There are two types of people. No, not Republicans and Democrats. Not those who are religious or those who are atheists. The two types of people are introverts and extroverts.
Come Christmas Day, there are folks who will be happy to stay nestled on the couch in their sweatpants, picking over the cinnamon rolls left on the breakfast table, listening to Mariah Carey croon in the background and chatting with Grandpa about his hip replacement. And there are those of us … I mean, extroverts … who will need to, for at least a portion of the day, get out of the house.
If you are one of those people who might need a break from the ever-increasing pile of dishes in the sink, the incessant chatter over music and the onslaught of noise from battery-operated toys — consider taking a day trip to Cloudland.
Cloudland sounds like one of the stops on the Candy Land board game, but I can assure you it is a real place. Just across the Georgia border on Lookout Mountain, McLemore Resort hosts an impressive expanse of golf courses, real estate, a hotel and five different restaurants.
IF YOU GO
Location: 243 Cloudland Drive, Rising Fawn, Ga. 30738
Christmas hours
Croft: Breakfast 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., dinner 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The Pocket Café: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (may stay open later)
Skyside: Closed
The Creag: Closed. Reopens Dec. 26 at 5 p.m.
Auld Alliance: Closed
(READ MORE: Dustin Willett in charge of the ‘thoughtful, balanced’ menu at McLemore)
Four of the restaurants are at the hotel (The Creag is at the Highlands Clubhouse), all helmed by chef Dustin Willett, who guides the concepts of each. On Christmas Day, two of the restaurants will be open, Croft and The Pocket Café.
If you want to commit to the drive on Christmas morning, watch the sun rise as you curve up the mountain and arrive at The Pocket Café (which opens at 6 a.m.). The valet will take your car for you and then open the heavy wooden doors (these are hearkening back to Scottish castles and weigh roughly 2,000 pounds apiece) with the McLemore crest.
Inside, generous windows light the great room that is filled with Christmas trees and other seasonal decorations. Turn to your left on the little balcony that overlooks the great room, and you’ll find The Pocket Café.
I had the latte and Scottish smoked salmon. The generous portion of fish is cured with salt before being smoked, which gives it a complex flavor and helps preserve the meat. The smoked salmon is served on a basic sourdough with chive crème fraîche and a sprinkling of crunchy onions and salty capers. You can also choose from a menu that includes sweet and savory items like a yogurt and granola parfait, which has sweet wildflower honey, or a breakfast flatbread, which has lions mane mushrooms, sausage, cured ham and quail eggs.
You can take your coffee and slip into the library to read on one of the couches (not unlike the one you left at home, but here you do not have to worry about cleaning any dishes). You can also go downstairs to book an appointment at the spa, Selah. A Christmas Day massage, dare I say, is greater than a massage on any other day.
Open on Christmas
Find a list of Chattanooga restaurants open on Christmas Day at timesfreepress.com/open1225
(READ MORE: Restaurant Scene: Best places to get a festive cocktail in Chattanooga)
If you are interested in lunch or dinner, you can book a meal at Croft, a restaurant that advertises itself as “simple fresh food.” I had the grilled chicken thighs — the skins were perfectly crispy and served over a bed of basmati rice with shiitake mushrooms and arugula. The chimichurri balanced the umami of the dish with its finely chopped parsley, garlic and lemony olive oil. Order a sweet tea or a cocktail if you’re feeling like lingering for awhile.
The smoky mac and cheese will be a crowd pleaser for sure. The cavatappi pasta is served with bacon (What dish is not elevated when it’s served with bacon?), and the white cheddar and Mornay sauce is so delectably creamy, everyone will be glad they got off the couch for this Christmas meal. Even the introverts.
Contact Lyric Lewin at llewin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6215. Subscribe to her newsletter, What To Eat Next.