Chattanooga is also known for its international flavors, such as Calliope Restaurant & Bar to the south of the river on East Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard. Headed by Chef Khaled AlBanna, the restaurant serves up some of the best Levantine cuisine in the region; the chicken shawarma and fluffy whipped feta are particular highlights. And just five minutes north of the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, adventurers with an appetite should stop into Han Mi to wrap spicy tteokbokki in pillowy panjeon before tucking into spicy drums of Korean fried chicken; spice levels span from traditional sweet and savory soy garlic to slightly spicier Mongolian Eradicator, to Emotional Damage.

This "modern Leventine" restaurant by chef Khaled AlBanna is one of the city's best places for dinner that feels special, both in terms of food and atmosphere, without being stuffy. Start with a variety of dips like silky smooth hummus and labneh and plenty of house made pita, which arrives at the table puffy and hot. Then, choose from a tempting array of seasonally-inspired dishes, like chicken with hot salsa, cucumber yogurt, and kabsa; roasted beets with red onion, pickled radish, peanut dukkah, and goat cheese; or a whole snapper with harissa, chili, and cabbage slaw.

If you're looking for something totally different than anywhere else I'm about to list for lunch and dinner in Chattanooga, Calliope if the best restaurant choice for you!. While this is a new-ish restaurant to the Chattanooga food scene, they've quickly established a name and a reputation for themselves. Serving up Levantine cuisine in a beautiful two story building, Chef Khaled AlBanna pulls from his roots and childhood where he was born in Jordan and raised in Cairo, Egypt eating many variations of the food he now serves in his Chattanooga restaurant.

Calliope is the kind of lively and welcoming joint every neighborhood deserves, offering everything from creative cocktails and small plates to Sofra, a full-on feast of the chef-owner Khaled AlBanna’s picks. The vibrant menu pays homage to his Jordanian roots with modern twists on his family’s recipes. All of the assorted spreads, from the silky hummus drizzled with herby green shatta to the whipped feta accompanied by nutty-sweet hawayej, are sublime, and arrive with piping hot and puffy pita bread.

Calliope Restaurant made the move from Rossville in North Georgia to Chattanooga in 2022 when it reopened in the Proof Bar & Incubator. Chef Khaled Albanna creates dishes that bring the flavors of his childhood in Amman, Jordan to Chattanooga and Calliope's cocktails are designed to compliment the unique flavors. Next time you're there try the Wadi Rum, a surprising and refreshing combination of rum, apricot liquor, passion fruit, mint, and black sea salt.

This new incubator dining stop, Calliope Restaurant, offers food from Chef Khaled Albanna. He brought ideas from his childhood in Amman, Jordan, to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mixing southern influences cooking with open fire and coals, he brings the Levant culture and traditions to Chattanooga.

- Rating: 4.8/5 (120 reviews)- Price level: $$$- Address: 422 East M L King Blvd. Chattanooga, Tennessee - Categories: Cocktail Bars, Seafood, Caterers- Read more on Yelp. This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 319 metros.

Let me start by saying that this place is a game-changer in the culinary scene of Chattanooga!. From the moment I stepped in, I knew I was in for a treat. The atmosphere was inviting, with a perfect blend of modern elegance and a rustic charm.

(Lobster mac n cheese and roasted Brussels sprouts….yawn.) A friend took us to Calliope, and we loved it, but it is more casual than we are looking for.

I’ve also heard great things about Calliope and Six18 and they are on my list to try, but I haven’t been yet.