Cookie Jar Café will be supporting the Sequatchie County Valley Fest April 20 and 21, bringing delicious desserts and southern favorites for festival goers to enjoy.
"It's hosted in downtown Dunlap," says Sue Ann Lockhart, owner of the Dunlap restaurant that opened in 2001. "We're actually going to be set up down there selling a couple of different items, food wise. We're going to have our smoked pork and smoked corn on the cob. We're going to have our chicken and dumplings and some different vegetables and desserts. We'll have cupcakes for sure."
The third annual Valley Fest is an opportunity for Chattanoogans to drive into the valley and enjoy the splendor of spring while seeing what the valley has to offer in food, crafts and entertainment. There will be games for kids, a car show and other events throughout the weekend.
Catfish plateBack on the family farm and at Cookie Jar Café, guests are welcome to also enjoy the beautiful spring scenery, delicious southern recipes made from scratch and the restaurant's free petting zoo.
"Our farmland is open and so we have all our baby animals out," Lockhart says. "They can enjoy it while they wait or after their meal. Kids love it. We have a baby lamb, a turkey, chickens, goats, a baby calf, a pig and a miniature mule."
During the spring and summer, Cookie Jar often hosts school field trips. Students are given a hayride tour and a trip to the family's barn to see how equipment works and how the cows are milked. Most schools bring their own lunches and dine under the covered pavilion, but students and teachers are welcome to order lunch from the restaurant.
COOKIE JAR CAFÉLOCATED: 1887 Kelly Cross Road, DunlapPHONE: 949-5852HOURS: Tuesday - Saturday, 10:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.Sunday from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.(All times Central)
This spring, Cookie Jar's menu is changing to include new items like a pork rib-eye, an extremely moist and tasty cut of meat that Lockhart says is already a favorite. Guests can also enjoy southern traditional favorites like chicken livers, fried catfish and the ever popular grilled meatloaf. For dessert there are dozens of items to choose from and Lockhart says she is excited that fresh strawberries will be coming at the beginning of May, depending on the weather.
"We're trying to do a dessert of the month, which will give us a little more variety," Lockhart says. "This month, we are going to do a Butterfinger torte. It's something I came up with myself. We tried it this weekend and sold out of it."