Super Surprising Wednesday {Allan and Lisa Mueller | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

Today was full of wonderful surprises. The first surprise was the gorgeous weather. Even though the forecast called for sunshine and warm temperatures we were surprised it was such a perfect day. The second surprise was lunch. Allan and I ventured into the Mechanicsville section of downtown Knoxville to meet several photography friends for lunch. We have never visited this part of town and weren't sure what to expect but the minute we pulled up to 501 Arthur we knew it would be a fabulous experience. The building immediately reminded me of New Orleans with it's black scroll ironwork and upstairs covered balcony and I would learn shortly after arriving that a previous owner, who operated a store and small restaurant, was from NOLA. We were invited to lunch by Tinah Utsman, who was accompanied by Lindsay, a budding photographer, and later joined by fellow photographer Bryan Allen (BA).

The inside of 501 Arthur was even more interesting than the outside. Everywhere I looked there was art.

We commandeered the largest table in the restaurant and ordered cold drinks- lemonade and iced tea. There is an old-fashioned cooler full of every kind of soda imaginable. It took Allan and I a few minutes to read the menu and make a choice since everything sounded delicious.

Lunch was filled with lively conversation and before we knew it everyone was getting up to leave. Allan and I thoroughly enjoyed our meals- I had the chef salad accompanied by delicious bread and a cup of  tomato bisque and Allan managed a Firehouse sandwich, aptly named for the neighboring fire station. Unique and filling! After paying our tabs and chatting with Mike, the owner, for a few moments we headed outside to enjoy the sunshine.

Mike is now the proud owner of a Sassy Glass Studio business card!

Mike and another guy named Mike both rode their motorcycles to 501 Arthur and I couldn't resist capturing a few photos including one of Tinah vamping for the camera.

Lindsay loves color!

Emmanuel waited on us when we first arrived and before we left he hopped up on Mike's motorcycle and posed for me.

This was a perfect lunch on a perfect day. We can't wait to go back to 501 Arthur again soon!

Visit the 501 Arthur website for directions and to view the menu.

Images in this blog post were captured with the point and shoot. Visit our website to view our professional photography, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.