JFG Coffee, “The Best Part of the Meal”, Knoxville, TN

by Amy Campbell


S10:E42. 11/04/2023

JFG Coffee, The Best Part of the Meal", a Knoxville, Tennessee staple.

I’ve got a "mess" of guests:

Bill Houston (Owner of Houston’s Mineral Well, fine artist extraordinaire, and a New Market TN native shares a story of a late New Market TN neighbor who penned the tag line for JFG Coffee Company “The Best Part of the Meal”.

Tinah Utsman shares memories of her father “Coffee Jack” who was President of JFG Coffee during the 1982 Knoxville World’s Fair.

Mary “Dee Dee” Constantine (Retired Food Editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel) has a recipe for coffee and brown sugar steak rub.

Links:

W.C. (Bill) Houston: Bill Houston is from New Market TN. Many of you may know Bill because he taught art at Carson Newman College for 40 years. He is also an incredibly talented landscape painter, artist, sculptor, and woodworker. And one of the most generous and kind people on the earth. Find information about his art here: https://www.facebook.com/wchouston/ Bill is the owner, and operator of Houston’s Mineral Well, in New Market, TN. http://www.houstonsmineralwater.com/ Bill’s grandfather dug this well in 1931 after an epiphany dream and was miraculously healed from a severe kidney ailment by the water from this well which he established and opened to the public. It is still open and run today (and on the honor system) by Bill Houston.

Tinah Utsman: Tinah is a talented photographer in Knoxville, and Her father “Coffee Jack” was at one time President of JFG Coffee during the 1982 Knoxville World’s Fair. Tinah runs a nonprofit where she teaches kids how to take photographs of adoptable animals.. https://www.facebook.com/TRU-Dog-Network-195219860507511/

Mary “Dee Dee” Constantine https://www.facebook.com/deedee.constantine.3

Emi Sunshine: https://theemisunshine.com/

The tag line for JFG Coffee “The Best Part of the Meal” still shines on the building in Knoxville’s Historic Old City.

The historic JFG coffee sign on the banks of the Tennessee River in downtown Knoxville TN.

This vintage picture came to me by way of Archivist, Bradley Reeves. https://www.facebook.com/bradleye.reeves/


Olde Virden's Tennessee Pepper Company Artisanal Market

by Amy Campbell


\*\*Season 8, Episode 44.\*\* December 18, 2021. In this episode, we are setting the table with a brand new artisanal food market in Knoxville, TN. This market is named Olde Virden's Tennessee Pepper Company Artisanal Market, and husband and wife Allyson and Chris Virden are behind this. This market showcases a variety of regionally made food products that are not necessarily found on shelves of larger stores. A marketplace to help growing food companies specializing in regionally-produced products to help grow their business.⁣⁣ In Fred Sauceman's Potluck Radio Series, he shares a mid-century food memory of Maude Shipley's Red and Green pear salad by way of her daughter Margaret Carr from the Central Community of Carter County, TN. And a note, none of the businesses at this market advertise with The Tennessee Farm Table.⁣⁣ Links: Olde Virden’s Tennessee Pepper Company: https://oldevirdens.com/ Fred Sauceman: https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman Lauren Claiborne: https://www.lcchalkworks.com/ Emi Sunshine (sings our theme song): https://theemisunshine.com/

Pictured: Lauren Claiborne (local food advocate, talented artist who painted this sign, and part of Olde Virden's market), Chris and Allyson Virden.⁣⁣⁣ Photo: Amy Campbell.