Come home to the Mudcat in Oak Ridge

Chocolate in cookies and steaks I have bitten

Bright shining serving plates washed in the kitchen

Brown, spiced-up burgers all dolloped with greens

These are a few of my favorite things

When the gut growls

And the void stings

When I'm feeling mad

I think the Mudcat in Oak is the thing

And it makes me feel so rad!

So, here we are again, another holiday season. Joy abounds and kindnesses somehow seem more noticeable this year. People are doing their best to make this time special for their loved ones and searching for familiar comfort to soothe their soul.

I've mentioned the Mudcat in Oak Ridge here before. It sits right on the four-way, next to the post office: an old, tin-clad building that used to be a hardware store decades before. This year, a mural has been added to the outside wall, proudly proclaiming that "Hard work deserves good food." Inside, the tables have been changed to large industrial green steel tables, heavy and sealed with varnish. This post-holiday season, the owners are closing to make new improvements, and every time they do, this restaurant gets cooler and more interesting. Right now, there is a sitting room in the back with a beautiful antique couch and a Christmas tree decorated like it belongs in the Grinch's house in Whoville, with whimsical furry green garland, turquoise lilies and lollipops.

Just like the decor, the food at the Mudcat is always evolving. The brainchild of Rebecca Moore, owner, the food never sits still. She is continually dreaming up new plates and combos for revolving daily specials and amazing menu items. She will find a new exotic vegetable or a new spice or invent a new sauce, and the game instantly changes anew into something fresh and wonderful. Her creativity knows no bounds and extends to coming up with a new offering on the fly. She even made a menu item, The Matt, with a description of "sit down and eat what I give you," named after a customer who always does just that. To be honest, unless I'm ordering the excellent fish for Fish Friday, or the special of the day, this is my go-to. I rarely ask for a menu ... pretty much never. It is liberating to have that much confidence in someone cooking food for me.

And so there is a deep sense of familiarity there, too. Rebecca herself, always smiling and boiling over with energy, the rich warm wood casings around the antique windows, the kitchen right there in full view. I never thought that I'd walk into a place and feel so at home, but it has happened. This is my place, as I am sure it is many other people's place, and Rebecca generously shares it with us all.

This year in particular, I feel like she has upped her dessert game. Some things you can reliably find at the Mudcat are cinnamon rolls, soft and rich and loaded with icing or monstrosities of a chocolate chip cookie, almost as wide as two hands and loaded with different kinds of chocolate. Then there are the ones that show up sometimes and are a surprise when you walk in, such as towering chocolate cakes, pecan pies, fruit pies of all sorts, pumpkin pies, bars and cakes and chocolate dipped balls of sugariness.

The Mudcat has installed a delivery window for those wishing to call ahead and pick up their food. You don't even have to go inside if you don't want to, and this too is typical of the Mudcat, because there are options. Lots and lots of options.

I have had steaks that are soft and buttery here, burgers loaded with tangy and savory sauces, stews that wash my face with steam and comfort, fish that is never dry and bursting with flavor, meals thought up on the fly with low carbs and absolutely no disappointment.

I have tried to instill in you the sense of joyful wonder I have with Mudcat, and I hope that you try it soon. You can find this unique place at 4056 Route E in Oak Ridge, and it is closed on Mondays. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and I'll see you next year!