Month: July 2025

Lunch at My Little Italy

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Friends and I recently met at My Little Italy restaurant to have lunch with an Italian flavor. The restuarant is located in the small, former Cheesy Steaks building on Highway 66, but has plenty of parking and dining area. We could smell the wonderful aromas of tomato and garlic as we walked into the door, signaling a good meal to come. Here is what we found.

Within a moment of entering the restuarant, I recognized that the quiet soundtrack playing in the background was correct!

We sat inside the dining area closest to the kitchen and the side door. This is an additional dining area that should accommodate customers well.

I usually like to order lasagna at Italian restaurants so I kept it the same here. There are lots of dishes to choose from and something for everyone. The owner /chef of My Little Italy spent decades working in restaurants in the Little Italy neighborhood in New York City—and you can tell because the flavors really capture that experience.

Here are the dishes that we ordered for lunch.

Greek salad was a starter.

Lasagna with plenty of sauce was excellent.

Of course, spaghetti was very good. The meat sauce was very satisfying.

And the exclamation point at the end of the meal: an order of Tiramisu to share with tablemates.

Wrapping up our meal, I asked the server who was the little boy depicted in the restuarant rugs and signage. The picture of the little boy is the server’s son, the owner’s grandson. Truly, it is a nice representation of a local family business.

You can find My Little Italy restaurant on Facebook to get the latest news. For example, there is a lunch special going on right now between 11:00-3:00 that offers pasta, house salad, drink, and bread for $12.99 . Maybe check Facebook before you visit as they will alert you if there is a repair need and they may have to close, as is the case right now with a kitchen hood repair.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574463236974

My Little Italy is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. It is closed on Sunday.

My friends and I will return again before the summer is over to have another taste of Italy. Anyone who enjoys Italian food will enjoy dining at My Little Italy on 1758 Winfield Dunn Parkway in Sevierville. See you out and about in Sevierville.

Dollywood Heartsong Hotel and Resort

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A while back, I was driving home from the REI store when I realized that I was across the street from the entrance of the Dollywood Heartsong Hotel and Resort. Being a local, I may never stay there so I decided to go and take a peek and maybe see my friend Heidi in the coffee shop. Five minutes later, I was walking into the new resort at Dollywood. Here are the beautiful things that I saw during my quick trip to see the new Dollywood Heartsong Hotel and Resort.

There is a spectacular view when you walk into the front door of the Heartsong Hotel and Resort.

A beautiful photo of Dolly Parton in the entrance area.

Outdoor areas have multiple fire pits and seating areas. Very inviting.

I imagine that this outdoor area is pretty spectacular at night.

There are several lounges for relaxation and meeting friends.

The Acoustic Lobby was the most interesting place on the ground floor and I was attracted to the colors.

Same room, better view!

There is memorabilia in this room that requires some time to examine to appreciate it.

Things to do and open spaces to enjoy relaxing days.

The indoor pool looked rather large through the window and the gift shop had all kinds of amenities.

The coffee shop had a wide variety of treats, snacks, and things to tide you over until meal time.

Pretty things on the walls.

If I get a chance to stay overnight at the Heartsong Lodge and Resort then I will certainly do so because it is a relaxing, inviting place in the Smoky Mountains.