Tag: Franklin

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

Enjoy!

T

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.

Check them out at www.neighborsnashville.com

Enjoy!

T

It has been a while since I have written about any restaurants. This terrible pandemic has limited so many things for everyone. Traveling and getting to experience new foods has been what I missed most. As places started opening back up, I have been excited to get out there. There are so many great restaurants to try and they need our help now more than ever.

So, I am doing my part and I want to kick it off by writing about a brunch I enjoyed at The Rutledge, in Franklin, Tennessee.

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To help get me back into the swing of things, I ordered a mimosa. This was a classic orange juice mimosa at a great price. The juice was fresh and had a nice sweetness to it.

They have a great number of dishes to choose from. However, there was no doubt in my mind what I was going to order – Nashville Hot Chicken. They had a few options when it came to hot chicken. I went for the Hot Chicken Biscuits. I thought this would be a great brunch option.

They did offer hot chicken sandwiches. A friend at the table ordered that. I thought I would share a picture of that dish.

Back to my hot chicken biscuits. The chicken pieces were smaller but fit perfectly on the biscuits. The biscuits were freshly made, and they were light and fluffy. The chicken itself was spicy when I first took a bite, then it slowly mellows out. The chicken was drizzled with honey. This added a nice, sweet element to the spiciness. The honey was also wonderful on the biscuit.

Because the biscuit was so fluffy it did fall apart as I was picking it up. Plus having the honey made it slightly sticky. But even through all of that, I really enjoyed the flavor and eating this dish.

Since this was a brunch dish, it came with a side of breakfast potatoes. They had a nice crispiness. There was a little seasoning on them as well. They gave a generous portion too.

One of the side dishes at the table that I wanted to try was the Roasted Brussel Sprouts. These came out with a nice char on them, which made them crispy. There was also a great glaze on them that added a sweetness to the slight bitter taste of the actual Brussel sprout.

I also wanted to share with you another dish that was ordered during the visit, the French toast with bacon. For a traditional breakfast dish this was beautifully presented on the plate. And I was told the French toast was sweet and moist. The powdered sugar was a nice touch that added a little extra sweetness.

It was so nice to be able to get out there and travel again. I was so happy to help a local restaurant. I know they need it. If you are in the Nashville area, head a little south to Franklin and check out The Rutledge. Cheers!

Visit their website at www.therutledge.co

Enjoy!

T

Who doesn’t love freshly made pie? That is what I said to myself when I passed by Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop in Franklin, Tennessee. I thought this would be a great treat for later in the afternoon.

They had many flavor options to choose from, plus different sizes for each pie. Since I wanted to try a few of their flavors I went for their 4” pies. I was able to get a 4 pack. It was the perfect size to try and share.

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The first one was the Buttermilk. This was a creamy custard pie. It is very popular throughout the South. The custard was smooth and not too sweet. This was a good thing because the crust tasted a lot like a sugar cookie.

The second pie was the Peanut Butter Cream. This pie was amazing. The filling was smooth and fluffy. It was full of peanut butter flavor. With the whip cream and chocolate drizzle on top it reminded me of a candy bar.

The Coconut Cream pie reminded me of the one my mom use to make. The meringue on top was the perfect firmness with the slight amount of browning. When I cut into the topping it revealed the creamy coconut filling. It was the consistency of pudding. It was sweet and full of coconut flavor.

The final pie I got was the Key Lime. The filling was tart but not as tart as the pies from Key West. It was extremely creamy and paired well with the whip cream topping.

I am so glad I got to try several of the pies. The 4” were the perfect size.

Check them out at www.buttermilkskypie.com

Enjoy!

T

I was finally back in Nashville, which is one of my favorite places. This visit I wanted to make sure that I got some hot chicken. I love hot chicken and there are many great places to get some all around Nashville. I decided to try some place different. I headed over to Big Shake’s Hot Chicken.

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I got there just in time because the line started backing up behind me. I wanted to make sure I ordered some chicken with heat but was afraid to go too hot. Since this was my first time here I went for the “Stop Drop N Roll”. This was supposed to be medium heat.

While I waited for my chicken to come out I looked over their “Wall of Flame”. It turns out that the Travel Channel tv show Man vs. Food filmed an episode here. I thought that was pretty cool.

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They called my number and brought my food to my table. The moment of truth had arrived. Could I handle their “Stop Drop N Roll”?

I took a bite. The first thing I noticed was how crispy the breading was. Then I noticed how juicy the chicken was. It was not till I swallowed that the heat hit me. It was an initial kick that slowly dissipated. It was the right amount of spiciness for my first time trying it. The next time I visit I would want to try something a little hotter.

A side dish also accompanied my hot chicken. There were a few things to choose from, including mac and cheese. I decided to try Big Shake’s beans. I was expecting these to be bbq baked beans. These were not what I thought. They were a savory bean. It reminded me more of a soup because of the sauce it was in. There was only a slight hint of smokiness.

I am really glad I tried another hot chicken restaurant. Big Shake’s is definitely going into my hot chicken rotation for my visits to the Nashville area.

Check them out at www.bigshakeshotchicken.com

Enjoy!

T

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

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

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 21^st 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

 

Driving around Franklin I came across a new restaurant called Shot and Pepper. The name caught my attention so I decided to check out the menu.

The best way I can describe their menu is Mexican with a Southern flare. The atmosphere of the restaurant is inviting because of all the reclaimed wood but also adventurous with all the accents of stainless steel throughout.

I love tortilla soup so I was happy to get to try theirs. The presentation of the soup was beautiful and it all started with the type of bowl they served it in. The soup was a creamy base unlike a broth that I usually find and that made it very filling. They had nice pieces of fresh chicken throughout the soup too. I ended up eating the soup with extra tortilla chips to add extra crunch.

So to validate my description of their menu being Mexican with a Southern flare, I knew I had to try their Hot Chicken burrito. The burrito was filled with the chicken and a homemade slaw and topped off with their creamy homemade queso. Their hot chicken was great on its own, not too spicy. Their slaw was a perfect complement to the chicken and it was all kept together with the tortilla shell. The queso was a nice addition to the flavor that you normally would not get with other hot chicken dishes.

So if you are out and about in Franklin and you get hungry, try something new. Stop by Shot and Pepper www.shotpeppercantina.com

Enjoy!

T

 

If you are visiting Franklin, Tennessee make sure you venture down to the historic section of town. The area has been rejuvenated over the years and is thriving with shops and restaurants.

One of the places that I checked out was 55 South. This restaurant has a rustic feel with brick walls and reclaimed wood accented throughout. They have a beautiful wooden bar that caught my attention as soon as I walked in.

Their menu is loaded with dishes found in New Orleans, gumbo, po’boys, red beans & rice and my ultimate favorite chargrilled oysters. I was not expecting to see these on the menu. Needless to say I was excited and I knew exactly what I was going to order.

They came out nice and hot, still sizzling from the grill. I couldn’t wait to dive into them. The chef put his own twist on these – he used a garlic-lemon butter which added some zing to each bite and they were still topped with parmesan cheese, which is my favorite part. These oysters were made so well that I decided to order a second dozen.

I was so full from two dozen oysters that I did not get a chance to try anything else on the menu. So naturally I will be planning another trip back so that I can see what else they have to offer. Or type to get on their Oyster Wall of Fame!

Check out their website at: eat55.com

Enjoy!

T