Chattanooga Pulse

The year 1992 marked the beginning of something big in Chattanooga: revitalization of the downtown area was underway, the Tennessee Aquarium opened to the public, and the Moses family started dishing up healthy, delicious food, all made lovingly from scratch at 212 Market.

Mother Maggie Moses, a registered dietician, and daughters Susan, a chef with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, and Sally, who worked her way through college both cooking and serving, developed 212 Market from the ground up.

“At first, we thought of a funky bakery with eat in and take outs located in the downtown area.,” says Sally Moses.  “It morphed into a larger lunch dinner and catering spot across the street from the upcoming aquarium site.”  Mother and daughters bring their unique personalities and talents to the table in a recipe for success.

“Maggie holds us together by literally working 7 days a week in all areas—by choice! She keeps us focused. Chef Susan creatively reworks favorites, using inspiration from a lifetime of travels, off-shore fishing, art and sourcing local ingredients,” says Sally.  “I am more of a ‘filler-in’ person, used primarily to run the front, order wine, share bookwork and sub in the kitchen when needed. We tag team very well and have an amazing staff that adds their ideas daily. Many have been with us for more than a decade.”

With props to their funky bakery idea, 212 Market’s uniforms started as shorts and paint-splattered aprons…that is, until customers started asking for more formality.  “Now,” Sally tells us, “we are starting to slide back to the eclectic, individualized look and feel of service, while the chefs sport their own concepts of ‘haute cuisine’ fashion.”

Those aren’t the only changes that have been made at 212 since 1992.  Although 212 Market has always been an eco-conscious restaurant, they became a Certified Green Restaurant in 2007.  The Green Restaurant Association awards this certification to only the most ecologically aware and holds their certified restaurants to stringent guidelines, asking questions as in depth as whether a restaurant recycles its grease and what type of light bulbs are being used in the restaurant.

212 uses compact fluorescent bulbs and LED exterior lights.  They have an herb and flower garden on the premises, and redirect rainwater and the condenser on the roof to the garden.  They recycle paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and metal; donate their used fry oil to be converted into biodiesel and meat scraps to a local wildlife curator for red wolves, coyotes and foxes.

212 Market is also a member of Slow Food. “According to Bill McKibben, author and expert on global warming, most food travels 1,500-2,000 miles before landing on the plate,” says Sally Moses.  “Buying local means less diesel fuel used and fewer CO2 emissions.”  212 uses local vendors like Crabtree Farms, Pickett Farm Trout, Benton’s Bacon, Frassrand Figs, and Mountain View Mushrooms. The restaurant also changes its menu seasonally, based on local in-season foods—another initiative to create an ecologically sustainable restaurant.

Beyond being a Certified Green Restaurant, one of only two in Tennessee, 212 is listed as the featured restaurant in the 2010 AAA Tour Book, and has been a Wine Spectator awards winner going on 11 years.  212 recently became the first “Bicycle Friendly Business” in Tennessee, having been awarded this designation by The League of American Cyclists.

The restaurant’s spinach salad has been featured at the James Beard House in New York.   It is accented with toasted hazelnut vinaigrette, crumbled blue cheese, sliced fresh apples from Pikeville and bacon from Benton, Tennessee.  The seafood bisque is fantastic, with crawfish, brandy, trinity veg and cream.  The chocolate truffle cake is decadently rich and a great way to end a meal.

212 Market, while a very special place to eat, is not just for special occasions.  There are very affordable wine selections and a half-price wine list on Tuesdays, and around 14 selections on their lunch menu for less than $7. And their dinner menu has changed to reflect the economy.

The web site sums it up best:  “At 212, we offer you the warmth and comfort of traditional Southern hospitality, combined with a world-class culinary experience.”

212 Market, 212 Market Street, downtown Chattanooga. Lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Dinner Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m.- 10 p.m., and Sunday 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.  212 Market serves weekend brunch, and will be serving brunch on Christmas Eve. (423) 265-1212.