TOTAL embarrassment...
makes me cringe and shake my head all at once

I demand a recount of all the stuffed ballots.

My husband and I were also very confused, though a similar thing happened with the Houston Chronicle's Best of. In a city with a massive Asian population, Pei Wei won Best Pad Thai.

Especially with newspaper voting, that sort of thing is always going to go lowest common denominator.

Kira, I feel like a dunce for not discovering your very cool blog before now. Seriously, that is really nice (if nice is a term you can apply to "Whore's Food").

I have a feeling that's also a reflection of who reads the paper. I wonder how much of Houston's (or Nashville's) sizable Asian population looks to the local English-language papers for news. It would be interesting to see the responses you'd get to the same contest in, say, La Noticia.

One quick run-through of almost any of the comments sections at The Tennessean explains everything, though.

Um, could you please remove this post?

It's just... I hope my sister doesn't read this. After much prodding by me, she finally moved from Clarksville to Nashville on the premise that Clarksville's #1 Italian Restaurant, by popular vote, is... Olive Garden.

This is arguably worse, seeing as Nashville actually affords its diners CHOICES.

How minor is our minority?

Diana, welcome to Bites...the RESISTANCE!!! The sad thing is (and I would love to be corrected) there's not a whole lot of choice in Nashville as far as Italian goes. Cafe Nonna is about the best I've had. Certainly better than OG, the Original Gangsta.

Wow, another cool blog. Now I'm gonna have to check out that Times chocolate-chip cookie article I've heard so much about. I still say their recipe doesn't have a prayer of beating Collin Wade Monk's.

Regarding the Whore's Pasta (putan is Italian slang for whore or bitch). It was a popular dish in my Italian-American household and is till one of my faves to cook. The folk story my mother told me of its origins involves a wife who was whoring around all day while her husband was working. Just before he got home, she'd throw a bunch of stuff in a pot, tomatoes, olives, capers, etc., to make it look like she was working hard all day. Hence, the sauce of the whore.

I agree with Pink, good blog.

I do something like that to fool Mrs. Pink when I'm supposed to be cleaning. It works until she opens a closet. Joe Pagetta from NPT in the house, everyone! Sounds like you need a cooking show, Joe.

One of my favorite local food blogs, Ulika, has a pretty hilarious take on the "trainwreck." A sample: "Jeremy Barlow, Jason Brumm, Andrew Chadwick: thanks for playing, but you have just been defeated by a third tier barbecue chain."

Thanks, Pink. My opinionated recipes are not necessarily the opinionated recipes of NPT, or PBS for that matter. The station makes no claim as to the quality of dishes I prepare. But trust me, they're good.

ITALIAN:

Pink, you really need to go to City House though. The menu does not seem to be changing much these days, but everything is very good and they have us excited about Italian food in Nashville!

Stupid me, Mimi, forgetting City House, just because I've only been once. It was great, but I had a simple pan-fried soft-shell crab: I haven't been able to try any of the pastas or cured meats (although the pizza I tried was delicious). I'll have another visit soon and try some of those.

That would explain how Pat Buchanan was voted Best Chimichanga

That may be the best non sequitur in Bites history.

Yes, City House pastas and pizzas are excellent. And I'm a fan of Nonna also.

But, a little further down the price chain, I must say that Savarino's on Belcourt Avenue has some of the best real Italian food in town. And they're now making their own pasta from scratch, though sadly I haven't tried it. But go try a stuffed pepper, or the orecchiette with broccoli rabe, or the eggplant caponata, or any of the sandwiches (on house-made bread). It's absolutely one of my favorite places in town, and perhaps one of my most frequent indulgences.

Joe P., you gonna back me up on this? What about you Pink?

I love Savarino's too. I want more of the tie-ins where the Belcourt shows an Italian movie, and then you wander down to Savarino's for an Ed Pontieri special.

Food: reasonably priced and really good. Taking shit from Corrado while you wait: priceless.

Jack, of course I'm going to back you up on this, especially regarding the orecchiette with broccoli rabe. On the sandwich front, everything is great, but I suggest the Nick Pellegrino if you haven't tried it.

I, too, must get to City House. I'm ashamed I haven't. I feel a me, jack and pink outing in the works.

Pink, you giving shit back? Because, you know, that's part of the deal.

city house is the best thing nashville's got going for it re: restaurants. i do not include prince's, eastside or the like in this statement. although... a few menu changes would be refreshing to see - and not just the daily specials. c'mon tandy...

OK OK - i'm trying savarino's. soon.

I volunteer to bring a tape recorder for the epic meeting of Claudia and Corrado.

oh, i'm never looking for trouble
i'd just take whatever he dished and smile

i think

Are you kidding? It would be love at first sight.

I'm with Claudia on City House; it's the only truly reliable great spot in town right now....though Wisconsin Night a couple of months ago was truly the strangest meal I've ever eaten without being drunk.

I make a mean Puttanesca.

gnomey baby - i'll bet you'd make a mean puttanesca! it's a dirty job...

barbara please - details? i'd love to hear all about it, every nuance...

Something tells me that with Anne gone, so too are the Wisconsin Nights.

Wow! Jim Myers in the house! I should add that if the Tennessean had entrusted this project to you and Jennifer Justus instead of the fickle whims of the ballot box, this would be a much different thread.

Thanks Pink, and I must add that your posts are things of pithy beauty and what a pleasure they are to read.

As for the Tennessean and their Toast project, I must say for the record that I was already long gone from 1100 Broadway before that was going on.

Sadly--and the Scene is not immune to this--best of projects are BIG money makers, advertisement sales folks' wet dreams. Your publication manages to at least offer editorial content, but don't think that the ballot-stuffed winners aren't eager to post that banner you give them, even if it makes the entire editorial team cringe. CitySearch now relies completely on that model.

Let's just say that I'm happy I didn't have to be a part of the TN's version of the city's best.

Sorry, that last anonymous post was from me.

so i went to savarino's. i got there at 4:30. stopped in for an early solo dinner. left at 7:30. i sat buy myself until al binetta came in and introduced me around.

pink, you would have long run out of tape. after being interrupted too many times at a table full of people, corrado and i moved to our own table and talked forever. he really is a great guy with a lot of heart. he totally cares about his ingredients while also being a realist when it comes to what they can do best - and the entire business itself.

i had just come from picking up a case of wine and so when he helped me to my car i left him with a bottle of a (joe) bastianich white from the friuli region. i knew he'd know of lidia, joe's momma.

i liked both him and his wife - and his food has heart. it reminded me of little italy back in the day. it's as american/sicilian as you get - except the only wiseguys i saw were the songwriters that seem to frequent the joint...

i had the stuffed artichoke, stuffed pepper, cheese pizza, chicken parmegian hero and some pastry i forgot the name of filled with ricotta and citron in a flaky crust. i took a cannoli home for tomorrow. i also took all the leftovers home and cary was pretty happy with the pepper and half of a sandwich. the rest of the pizza will feed my daughter and grandson tomorrow.

it was a nice and unexpected local outing for me that was just what i needed today.

sat buy myself
lovely...

The songwriters I run into there are the wiseguys.

Someone else who would've produced a much more interesting slice of Toast: Dana Kopp Franklin.

from dana kopp franklin: re: T's

We ordered the sausage and peppers entrée atop penne, and it was a marvel of textures.

a semi glowing review for the tuscan kitchen that has zero to do with tuscany.

pink, here's where we must disagree... i'm thinking you're off the mark here. i keep reading her and trying to get jiggy with the reviews but, nah...

MUST the word "wiseguys" come up when talking about Italian food???!!! (Jack...that was for you).

Joe...at least it wasn't me who used it! I've learned....

Claudia....

you must go to Savarino's and try:

the orrechiette with broccoli rabe

the Ed Pontieri Sandwich

The Al Bunetta (particularly since you know him now)

The Nick Pellegrino....

Oh, and Joe, stop being such a wiseguy.

The kicker is, they had an awards ceremony for this crap at the country music hall of fame.

Claudia: I don't keep up with Dana's restaurant reviews the way I should, but her food news is pretty much a must-read for me. I miss her writing about film, though.

Ulika (howdy!): Really? The CM Hall of Fame? I hope the ghost of Webb Pierce showed up and clubbed somebody with a Bar-B-Cutie pork shoulder.

Oh, and Claudia, you were the first thing Corrado mentioned when Jack and I went there for lunch today. And I got to meet the real Ed Pontieri!

Savarino's let me down my last visit...maybe it was the service.

City House over-salted the fish dishes, pizzas were tasty though.

I am with Claudia, and legions more, in loving City House to death. I would go at least once a week if I had that kind of discretionary income. And as much as I love salt, I can't be a godo judge of this, but I will say that the only criticism I have heard of City House has been with regard to over-salting.

I found Corrado first. He's mine.

One more thing about Dana Franklin: she knows so much more about food than I do, it isn't even funny. No way in hell Bar-B-Cutie would've been Nashville's best on her watch. I'll shut up now.

Also, it was a shame Ed Pontieri busted me eating a Frank DiLeo. But man, I'm starting to develop a real taste for broccoli rabe. That childhood of eating turnip greens is paying off.

pancho - i don't think one dines at savarino's for the service. but what do i know?

i went again tonight. had the rice ricotta fried ball thing - it was excellent. the artichoke again, and the eggplant parm. the cannoli's there are quite good and the pastry tart thing filled with custard - my fave. just like i remember them. corrado baked them to perfection.

ok - jack, i'll atack your list next...

kay, i'm late to the party - again. story of my life...

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL TANDY TO LAY OFFA THE SALT? cause it's out of control and he's ruining beautiful food... not always, but way too often. and it's glaring - and i have heard this not only from diners at my table but many others. oh and for the record, margot is an undersalter. which sounds like a seinfeld episode but it's not.