I went to a unique place in Nashville called The Listening Room Café. This was a restaurant where you get to enjoy a meal while listening to musicians / songwriters from the industry tell their stories. It was an interesting concept that made perfect sense in the Music City.
The day I visited I was going to see the Warren Brothers. They are singer / songwriter siblings, Brett and Brad Warren. They have written songs for the most famous of famous country singers.
While I waited to go into the theater area, I got myself a glass of Merlot. They have a nice bar area to sit and relax before the main attraction. I got to walk around and look at different pictures on the wall.
Inside the main area was a stage and tables all lined up facing the stage. The crowd got situated at the tables and the wait staff came over to get our drinks orders.
I started with the Dolly Sangria. I can only assume this was named after country music legend, Dolly Parton. This sangria used white wine, cocchi torino (a Vermouth), and cocchi Americano (an aromatized sweet wine). With all the ingredients this was a sweet sangria. They did not put any fruit in this, but it was refreshing on its own.
They started bringing out the food. They served it all family style. We had no problem passing everything around the table. I started off with the Caesar salad. It was a classic salad. They chopped up their lettuce well, which made it easier to eat.
The other starter was a homemade buffalo chicken dip. The chicken was shredded and tossed completely in the sauce. It had an awesome tang to it and had a creamy texture. They served it with tortilla chips which added a nice crunch. However, I enjoyed eating the chicken by itself.
Before the main dishes came out I orders a different cocktail to try. I went for the Carly’s “Hide the Wine Sangria”. This was red wine with a blended with lime, lemon, orange, and peach juices. Despite all the juices, this sangria was not as sweet as I expected.
The main dishes started coming out. I got to enjoy pulled pork along with roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts.
The pork did not have BBQ sauce on it. A few people asked for some on the side. I decided to enjoy it plain. The pork was moist and had a great smoky flavor. There were also some nice pieces of bark mixed throughout the meat.
The roasted potatoes were tender red potatoes. The seasoning they cooked them in was savory, while the potatoes themselves were sweet. The brussels sprouts were charred well to create a smoky taste as well.
While we were eating the Warren Brothers came out. They stared telling stories about where they were from and how they got started in the business.
Between the stories they played some of the songs that they helped create. One of the last songs they sang was “Red Solo Cup”. I was surprised to learn that they were the ones that wrote that song. It was fun hearing everyone in the audience start singing.
While we were listening to their stories, the desserts came out. It was a plate of assorted cheesecakes. The cheesecake was creamy and had a great taste. The plain was my favorite because all I could taste was the cake. The other ones that had toppings were good too, just overpowered by the toppings.
At the end of the show the Warren Brothers took pictures with every person in the audience. They were the nicest people.
The Listening Room Café was a fun experience that I would go back to. Every show would be a different experience. I have never seen a venue like this before in any of my travels.
Check them out at www.listeningroomcafe.com
Enjoy!
T
