Five Points in East Nashville is a great location where lots of unique shops and restaurants are popping up. There is a Mexican restaurant called Cilantro that I highly recommend.
They have a great bar area toward the back on the restaurant. It is decorated beautifully.
They serve ice cold beers, in giant mugs.
They have a selection of margarita flavors to choose from. And they can be ordered in pitchers. So, this is perfect for sharing. We ordered a strawberry margarita pitcher. It was sweet and tart, and very refreshing because it was so cold.
The chips and salsa were constantly flowing. The salsa was freshly made, and you could tell as soon as you tasted it. It was not too spicy but had a nice kick.
The loaded chicken nachos were amazing. It was a huge portion and was perfect for sharing. They used a ton of cheese and the chicken had an amazing grilled flavor.
Cilantro is great, authentic Mexican restaurant to check out when you are in Nashville.
Downtown Nashville seems to be growing every day. There are so many restaurants and bars to select from. City Tap is a great place to check out. They have a great bar area to watch you favorite team and a dining room area that is perfect for Sunday brunch.
My visit was for brunch. The table started with mimosas. They do mimosas a little different here. For a set price they bring you a whole bottle of champagne and a selection of juices so that you can make your own. It is great for the table. We go orange and pineapple juice.
We ordered a pepperonipizza for the table. It is big enough for sharing. The crust was fluffy and they put on a ton of pepperoni.
The grilled cheese and tomato soup was a classic dish that was so comforting. They used grilled sour dough bread with 3 cheeses: American, cheddar, and pepperjack. The homemade tomato soup was extremely creamy.
The French toast was a beautiful dish, especially if you want breakfast. They used big slices of bread which helped make this dish large. They topped the bread with fresh fruit and whipped cream. It almost made it a dessert. The French toast had a nice, sweet taste.
City Tap is a great place. They get really busy on the weekends so I would recommend making a reservation.
So, it is graduation weekend from East Tennessee State University. It is a special day, and it was the graduate’s choice on where to go for dinner. Johnson City has many options, and it was the Label Restaurant that won the honor.
Label offered a great happy hour – even on a Saturday. If you like bourbons, then this is the place for you, they have over 200. Their food menu offers everything from burgers, steaks, and fresh sushi. So everyone in our party would find something they could enjoy.
Now we had just come from a three-hour graduation ceremony, needless to say we were all hangry. Before we even ordered drinks, we put in some orders for appetizers.
The first appetizer was Crab Rangoon. These were wontons stuffed with crab salad. They were fried up till the wontons were crispy. The cream cheese that was in the crab salad melted during the cooking process. This made each bite creamy and crispy. The filling flavor was perfect, there was a slight richness to it. They put a firecracker aioli and sweet chili sauce on the plate for dipping. It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.
The next appetizer was Edamame. There was a pile of freshly steamed edamame with some sea salt on the side. You could put on as much as you would like. As I popped out the edamame from the shells, I could not help but admire how fresh it all tasted.
Now the Garlic Fries were a hit at the table. There was a pound of fresh cut fries that were tossed with garlic, herbs, and parmesan cheese. These had an amazing salty taste that complemented the sweetness of the potato. They served a BBQ aioli on the side for dipping. Some folks at the table used it but I really enjoyed the flavor of the fries all on their own.
The final appetizer that we devoured was the PotStickers. These were pork and veggie filled and they were seared until the outside of the wonton wrapper was crispy, but still soft. They served soy ginger dipping sauce on the side. These pot stickers had a amazing savory flavor to them. The seasoning that they used on the pork and vegetables was amazing. I could taste garlic and ginger with perhaps a hint of cilantro.
Now those were enough appetizers to hold us over until our entrees arrived. It was an assortment of main dishes that we ordered. That was the beauty of Label.
To start with I ordered the Blackened Salmon. It was an 8oz salmon filet that was blackened perfectly with a slight salty taste. They put red pepper jam on top, that was amazing. It added more sweetness than heat. They also served asparagus and cheese grits on the plate. I really enjoyed the cheese grits. They were buttery and creamy.
The Bison Chopped Steak was a unique dish on the menu. The bison was tender and extremely savory. They served homemade brown gravy, mushrooms, and sauteed onions on top. This added even more intense savory flavor. The mashed potatoes helped make this a comfort food and a great way to use up all the extra gravy on the plate.
Another dish ordered was the Herb Chicken. This grilled chicken breast had wonderful seasoning on it. The carrots had a pesto cream sauce on top, which accented the chicken perfectly. The interesting side was the black rice. I had never seen black rice before. Black rice is apparently higher in nutrients compared to other rice. What gives the rice its color is anthocyanins (an antioxidant).
As I mentioned earlier, Label also has sushi on the menu. There were two rolls ordered. The Smoky Mountain Roll was unique. It was spicy tuna, cream cheese, and cucumber topped with smoked salmon, eel sauce, tobiko, green onions, tempura flakes, and firecracker aioli. There was a lot going on with this roll, but the elements definitely worked together. This was a filling roll.
The classic Spicy Tuna Roll was also ordered. The spicy tuna was blended with cucumber. It was topped with tobiko and togarashi.
Their list of burgers was extensive. Many, many choices. There were two Politician Burgers ordered at the table. This burger used Kobe beef for the patty. Truffle parmesan cheese was on top along with Southern craft house cured bacon, and sliced tomato. The burger was very juicy and tender. The Kobe beef just melted in your mouth.
The food was all amazing at Label. Everyone at the table ate so much, and everyone was satisfied. Our waitress was fantastic and took good care of the entire table. I would recommend everyone try Label Restaurant if they are in Johnson City.
A couple of years ago I visited Blackbird Bakery in Bristol, Virginia. Bristol is a about 45 minute drive from Johnson City, Tennessee. We were recently back in town for a college graduation and decided to take a road trip to Bristol to get some dessert. Half of the family had never been to the bakery before, so we were excited to share this wonderful place with them.
Blackbird offers a variety of sweet treats. They have homemade ice cream, donuts, muffins, cupcakes, and assorted pastries. Since there always is a line, you have plenty of time to decide what to order.
We ordered an assortment of things so we could try them all. The donuts seemed to be the most popular items during the visit. We grabbed a chocolate frosted and a chocolate sprinkle. They were nice size donuts. The donut itself was fluffy. It was not overly sweet because they did not put any glaze over the donut. The dough had its own subtle sweetness and the chocolate icing provided additional sweetness.
A cannoli was also ordered. The shell was crispy. They used a generous amount of the filling, which was extra creamy. The chocolate chips mixed throughout the filling added a nice crunch and texture.
We ordered a cheesecake as well. They had a few to choose from and we got the raspberry cheesecake. There was a raspberry puree drizzled on top. Mixed throughout the cheesecake was raspberry filling. It was creamy and very rich. It was the perfect dessert for sharing. The graham cracker crust added texture to each bite. The fresh strawberry on top was a good treat.
The final dessert was the brownie bar. This was the richest and most decadent dessert. Not only was there a brownie, but there was a layer of chocolate ganache and a chocolate icing shell on top. Each bite was so rich. It was a good thing I had some coffee, it helped with the richness. If you love chocolate, this is the dessert to order.
The line stayed consistently long while we were sitting there. The tables outside were also packed. Clearly this bakery is one popular place.
Bristol is a town where half of the town is in Tennessee and the other half is in Virginia. There is an awesome sign down State Street that you have to check out before leaving.
If you are anywhere in the Tri-City area (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City) you need to make a stop to Blackbird Bakery. You will not be disappointed.
North Italia is a small restaurant chain that I have seen during my travels. I had never visited one until a recent trip to Franklin, Tennessee. There is a newer area of town that has been developing over the last few years and North Italia opened. I made a reservation to check them out.
The place was packed inside, every table was taken. Even with how busy they were, our waitress was very attentive to our table.
For my dinner I ordered the scallops. It was a special for the night. These were jumbo size scallops that were grilled with crab meat and placed on top of a vegetable rice. The scallops were tremendously soft and tender. They were cooked to perfection. The crab meat was sweet and added great texture to the scallops The butter sauce that the scallops were cooked in drizzled onto the rice and made it even better than it was by itself.
Another dish that was ordered was the chicken pesto. The tender chicken was tossed with gigli pasta. Gigli pasta is a small, fluted pasta rolled into the shape of a cone. The pesto sauce was made with sweet basil, shaved garlic, toasted pine nuts and crispy capers. It was a strong, herby flavor that had a fresh taste. It was bold and went well with the thick pasta.
A pizza was a must to order as well. They cook them in a wood fire oven and I could smell the pizzas cooking when I first walked in. We ordered The Pig. This was a meat lovers pizza. It had a salumi, sopressatta, spicy pepperoni, and Italian sausage all on top of the sweet dough. It was a good balance between sweet and salty with this pizza. The crust was slightly overcooked, it was a little too burnt for my liking; however, outside of that the pizza was good.
I can see why the restaurant was busy. The food was good. I would like to check out another North Italia to try something else on the menu. Check the out at www.northitalia.com
I absolutely love Nashville Hot Chicken. So naturally when I was visiting Nashville, I had to get their namesake dish. There are many places I have been to plus more I haven’t even tried yet. However, since this visit was a short one, I just focused in on Hattie B’s. I have been there many times and knew they would not disappoint.
I ordered the chicken breast meal with a medium heat. Don’t let the word medium fool you, this is still pretty spicy. I can’t do much hotter than this for right now. The chicken is fried up so that the skin and breading is extra crispy. This allows the juices to stay locked in. The heat is contained in the breading and the extra seasoning they sprinkle on top once the chicken has completed cooking. The heat hits you as soon as you take a bite. But it does cool down after that, at least until you take another bite.
During this visit I ordered a couple of extra sides to try. Normally I get the mac and cheese and this visit was no exception. It is wonderfully creamy. The cheese can help tame down the burning sensation caused by the heat of the chicken.
Another side I tried was the cheesy grits. This is a true Southern dish. Normally I get these for breakfast. They were a salty treat for lunch too. The creaminess also helped tame the heat.
The baked beans were sweet. Normally served with BBQ, it was a nice complement to the chicken. It almost acted like a dessert because of the sweetness.
The last side was the black-eyed peas. I customarily have these on New Years Day for good luck. To have them here was a surprise. They were cooked flawlessly. There was ab immensely savory flavor that was perfect with the spicy chicken.
All of these sides really helped make the hot chicken a complete meal.
If you have never tried hot chicken, Hattie B’s is the perfect place to try it. However, if hot, spicy food is not your thing it is ok., they do offer their fried chicken with no heat. The chicken is just as good that way too.
They have a couple of location and starting to open outside of Tennessee so check them out at www.hattieb.com
French Fries are the perfect food to munch on or share with friends. They are great plain with a little salt or even smothered with chili and cheese. Today is National French Fry Day so I had to celebrate. I headed over to Neighbors in Franklin, Tennessee for some fries, but also some pickle chips and a cold sour beer.
There is a Korean restaurant in Brentwood, TN that is hidden in between a bunch of building. I had driven past Soy Bistro many times without realizing it was there. I wasn’t until I was watching Diners, Drive-ins, And Dives and they featured the restaurant that I realized where they were located.
The next time I visited Brentwood, I made sure to stop by. They had just opened for lunch and there was already a line out the door. Inside it is kind of small, there are not that many tables. Luckily by the time I ordered a table had opened up.
Their menu is on colorful boards as you walk in. Since there was a line, it gave me a chance to look over all the boards. There were so many dishes that sounded good.
The starter that was shared around the table was the Chicken Dumplings. These dumplings were deep fired so the dough puffed up and got crispy. The chicken on the inside was like a ground chicken that was mixed with a variety of spices. I definitely tasted some ginger and lemongrass. It had a refreshing taste. They served a Thai chili dipping sauce that was amazing. It was slightly spicy and full of sweetness. It accented the chicken well by enhancing the flavor of the seasoning. The crispy texture of the dumpling dough allowed me to hold it for dipping in the sauce.
The main dish that was featured on Triple D was the Hot Chicken. This was a Korean dish that paid tribute to the Hot Chicken that Nashville is famous for. The chicken was cooked three different ways, it was steamed, then chargrilled and finished off with a pan sear. It was at this point those Korean spices were added in, coating every piece of chicken. They placed the chicken on top of a house made cole slaw.
The chicken was spicy; the spice flavor was distinctly Korean to me. Korean heat is a long, slow build up that has an impactful punch. It was hotter than some of the hot chicken I have had around town. It was also nice that their chicken was not breaded because it made this dish even more special.
I also ordered the Teriyaki Udon Noodle Bowl. I love Udon noodles. They are a thicker noodle compared to a thin Singapore noodle or a traditional Chinese lo mein noodle. The noodles were cooked Hibachi style with carrots, onions, broccoli, scallions, and edamame. I could have added chicken to the bowl, but I decided to keep it just the vegetables and noodles.
They served the teriyaki sauce on the side. This was good because it allowed me to customize how salty I wanted to make the dish. Even without the sauce the noodles and vegetables had a smokey taste from the wok it was cooked in. The noodles soaked up the flavor of the teriyaki sauce, which was the perfect blend of sweet and salty.
There was one more dish that was ordered, the Gochujang Chicken. This was a pan seared chicken in a gochujang sauce. Gochujang is a sweet and spicy sauce that is bold and full of umami flavor (umami meaning savory). They put the chicken over rice and then an over-easy egg was placed on top of the chicken.
To me this was the Korean version of the hangover burger because they included an egg. The yoke from the egg added a rich, creaminess to the chicken. The flavor of the gochujang sauce was amazing. It really had a bold, unique taste to it. I did not eat a lot of this dish because someone else had ordered it, but I was grateful I got to try it.
Soy Bistro was amazing. I want to come back to try so many of their other dishes. I did get to see Guy Fieri autograph on the wall before walking out the door. If you want to check out their episode, check it out at
There are several great bars and restaurants in downtown Chattanooga. I have tried several of them during my trips there. It was recommended that I check out The Pickle Barrel on my most recent visit. It is a corner building that has a cool look.
There is a spiral staircase that you can climb to get to their roof top seating. The staircase is a little scary when you come down because your eyes play tricks on you.
The views are great from the roof top. You can watch the hustle and bustle on the street or look at the beautiful building architecture.
It was lunchtime so I ordered a couple of things. The Pickle Fries were the first thing that came out. They were not even on the menu. The waiter recommended them. These were thinly sliced pickles that were dipped on a batter and deep fried. They looked like fried green beans when they came out.
The dill flavor of the pickle was amazing, especially in contrast to the sweet batter. There was a nice crunch to the pickles too. A dill dipping sauce came on the side. This added even more dill flavor. These were better than any fried pickle I have ever had.
When The Pickle Barrel was recommended to me, I was told I had to try the chicken wings. So, I made sure I ordered a few. They can be ordered wet or dry. I got them wet with the hot sauce. I did ask for them extra crispy. They came out perfectly cooked the way I like them. The hot sauce was not hot at first but then the heat creeped up on me. It did make my nose run a little. The meat on the wings was juicy.
I also got one o their Stuffed Spuds. This was an extra-large baked potato that was loaded with chili, cheese, butter, and bacon. The potato came out piping hot. The chili was not spicy but had a great salty taste with lots of meat and beans. The cheese added creaminess and the bacon added crunch. It was a perfect add on topping to the chili. It was a filling potato.
The Pickle Barrel was a fun place to hang out. They have a large assortment of cocktails to choose from for an after-work event. This place is for 21 and older so keep that in mind when making your plans.
Years ago, I was visiting Memphis, Tennessee and had some of the best fried chicken at Gus’s. They are a Memphis institution. When I visited recently, I wanted to go back. To my surprise they had a new location. It was a bigger restaurant, and it was packed when I got there.
Their menu is still simple, but there is no reason to complicate it.
I got a 2pc white meal that was a breast and wing. You can pick two sides to go with the chicken. I went for the baked beans and potato salad.
My boyfriend got different sides so I could try those too. He got the fried okra and mac and cheese.
The chicken was exactly how I remembered. It was extra crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. There was so much meat on this chicken breast. The breading was not spicy but had some seasoning to it. It was perfectly cooked fried chicken. The wings were plump and juicy too. They were slightly larger than a typical chicken wing.
The sides were the perfect accompaniment to fried chicken. The baked beans provided a nice sweetness to complement the slight saltiness from the chicken breading. The potato salad was creamy and had a slight tangy taste because of the mustard they put in. The fried okra was soft inside and crunchy on the outside. They were perfect for popping in your mouth. The mac & cheese was my favorite side. It was super creamy and salty from all the cheese they used.
Gus’s Fried Chicken was just as good as I remembered. There might be a wait for the chicken because they are making it fresh but it is totally worth the wait. They have a bunch of locations now, so check out their website at www.gusfriedchicken.com
