It Takes a Village

Juanita Lane, the pastry maven behind Dulce Desserts in Edgehill Village, is carrying her wares across the street to Rosario's, to add a sweet note to the Mexican menu that has suffered from a shortage of desserts. Now you can top off your mole and enchilada verde with a coconut pie, chocolate truffle cake and cupcake of the month. After the holiday rush—when Lane will no doubt be up to her eyeballs in bouches de Noëls—she'll add a little Mexican flavor to the offerings. Think chocolate cupcakes with a hint of cayenne, maybe a dulce de leche de Dulce?

Rosario's is located at 1200 Villa Place, phone: 329-1977. Dulce is located across the street, in the blue building at 1207 Villa, phone: 321-8700.

Snack Break

Dear Readers:

Our blogs will be undergoing some maintenance and, as a result, things might get weird around here for a while—around noon today comments will be disabled and soon thereafter some stuff may not work right, or at all. Don't worry, things will return to abnormal soon.

Thank you,
Bites

Don't Forget Gnocchi Day at Nola's

The 29th of the month is rolling around again, and that means Alexia Cabrera is gearing up for Gnocchi Day at Nola's. Once a month, the quirky restaurant serving Uruguayan-by-way-of-Louisiana cuisine dishes up a deal of a meal—gnocchi with beef medallions and bread pudding for dessert, all for about $10.

A native Uruguayan, Cabrera brings the tradition from her home country, where many European immigrants cooked a hearty meal of pasta at the end of the month to make ends meet until the paychecks came around.

If you show up at Nola's on Thursday, expect to find a worldly, friendly and hungry crowd.

Nola's is located at 2912 West End Ave., phone: 341-3693.

Catcher and the Rye

Care for some Russian dressing with your Russian lit? Chips and a side of Salinger? Cheddar and Cheever? A BLT with the Bacon who wrote Shakespeare's plays? Anything's possible at Sherlock's Deli, which just opened in the Sherlock's Book Emporium and Curiosities complex about a half-hour east of Nashville in Lebanon.

Why make a big deal about a bookstore-slash-deli in the next county? For one thing, it's rare enough that someone opens an independent bookstore for new releases—let alone one the size of Sherlock's, the largest new indie bookseller in the state. It includes more than $500,000 in rare books, a section spotlighting new authors, cases of engagingly bizarre TV and movie memorabilia, a surprisingly plush screening room with classics projected on large-screen DVD round the clock, and a hobby shop with model-train paraphernalia.

As for the deli, it's a New York-style sandwich shop dishing out $7-$9 sammies "with eight ounces of meat on each sandwich," says manager Joe Hansen, who boasts that 75 percent of his customers so far need a to-go box. Along with clam chowder, chili and beef stew, Sherlock's serves up a breakfast of sausage and biscuits, gravy, bacon and eggs for early birds. And if you want dinner and a movie, you can take a theater tray into the screening room.

Sherlock's is located at 200 Maddox-Simpson Pkwy., not far off Exit 236. Call 449-9807 for more information.

That's MEETUP, Not Up With Meat

The Nashville Vegetarian Meetup, a movable feast of likeminded veg-heads will have its next gathering Saturday, Dec. 1, at 5 p.m. The location is still to be determined.

According to the group's web page, the Nashville Vegetarian Meetup 'is about meeting fellow vegetarians and vegans to build friendships, help the environment and of course enjoy good food and fun!' Other recent outings have included visits to restaurants and a potluck with speaker Will Tuttle, author of The World Peace Diet.

To join the Nashville Vegetarian Meetup (suggested contribution is $9 a year), check out the group's web page, where the location of the Dec. 1 outing will be posted. With any luck, Veggie Cafe in East Nashville will be open and serving some of Dawn Fears' meatless meat loaf.

The Fat of the Land

What do bike lanes have to do with restaurants? Responding to the Forbes ranking of Nashville as the nation's 7th most obese city, and speaking as "one who falls into the category of obese," the blog Only Wonder Understands has a few ideas (and mentions a couple of bygone Nashville restaurants that came up in that previous thread). Here's an excerpt:

When one looks around town, we quickly realize that there are few healthy alternatives where we can meet. Some of the great alternatives — the Grateful Breadbox, Country Life, etc. — have been run off by higher fat alternatives. Vegetarian or healthy lifestyle restaurants are few and far between . . . and if one moves out of the trendy areas of Hillsboro Village, East Nashville, or Waverly Belmont, it becomes even harder as family owned alternatives have been run out of town by the mega restaurant chains built on large portions and high fat content. Combine all of that with an overworked culture of persons with long commutes, a lack of neighborhood cohesion, and lifestyles that demand too many meals in car from drive-thrus, and you have a populus [sic] that is too heavy.

Cafe Christ

In the God-is-everywhere tradition of Bongo Java's Nun Bun and other such holy apparitions, White Trash Cafe owner Lynn Batey has spied Christ between two panes of Plexiglas at his 6-year-old restaurant. Sure enough, in a window above a mop sink in a back hallway, there is what appears to be the tortured torso of the crucified Jesus.

"It's a little spooky," says Batey, who first saw the unmistakable likeness when a customer pointed it out to him. He adds that he hopes the tongue-in-cheek tone of his meat-and-three restaurant doesn't make anyone think he's making fun of Jesus. "Because I'm a Christian," he adds. Though with the economy and the weather, he does feel like his business is being crucified lately.

"I don't believe in coincidences," Batey says. "I believe coincidences are signs of God trying to tell you something." Exactly what God is trying to say in this case Batey's not sure, but he hopes it might draw a little attention to his business, and help him take the Cafe to the next level. It wouldn't hurt to have a catchy name, maybe "Mop Sink Messiah," "Cafe Christ" or something along those lines. Any suggestions?

The White Trash Cafe is located at 1914 Bransford Ave., 383-0109.

Remembrance of Egg Salad Past

As exciting a time as it is on the local restaurant scene, with the explosion of casual fine dining and all the pomegranates, marrow bones and mache that come with the creative contemporary genre, it's nice to take a moment to remember those who went before. Scenester "Sharuch" was trolling over at Thinktrain.com and found this link to a conversation at Chowhound.com.

I can almost hear that band on the stage at Shakey's Pizza, and it makes me wonder if I don't have a Styrofoam boater that I ghermed off the banjo player.

But for me, the real bygone flavor of youth is Moon Drugs, where Mom took me for vegetable soup on the days school let out early. Today, for example, the day before Thanksgiving, would be a Moon's day.

Ready for a Throwdown!

Like so many unsuspecting victims of Food Network surprise, I arrived at Fido today for a low-key taping of a segment for Brain Freeze Stunt Week, only to learn that I was actually a judge on Throwdown! With Bobby Flay.

Flay, pictured here with sisters Norma and Irma Paz, took on the ladies of Las Paletas to see who could make the best ice pop—the brand name Popsicle was strictly verboten during the taping! While the Paletas gang knew the Food Network was coming to town to profile them, they were stunned to find Flay standing by, ready for a spontaneous throwdown.

Slow Food maven Robin Riddell and I had the honor of taste-testing two delicious frozen concoctions.

And the winner was...You'll have to wait until Brain Freeze Stunt Week rolls around in the summer. We'll keep you posted.

Food Network at Fido

Continuing her conquest of the national media, Carrington will be taping a segment for the Food Network this afternoon at Fido in Hillsboro Village. The segment will air next spring as part of "Brain Freeze Stunt Week" (hey, brain freezing is my specialty!) and will focus on signless Nashville treasure Las Paletas. We understand a summer party/luau theme is involved, so come prepared for a lei. At the very least, you'll want to check out Carrington's mandatory "festive attire!"

Guys' Day Out

Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries opened this week in the Hill Center, and we're already getting enthusiastic reports. Anyone up for a field trip to see what all the hyperbole is about? Say, Wednesday at 11 a.m.? Mr. Pink and I will see you there.

Eat This, Nashville

Want to know the top restaurants in Nashville—the ones we'd stack up against those in our sister cities across the country—as ranked by Where the Locals Eat? Tough. You'll just have to get Where the Locals Eat: The 100 Best Restaurants in the Top 50 Cities ($11.95, Magellan), the WTLE website's new pocket-sized guide to fine dining and good eats from Chicago to Seattle.

Editor Pat Embry, who also writes the Nashville entries, says that each city's section takes into consideration its regional specialties and unique ethnic makeup—e.g., the high concentration of seafood and delis in Miami. That explains why the Nashville section is lacking in Chinese cuisine, our city's habitual culinary blind spot.

Embry points instead to Nashville landmarks such as Prince's Hot Chicken and La Hacienda, the latter being his pick for the city's most influential ethnic restaurant. "It changed the whole nature of what we consider Mexican in town," Embry says.

The book isn't the only recent development at Where the Locals Eat. The site changed the name of its restaurant-news blog—the place where local food reporters keep score of their scoops—to YumbleBUS. (I had a cousin who was once hit by a Yumblebus.) The old title, Nashville Restaurant News, "was not a particularly sexy name," Embry says.

The book is available at Davis-Kidd, and Embry suggests it as a stocking stuffer. "It's only 12 bucks," he says. "I can blow 12 bucks at Taco Bell." But with his book, there's no reason for you to do the same.

Aw, what the heck. It's Thanksgiving. After the jump: 10 of the top Nashville restaurants in Embry's book.

Live Nude Radio

If you've got satellite radio, tune in to Martha Stewart Living Radio today to hear Carrington Fox talk about the local restaurant scene. Living Today with host Kerry Nolan broadcasts on Sirius Channel 112, and Fox will be on the air at 2 p.m.

The Martha will not be present, but maybe Carrington will draw her out.

Going Back to Cali

Jason Brumm, owner of sleek Radius10 restaurant in The Gulch, is expanding his entrepreneurial reach down market, with a casual Mexi-Cali concept on Belmont Boulevard. Brumm just finalized a deal to purchase Tabouli's, a Middle Eastern restaurant next to PM and across the street from the International Market. He takes over on Dec. 1 and hopes to open Dos Locos Taqueria y Margarita Bar by Jan. 5.

The changeover means that PM owner Arnold Myint and the rest of the neighborhood can put away their petitions and sigh with relief knowing that Subway won't be popping up a yellow awning in that location. Earlier this year, word on the street was that the ubiquitous sandwich chain was setting up shop in the quirky pedestrian-friendly corridor beside Belmont University.

Brumm, who opened the upscale Radius10 two years ago, is partnering with Austin Ray—owner of Bar Twenty3 and City Hall—and Greg Richardson to launch Dos Locos. Far from the industrial-minimalist decor of Radius10, Dos Locos will be decked with Polaroids of taco-eating contests, graffiti, lots of red drippy candles, roses and Mexican religious iconography.

Brumm has planned a menu of items priced at $12 or less, in hopes of luring the hungry hordes of nearby Belmont and Vandy students. Expect a roster of bottomless queso, fresh guacamole, ceviche, grilled corn on the cob with garlicky mayo, enchiladas, quesadillas and other California-infused Mexican staples, which Colorado native Brumm calls "Mexi-Calirado" cuisine. Having seen Brumm behind the bar muddling fresh fruits for Radius10's margaritas, we're looking forward to trying the house recipe at Dos Locos.

Located at 2015 Belmont Blvd., Dos Locos will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week, with a late-night happy hour—or "Study Break"—planned for 11 p.m. to midnight.

Conversation Bites: Jeremy Barlow, Topic 2

Here are some questions that play off a recent comment on Bites: What signifies a creative chef? Is there a point at which food is no longer food?

Let's set a few guidelines before we answer the question.

First, assume there is no new food and that everything has been done before—a common belief in the food industry.

Second, feel free to incorporate fads and the evolution of dining throughout history.

Third, creativity without execution is just plain bad cooking.

Conversation Bites: Guest Chef Jeremy Barlow

Welcome to Jeremy Barlow, chef-owner of Tayst restaurant, who joins us as our guest chef today. Jeremy will pose a couple of questions this morning and stop in periodically to weigh in.

Topic 1

I am a staunch proponent of local foods and local businesses, and I believe the majority of food bloggers tend to feel the same way. If you want to talk about food when you're not eating it, you're probably a foodie. If you're a foodie, you probably frequent restaurants that serve local product because local food is better. (How's that for paying attention in my logic class?)

Anyway, it's a constant battle to stay true to this belief due to all sorts of challenges, from developing relationships with farmers to sourcing asparagus in the winter to coping with a drought that freezes then dries up again; however, as my whole staff recently discovered while eating baby carrots right out of the ground at Farmer Dave's, every bit of extra work that goes into buying local is worth it.

I see the nation and particularly Nashville at a culinary crossroads. On one hand, you have a portion of the population following independent restaurants that are pushing toward using all local ingredients while continually supporting the local community in numerous ways. On the other hand, you have corporate chains numbing the country's palate with their collective "American menu" and at the same time slowly sending the independent restaurants the way of the neighborhood hardware store and movie theater. As "greening" becomes the hip thing to do in this country, and as the voice of the "locavore" gets louder, by virtue of its role in the greening, my question is this:

Does our community—and the nation as a whole—have the ability to return to the ways of old, i.e. eating seasonal food at local places? Or are we doomed to follow the path of cattle in a feedlot, supplementing our diet with antibiotics and diet drugs while we eat the same menu at every restaurant?

Michael Ruhlman Comes to The Viking Store

Bestselling author Michael Ruhlman will conduct a demonstration class at The Viking Store, Nov. 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Focusing on his book The Elements of Cooking, he will prepare a menu of lardons salad with spinach and arugula; pancetta-cured bacon; blanquette de poulet with fresh noodles, sauteed mushrooms, roasted shallots and gremolata; and cinnamon-sugar choux doughnuts with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Ruhlman is the author of 12 books, including The Soul of a Chef, The Making of a Chef and Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing. He is also an occasional judge on Iron Chef America.

Space is limited. For reservations, call 599-9617. The Viking Store is located at 230 Franklin Road, Bldg. 13 in the Factory at Franklin.

Beer in the Headlights

Who would ever have thought our local wine-beer-liquor laws could get even screwier? Check out Pith in the Wind for a story that will make you want to hit the bottle—as long as it's 70 oz. or larger.

Right on 'Cue

It's a recurring question: Who has the best barbecue in Nashville? And it's one that I just got asked again this week by some folks at the Food Network, who are coming to town.

Martin's, Jack's, Dee's, Jim 'N' Nick's, Dickey's, Famous Dave's, Mary's, Judge Bean's, Neely's, Pop's, Tex's, Whitt's or Bar-B-Cutie, to name just a few.... If you had 36 hours in Nashville, whose 'cue would you do?

Eight Arms to Hold You

Just because it keeps coming up here in different threads...here is a behind-the-scenes clip of filming the notorious "octopus scene" from Park Chan-wook's delirious revenge thriller Oldboy. Not for the squeamish—and definitely not approved by the ASPCA.

No, no, it's nothing. Really.

Conversation Bites: Guest Chef Jeremy Barlow

Tayst restaurant chef-owner Jeremy Barlow will join us on Thursday, Nov. 15, for a conversation about food. Barlow, whose kitschy kitchen churns out such creative delicacies as Krispy Kreme bread pudding and an homage to McDonald's Filet-O-Fish cooked in the sous vide method, will introduce a couple of topics and open them up for conversation. He'll chime in throughout the day. Expect Barlow to touch on the subject of green restaurants and, given the season, maybe turkey.

If there are things you'd like Barlow to address, start a list in the comments...

Filmed Before a Loveless Studio Audience

When the Food Network descends on Nashville next week to film the inaugural episode of Singin' in the Kitchen—a show that blends food and music—you can get your mug on TV.

Just line up at the Loveless Cafe at 1:30 p.m. (taping starts at 2:30) on Monday, Nov. 19, to be part of the studio audience when country newcomer Luke Bryan and "Biscuit Lady" Carol Fay talk about biscuits and jam. (They will talk about bread and jelly—not talk about biscuits, then start jammin'.)

The first 100 folks get a free fried-chicken picnic afterward. For more information, call Dixie Owen at Capitol Records at 269-2087.

Let's All Go to the Lobby...

From Jeremy Barlow—the man who brought us the McDonald's Chant Dinner and a Big Mac made with scallops and foie gras—comes Movie Night. The chef-owner of Tayst restaurant has conjured up a five-course meal based on classic movie snacks.

The gourmet-goes-kitsch wine dinner starts with Twizzlers (a licorice-tinged salad with lobster, orange, dried strawberries, pomegranate seeds, cauliflower, fennel and anise sarsaparilla froth) and works through popcorn (tuna dusted with curry-and-herb popcorn), Jujyfruits (lemon-lime-cured duck breast with cherry ravioli, candied violets and lilac reduction) and Raisinets (cocoa-rubbed venison stuffed with raisins, celeriac gratin and spiced mole).

For dessert: Reese's Pieces and Milk Duds, duh.

Movie Night will screen on Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $85 before tax and tip. Tayst is located at 2100 21st Ave. Call 383-1953 for reservations.

Losing My Religion

Bless me, Food Gods, for I have sinned. It has been a really, really long time since my last confession.

I have tried to be good, but, with a newborn and a wife with crazy work hours, it's been hard to do the right thing. I confess: We've eaten a lot of prepackaged frozen food, and eaten out a lot of carry-out. We've also let beautiful, locally grown organic vegetables rot in the fridge. And, er...and....

Last week, I ate a McRib.

Bikini Bird

A reader just sent in this recipe and photo, gleaned from the ever-generous InterWeb. (No, it's not a snapshot from my summer vacation.)

Recipe for Bikini Turkey

1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
2. Dress turkey accordingly.
3. Roast and serve.

Optional: Add paprika to basting juice for a deeper tan.