By Stephanie Edwards

Most people have a childhood memory of riding a carousel.

Perhaps this is the reason Pigeon Forge’s Flying Horse is popular among locals and visitors alike.

The front of the restaurant houses an enormous and ornate carousel from Italy that features sparkling mirrors, 550 lights, 17 leaping horses, two rocking horses, a rocking chariot and a spinning teacup.

A ride on this work of art can be the perfect start to a meal at the Flying Horse Grill.

The carousel is not the only thing that sets this restaurant apart from the rest. Their menu is also extraordinary.

For breakfast, there are more than just a few sinful options such as the following:

•Crémé Brulée French Toast, thick slices of toast dipped in crémé brulée flavored batter, pan-cooked and topped with whipped butter and powdered sugar

•Three Layer Chocolate Cakes, three hand-poured buttermilk pancakes filled with Hershey’s® chocolate chips, dusted with powered sugar and topped with whipped cream

•Pork Chop Breakfast, a grilled pork chop served with two eggs, warm buttered apples, white cheddar cheese grits and homemade biscuits and gravy

Unfortunately, my visit was not at breakfast time so I did not get to try any of these tempting dishes. However, after reading the breakfast menu, I wanted the closest thing to breakfast I could possibly order. I chose the Full Monte.

The restaurant’s spin on the traditional Monte Cristo was amazing. I am not typically a sandwich person, but this concoction changed my mind.

It consisted of a large amount of honey baked ham and oven roasted turkey breast, Swiss and American cheeses stacked on wheat berry bread. Then, it is lightly battered, fried, dusted with powdered sugar and served with raspberry preserves on the side.

I was very intrigued by reading the menu description, and I was a little afraid that the sweet and savory flavors would not make a good combination. But I was completely wrong.

Surprisingly, the melted cheese, turkey and ham are enhanced by the sweetness of the batter and powdered sugar.
At first, I was hesitant to add the raspberry preserves to the sandwich. Why mess with perfection? But when I dared to step outside of my comfort zone, I was pleasantly surprised.

I could only eat about a fourth of the sandwich, but my husband was more than happy to help polish off my leftovers.

The sandwich was served with fries, which had a nice seasoned flavor, and homemade sweet cornbread muffins.

There were several other lunch menu items that called out my name like the following:

•Kentucky Hot Brown, sliced oven roasted turkey breast piled high on Texas toast, covered in a delicious Swiss cheese sauce, vine-ripe tomatoes and Applewood bacon.

•Chicken Pot Pie, tender chicken breast, garden fresh peas, pearl onions, carrots, celery and a cream sauce all baked inside a flaky, puff-pastry crust.

There is also an extensive dinner menu featuring everything from steaks to pasta.

For the most part, the restaurant’s prices are pretty fair, especially considering the amount of food they put on your plate.

The frugal diner will be able to find something on the menu for $10 or less. Of course, if you are really trying to cut back, split the Full Monte. It’s more than enough for two.

I can’t wait to go back to the Flying Horse Grill, but the only problem is that there are so many things that I want to try.

The Flying Horse Grill is located at 2485 Parkway, between traffic lights #2 and #3.

For more information, call (865) 428-7561.