Category: Tennessee

Bearded Iris Brewing – Nashville, TN

The second stop on my food tour of Germantown, In Nashville, was Bearded Iris Brewing. This is a local cult brewery that is known for their IPA’s.

They have a very artsy feel on the inside. There are several interesting pieces of art hanging on the walls made by local artist. Many of them were for sale.

I got my hand stamped after I got carded, so I was ready to go.

I ordered a glass of the Mood Ring. This was a double IPA. It had a light hoppy taste that was supposed to have essences of pineapple. However, I did not taste any pineapple. The beer was still refreshing and went well with the pizza they were serving from a local pizza restaurant.

Bearded Iris had a fun atmosphere. It was a perfect place to hang out with friends. Check them out at www.beardedirisbrewing.com

Enjoy!

T

Butchertown Hall – Nashville, TN

I had a fun trip to Nashville, Tennessee recently. I got to experience a couple of new places in the Germantown area on a walking food tour. Germantown is one of the many areas in Nashville that has seen a resurgence over the last several years.

The first stop that I made on my food tour was to Butchertown Hall. This is a BBQ joint that has an upscale, rustic vibe.

It’s beautifully decorated inside and you can smell the smokers as soon as you walk in. Because I was with this food tour, we had special tables set up on their outside patio. It was a fantastic private experience.

Before we started eating, we were greeted by their sous chef, David; he explained to us what we would be tasting and drinking, plus how the meat was prepared. This little talk, while it seems simple, really helped enhance the entire experience.

We started off with some house made cocktails. The first was a Margarita. This did not taste like your run of the mill margarita. They used fresh lime juice and combier along with tequila. It tasted extremely fresh and did not have that overly sweet, sugary flavor.

The second cocktail that they provided us was a Foxglove. This was vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, lemon juice, pineapple juice, and a touch of sage. This drink had a sweet, tart taste because of all the acidic juices. It also was refreshing. It really paired well with the smoky BBQ.

The brisket was fantastic. It was the best brisket I have ever had. It was so tender it fell apart as soon as I picked it up with a fork. It was also extremely juicy. I did not use any BBQ sauce on the meat because of how juicy it was and because of the intense smoky flavor. It also had a great outer layer of bark.

The other BBQ they served was their pulled pork. They drizzled a mustard on top. It was a sweet mustard that complemented the tangy BBQ sauce and smoky taste. The pork was not as juicy as the brisket, but it was still moist, and had plenty of bark throughout. They also served soft tortilla shells on the side. I thought this was really interesting. I was able to make a pulled pork taco.

The side dishes they served with the BBQ were their roasted brussels sprouts. They were roasted in a mini cast iron pan, so it allowed them to get crispier. The slight bitterness was calmed down because of the smokiness that came from the roasting. It was the perfect side for the BBQ.

The food tour made a great decision to have us stop at the Butchertown Hall first. There is a lot more to try on the regular menu. I would definitely want to go back to enjoy some additional dishes.

Check out their website at www.butchertownhall.com

Enjoy!

T

Savarino’s – Columbia, TN

For 11 years there was a family owned Italian restaurant that was a fixture in Nashville. Savarino’s Cucina served up sandwiches, pizzas, homemade pastas, and pastries to locals and visitors alike. They were also featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. But in early 2017 the owners were ready to semi-retire, so they closed down the restaurant. I was one of the lucky people who did get to eat at the original restaurant a few years ago.

Now fast forward a few months, after a month long family trip to Italy, the original owner’s son decided to take up the reins and reopen as Savarino’s in Columbia, Tennessee.

    

Columbia is south of Nashville but it is in an area of Tennessee that I have noticed is starting to grow. I was thrilled when I read that this new location was finally open. During a road trip to Nashville I made sure to stop by for a bite to eat. The best thing is I got there right when they opened for the day so I did not have to wait long.

    

One of the things I had to order were their aranchinis. These homemade specialties were loaded with seasoned ground beef, peas, and carrots. You get one huge aranchini per order. They are breaded and fried up.

I cut it open as soon as it arrived to the table. I did this so that it would cool off a little.

The flavor of the meat was savory and the vegetables added extra texture. There was the perfect amount of rice that held everything together.

I also ordered their calzone. I had not ordered this before and thought I would try it out. The filling was loaded with cheese, sausage, and pepperoni.

It was extremely hot when it came to the table. Once it cooled down I got to taste the sweet dough and salty meats and cheese. I added some of the homemade pasta sauce which added the herby flavor of oregano. The outside was a little over cooked, I prefer it to be a little softer.

I also ordered a pepperoni and sausage pizza with black olives. I knew that I had already eaten a lot of food but I figured I would take this home and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. I love leftover, cold pizza.

I did enjoy a slice while it was still hot. The pepperoni were perfect bite size pieces that had all their edges crispy from the oven. The sausage had a bold flavor from the Italian spices. The taste was much more pronounced on the pizza than in the calzone. They used a generous amount of cheese that made those cheese strings when I took a bite. The dough was sweet and complemented the awesome savory pizza sauce.

I am so glad that Savarino’s is back in the game. The family legacy is in good hands with the next generation. Take a little trip south of Nashville to enjoy a little Italian comfort food.

www.facebook.com/savarinoscucina

Enjoy!

T

Prince’s Hot Chicken – Nashville, TN

Nashville is synonymous for Country Music and Hot Chicken. Over the last several years Hot Chicken has been popping up all over the country. However, it is my opinion, if you want the best you have to go where is all started. And where it all started is at Prince’s Hot Chicken.

This place got its name from Thorton Prince – the father of hot chicken. According to the history on their website, this wonderful delicacy was created in the Great Depression as a punishment to Thorton because he was not being faithful to the special woman in his life.

Princes has two locations now in Nashville, plus a food truck that will pop up at different events around town. I visited their newest location.

  

They are always busy with a constant flow of people coming in and out. The one trick I learned was to call ahead with you order. This way you will not have to wait too long when you arrive.

I was so excited to get my hands on my chicken. I ordered the quarter white with a wing. From a heat level, I ordered the medium. Do not be misled, Prince’s medium is still very hot. I still started sweating and got sniffles in my nose.

The heat does not hit you right away. It takes a few seconds and then it creeps up. The breading has awesome crunch. It really seals in the moisture of the chicken. The white meat was so juicy as soon as I bit in.

The hot chicken is served on top of two slices of white bread. This white bread acts as a sponge and soaks up all the drippings from the chicken. If you are really brave you can eat the bread. I only could have a little because it was so spicy.

Everything is a-la-cart at Prince’s. They have several sides to choose from. The French fries are a nice filler. They help calm the heat in my mouth between bites.

The special treat are the baked beans. These are not typical BBQ beans. These beans are super sweet and the sauce is extremely thick. These beans are more like a dessert because of all the brown sugar. These also helped cut down on some of the heat in my mouth.

There are many places around Nashville for hot chicken. It is extremely necessary that everyone check out Princes to experience the original. Check out their website for their location and the days they are open. http://princeshotchicken.com/

Enjoy!

T

City Tap – Nashville, TN

A road trip to Nashville, that is what popped into my head. I love the city and I missed it. There are so many things to do. I love walking up and down Broadway, watching all the people and mesmerized by the neon lights.

I checked out a restaurant that was a little off Broadway called City Tap. It was an easy walk. As soon as I got close to the entrance I could smell their brick oven pizza. The aroma filled the air.

The restaurant was beautiful inside.

    

I decided to sit at the high top tables in the bar area. They had a huge nice screen TV over the bar and the best view was from the table.

Since I was visiting City Tap on a Sunday I got to enjoy their brunch menu. One of their brunch offerings was a carafe of sparkling sangria.

This extremely tall carafe was filled with sparkling wine, spiced Malbec syrup, and loaded with fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. It was not too sweet. The sparkling wine was more on the brut side. The fresh fruit added a lot of the sweetness. The blueberries were the sweetest I have ever had.

To go along with my sangria I ordered their Really Big Pretzel. They were NOT kidding about the size. This pretzel was 10 pounds of sweet dough.

The pretzel was soft on the inside. They had salted the outside to help balance the flavor. It came with a maple-bourbon mustard. The mustard was slightly sweet and had large mustard seeds that added texture. There was also a white ale cheddar sauce. The cheese was slightly creamy and had a little tangy aftertaste.

My server Logan recommended I try the Charred Brussels Sprouts. The sprouts were extra flakey and the leaves were crispy. I had never had sprouts quite like this before. It turns out that after they were sautéed, the brussels sprouts were then dropped in the fryer. That is how the leaves got that crispy.

There were a few pomegranate seeds on top. They added sweetness. The brussels sprouts were also tossed in a white miso sauce. It added a rich flavor. It was a little overwhelming because it was a little too much.

By this point I had finished the sangria. I wanted to try another cocktail. I went for The Whitehead Tart.

This concoction blended Papas Pilar Blonde rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice, black raspberry liqueur, and simple syrup. This drink was served in a gimlet glass which felt fancy to me. I do not get many cocktails served like this. These blended flavors were not overly sweet and slightly tart. It was actually deliciously smooth. It was also accented with a very sweet blueberry.

I ordered one last thing while I was there. I wanted to make sure I tried one of their brick oven pizzas. They offered some classic combinations like sausage and mushroom but I was intrigued to try the Prosciutto and Fig.

This thin crust pizza did not have traditional pizza sauce on it. There was a layer of stilton blue cheese and fontina with parma prosciutto on top. There were swirls of orange-fig jam all around the cheese. Piled in the center was arugula and shaved parmesan cheese.

With all the cheeses and prosciutto on this pizza there was a salt, savory taste. The arugula added an earthy flavor with a hint of pepper. The orange-fig jam was a welcomed sweet note to the pizza. This sweetness actually pulled the entire flavor profile together. It was a sweet/savory delight.

I ended up being at City Tap for a few hours. I really enjoyed my visit. I would definitely want to go back because Logan (my server) was telling me about all the daily specials that they have each week.

If you are interested in getting away from the crowds on Broadway check out City Tap. You can view all their food and cocktail menus at http://www.nashville.citytap.com/

Enjoy!

T

The Honeysuckle – Franklin, TN

I had written in a previous post about how much Franklin, Tennessee is growing. New hotels are going up everywhere. Hotels bring new restaurants. Now Franklin has their fair share of chain restaurants but they also have several locally owned establishments. The Honeysuckle is one of those local places.

The interior of this restaurant is beautiful. There was reclaimed wood and shiplap all over the walls. If Chip and Joanna Gaines walked through the door they would be in heaven.

    

The bar was breathtaking. They had what looked like old in ceiling tiles as a backsplash. My assumption is they were not really antique tin tiles but they still looked great. The center piece of the bar was the wall of whiskey and bourbons. They even had a rolling library style ladder for the bartenders to get up and down.

Since I was there during happy hour I was able to get a glass of wine, a pinto grigio.

I also had tome to order something off of their happy hour food menu. Since I was in Nashville I had to try their Nashville Hot Chicken Bites. The chicken also came with duck fat fries. It was surprisingly a lot of food for a happy hour dish.

The Hot Chicken was stupendous. The breading on the chicken was extra crispy and it sealed in all the juices. The heat came after I bit into the chicken. Just when I thought the chicken was not going to be that spicy BAM, it hit me. It was a nice kick of heat but it did not linger.

The French fries were a great add on. They were fresh cut that still had the skin on them. Frying them in duck fat added a little extra flavor to me. And I thought they were extra crispy.

I was really enjoying the atmosphere at the bar. The bartenders were extremely personable. While I was talking with them I ordered a Moscow Mule. It was refreshing, especially with the fresh lime juice they used.

While I was hanging out I took a glance at their regular menu. I had the munchies and wanted to try something else. I was drawn to the Deviled Eggs 5 Ways on the starters portion of the menu.

They served up five different eggs with five different toppings. I had never seen deviled eggs prepared this way before.

Way 1: Orange Tobiko

First, tobiko is Japanese for flying fish roe. You would normally see this on sushi. I like tobiko on sushi but I did not care for it on top of the egg. It added a little too much of a fishy taste.

Way 2: Pimento Cheese

Pimento cheese had a slight tart taste to it. I felt it complemented the sweet, creaminess of the egg.

Way 3: Bacon Jam

This was my favorite topping. The jam was sweet and it had a tremendous smoky bacon flavor. This jam added texture to the smooth egg filling. When I took a bite it was the perfect blend of sweet and salty.

Way 4: Pickles

These chopped up slices of very tangy pickles added so much crunch to the bite. Even through the tanginess I could still taste a hint of sweetness.

Way 5: Chow-Chow

What exactly is chow-chow?  It is a pickled relish made up of cabbage, peppers, onions, and a bunch of brining spices. It is common to find this all over Tennessee. The chow-chow added a sour component to the egg, plus some crunch. It was the kind of sour that made me pucker my lips.

This was a fun plate to eat. It was creative and full of flavor combinations that I would not have expected. You could share this but I would recommend you order one per person so that everyone can experience it.

The Honeysuckle offers a wide variety of food. They have fresh steaks that smelled wonderful when they passed me. Plus there was an array of poultry, pork, and fish. They also have fresh oysters that they shuck at their special oyster bar.

They got really busy when I was there so I would recommend having a reservation. Check out their menu at www.thehoneysuckle.com

Enjoy!

T

Wild Ginger – Franklin, TN

I get to travel a lot and I have been to so many fun places. My absolute favorite place is Nashville, Tennessee. There are so many fun things to do, whether it’s listening to country music, catching a hockey game, or eating at one of the many, many restaurants around town.

Nashville has exploded with growth over the last several years. The suburbs are also booming. One of those areas is Franklin, Tennessee. I had just arrived in town after a long drive. I was hungry and I remembered that there was a great Asian fusion restaurant called Wild Ginger not far from my hotel.

    

The restaurant has a modern design with touches of freshness. The freshness comes from all the greenery that adorns the walls. The entryway is breathtaking.

  

They have a great patio that is perfect for outside seating when it’s warm out.

One of the other things I noticed as soon as I walked in was their wall of awards. They have been winning food awards for years. No wonder they have been around for a while and why they were so busy.

I was originally going to eat there. However, since I had just gotten into town, I thought it would be better for me to get the food to go and eat at the hotel as I settled in.

I started off with the Tokyo Gyoza (dumplings). These pork and vegetable gyoza were pan fried so that the outside edges were crispy. The pork had a tremendous amount of flavor. They included a dipping sauce that was a blend of soy sauce, sesame oil, and a few sesame seeds. The gyoza was great plain, but the sauce just added extra salty flavor.

The Wild Ginger fried rice was another must order. I got it with chicken. The chicken was lightly coated with flour so that when it was pan fried it becomes a little crispy. It was cooked on the side and then added to the rice. This made it perfect because the chicken was still crispy.

There was no fried egg in this fried rice, which was a little bit of a bummer for me because I do like egg in my rice. However, they loaded up the rice with onions, scallions, green peppers, and bean sprouts. The onions and scallions added a little extra flavor to the rice. The peppers and bean sprouts added crunch to the rice.

I also made sure to order a few pieces of sushi off the menu. I went for the Eel Nigari and the Spicy Tuna Maki. Each order came with two pieces so it was perfect. For a little explanation on these, Nigiri is a slice of the fish in top of rice with a little wasabi. Maki is a sushi roll that is wrapped with a seaweed wrapper on the outside.

The Eel Nigiri was spectacular. The eel was extremely flakey and tender when I took a bite. There was the right amount of the sweet eel sauce on top. In case you have never had eel before, this fish is actually cooked, it is not served raw the way tuna and salmon are.

The Spicy Tuna Maki were huge in size. I was not expecting them to be like that. The tuna was pureed together to create more of a paste. There was a nice heat with the tuna. The white rice that was inside the roll helped cool down the overall spice. The seaweed wrapper did make it hard to bite the roll. After I took a bite, it ended up falling apart. So I had to finish it with my chopsticks.

The food was amazing from Wild Ginger. Even as take out my meal was flavorful and still hot by the time I got it back to the hotel. They offer happy hour all week with food and drink specials. Depending on the time of day I would recommend a reservation. And don’t plan on visiting on Sunday because they are closed.

Check out their menu on their website at http://www.dinewildginger.com/

Enjoy!

T

Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish – Nashville, TN

I was visiting Nashville again and I had a craving for hot chicken. I wanted to go to a place I had not tried before. Bolton’s popped up on my list. They have been cooking up their hot chicken since 1999.

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I went for the breast quarter plate. I went lite mild heat on the chicken because I was not sure of the intensity. I also got a choice of two sides, which they had tons to choose from. I went with the mac n’ cheese and the green beans. Both are the perfect pairing with hot chicken.

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The chicken had great crunch on the outside and the meat was juicy on the inside. When I took my first bite I could feel the heat on my lips. This is why I went with the lite mild heat, it was just enough without going overboard.

After eating several more bites the tingle from the heat calmed down. It was the first time I actually got use to the heat. Next time I visit I think I will be able to step up my heat level.

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The mac n’ cheese was creamy and that helped calm some of the heat from the chicken. The green beans added a nice salty element to the dish.

I definitely want to go back to Bolton’s because they also have fish on the menu. I would love to see if they could make a hot fish for me to try.

Add Bolton’s to your hot chicken check list. Visit their website at www.boltonsspicy.com

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Enjoy!

T

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The Cupcake Collection – Nashville, TN

Driving through the Germantown neighborhood in Nashville, I would never have expected to see a cupcake shop intermingled with homes.

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It was later in the day so I was afraid they would not have any cupcakes left. Lucky for me they still had a few left.

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I patiently waited in line as I decided which cupcake to order. It smelled so good in the shop. The gentleman in front of me in line says he visits The Cupcake Collection all the time and gave me his top choices. They offer classic flavors as well as premium choices like coconut crème and peanut butter mousse. If you really want something unique then their specialty cupcakes, like Butterfinger and Italian wedding cake, are for you.

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I chose two classic flavors – carrot cake and red velvet. The carrot cake was light and moist with wonderful chopped carrots throughout. The cream cheese icing was perfect; it was smooth and creamy. Their icing was not overly sweet. Sometimes cupcake icing can be extra sweet which can ruin the taste of the actual cake. Theirs is perfect!

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The red velvet cupcake also used the same cream cheese icing. The cake was also moist and fluffy. They have the perfect ratio of cake to icing.

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It was a wonderful treat to get to try these homemade cupcakes. They are also the best priced gourmet cupcakes I have seen, almost half the price of other shops.

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If you are in the Germantown area of Nashville, make sure to pick up a cupcake or a dozen from The Cupcake Collection. Check out their flavors at www.thecupcakecollection.com

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Enjoy!

T

 

Phat Bites – Nashville, TN

I was watching a recent episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network and they featured a place in Nashville called Phat Bites. It’s located across the street from McNamara’s Irish Pub that I have previously written about. Phat Bites is an old garage that has been turned into a fun and busy sandwich shop. I decided to take a drive to Nashville and visit for lunch.

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The décor is very eclectic inside. There are mix and match chairs and tables; there’s an old Chinese restaurant sign on the wall. Local graffiti artists have crated unique pieces of artwork on the walls.

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The have an extensive menu of sandwiches and salads to choose from. For a salad I started with the Long Life salad because that is what I watched them make on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. It is a kale salad with assorted beans and walnuts covered in a tangy homemade dressing. It is one of their most popular salads and they were almost out of it when I was there.

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Looking over their list of sandwiches I settled on the Muffaletta. It was loaded with turkey, ham, salami, and provolone cheese. The Focaccia bread was amazing; it was fresh and had a great crunch after they toasted it. On one side of the bread they layered their homemade olive spread. On the other half was a layer of homemade pesto. It was a multi-dimensional sandwich that had amazing chemistry. I did not think I would be able to finish the entire sandwich because it was so big but I just could not put it down.

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The sandwich also came with a homemade pickle. Now this is not a typical pickle; just looking at it I could see the fresh dill, however, as soon as I took a bite the flavor hit me. It was tangy and sour; it is really hard to describe but it is a unique take on a pickle so it is a must try.

I visited Phat Bites for lunch but I would check them out in the evenings and on the weekend. It looks like they have live music and entertainment.

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Check out the website at: www.phatbites.com

Enjoy!

T