1885 game face brings its

This month, athletes from all over the world will travel to Chattanooga for Ironman — and it is up to local businesses to represent our fair city in the most delicious way possible. 1885 is one such restaurant that is stepping up to the plate, filling it with a bevy of new steak and seafood specials.

Located in the heart of historic St. Elmo, 1885 is now offering a number of decadent, protein-packed dishes on special. An example includes its “coffee and cream” New York strip steak, served with purple Peruvian mashed potatoes and roasted baby carrots, featuring a cream sauce made using locally roasted Goodman’s coffee, aged in a Chattanooga Whiskey barrel. Another example is the restaurant’s steamed lobster tail appetizer, made with lobster flown in from Maine, white wine and shallots, and served on a bed of linguine.

“A lot of people have been asking for more steak and seafood dishes — other than just fish,” said 1885 partner and manager Miguel de Jesus.

All 1885’s rotating surf-and-turf specials are listed on the restaurant’s Facebook page when they are available. And come Sept. 21-25, all of the Ironman contenders will be able to sample 1885’s fresh specials courtesy of a $25 food voucher.

Every year, Miguel explained, the city provides Ironman participants with a voucher to be spent at one of eight local restaurants. In the spirit of the city, 1885 donated 20 percent of those vouchers.

After all, representing the Scenic City entails more than cooking up beautiful meals. It means generosity, too — yes. But sometimes, it also means a bit of competition.

On Sept. 24, 1885 will be defending its champion chicken wing title for the fourth year in a row during the Chattanooga Market’s Scenic City Wing Cook-off. Be sure to bring your game face to the event. You don’t have to be a triathlete to eat like one.