Canyon Grill is something of a miracle, seamlessly integrating seemingly contrary factors. Food, service, and décor are the essence of sophistication, yet the result somehow feels perfectly natural atop a mountain in rural Georgia. There’s zero pretension in a place that depends on diners to travel far and pay dearly. This is no capsule of aloof elegance planted rakishly in the middle of nowhere for the gentry to coo over. Rather, it fits in with its surroundings—a tough task for a refined venue atop a mountain in Rising Fawn, Georgia.

Décor is urbane, background music is swanky, service is solicitous, and food is refined, but the result is utterly unself-conscious, as if the operation had just sprung up organically. Make no mistake: This isn’t just a local joint of unusual quality. Canyon Grill is a top-drawer destination restaurant deserving coverage in glossy food magazines.

I suppose the best way to describe the place is “honest”—talented, unprepossessing folks serving food they believe in … and leaving it at that, with none of the self-consciousness or posing that afflicts so many other ambitious eateries. The menu includes ordinary-sounding items, but while nothing’s prissy, this isn’t vernacular cooking. The touches are far too subtle, the ingredients far too carefully chosen (chef Johnny Holland is a sourcing maniac).

It’s like when folks move into some incredibly rural area and build a luxury house, but take great care to ensure that it fits harmoniously into the surroundings. That’s what the food tastes like. Respectful but staunchly personal—and kick-ass delicious.

I wanted to order something grilled (the restaurant’s founder invented the fancy wood-burning Smokey Mountain Grill, which can be bought at the restaurant for several thousand dollars), and they’re equally proud of their fish, so I ordered a seafood platter of intense and pristine hickory-grilled wild Gulf shrimp with lemon butter; rich, luscious fried Gulf oysters; and fried catfish that spoke volumes of poetic subtext without resorting to clever touches. And, at last: great mashed potatoes from what apparently is the last kitchen in the South that hasn’t gone over to the dark side (i.e., instant).

I can now say that at least once in my life I had perfect strawberry shortcake.

The meal was unforgettable; definitely worth the hour ride from Chattanooga, likely worth the two-hour trip from Atlanta, and quite possibly worth a pilgrimmage from NYC. I suppose I’d be rash, after one visit, to suggest that this is one of America’s finest undiscovered (on a national level) restaurants. But I’m tempted. Canyon Grill seems to have received no national press, yet it offers everything one could hope from high-end dining: meticulous care, unfailing deliciousness (maybe I got lucky, but not one bite, including bread, was less than sublime), deft personal touch, impeccable ingredients, beautiful yet comfortable surroundings, and even a BYO wine policy.

While the $40 price tag (before tax and tip) is stratospheric for the area, it was a superb value. I’m smitten, and encourage you to go and get smitten yourself.

Still, Canyon Grill is packed, mostly with out-of-towners, on a nightly basis with guests savoring choices like Slash n’ Burn Catfish, Ground Mignon, Whole Rainbow Trout, Alaskan Red King Salmon and Rack of Lamb.

Owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Lawton and Karen Haygood, Canyon Grill was a 40-seat restaurant when it opened in 1996. Today, it has expanded to 142 seats. Named after Cloudland Canyon State Park, and Haygood’s cooking technique, Canyon Grill features fresh seafood flown in from a purveyor in Boston. Slash ‘n Burn Catfish is the signature item. The whole bone-in catfish is stuffed with ginger, garlic and jalapenos into thin slashes, cut into thin slashes, dredged in flour, deep fried and then topped with black bean soup.

Other intriguing items are the grilled cabbage and the crispy squash. The half-head of red cabbage is steamed until softened and then cooked on Haygood’s wood-burning grill. It is finished with a touch of garlic and anchovy sauce, and a bit of cream. The crispy squash is lightly salted and sprinkled with corn meal mix and dropped into peanut oil, yet it has just a hint of deep-fried taste.

Just by looking at the menu, Haygood’s passion for grilling is evident. Before he introduced the signature selections at Canyon Grill – and the Boathouse, a restaurant he and Karen operate along the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanoogs – Haygood developed a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill in the late 1970s when he served seafood at his restaurant, Turtle Cove, in Dallas.

“The traditional grill tends to burn hot in one spot and cool in another, which isn’t ideal when you’re cooking a high volume of orders,” Haygood explained. “I kept waiting for someone to come up with something, but nobody did, so I decided to invent my own grill.”

Haygood’s solution was to create a grill that operates on the principal of the convection oven. It produces even heat, which cooks food faster and more evenly, he said. The wood smoke intensifies the flavor of the food, Haygood added.

After designing the grill, Haygood was featured in Time Magazine, called a pioneer in mesquite grilling and received numerous calls from restaurateurs nationwide who asked him to make a grill for them. He soon found himself building and installing grills in restaurant chains like J. Alexander’s and Grady’s. Before selling his interest in the manufacturing company he and a partner formed, Haygood worked with some of the country’s most renowned chefs, including Wolfgang Puck. He has since created a second-generation model, the Tuff Grill, that prepares the cuisine at Canyon Grill and the Boathouse.

The story of Haygood’s debut in the restaurant industry is a tale in itself. Raised in Rising Fawn on Lookout Mountain, where Canyon Grill is located, his father was passionate about preparing barbeque over an open pit, and his mother owned a ham curing business that attracted customers from around the United States.

After earning a degree in economics from the University of Georgia, Haygood entered the insurance business and moved to Dallas.

Eventually, the charismatic and anxious entrepreneur grew tired of his first profession. When a fire damaged the historic townhouse where his business was located, he served as the general contractor and oversaw the renovation. That spurred Haygood to refurbish and sell other townhouses in the area, leading him to pursue the opportunity on a full-time basis until interest rates skyrocketed in the early 1980s.

Left with another career decision, Haygood ventured on a retreat to Port Aransas, a tarpon fishing town on the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. There, he ate at a waterfront restaurant that caught his attention.

“The view and the ambience was excellent, but the food was terrible,” Haygood said with a laugh. “I asked the waitress about the place, and she said that the owner was looking to sell. Later that day, I spoke with him, and a half-hour later I was in the restaurant business.

“The guy asked me what I planned to do there,” Haygood added. “I said that I would build a pit and cook fresh fish over a mesquite fire. And I’ve followed that concept ever since.”

Grilling is a practiced in restaurants and backyard barbeques across the United States, but it is a technique that was pioneered and perfected in Texas. So it is appropriate that a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurants was developed by Haygood when he was operating a restaurant in Dallas. After experiencing success in Port Aransas and Dallas, Haygood decided to leave the restaurant business to develop his wood-burning grill, which brought him back to the Chattanooga area. He then divested of his interest in the grilling company and embarked on a new venture as a financial planner. Then the restaurateur lure returned.

“My mother had to close her ham curing business because of her health, and she wanted me to open a restaurant in the same space,” Haygood said. “That’s when Karen and I opened Canyon Grill.”

Interestingly, Canyon Grill’s seafood, chicken and beef is kept under ice instead of being refrigerated, which Haygood says is another element that differentiates the restaurant.

“Storing food this way keeps it from dehydrating and thus helps it retain its flavor,” he said. “It is an expensive and labor intensive process, and that is why most restaurants don’t keep their products under ice.

But we want to take every measure to ensure that our meals are superb,” he added. “People will not drive a half-hour or more for nothing short of an excellent dining experience.”

Chattanooga, Tenn. – At Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar and Canyon Grill – restaurants owned and operated by husband and wife Lawton and Karen Haygood – consistency and knowledge are the keys to applying the grilling techniques implemented to perfect the cuisine. Both restaurants use the innovative wood-burning grill Haygood invented for restaurateurs.

To the Haygoods, attracting and retaining a team of personable and passionate employees are critical elements of achieving their objectives. That is why they offer benefits such as health insurance and a 401(k) plan.

“At any restaurant, consistency in the food is important. At our restaurants, it is especially crucial because of the grilling techniques,” Lawton Haygood explained. “We cannot afford turnover, so we strive to create an environment that is attractive for our team so they remain with us for the long term.”

The Haygoods have built a loyal following with the Canyon Grill on Lookout Mountain and the popular Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. Though they have distinct differences – Canyon Grill is only open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday while the Boathouse, which specializes in Gulf of Mexico cuisine, is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week – both restaurants feature menu items prepared with grilling techniques pioneered by Haygood, who invented a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurateurs in the 1970s.

The location of Canyon Grill (www.cangrill.com), the couple’s first restaurant in the Chattanooga area, is so remote that most guests drive at least a half-hour along a scenic road on the back side of Lookout Mountain. First-timers are told to recognize the building from the cars in the gravel parking lot and its proximity to the adjacent New Salem Mountain Market, an old-time corner grocer. Still, Canyon Grill is packed, mostly with out-of-towners, on a nightly basis with guests savoring choices like Slash n’ Burn Catfish, Ground Mignon, Whole Rainbow Trout, Alaskan Red King Salmon and Rack of Lamb.

The Boathouse (www.boathousechattanooga.com), situated along the bustling Riverwalk not far from revitalized downtown Chattanooga, was opened in 2002. Boasting a serene riverfront view and a menu composed of the Haygoods favorite selections from their travels around the Gulf of Mexico, the Boathouse is much easier to find. Amid a décor of palm trees, nostalgic Rock City and Ruby Falls post cards, and a new mural that depicts where the restaurant’s menu items originate from, the Boathouse features favorites like Lotta Lotta Garlic Chicken, Matagorda Fire-Roasted Oysters, El Scorcho Shellfish Stew and Fried Tilapia.

Each restaurant is a unique concept that requires kitchen team members to perfect the grilling and food preparation techniques. The unique environment makes working there inviting to employees. Johnny Holland is a perfect example. He started in a kitchen assistant at Canyon Grill in 1998 and has since advanced all the way to head chef.

“I’ve learned a lot about cooking and about the restaurant business from Lawton,” Holland said. “We have an atmosphere that makes coming to work worthwhile and exciting. That is why I have remained here for so long, and plan to stay here.”

Haygood, who now owns and operates the Boathouse Rotisserie &Raw Bar in Chattanooga and the Canyon Grill in nearby Lookout Mountain with his wife Karen, created the grill in the late 1970s when he served mesquite-grilled seafood at Turtle Cove.

“The traditional grill tends to burn hot in one spot and cool in another, which isn’t ideal when you’re cooking a high volume of orders,” Haygood explained. “I kept waiting for someone to come up with something, but nobody did, so I decided to invent my own grill.”

Haygood’s solution was to create a grill that operates on the principal of the convection oven. It produces even heat and a lower surface temperature, which cooks food faster and more evenly, he said. The mesquite wood smoke intensifies the flavor of the food, Haygood added.

After designing the grill, Haygood was featured in Time Magazine, called a pioneer in mesquite grilling and received numerous calls from restaurateurs nationwide who asked him to make a grill for them. He soon found himself building and installing grills in restaurant chains like J. Alexander’s and Grady’s. Before selling his interest in the manufacturing company he and a partner formed, Haygood worked with some of the country’s most renowned chefs, including Wolfgang Puck. He has since created a second-generation model, the Tuff Grill that prepares the cuisine at Canyon Grill and the Boathouse.

“Since the grill is air cooled and does not depend on insulation, it is more durable,” Haygood explained. “And, since the heat is not reflected into the kitchen, restaurants save money on air conditioning, and the kitchen is a more comfortable work environment since it is not so hot.”

Though they have distinct differences – Canyon Grill is only open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday while the Boathouse, which specializes in Gulf of Mexico cuisine, is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week – both restaurants feature menu items prepared with mesquite grilling techniques pioneered by Haygood.

The location of Canyon Grill (www.cangrill.com), the couple’s first restaurant in the Chattanooga area, is so remote that most guests drive at least a half-hour along a scenic road on the back side of Lookout Mountain. First-timers are told to recognize the building from the cars in the gravel parking lot and its proximity to the adjacent New Salem Mountain Market, an old-time corner grocer. Still, Canyon Grill is packed, mostly with out-of-towners, on a nightly basis with guests savoring choices like Slash n’ Burn Catfish, Ground Mignon, Whole Rainbow Trout, Alaskan Red King Salmon and Rack of Lamb.

The Boathouse (www.boathousechattanooga.com), situated along the bustling Riverwalk not far from revitalized downtown Chattanooga, was opened in 2002. Boasting a serene riverfront view and a menu composed of the Haygoods favorite selections from their travels around the Gulf of Mexico, the Boathouse is much easier to find. Amid a décor of palm trees, nostalgic Rock City and Ruby Falls post cards, and a new mural that depicts where the restaurant’s menu items originate from, the Boathouse features favorites like Lotta Lotta Garlic Chicken, Matagorda Fire-Roasted Oysters, El Scorcho Shellfish Stew and Fried Tilapia.

No particular cooking technique, rub, marinating method or sauce will determine the success of a barbeque restaurant, in my opinion. Customer taste preferences vary, but they share one common element, and that is the “just cooked” taste. The backyard barbeque preparation process is simple, and numerous cookbook instructions can help you make savory at home. The main obstacle, though, is the amount of time required to make exceptional barbeque.

At most barbeque restaurants, it is rare to get that perfect barbeque on consecutive visits. So why is that the case? Producing “just cooked” taste on a consistent basis demands dedicated management and devoted employees who are focused and committed. These traits are what you will find at our Boathouse and Canyon Grill restaurants.

How are we going to be different? Where does the competition fall short?

• Fresh versus Frozen. “Fresh” produces a better product, but it requires a quality supplier (which costs more), proper storage and rotation (coordinated by management and employees), and effective inventory control (spearheaded by management).
• Warm holding times. “Just cooked” taste means just that. The taste doesn’t doesn’t get better later. Cooking in the smallest batches that will meet demand most of the time is the first priority. This is too costly for most restaurants, thus the reason they don’t implement the practice. Another key decision is determining when to chill the barbeque and when to hold it warm (a decision spearheaded by management).
• Proper processing. This element is obvious, and is directly related to the quality of people and their training process.

At most restaurants, some compromises must be made and most are related to cost. Chain barbeque restaurants use frozen meats and chicken, and most store the product in bags that are reheated in hot water or steamers. This delivery system takes days, and not hours. Management is stretched, and most of their work hours are absorbed in the physical work due to employees who do not show up for work, or in training because of high turnover. Since there are so many menu items, the product does not move rapidly, which complicates the holding times and the volume of decisions required of management. Several restaurants have found a market for this lower quality product, but we firmly believe that there is an expansive market for high quality barbeque.

Our strategy is to give the customer a high quality barbeque product. At Canyon Grill and the Boathouse, we have a high employee retention rate because of the salaries, benefits and work environment we offer. We look for people who are committed and devoted, not those who are looking for a short-term job. This strategy is critical in producing exceptional cuisine on a consistent basis, and we attribute this to our success at both restaurants.

Also, we have discovered that there is a market for a high quality product even if the price is higher. If this quality creates more volume, the higher labor cost per worked hour does not substantially increase the labor percentage cost. We believe that, by keeping the menu small, we can produce a quality level our competition will have a difficult time matching. There is a market of barbeque purists that will pay more in an environment where they can experience authentic barbeque.

Easy access and abundant parking are necessary for take-out and home delivery. We have selected the Kings Lodge location for these reasons. This spot is also low cost and offers the second best view from a restaurant in Chattanooga.

We have deliberately structured Sugar’s for slow growth. This reflects our commitment for consistent delivery of exceptional cuisine. It takes time to build a fine-tuned staff, a management team is best created by internal development. Initially, we plan to spread the word about Sugar’s through public relations and grassroots marketing. We do not plan to advertise. If the staff and management team develops faster than anticipated, we may advertise to accelerate growth. Currently, we plan to open only lunch from Wednesday to Sunday, with a blues and soul band on Saturday and Sunday. We will open for lunch seven days a week in the second quarter. In the third quarter, we will be open during the evenings, and schedule bands on off days.

Restaurants have one of the highest failure rates of all businesses. Four out five fail in the first five years. The most common reason is undercapitalization. Another reason is underestimating the numerous pieces necessary to become and remain a success. Backyard barbeque enthusiasts don’t understand the complexities of operating a sit-down restaurant. There must be a reasonable budget and a backup plan if more money is needed. The construction must cope with the severe wear and tear of restaurant services. The work environment must be comfortable and appropriate. The work area must have the right flow and quality labor saving equipment. Every duty must be detailed, checked off and reviewed daily. Training for every job should follow the five steps of I tell, I show, He tells, He shows and supervision. Also, it is crucial that the accounting system gets the money to the bank. If you have a decent concept and can meet these requirements, you have a good chance of making money as a restaurateur.

As a veteran restaurateur and a barbeque expert and enthusiast, I understand the ingredients to make a thriving barbeque restaurant – as I have described above.

Kings Lodge is ideal for the first Sugar’s location because of the view, easy access, low cost, and its position bordering a great residential market for barbeque take-out products. These appeals reduce some of the usual risks. This gives us the opportunity to perfect our game plan for expansion of the concept and generate a high return on the investment. The initial investors will have the option of taking a proportional percentage of future units.

article by:

Lawton Haygood

Rising Fawn, Ga. – Johnny Holland does not have a certificate from an esteemed culinary school showcased in a fancy frame. The executive chef of Canyon Grill possesses something he deems more valuable than any classroom education could have provided – practical experience cultivated from climbing the ladder in the kitchen of this renowned restaurant on Lookout Mountain.

To Holland, Canyon Grill is home. Raised on nearby Brookdale Mountain in Bledsoe County, the chef lives on Lookout Mountain and has worked at Canyon Grill since he was in high school, starting in the kitchen tackling any task that was asked of him.

“The only way to learn is through hands-on experience,” he said. “I developed a passion for life in the kitchen. It’s exciting, and there is something different every day.”

“I tell people I graduated from the Chuck Haygood School of Hard Knocks,” Holland said with a laugh. (“Chuck” is Canyon Grill owner Lawton Haygood’s nickname.) “He would taste my food, throw it away and make me prepare it again over and over until it was just right. Trust me, you learn quickly with Chuck.”

Haygood credits Holland with keeping the dishes consistent, and longtime guests returning to Lookout Mountain time and time again.

“Johnny has a great attention to detail, and he is committed to maintaining consistency in each dish that he prepares,” Haygood said. “This results in a memorable dining experience for each guest, which turns first-time customers into return customers.”

Slash ‘n Burn Catfish is Canyon Grill’s signature item. The whole bone-in catfish is stuffed with ginger, garlic and jalapenos into thin slashes, cut into thin slashes, dredged in flour, deep fried and then topped with black bean soup.

“It’s a dish you can’t find anywhere else,” Holland said. “I think that is why it is so popular.”

Other intriguing items are the grilled cabbage and the crispy squash. The half-head of red cabbage is steamed until softened and then cooked on the wood-burning grill that Haygood invented. It is finished with a touch of garlic and anchovy sauce, and a bit of cream. The crispy squash is lightly salted and sprinkled with corn meal mix and dropped into peanut oil, yet it has just a hint of deep-fried taste.

“Our menu is definitely innovative,” Holland said. “That is what makes it so exciting to work in an environment like this.”

Not far from Cloudland Canyon State Park, Canyon Grill’s location is remote – so remote that most guests drive at least a half-hour along a scenic road on the back side of Lookout Mountain before reaching the restaurant. First-timers are told to recognize the building from the cars in the gravel parking lot and its proximity to the adjacent New Salem Mountain Market, an old-time corner grocer.

Still, Canyon Grill is packed, mostly with out-of-towners, on a nightly basis with guests savoring choices like Slash n’ Burn Catfish, Ground Mignon, Whole Rainbow Trout, Alaskan Red King Salmon and Rack of Lamb.

Owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Lawton and Karen Haygood, Canyon Grill was a 40-seat restaurant when it opened in 1996. Today, it has expanded to 142 seats. Named after Cloudland Canyon State Park, and Haygood’s cooking technique, Canyon Grill features fresh seafood flown in from a purveyor in Boston.

Not far from Cloudland Canyon State Park, Canyon Grill’s location is remote – so remote that most guests drive at least a half-hour along a scenic road on the back side of Lookout Mountain. First-timers are told to recognize the building from the cars in the gravel parking lot and its proximity to the adjacent New Salem Mountain Market, an old-time corner grocer.
Still, Canyon Grill is packed, mostly with out-of-towners, on a nightly basis with guests savoring choices like Slash n’ Burn Catfish, Ground Mignon, Whole Rainbow Trout, Alaskan Red King Salmon and Rack of Lamb.

Owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Lawton and Karen Haygood, Canyon Grill was a 40-seat restaurant when it opened in 1996. Today, it has expanded to 142 seats. Named after Cloudland Canyon State Park, and Haygood’s cooking technique, Canyon Grill features fresh seafood flown in from a purveyor in Boston. Slash ‘n Burn Catfish is the signature item. The whole bone-in catfish is stuffed with ginger, garlic and jalapenos into thin slashes, cut into thin slashes, dredged in flour, deep fried and then topped with black bean soup.

Other intriguing items are the grilled cabbage and the crispy squash. The half-head of red cabbage is steamed until softened and then cooked on Haygood’s wood-burning grill. It is finished with a touch of garlic and anchovy sauce, and a bit of cream. The crispy squash is lightly salted and sprinkled with corn meal mix and dropped into peanut oil, yet it has just a hint of deep-fried taste.

Just by looking at the menu, Haygood’s passion for grilling is evident. Before he introduced the signature selections at Canyon Grill – and the Boathouse, a restaurant he and Karen operate along the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga – Haygood developed a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill in the late 1970s when he served seafood at his restaurant, Turtle Cove, in Dallas.

Chattanooga, Tenn. – Lawton Haygood is an entrepreneurial inventor who also doubles as a restaurateur. So when he was not satisfied with the grill he had at a seafood restaurant he owned in Dallas, the innovative businessman created one that met his requirements.

“The traditional grill tends to burn hot in one spot and cool in another, which isn’t ideal when you’re cooking a high volume of orders,” Haygood explained. “I kept waiting for someone to come up with something, but nobody did, so I decided to develop my own.”

The result was a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurateurs that operates on the principal of the convection oven. It produces even heat, which cooks food faster and more evenly, and the wood smoke intensifies the flavor of the food. Today, a second-generation model called the Tuff Grill is a key element in the kitchens of several restaurants nationwide, including Haygood’s two present-day restaurants – Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar in Chattanooga and Canyon Grill atop nearby Lookout Mountain, Ga. These restaurants feature other innovations Haygood created, like a wood-burning rotisserie oven, a cast-iron oyster skillet with holes in the bottom and an artistic ice chute that transports ice from the ceiling into a stainless-steel ice bin amid the Boathouse’s raw bar.

After designing the grill in the late 1970s, Haygood was featured in Time Magazine, called a pioneer in mesquite grilling and received numerous calls from restaurateurs nationwide who asked him to make a grill for them. He soon found himself building and installing grills in restaurant chains like J. Alexander’s and Grady’s. He even worked with some of the country’s most renowned chefs, including Wolfgang Puck.

Mr. B’s Bistro in New Orleans, Smoke Jack Blues and BBQ and Fatt Matt’s Blues and BBQ in Atlanta, along with Canyon Grill and Boathouse, are among the restaurants that use the Tuff Grill today.

“Since the grill is air cooled and does not depend on insulation, it is more durable,” Haygood explained. “And, since the heat is not reflected into the kitchen, restaurants save money on air conditioning, and the kitchen is a more comfortable work environment since it is not so hot.”

When the Boathouse debuted on the banks of the Tennessee River in 2002, the Tuff Grill was not the lone Haygood invention at the restaurant. He developed an ice chute for the raw bar that is a popular conversation piece among Boathouse regulars and guests alike.

“Before we opened the Boathouse, there was another restaurant there, and did some renovations,” Haygood said. “The area for the bar and the raw bar was small, so I brainstormed for ways to conserve space.

“In this fishing industry, I remember seeing processing centers where ice machines were placed on the roof, and the ice moved through a tube and down into a container,” he added. “I took the same concept, but instead of extending a tube all the way down, I decided to just partially extend it and let it fall from the ceiling all the way into the ice bin at the raw bar.

“It’s more like a work of art than an ice chute alone,” Haygood said with a grin. “When regular customers bring guests in, they like to watch the ice fall from the ceiling into the ice bin. Some people even think the roof is leaking, but of course it’s not.”

Just as he developed the Tuff Grill out of necessity, he invented the cast-iron oyster skillet for the same reason. The skillet features holes in the bottom to keep the oysters secure.

“Fire-grilled oysters are one of oursignature menu items at Boathouse, but when we would place the oysters on the grill, we would often spill the juice from the shells,” Haygood said. “The skillet is designed to keep the oysters stable so they can retain their juices. I considered stainless steel, but learned it would cost more to fabricate. Cast-iron withstands the heat better anyway.

“We place it on a wood server and then present it to the guest,” he added. “So we cook on the actual serving dish.”

At Boathouse, Haygood prepares popular dishes like the Lotta Lotta Garlic Chicken in a one-of-a-kind rotisserie oven that uses wood instead of gas or electric.

“You get a different treatment on the food,” Haygood said. “It has better flavor with the wood smoke, and the radiant heat crisps the skin and leaves the inside tender.

Each of Haygood’s inventions reflect his passion for grilling and preparing unique variations of traditional food.

“I especially love the aspect of how food is prepared,” Haygood said. “I spend a lot of time thinking of ways I can make it even better.

“It’s not difficult to make delicious food consistently on your backyard grill when you are just cooking every now and then for a small group, but when you are serving thousands of guests a week in a restaurant setting, it is more challenging to maintain consistency,” he added. “It takes inventive tools like our wood-burning grill and rotisserie oven to consistently make menu items that taste as good as a backyard barbeque.”

Rising Fawn, Ga. – Featuring a menu of simple recipes bursting with flavor and freshness, Canyon Grill attracts guests to its remote location on Lookout Mountain with savory steaks and seafood dishes.

Named after nearby Cloudland Canyon State Park, and owner Lawton Haygood’s cooking technique (he developed a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurateurs in the late 1970s), the restaurant even serves seafood flown in from a purveyor in Boston. Slash and Burn Catfish is the signature item. The whole bone-in catfish is stuffed with ginger, garlic and jalapenos into thin slashes, cut into thin slashes, dredged in flour, deep fried and then topped with black bean soup.

“The Slash and Burn Catfish exemplifies what we strive for at Canyon Grill – to serve our guests dishes that are fresh and flavorful, and pleasantly different,” Haygood explained. “With the herbs, spices and other ingredients like the jalapenos, there is a different taste in every bite, which is a main reason why it is the favorite item for many of our guests.”

Owned and operated by Haygood and his wife, Karen, Canyon Grill was a 40-seat restaurant when it opened in 1996. Today, it has expanded to 142 seats. Just by looking at the menu, Haygood’s passion for grilling is evident. Before he introduced the signature selections at Canyon Grill – and the Boathouse, a restaurant he and Karen operate along the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga – Haygood developed a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill in the late 1970s when he served seafood at his restaurant, Turtle Cove, in Dallas.

Canyon Grill’s seafood, chicken and beef is kept under ice instead of being refrigerated, which Haygood says is another element that differentiates the restaurant.

“Storing food this way keeps it from dehydrating and thus helps it retain its flavor,” he said. “It is an expensive and labor intensive process, and that is why most restaurants don’t keep their products under ice.

But we want to take every measure to ensure that our meals are superb,” he added. “People will not drive a half-hour or more for nothing short of an excellent dining experience.”

Here is the recipe of the signature dish that many of these guests drive to Canyon Grill to experience:

Slash and Burn Catfish:

Catfish preparation
4 large whole catfish about 1 ½ lb
4 cups flour
4 cups milk
Stuffing mixture
½ chopped young ginger
½ cup chopped garlic
½ cup chopped Jalapeño
fry oil

Wash the cavity of the catfish and skin. Slice the catfish to the bone but not through the bone. The slices should be one inch apart and at a 45 degree angle to the bone on each side of the phone. Open the cuts and insert the mixture down to the back bone. Wrap with food wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

In a large fryer or Dutch oven add 2 inches of frying oil. Begin heating the oil to 350. In 2 baking pan with high sides add the flour to one and the milk to the other. Lightly flour the fish then rub enough milk into the flour to make the fish sticky. Flour the fish a 2nd time and it should have a good breading after this application.

Curl the fish and slowly lower into the hot oil cooking one at a time. It takes about 5 minutes per fish to crisp the crust. The fish is not done at this point. When ready to serve, place all the fish in the oven @350 for 10 minutes. Inspect one of the deeper cuts for doneness. It must be opaque to the bone. Serve the fish with the dorsal up. Pour enough sauce over the fish to cover the bottom of the plate. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro

Sauce:
1 cup beef stock
2 cups soft black beans
1/8 cups light soy
1/8 cup chopped ginger
1/8 cup chopped garlic
1/8 cup chopped jalapeño
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup cut scallions

Add everything but the tomatoes and scallions to a sauté pan and bring to a simmer. Add the tomatoes and scallions and remove from the heat immediately.

Chattanooga, Tenn. – The first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurateurs has a new marketing arm and a new name. The Smokey Mountain Grill, which is a second-generation model of the woodburning grill that Chattanooga restaurateur Lawton Haygood created when he operated a mesquite-grilled seafood concept in Dallas, is now the signature product for Atlanta-based Hardwood Grill LLC, a company owned by Kevin Livingston.

Grilling is a practiced in restaurants and backyard barbeques across the United States, but it is a technique that was pioneered and perfected in Texas. So it is appropriate that a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurants was developed by Haygood when he was operating a restaurant in Dallas.

Haygood, who now owns and operates the Boathouse Rotisserie &Raw Bar in Chattanooga and the Canyon Grill in nearby Lookout Mountain with his wife Karen, created the grill in the late 1970s at Turtle Cove.

“The traditional grill tends to burn hot in one spot and cool in another, which isn’t ideal when you’re cooking a high volume of orders,” Haygood explained. “I kept waiting for someone to come up with something, but nobody did, so I decided to invent my own grill.”

Haygood’s solution was to create a grill that operates on the principal of the convection oven. It produces even heat, which cooks food faster and more evenly, he said. The wood smoke intensifies the flavor of the food, Haygood added.

After designing the grill, Haygood was featured in Time Magazine, called a pioneer in mesquite grilling and received numerous calls from restaurateurs nationwide who asked him to make a grill for them. He soon found himself building and installing grills in restaurant chains like J. Alexander’s and Grady’s. Before selling his interest in the manufacturing company he and a partner formed, Haygood worked with some of the country’s most renowned chefs, including Wolfgang Puck.

The Smokey Mountain Grill, formerly called Tuff Grill, prepares the cuisine at Canyon Grill and the Boathouse. Haygood decided to turn over the sales and marketing reins of his grill to Livingston and focus on developing his newest restaurant, a blues and barbeque concept called Sugar’s, which will open in Chattanooga this fall. Haygood will remain a designer and consultant to the Smokey Mountain Grill.
Livingston plans to market the grill to high-end restaurants that like the flavor that the wood-burning grill produces. “Chefs are fine dining restaurants prefer to cook with gas, but for grilling meats they prefer a woodburning grill because of the flavor,” Livingston said.

Mr. B’s Bistro in New Orleans, Smoke Jack Blues and BBQ and Fatt Matt’s Blues and BBQ in Atlanta, and Haygood’s Canyon Grill and Boathouse are among the restaurants that use the Smokey Mountain Grill. Watermark Restaurant in Nashville is the company’s newest client.

“Since the grill is air cooled and does not depend on insulation, it is more durable,” Haygood explained. “And, since the heat is not reflected into the kitchen, restaurants save money on air conditioning, and the kitchen is a more comfortable work environment since it is not so hot.”

Boasting a serene riverfront view, the Boathouse menu is composed of husband and wife Lawton and Karen Haygoods’ favorite selections from their travels around the Gulf of Mexico. Amid a décor of palm trees, nostalgic Rock City and Ruby Falls post cards, and a new mural that depicts where the restaurant’s menu items originate from, the restaurant features favorites like Lotta Lotta Garlic Chicken, Matagorda Fire-Roasted Oysters, El Scorcho Shellfish Stew and Fried Tilapia.

It’s Haygood’s passion for grilling that gives the Boathouse its’ identity. Grilling is a practiced in restaurants and backyard barbeques across the United States, but it is a technique that was pioneered and perfected in Texas. So it is appropriate that a first-of-its-kind wood-burning grill for restaurants was developed by Haygood when he was operating a restaurant in Dallas.

Most of Chattanooga’s downtown attractions are found on the river’s south shore. Ross’s Landing Park and Plaza serves as an entry point to the south shore walkway and leads from the river to the downtown’s edge yards away where the architecturally striking Tennessee Aquarium beckons.
The world’s largest freshwater aquarium showcases more than 9,000 aquatic creatures and shows the paths of rivers from rippling mountain streams to raging whitewater and reservoirs that wander to the sea. A spectacular 60-foot canyon, two living forests and recreations of the world’s great rivers co-exist within the aquarium walls. River otters play in a lush mountain woodland at Cove Forest, where a cascading waterfall sprays those who stroll by. Piranha dart among anaconda and boa constrictors in the Amazon river exhibit. Sharks and stingrays glide amid hundreds of colorful tropical fish at the Gulf of Mexico display.
The Tennesee Aquarium’s IMAX Theater, where viewers wear 3-D glasses to watch scintillating animal-themed films like “Into the Deep” and “Wings of Courage,” and the Creative Discovery Museum, where children search for lost dinosaur bones in a science lab and compose musical scores in a state-of-the-art studio, are worthwhile family destinations after leaving the aquarium.
A block from the IMAX theater, recently opened BellSouth Stadium is home to the Chattanooga Lookouts, the Cincinnati Reds’ Double-A affiliate.
South from the river, Chattanooga’s downtown streets are lined with new retail shops and restaurants, which are crowded with locals and out-of-towners are weekend nights. Parked in front of the aquarium, Chattanooga Horse Trams offer horse-drawn carriage rides operated by tuxedo-clad guides with Dalmations by their sides.
For a quirky downtown sidetrip, stop by the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1916, native Chattanoogan Ernest Holmes Sr. helped a friend retrieve his car with three poles, a pulley and a chain hooked to the frame of a 1913 Cadillac. Holmes patented his invention, and the towing industry was born. The museum displays early model tow trucks and towing memorabilia and the hall of fame wing honors individuals who have advanced the industry.
Of course, no adventure in Chattanooga would be complete without a visit to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, popularized by Glenn Miller’s number one song in 1941. At the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Holiday Inn, families can sleep in converted train cars, marvel at a vintage train and ride a 1924 trolley. Waiters sing the “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” as they serve steaks and seafood at the Station House Restaurant.
East of the Walnut Street Bridge, accessible by the riverwalk, is a haven for arts and culture connoisseurs. The Bluff View Arts District is a neighborhood with a European aura. A blighted area just a decade ago, it was revitalized by Dr. Charles Anthony Portera and his wife Mary, who saw potential for a neglected corner of Chattanooga situated near a bluff overlooking the Tennessee River.
The trendy neighborhood now has several boutiques including a coffee shop, a bakery, a chocolate shop, an art gallery and two lavish restaurants. Sculptures dot the neighborhood streets and a sculpture garden offers the site for a leisurely stroll. The Bluff View Inn is a bed and breakfast consisting of three old houses laced with character and decorated with art. The Tudor-style Maclellan House overlooks the river. The Thompson House, a 1908 Victorian mansion, has four rooms and two suites, and a front porch with rockers and swings. The C.G. Martin House, a 1927 Colonial Revival home, has three rooms with gas fireplaces and whirlpool bathtubs.
Perched on a 90-foot limestone bluff which overlooks the Tennessee River on one side and downtown Chattanooga on the other, the Hunter Museum of American Art is a showcase of more than 1,500 paintings and sculptures. Across the street, the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, originally a Victorian-style home, has what some critics have called the finest collections of antique glass and ceramics in the world.
With its topographical features and its role as a railroad hub, Chattanooga was a strategic location during the Civil War. The city was a gateway for supplies to the Confederate Army, and General William Tecumseh Sherman needed control of Chattanooga for his infamous “March to the Sea.” A trip to Chattanooga can be centered on Civil War sites alone, there are so many.
The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park commemorates the battles which led to the eventual Union control of Chattanooga. Composed of sites in Chickamauga, and on Lookout and Signal Mountains, it is the oldest and largest national military park.
Actually in nearby Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, the Chickamauga Battlefield Park Headquarters and Visitor Center details the Battle of Chickamauga, which was won by the Confederates in the fall of 1863. Other sites closer to Chattanooga describe the Battles for Chattanooga and the Battle Above the Clouds on Lookout Mountain – all Union victories.