Margarita Update
Amid all the hoopla about margaritas (see Bites posting below), El Tejado comes on the scene with a new liquor license and the promise of margaritas on the menu starting Monday. Owner Ivette Ramos doesn't know what the recipe will entail when the bartenders get busy, but if El Tejado's mole and tamales are any indication, we expect great things. (El Tejado serves water with a wedge of lime balanced on the rim of the glass. Let's hope they treat the tequila with equally fresh-squeezed respect and flair.)
Ramos will also tweak the menu starting next week. She plans to keep the best of the Oaxacan specialties and add a broader Tex-Mex component for "the Anglos," she says.
El Tejado is located at 6317 Charlotte Pike, across from the Sonic.
Best in Show
All of a sudden, there's a pack of dogs roaming the streets. While it used to be that you had to fly to the Windy City for the real deal, now it seems you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Chicago dog. Off the top of my head, there's Hot Diggity Dog on Ewing Street, The Dog on Nolensville Road and I Dream of Weenie in a mobile cart on Woodland Street. Zackie's is hanging its awning in Germantown in the ground floor of the Summer Street Lofts and promises to open soon. With so many variations on a commodity, how do you pick a wiener?
Buzzkill
Saturday night a few friends and I rolled up on Athens Family Restaurant to throw some solids on top of our dinner of beer. It's a Greek diner that also serves burgers and breakfast, and though I'm not all that crazy about the Greek stuff there, as an admitted breakfast freak I'm all about anywhere I can get bacon and eggs at 3 in the morning.
The food more than adequately served its proper function, but when they plopped down two coffees on the table, I noticed something a little weird. The mug was cold, and so was the brew. I mean, it happens, right? But come on, we were drunk. If there's anything I need from an all-night diner, it's a piping-hot cup of the good stuff. Then my friend noticed that not only was his coffee also cold, but it had a dead fly in it.
As a former waitress, I always feel kinda bad about the pointing out of the lipstick on the coffee mug (Green Hills Noshville!), the hair under the pizza (Radius 10!) or the minty chewed gum in the salad (Caesar's!)—even a broken shard of glass in a salad once (Dalts!), but as a lifelong eater of food, I'll be darned if I'm going to pony up for tainted goods.
We notified the waitress politely—jovially, even—that the coffee was cold and there was a dead fly in it. I expected excessive apologies, light weeping, anything. (Come on, I know you've seen it all before, but at least fake that you're grossed out.) So it was fairly amusing when she responded completely unfazed with something like: "Hmm, that's weird. I'll get you a new one."
Cups and Cakes
A person standing by the phone to deliver cupcakes at your beck and call? The emperor Caligula would have blushed at such decadence. And yet here's the number for the Cuppycakes Bakery in Franklin: (615) 569-8342. Sure enough, I call, and there's owner/baker Jessica Parsons, ready to bring me as few as a half-dozen all-butter cupcakes for $12 or $13.50. (The image above is swiped from her site.)
So far, I've only tried the coconut (excellent) and the black-raspberry chocolate (good, even if I wouldn't mourn the stomping of the world's last raspberry), and the menu offers dark chocolate, mocha, orange marmalade and strawberry among other flavors. The best part is Parsons' butter-cream frosting, dense as fudge and whorled atop each cupcake like sculpted roses of sugar. Want a lesson in futility? Try using butter-cream frosting in triple-digit heat. "It's been pretty rough," Parsons says, laughing, "but it's all right as long as the air conditioning holds out."
Parsons, the single mom of 2-year-old twins—they're the pixies pictured on the website with rings of frosting around their mouths—says she started the little bakery to work closer to her kids. Right now, she's using the production kitchen at Franklin's The Cocoa Tree, where her mother, Cathy Parsons, is chocolatier. She's available for everything from weddings to kids' birthday parties, and she uses organic produce and no dyes. Call 24 to 48 hours ahead of time, depending on the size of the order.
ISO the Perfect Margarita
The dining review in this week's Scene points out that while Rosario's, the charming new Mexican place in Edgehill Villa, has few shortcomings, the most glaring of them is nearly unforgivable: a bad margarita. Beyond that, the place is a delight, with a patio destined to become a Music Row landmark.
The primary problem with Rosario's margarita, as I see it, is the use of an uninspiring mix rather than a signature titration of fresh limes, tequila and liqueurs. Fortunately, owners Robert Shelton and Daniel Barragan are about as eager to please as anyone I've ever met, so I'm sure they would like to know what folks want in their margarita.
Any good tried-and-true recipes that could give Rosario's a margarita the same caliber as its patio and tamales?
Blue to Green
Saffire restaurant, home to the Blue Room event space, is going green. In an effort to create a menu with a minimal carbon footprint, owner Tom Morales is taking steps toward sustainability. Expect menu tweaks such as sustainable fish and organic and biodynamic wines. In the coming weeks, the restaurant will introduce recycled to-go containers.
Saffire hasn't kicked the bottled-water habit yet, a trend that is making its way through progressive dining circles across the country. (Locally, Tin Angel and Radius10 pour filtered tap water rather than bottled water, which has environmental costs associated with transportation and disposal of bottles.) "We will continue to offer bottled water, because many of our customers request it," explains manager Bobby Luttrell. "The key is that we are making green efforts. Every little bit helps, but we can't expect to change our community and their expectations overnight."
Saffire will kick off its green campaign on Sunday, Sept. 2, with a music event called "Saffire Sunday Circus" featuring Minton Sparks and Barry Scott. For reservations, call 599-4995 or visit the website.
One L
Jody Faison, the restaurant impresario who breathed life into Nashville's nascent culinary community nearly three decades ago, is on his way to law school.
Three years after exiting the restaurant business, Faison—who previously owned Faison's, 12th & Porter, Iguana, Pub of Love, Cafe 123, Jody's Hot Chicken Shack and Jody's Bar Car—will matriculate to Nashville School of Law in January.
When he graduates, he'll have a job waiting for him at the law firm of Durham & Dread, where fellow NSL alumnus Adam Dread plans to ramp up the restaurant-related part of his practice, as soon as he rolls off the Metro Council as an at-large representative next month.
"We'd like to work with restaurants, with codes issues, ABC issues and Beer Board issues—things I'm all too familiar with," says Faison. This won't be the first time Dread and Faison have worked together. A young Dread served as the first manager at Faison's restaurant on Belcourt, where the Trace now stands.
Since giving up the restaurant gig, Faison has been writing music and putting together a CD on his indie label, Hot Chicken Club. If you can't wait to see Faison's work in court, catch his crooning at Kimbro's in Franklin on Sept. 19 at 7:30.
A Movement Afoot
Finally, a fiber cereal that promises the efficacy of the old SNL breakfast favorite, Colon Blow.
Drought 1, Farmers 0
If you were thinking the drought was just an urban legend, think again. Triple-digit temperatures and minimal rainfall have brought an early end to the Public Square Market this summer. Nashville Urban Harvest, the organization behind the weekly farmers' market at the corner of Third and Union, issued the following press release today (after the jump).
Continue reading "Drought 1, Farmers 0"...
No Late Night Menu Tonight
Starting tonight around quitting time and continuing until tomorrow morning, comments will be disabled on Bites as we move our web server. It's quite heavy, and we're working up quite an appetite, so we'll be snacking often. If we chomp on anything good, we'll let you know.
Straw Poll
Drinking my first bubble tea at Fat Straw, I couldn't help but think of other "bubbles." The dot-com bubble, for example. How anyone expected to break even with a Dada name and a business model that was little more than a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign is beyond me.
So is bubble tea. I don't care what kind of irrational exuberance has followed this trendy beverage from Taiwan to California and ultimately to Edgehill Village. It felt like I was drinking big frog eggs.
Continue reading "Straw Poll"...
Pfunked Up
I'm fairly obsessed with breakfast food, so I'd been dying to go to the Pfunky Griddle since their opening at the end of July. It's a cook-your-own-pancakes place that also serves lunch.
It's a really cool idea, if you like the sensation of cooking your own food and then eating it bent right over a crackling-hot stove. It's great if you love the sensation of a steaming griddle facial: one part Pam cooking spray, two parts burnt pancake smell.
I showed up around 11:30 on Sunday and the place was bumpin'. I ordered biscuits and gravy, a side of bacon and a cup of coffee. My bill? Over $10. Ridiculous. I could eat twice the food for a third less at Cracker Barrel, and I wouldn't have to feel as though I were being tenderly roasted while eating it. My friend ordered poached eggs, only to find out that, since you cook your own eggs on the table griddle, she could only have fried eggs. Because of the griddle's lip, the server let us know that if we tried to scramble them they'd run "right off the griddle and onto your shoes." Ick.
We sat on bar stools. With no backs.
The coffee was what I like to refer to as "shitty."
The service was good, although a bit cheerleadery ("The biscuits and gravy were just great, right?! Right?!?"), and the folks running it were as nice as you could be.
But this place is still kind of a logistical nightmare. The carpet is badly stained, the paint job is terrible, and the fans placed throughout to deflect the steamy griddle heat only complicate matters. They really need to invest in some overhead fans for each table, better decor (get rid of the murals of wheat fields, stat) and remove those real tree branches from the ceiling that act as an extension of the fake tree painted on the wall in the back room.
Also, please remove your overstocked items (14 cans of Pam cooking spray) from the shelf in the waiting area. And finally, never put the peanut brittle crunch you won online out for display. Never.
In Local (Local) Food News
When I got the news yesterday that Fresh Harvest Cooperative, the quasi-CSA from which I get my vegetables and fruit, would not have any more of their gorgeous flower bouquets due to the dry weather, my first reaction was disappointment. But there was sort of a silver lining. I can't remember the last time my groceries were impacted by something as simple as the local weather. Gas goes up when there's war in Iraq. Corn prices follow global demand for ethanol. But suddenly I'm SOL on flowers because it is hot in Middle Tennessee. It feels good. It feels local. It may feel hot, but at least it feels like I'm connected to my food (and flowers)—even if that connection is simply that we're both wilting.
Fortunately, Fresh Harvest farmers John Drury and Tallahassee May will still drive in from Bon Aqua, Tenn., with their heirloom tomatoes, melons, peppers and cucumbers. But what can I do to reduce the miles the rest of my groceries travel before they get to me? Let's start a list....
A Plum Good Idea
Plumgood Food, the online grocer delivering organic and natural foods, is tripling its offerings to include mainstream brands such as Lay's, Cheerios and Tropicana.
This is good news for anyone who ever said, "I just wish someone would deliver my groceries to my door." That's what Plumgood has been doing—on a daily basis, throughout Middle Tennessee—for three years. But until now, the menu of 2,500 products has been a little too earthy to replace the supermarket. With 7,500 items (including potato chips and soft drinks) Plumgood launches a formidable bid for customers—even those who crave junk food.
Ace of Cakes
I am not a huge cake person—especially those ubiquitous sheet cakes slathered with white icing that show up in the Scene's kitchen with some regularity. But this past weekend, at a graduation party, I had some of the best chocolate cake I have ever had in the celebratory-letters-on-top mold. Created at Sweet 16th in East Nashville, the delightful confection—chocolate cake, fudge icing—was rich, moist and I talked about it for the rest of the night. There were rumors of chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing, but I never laid my hands on one. Dare to dream....
Check out the Scene's review.
King Cake
In honor of the anniversary of Elvis' death, Juanita Lane over at Dulce Desserts is baking up peanut-butter-and-banana cupcakes, as well as a batch of red velvet. What better way to pay tribute to The King? (Beware: they've been known to cause bloating.)
Or, if—like me—you're still fixated on the combo of chocolate and red pepper (see the Aug. 10 Bites post), try a Baja cupcake. It's the cakey version of Las Paletas' Hot Chocolate popsicle.
Dulce is located in Edgehill Village, at the intersection of Edgehill and Villa, phone 321-8700.
Every Week for a Year
It looks like the brand new West End McDonald's is where it's at tomorrow morning!
Long Pours
We'll take all the Rumours (and rumors) we can get. Meanwhile, for those who aren't too snooty about their wine, let me let you in on what, best I can tell from my relatively broad experience, is the most generous pour in Nashville. You won't find it in a steakhouse or a quaint little house-turned-wine bar. No, you'll have to go to the Arcade downtown and hang out with some crusty characters at a little place called Brandon's, where the smoke can get pretty thick and the carpet's not too clean. Of course, there is no wine list—it's all Robert Mondavi (Woodbridge). But the staff—Carmelita and Tiffany in particular—are sweet, the company interesting and the pours nice and stout.
This Week in Fake Food News: Rumours South!
Rumours East—big deal. The real (fake) news that has foodies abuzz is the imminent opening of Rumours South, located in the former storage shed behind Wretch Ed's Transmission Hideaway off Fesslers Lane. I peeked inside during a recent power outage, and I can say it was fully worth braving the barbed wire.
What struck me first was the overturned-oil-drum-and-drywall table, which snakes through the front window. Discarded sofas create a festive touch, with additional seating provided by Gitchaowndamn chairs. The gravel lot conveniently located out back offers a scenic view of the culvert along with a fast getaway.
Then there's the food. I don't know how they get the Treet so creamy! It fully complemented the sawdust on the Triscuits. But of course, the wine here is the big attraction. Ten flavors of Ripple, including Luden's and "trail mix." It's so fresh you can lick the pull tab. Ask for it to go!
You can bet I'll be there when Rumours South opens this weekend, barring a last-minute restraining order. Or wait and go next Thursday. That's Bottomless Jug Night.
* Image stolen from GhettoWine.com, a site you will want to bookmark immediately.
How to Win Friends and Influence People...With Truffle Oil
Truffle oil has changed my life. I picked up a bottle each of black and white truffle oil and I've been experimenting, using it in soups, on salads, on potatoes, even a couple drops on toast rubbed with garlic.
Sure, I paid 12 bucks each for a couple of 2-ounce bottles, but hey, that truffle pictured above sold for $41,000, so it's understandable. And I use so little, just a few drops here and there, that it's cost-per-use is minimal.
Of course, it's one of those love-it-or-hate-it flavors (and odors). Hopefully Scene editor Liz Garrigan will chime in about how she almost puked when I put some squash bisque laced with truffle oil on her desk. I think her exact words were, "This smells disgusting! Get it away from me!"
Anyone else a sucker for (or hater of) the sublime delicacy (or putrid substance)?
Rumour Has It
In search of a brief respite from the sweltering heat (and some free wine), I wandered into the much-anticipated Rumours East during Saturday's Tomato Festival for a sneak-preview wine tasting. My assessment: the latest addition to East Nashville's night life will be worth the wait.
What struck me first was the magnificent copper-and-wood bar, a work of art that snakes through the front room. Several clusters of colorful velvet chairs and tables provide additional seating inside the historic house, while a deck out back offers a nice alternative when it's not 100 degrees and humid.
Then there's the food, and of course the wine. Although I only tasted one Pinot Noir (no, I didn't catch the name), it was outstanding, as was the roasted-tomato-and-goat-cheese appetizer (I'm pretty sure the guy passing out the apps thinks I'm a stalker).
Like I said, this was only a brief glimpse of what Rumours will have to offer when it opens in a few weeks, but so far I like what I see.
Into The Mystic
Chalk another one up for the stealthy gentrification of Eighth Avenue South. I just stopped into The Mystic, the new coffeehouse wedged between Arnold's meat-and-three and Estelle's antique shop. Ordered my regular titration (half-decaf) of Drew's Brews and was told I was only the second person to order the soft stuff since the place opened three weeks ago. Watched five minutes of Breakfast at Tiffany's on the flat screen over the counter and spoke to the only other patrons, who were happily inhaling some new-age-flavored oxygen at the rate of $10 per 15 minutes.
Located at 603 Eighth Ave. (phone: 770-7097), The Mystic serves sandwiches, muffins and the like from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
Fast. It's Not For Everyone.
Lettuce, yes. Rhubarb, no.
Carrots and squash, yes. Peas and asparagus, no.
Eggplant, yes. Strawberries, no.
Corn, yes. Melons, yes. Tomatoes, yes.
That's what's in season for the month of August, according to the produce calendar on Slow Food Nashville's new website.
Part of the international Slow Food movement, the Nashville chapter—or convivium—works to promote local food and farming, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. The website provides lists of local farmers, CSAs and farmers' markets, as well as a roster of local restaurants offering locally grown and produced foods.
The website currently has information about the Sept. 17 Slow Food dinner at Margot Cafe and other events celebrating Eat Local Month, coming up in September. (According to the produce calendar, grapes, pumpkins, apples and pears will just be coming into season by then.)
Free Lunch
Remember, in The Jerk, how psyched Navin Johnson is when the new phone books come out? I'm a little bit the same way with the Aug. 1 publication of the new Citipass coupon book. OK, so I didn't use enough coupons to cover the $20 cost of the book last year. But hope springs eternal as every year I browse the pages of restaurant coupons in the 350-page book, then pop it in my glove compartment, resolved to use it when I dine at regular stops such as Kalamata's, McDougal's Chicken and Pied Piper Creamery. The problem is, my husband usually drives when we go out to dinner, so I don't have my coupons when I arrive. But this year, Radius10 has coupons for lunch and dinner. Since we're going to be moving our offices that way this month, I'll have my $12 buy-one-get-one-free lunch certificate ready (It's on page 81). Now I need to pick someone to share it with. I'll just wait to see who's the nicest to me. For information about Citipass, visit the website or call 373-5440.
Hot Chocolate
While Miss Martha's Ice Cream Crankin' last weekend was predictably awesome, I have to say I was slightly disappointed that Spiced-Up Chocolate didn't win. (For a run-down of the contest, check out the dining feature in this week's Scene.)
I'm sure the winner, Mango Madness, will be a nice concoction when it hits the freezer section early next year, but Ora Bransford's runner-up blend of chocolate ice cream with cayenne and cinnamon was really a kick and would have been a food-forward addition to the Purity Premium line.
For anyone who wants to try a spicy fusion of pepper and chocolate, Las Paletas has been freezing up Hot Chocolate popsicles for years. Until I can pry the recipe out of Ora Bransford, I'll be skulking down 12th Avenue to visit the Paz sisters in the well-hidden Cypress Building at the corner of Kirkwood. Any other flavors I should try?
Feeds:
Categories
Recent Comments
Recent Entries
- Wings of Glory: Nuttin' But Wings Opens New Location
- What Is Wild Ginger's Growth Potential?
- Ouyang House Introduces Dim Sum
- "Closing the Food Gap" Author Winne Speaks July 24
- Garden of Breeden
- Smothered and Covered in Love
- Que-Less
- Fresh Blends Gets Juiced
- Hot Chicken Festival: A Cluck Back
- Murder Most Fowl
Links
Access NashvilleChowhound
Cook Eat Fret
Diner's Journal
Lannae's Food and Travel
Lesley Eats
Nashville Chefs
Nashville Cream
Nashville Originals
Nashville Restaurants
Nashville Restaurant Blog
N the Know
Pith in the Wind
The Pour
Red White & Food
Slow Food Nashville
Tupperware Avalanche
