There isn’t a time that Rob Gentry, a lifelong Chattanooga resident and restaurateur, can remember when MoonPies weren’t a part of his life.
The snack cakes — which see a layer of marshmallow sandwiched between two round graham crackers and covered in chocolate — were always well-stocked in the home that he and his brother, Clay, grew up in on the north side of the Tennessee River in the 1970s, and the pair would often have them as a treat with a 6.5-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola.
“I just thought it was so cool that they were made here,” said Gentry. “That was part of the fun of it all. We weren’t known for too many things, so it was really neat to have that.”
When Gentry was tasked with developing a dessert for a catering client while operating his now-defunct downtown Chattanooga diner Blue Plate in 2012, he decided to create a cheesecake that incorporated the iconic treat from his childhood. Using a local favorite was in keeping with the spirit of Blue Plate, which sourced many of its menu items, including coffee and bread, from local purveyors. “I’m a big believer in supporting local,” Gentry said.