Let me begin by saying how much I enjoy international foods. I absolutely love going to a new restaurant and testing the waters so to speak, so when I heard about Günthor's Galley, I was ecstatic. Finally, a viking/Scandinavian themed restaurant and in Knoxville of all places.

Boy was I surprised. Knoxville's newest cultural oddity moved into the now defunct Ruby Tuesday's in Knoxville Center Mall. That alone could have spelt its downfall, but I said, "No, Günthor's won't let me down, there will be mead, slabs of meat, and women named Broomhelga."

Not only did the Galley not contain any of these objects/people, but it lacked a personality. I found it little different from the Ruby's there before it. The waiters looked the same, the food looked the same (or worse), and there was definitely no additions to the liquor selection.

No, Günthor's won't let me down, there will be mead, slabs of meat, and women named Broomhelga Of course, Seafood comprised the majority of the menu as would be expected of a Scandinavian replica, but where was the herring? Where was the stew? And since when did the North Sea have catfish? Now obviously I couldn't expect a 300-pound bearded man to come up and throw down a slab of protein, but they could have at least tried to make it authentic.

I will give the crew of the galley some credit. The "hush muffins" were good. Günthor's took the idea of a standard hush puppy and gave it a few twists. They changed some of the flour to make it slightly more doughy and added a few secret ingredients. This amalgamation creates an inconsistently moist southern delicacy.

If you were looking for mead, not all hope is lost. The kitchen apparently marinades its beef in the honey libation, but when asked for a pint, the owner explained he didn't think to clear it with Tennessee's Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Jeesh. Fortunately the meal isn't a total loss, the beef is edible.

For the more adventurous, Günthor's offers it Valhalla shot, a fat fried oyster served in a shot glass (which you get to keep). Alas, it was the month of August so my party didn't partake in the oyster shoot.

The service was good, and our wench (sorry, I had to use the middle-aged lingo) did jokingly battle someone for a pitcher of sweet tea. Overall though, the dinner lacked the luster I had so hoped for.

Günthor's Galley had the opportunity to do something great, but the short-sightedness of the owners left me to wallow in my hunger.