Uncle Larry serves up flavor and history
I couldn’t believe myself when I left Uncle Larry’s Restaurant for the first time. How could a place so exquisitely delicious, welcoming, and comfortable have gone without me noticing for so long?
I was pondering my meal as I strolled down the block, full and content with a revitalized belief in the future of Chattanooga cuisine. That feeling of comfort and home had me in such a stupor I was halfway down the block before I realized I had forgotten to pay for my meal.
Uncle Larry’s is a living history. It’s a place that exists almost in the past but certainly isn’t stuck there. This is not a criticism, but a glorification of their fundamental philosophy of operation. They cherish the foundation of good food as a communal gathering. A meal here isn’t just fuel for the human body, but inspiration for the mind, nourishment for the soul, and cohesion for the city.
It’s common to sit with total strangers, but they don’t stay strangers for very long. The restaurant is a place that brings all walks of life together. If you’re skeptical of the term “common ground” and see it as a pipe dream, you can find it here. Uncle Larry’s is that common ground personified. A true sense of community exists as you step through the front door. How could anyone be angry with anyone else when they are eating this well and smiling this large?
Some people are just too good in the kitchen to not use those gifts and share them with their community. Despite fighting it for a long time, Larry Torrence, founder of Uncle Larry’s, is now one of those chefs.
After much persuasion from his wife and other family members, Mr. Torrence opened up shop in March 2013. Now with two locations, one on MLK Blvd. and another in Ooltewah, the restaurant is running full force ahead.
They serve an array of dishes representing the history of the greater American South. It ends up being a storytelling journey as much as it is a delicious meal. A plate of whiting, perch, tilapia, or catfish with an array of carefully considered sides evokes a connection with the earth and the historical diaspora that these dishes’ roots arose from.
If I could pick one restaurant to represent the history of Chattanooga’s cuisine, it would undoubtedly be Uncle Larry’s. A chef who would make Michael Twitty proud, Larry Torrence is providing Chattanooga with his soul on a plate. Chef Torrence is a vessel of history and expression. It’s the story of a past fraught with difficulties that is used to create beauty and defy odds.
This is the perfect opportunity to start supporting our local restaurants. Pork chop sandwiches, hot dogs, banana pudding, okra, fried green tomatoes, and more exist for those who shy away from fish. It’ll be hard for me to ever pull myself away from my fish plate, but that passing pork chop does smell divine. This is not a place that I see myself tiring of, and my hope is that Chattanooga will feel the same way.
Don’t allow yourself to be like me and let this go missed. I had to stop halfway through writing this article and head there for lunch because I couldn’t stop thinking about that tilapia and those turnip greens and white beans.
Their tagline is written lightheartedly on the way in. “Fish so good it will smack ya!” On the way out, with your belly full and your spirit ready to face the world, you know you got smacked. And that couldn’t make you happier.