil on linen 20 x 28

Pomegranate Apple Smoked Thick Cut Pork Chop on Open Faced Biscuit Topped with Slaw and Pomegranate Vinaigrette The Peanut Shop of Knoxville

Three Quarters oil on panel 18” x 24”

Thai Chilled Mango Soup with Ginger and Coconut Aisle Nine. My charcoal on plywood drawing "Aaron" stands guard.

Flying Mangos of the Baroque Palace Ceiling oil on canvas 40” x 60"

Crostini with Noble Springs Goat Cheese, Pear, and 18 Year Aged Balsamic Tree & Vine, inspired by "Three Quarters", see above

Winding Down

People never stopped eating, even to talk

I had some of my life size drawings on plywood there. One of them was taking photos.

The Menu

Chandler’s Seasoning Dip on Purple Sweet Potato

Visit Knoxville/The Market

Almond Butter and Muscadine Bruschetta

The Peanut Shop of Knoxville

Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Marinade and Whipped Feta on Pita

Dazzo’s

Black Eyed Pea Fritters with Tzatziki Sauce

The Bistro at the Bijou

Thai Chilled Mango Soup with Ginger and Coconut

Aisle Nine

Spicy Pepper Cheddar Cheese Corn Muffins with Honey Butter

Mast General Store

Bok Choy and Radicchio Salad in Parmesan Cup

The Fresh Market

Pomegranate Apple Smoked Thick Cut Pork Chop on Open Faced Biscuit

Topped with Slaw and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

The Peanut Shop of Knoxville

Crostini with Noble Springs Goat Cheese, Pear, and 18 Year Aged Balsamic

Tree & Vine

Walden Creek Scuppernog Jelly

Habanero Strawberry Pepper Jelly on Cracker

Raspberry Jalapeno Jam, Corn Chip

Mast General Store

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

The Melting Pot

Red Velvet Dessert Sushi Roll

Shonos In City

Blonde Giraffe Key Lime Pie Cookies

The Market

Lemon and Raspberry Filled Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme

Watermelon Mockjito with Fresh Mint and Pickled Watermelon Rind

The Fresh Market/The Peanut Shop

Houston’s Mineral Water with Cucumber