New adventures prove satisfying

Everyday we are faced with countless decisions to make -- what to eat, what to wear and what to do with our time, to name a few. One of the defining characteristics of human nature is the tendency to take the simplest route available.

Although we are undeniably a curious group of beings, people generally lean toward tradition rather than adventure, when given a choice. Who can resist the simplicity and regularity of a Big Mac, large fries and a Coke?

For that matter, who hasn't broken down after lengthy debate on where to eat Saturday night to settle for a grilled chicken sandwich with your choice of side at the neighborhood Applebee's?

What I'm getting at here is the need for adventure in daily life. This isn't found in the latest Steven Spielberg dinosaur epic.

Instead, this invigoration can be found by simply breaking routine, by taking a new, though not necessarily quicker, route home, by trying an unfamiliar restaurant or even a different dish at your favorite culinary establishment.

With these ventures into the unknown comes a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as the happiness found in their reflection. This occurred to me Sunday night as I followed friends to see Desperate Measures, and have a quick bite at Applebee's.

How standard can one evening be? A typical action-thriller, complete with "tag lines," such as, "Dad, you can catch him, he's tired!," an outlaw hero (Andy Garcia), a villain (Michael Keaton) and of course, a sick child.

Although dinner was no less "Greek" to me -- it was quite tasty -- but no more so than the numerous other times I've thrown a few bucks to Applebee's.

On the drive home that evening, I was overwhelmed with disappointment. Left with no interest in writing about this night's events, I decided upon a need for adventure in this week's column.

This urge for conquest led me to Tjaarda's in the Old City, for a mid-week feast that would surely cost more than Applebee's but hopefully would return my funds in flavor.

Mike Tjaarda, one of the founding fathers of an Old City-favorite, Lucille's in 1989, opened his namesake establishment in the fall of 1994 to fill a noticeable void of vegetarian cuisine in Knoxville. A vegetarian himself, Tjaarda wanted to give diners of this town an alternative to their favorite haunts, and with that, a desperately needed touch of culture.

Tjaarda's features a surprisingly-priced ($9-to-$15) menu with vegetarian and seafood entrees from a number of ethnicities, such as Pierogies, stir fry vegetables, fajitas, crepes and a delightful tofu, portabella mushroom curry.

Additionally, they have ample variations of seafood, highlighted by New Zealand Mussels, tuna steak and salmon. They are also quite willing to take requests for seasonal seafood and vegetables and recommend that you give them a call.

As I sat down, I was immediately greeted by a friendly member of the service staff, who introduced me to their nightly specials, including the "soup of the moment," "today's fresh catch" and the "vegetarian special of the day." As I pondered these, I realized I would need my pocket ingredient-thesaurus to get a clear picture of what I was ordering.

Undoubtedly witness to the confused look on my face, the server recommended that I try an appetizer of "marinated, grilled vegetable skewers," which come with shrimp or tofu on either end, served on a bed of brown rice and black beans and topped with a spicy fruit salsa.

He then paraded the reasonably priced wine list, ranging from $15 to $28, which features impressive selections such as Black Opal and Barbera. Unwilling to share a bottle with myself, a Liberty Ale from their extensive bottled beer selection that includes Rogue Mocha Porter and Abita Turbo Dog was chosen.

As I nursed a second Liberty and polished off my delicious opener, the server arrived with my entree, tofu's whole grain sister, "grilled tempeh with a spicy Thai peanut sauce," complimented warmly by lentils and peppers.

As my stomach became increasingly satisfied with each bite, my mind wandered to the interesting decor of Tjaarda's. Intrigued, I asked my server, who informed me that the walls are adorned with work by a regional artist, one of six throughout the year.

Walt Fieldsa is currently on display, and coincidentally is who should be contacted to display your art, a concept that Tjaarda is open to, and encourages.

Leaving no room for dessert, I hurried off to catch The Sweet Hereafter, a Canadian film showing at The Terrace Theater. Knowing nothing of the film except that it won the Grand Prix award at the 50th annual Cannes Film Festival last year, I was ecstatic about the opportunity to tackle this true adventure.

As I handed the vendor a nominal $3 fee (Monday and Tuesday only at the Terrace), I reminded myself how bored I was while screening that nameless action-thriller. I decided to ignore my preconceived notions of this "artsy" (at one point I realized I was the only one in the theater who couldn't speak fluid French) film -- It will be slow. It will be depressing (The subject matter of the film is a school bus tragedy). It's like going to class.

To my delight, The Sweet Hereafter was interesting, while slow. It was enlightening, though depressing and I stayed awake, which in no way resembles class. Blatantly stated, the film made me think, which I tend to view as a good thing.

Director and screenwriter Atom Egoyan used a history in short film, theater (recently Salome) and opera, where he recently constructed the libretto for Elsewhereless, to create an eloquent feature that tackles such difficult issues as parent-child relations, incest, people's misconceptions of one-another and dealing with the loss of loved-ones.

The acclaimed director of Exotica (1994), uses the "Pied Piper" children's fable as a catalyst to navigate the audience through a maze of flashbacks and a number of narrators. It is the manner in which Egoyan toys with the chronology of the story that makes it so successful at evoking, and in some cases, suppressing, emotion from the viewer.

For this reason, I foresee The Sweet Hereafter as a major presence at this year's Academy Awards.

My experiment was a success, although all adventures won't be (that's what makes them adventures). The Sweet Hereafter is a gem. Tjaarda's is among a rare breed of fine-cuisine establishments in Knoxville.

It is open for dinner Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and until 11 on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are recommended for parties of six or more. Tjaarda's is located at 118 S. Central, across from Little Sister's and Zubee's Boutique's, in the Old City.