Hot Tomato Summer is so back. The annual celebration of Duke’s Mayonnaise and tomatoes returns to Knoxville for the second year, beginning on Thursday, July 17 and continuing through Sunday, July 27.
How it works
Now in its fifth year, the Duke’s Mayo event encourages local restaurants to get creative with tomato + mayonnaise-themed specials. The public then votes to help determine the winner of the coveted Golden Tomato Award. See last year’s winners.
Seven cities will participate in Hot Tomato Summer this year. The collab started with Richmond in 2021, but has since expanded to include Charleston, Charlotte, Greenville, Raleigh, Virginia Beach, and K-Town.
Knoxville Specials
A total of nine local spots will participate in this year’s event — these are a few of the specials we’re most looking forward to.
- Maple Hall (last year’s Golden Tomato winner) | Fried Green Tomatoes: Fresh green tomatoes breaded with hush puppy cornmeal + served with a tangy southwestern aioli for dipping.
- Small Comforts Kitchen | Tomato-Pesto Focaccia Sandwich: Heirloom tomatoes, arugula, housemade pesto, Duke’s mayo, and Benton’s bacon on a gluten-free focaccia sandwich.
- Otsu! | Miso Honey Veg Skewer: Miso honey-glazed veggie skewer with cherry tomatoes, eggplant, and shishito pepper served with a Duke’s yuzu and sansho pepper dipping sauce.
- Red Panda Grocery | Tomato Focaccia: Sliced tomatoes, blistered grape tomato focaccia, roasted tomato mayo, arugula, pistachio pesto, and fresh mozzarella.
- Kaizen | Tomat-O-Nigiri: Grilled onigiri with sliced tomatoes, Szechuan Duke’s, Bulldog sauce, Togarashi, and Thai basil.
