Welcome To The Chattanooga
Food and Beverage Scene By Douglas Beliakoff

I am Douglas Beliakoff, and I'm your Chattanooga food and beverage connection. I am very excited to be part of this entire “Underground” project as I spend most of my time working, dining out, and educating myself about this industry.

I have been in Food and Beverage on a variety of levels since 1995. One day, I picked up a part-time job as a server for extra money and ended up jumping in with both feet. Back then, Chattanooga seemed to have only a handful of good restaurants to choose from and people often complained that there was “no good places to eat out”. This meant that there was also very few quality choices for restaurant work. That has certainly changed!

I have worked a wide range of positions, from hotel server to event coordinator, from casual atmospheres to private club dining. Along the way, I have developed wonderful relationships with people in the industry, allowing me to visit many places that I would not ordinarily go. I like to stay available and flexible for banquets and parties to keep things interesting and expand my knowledge.

I live with a chef, so I am blessed with new culinary experiences every day. We explore a lot of foods and techniques together, but also eat over half of our meals “out”. When we travel, we research restaurants in the area and make dining out part of the fun and less of a necessity.

I have really watched Chattanooga food and beverage grow in the 13 years that I have been here. Chattanooga is the 4th largest and the fastest growing city in Tennessee. With the renaissance of its beautiful downtown and riverfront development, new restaurants and eateries are popping up all over the place. We also have a collection of restaurants that set the par for us about 15-20 years ago and, even as the new restaurants come and go, these well developed establishments continue to deliver great food and service while surprising us every day with new ideas and cuisine.

Thanks for joining us! I hope to bring my experiences with Food and Beverage Underground to you in an entertaining and enlightening way!