The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, about 40 minutes southeast of Knoxville, is technically a day trip but worth including for anyone interested in Southern grain cooking. The 1830 grist mill still operates, grinding corn and grains sold in the adjacent store, and the restaurant built around it is one of the better places to eat traditional Southern food in the region.
The menu centres on corn chowder, grits, trout, country ham, and biscuits — all made with stone-ground grains from the mill. The setting is genuine rather than contrived: the waterwheel turns, the mill smells of grain, and the cooking reflects the local tradition rather than a theme-park version of it. The queues at weekends can be long; go on a weekday morning or early for dinner.