Located on Main Street in downtown Franklin you will see a neon sign that says Gray’s. Thanks to a wonderful bar staff I got a history lesson on the building. It has over 120 years of history. Backs in the 1920s Gray’s was a pharmacy that served the local community. Prior to that in the late 1890s the building was actually a furniture store. And now in the 21st century it is a two-story restaurant.
I sat upstairs at the bar and was able to look out the windows to the main street below. The bartenders were true mixologists, creating all the cocktails with fresh ingredients. I tried the Fox Hollow which contained Ginger Syrup, lemon juice, bitter, and apple butter. It was the apple butter that intrigued me. I have never seen this ingredient outside of a breakfast menu. This was the most interesting cocktail I ever had. It had a strong apple flavor clearly coming from the apple butter. This drink was served cold, but I could see this actually served hot in a mug, like a cider, in the winter.
I was a little hungry and wanted to try the bacon wrapped figs. I do not see figs on a menu very often and certainly not wrapped in bacon; what doesn’t taste better with bacon! They came out sizzling on a cast iron dish. They smelled so good but I had to wait till they cooled down a little. When I finally got to try them I was astonished at how sweet the figs were. Somehow when they cooked them the sweetness was enhanced and it blended perfectly with the goat cheese what was stuffed inside. The bacon surrounding the figs was crispy and salty. The combination of salty and sweet flavors created the perfect pair. These bacon wrapped figs were so good that I ended up eating them all and not sharing.
I was just at Gray’s for a short visit but they have a full menu that I want to go back and try. Check them out at: www.graysonmain.com
Enjoy!
T
