The Heirloom Room: Vegetable Masala Pot Pie

I wasn’t expecting much in the way of great food in Gatlinburg. Given the fact that the city essentially Myrtle Beach in the mountains and is wall-to-wall pancake houses, I figured our meals would be less exciting culinary experiences and more straight fuel for hiking.

The Heirloom Room proved me wrong.

We stayed down the street and the neon sign served as Gatsby’s green light at the end of the dock - beckoning us with promise of greater things to come, so we popped in for an appetizer and a drink before dinner.

Gatlinburg’s green light: The Heirloom Room shining bright in downtown Gatlinburg, TN.

This was a mistake.

We should have stayed for dinner, eaten our weight in focaccia, and come back for breakfast the next morning.

The Heirloom Room is the best restaurant in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

The star of the show: Vegetable Masala Pot Pie featuring root veggies in a spiced curry béchamel under flaky pastry.

Soft, salty, and loaded with herbs, The Heirloom Room’s complimentary house-made focaccia is worth the trip alone.

The Spot: The Heirloom Room

• Location: 333 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

• Vibe: Upscale yet cozy mountain cabin vibes with a patio and view of the Little Pigeon River.

 

The Bite: Masala Vegetable Pot Pie

• Price:

  • $10

• Vegetarian Status: Vegetarian, probably not vegan.

The Flavor Breakdown

Ever taste something and have it hit you like a revelation? That’s the masala vegetable pot pie at The Heirloom Room. It’s such a simple concept and it makes so much sense that I can’t believe I’ve never tasted it before.

I’ve grown up eating vegetable curry and I’ve made vegetable pot pies before (biscuit-topped because I’m not about to faff about with puff pastry) and I cannot believe I’ve never thought to marry the two concepts.

Thankfully, The Heirloom Room did and they did so beautifully. A simple and delicately spiced mix of root vegetables like potatoes and carrots, corn, onions and peas in a lightly spiced béchamel sauce (curry powder as opposed to a masala blend like garam masala, chaat masala or chhole masala) topped with a light flaky pastry. It’s served as a side but is the perfect size for a light entree.

The Heirloom Room’s famous bread and crock of softened salted butter accompanies every meal and it is famous for a reason - it’s a salty, soft and herby foccacia and I could have easily eaten an entire loaf.

Especially if accompanied by their hot sauce flight ($4).

If I see a hot sauce flight on a menu, I’m morally obligated to order it.

• Mild: A bright green shishito pepper sauce.

• Medium: A garlicky fresno pepper sauce.

• Hot: A fruity pineapple-habanero.

All three were deeply flavorful without being blisteringly spicy. Will fell in love with the pineapple-habanero, which filled me with pride because I’m raising a bougie gentleman who willingly tastes hot sauce, turns his nose up at Kraft mac and cheese and is always down to accompany me on my culinary adventures.

Every Indian and Mexican restaurant in America needs to steal this idea immediately.

Bonus Shoutout: Every restaurant in town needs to hire servers like Mandy. She is the epitome of Southern hospitality and should be teaching university-level hospitality courses.

The Beverages: The Homestead

• Price: $14

Alcoholic alchemy: The Homestead cocktail featuring rum, peach, habanero hot honey, and singed sage.

The older I get, the more understand the intersection of witchcraft, feminism and feminine identity. The Homestead is as close to a magic potion as it gets. A rum-based cocktail, the drink also features lime juice, Bitter Truth apricot liqueur, Regan’s Orange bitters, peach infused syrup, habanero hot honey and singed sage.

This kind of mixology is closer to alchemy than it is mere bartending and I can safely say this is one of the best drinks I’ve had all year.

One Mouthy Sandwich Girl Rating:

• Flavor & Freshness:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪 - both the pot pie and hot sauce flight

• Value for Buck:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪

  • $14 for a fantastic meal. My Taco Bell order costs more than that and 90% of the time, I immediately regret ordering Taco Bell.

• Vegetarian Variety:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪

  • Lots of vegetarian options - a few appetizers, soup, salads and one entree consisting of a cumin roasted half cauliflower served with Vadouvan yogurt sauce, toasted pinenuts, salted chickpeas and chimichurri

• The Verdict:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪

  • This is the best restaurant in Gatlinburg and the best meal we had on our trip. If you are anywhere near this area, stop in at The Heirloom Room for a meal.