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Restaurant Scene: Calliope makes New York Times ‘50 Best’ list

Staff photo by Lyric Lewin / On Sept. 9, 2025, Calliope co-owner and chef Khaled AlBanna is photographed at his restaurant, Calliope.
Staff photo by Lyric Lewin / On Sept. 9, 2025, Calliope co-owner and chef Khaled AlBanna is photographed at his restaurant, Calliope. Staff photo by Lyric Lewin / On Sept. 9, 2025, Calliope co-owner and chef Khaled AlBanna is photographed at his restaurant, Calliope.

By Lyric Lewin 4 min read

Early Tuesday, Khaled AlBanna’s phone buzzed with a text to an article link.

“Here are the 50 best places in America right now,” the article stated.

It wasn’t just any list.

It was The New York Times’ fifth annual restaurant list.

Only two restaurants in Tennessee were listed. One in Knoxville — J.C. Holdway — and one in Chattanooga.