Nashville Food Blog

Over at Nashville Restaurants blog, we get the sad news that Taste of Russia in CoolSprings has closed.  I was looking forward to more blintzes and smoked fish. While you're there, read up on Battle Ground Brewery and see if it doesn't give you a yen for a big, chewy homemade pretzel and a beer.

Ulika captures an editor's heart with Apostrophe Catastrophes and does the unthinkable: sacrifices himself to try Kraft barbecue sauce. Yeah, you can guess the result.

Meanwhile, evilchefmom also does the unthinkable and posts a mediocre recipe. We feelin' you, girl -- that's a lot of work to put into a so-so result.

Erin scores big at Big Lots with organic soba noodles and wasabi peas. I feel you, too, girl -- my last Big Lots haul included hearts of palm.

At A Man's Gotta Eat, Joltin' Django rediscovers Ron's BBQ & Fish in Antioch -- $7 buys enough meat and three for two meals -- and
discovers that Chinese seasoning for roast duck is even better on pork chops.

Lucky Lannae at Lannae's Food and Travel -- she went to City House for New Year's Eve, two years in a row. Did you see the Scene's Dana Kopp Franklin there? She reported a great meal there. Too bad there weren't name tags.

We here at Bites are always trying to keep our readers abreast of the latest news in restaurant openings and expansions. There have been several notable examples of visionary owners taking failed restaurant spaces and transforming them into new success stories.

Max and Ben Goldberg completely reconfigured the Midtown building that previously housed Patrick's and Edisto, transforming it into the Über-hip Patterson House. Virago and Lime owner Chris Hyndman has opened Whiskey Kitchen in the old Agave space and is developing Kayne Prime steak house where Radius 10 opened and closed as part of a new restuarant district on McGavock between 11th and 12th to be known as M Street. Arnold Myint has reimagined restaurants at the previous locations of PM and Suzy Wong's House of Yum, reinvigorating everything from the decor to the flatware to the menu.

These efforts have proven to be wildly successful so far as the result of hard work, innovative thinking and huge financial investments. But what about the other end of the spectrum? What about the small business owners who see the husk of a failed restaurant, usually a fast food joint, and like a hermit crab simply back into the new shell, plug in a fryer and start selling food?

​In the Greek language, "yassas" means both hello and goodbye. Unfortunately at Zavos, the Inglewood neighborhood Greek eatery, there wasn't much time between yassas and yassas.

We heard earlier this month that management had closed Zavos indefinitely for "repairs and maintenance." That sounded suspiciously close to the note that was posted on the front door of Ombi which was followed up with a padlock on the front door as big as Mario Batali's head. We weren't optimistic for Zavos' future.

Annnnd...we were correct. Reports are that there are "Seized by the U.S. Government" signs plastered on the building. Contrary to any imagined Lou Grant-like images Bites readers might have that we hate being scooped by the intrepid Eric and Katie over at their excellent Nashville Restaurants blog, what really makes us sad is losing another local establishment.

Get out there and eat something, people!

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A gas range, refrigerator, immersion blender, artwork, lamps, coolers and more are on the block at McLemore Auction Company, which is liquidating the equipment of the defunct Rosario's Mexican Restaurant. Proceeds from 70 lots of cooking equipment and furniture will go toward a secured creditor of the bankrupt enterprise, which closed this summer in Edgehill Village after two years of operation. The online auction concludes Sept. 29, starting at 2 p.m.

Other items in the sale include a set of colorful plates, approximately 100 wooden chairs and 10 metal patio tables with matching chairs. Items can be inspected at the restaurant, located at 1200 Villa Place, Suite 100, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

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Fans of Mexican food got some good news and some bad news last month. In the plus column were the openings of Nachos in Bellevue and Cocina Mexican Grill in Berry Hill, and the news that Texas-based Chuy's Tex-Mex chain is opening on Mallory Lane this fall.

The bad news: El Manjar and Los Rosales closed in August.

After months of speculation about what would fill the former Alleycat space, Matt Charette debuted Drifters barbecue and beer joint.

In North Nashville, Erika White revived a landmark with the relaunch of Mayo's & Mahalia Jackson's.

Meanwhile, Murfreesboro diners said bye-bye to Tomato, Tomato, when sibling team Mitchell and Molly Murphree closed the cheery pizzeria to focus on their Five Senses restaurant.

The September update of "On and Off the Menu" promises to be a busy one, with the opening of Arnold Myint & Co.'s Church Street venture--Suzy Wong's House of Yum--and the Sept. 14 launch of Belle in the space that formerly housed Martha's at the Plantation.

A more complete list of restaurant openings and closings in 2009 follows after the jump.

Sheila Lukins, one-time proprietor of the 165-square-foot-shop Manhattan takeout shop The Silver Palate and author of several cookbooks, has died at age 66 of brain cancer.

She and business partner Julie Rosso opened the shop in 1977, selling cocktail fare, salads, pastas, side dishes, cookies and mousses. They also catered, and made sauces and preserves. Their food incorporated a wider world of flavors, including Greek, northern Mediterranean, Provencal, and rustic Italian.
It wasn't just a store -- it was a force for cultural change, and soon the need for a cookbook was obvious.
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The Silver Palate Cookbook was published by Workman publishing in 1980. Many Americans discovered pesto, fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar and arugula in its pages. It's been referred to as the "Joy of Cooking for a new generation of American cooks."

Its best-known recipe is Chicken Marbella, a marinated combination of unlikeliest ingredients (prunes, olives, 1/4 cup of oregano, brown sugar) that cooked into an irresistibly garlicky, sweet-tangy caramelized sauce.
 

Tomato, Tomato, the charming pizzeria in Murfreesboro, has closed. Molly Murphree, who co-owned the 2-year-old eatery with her brother, chef Mitchell, says the decision was made to focus on their original Five Senses restaurant, which will start serving lunch on Monday, Aug. 31.

Located at 1602 W. Northfield Blvd in the 'Boro, Five Senses will serve lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, in addition to dinner nightly.

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Los Rosales, the Mexican restaurant at the corner of Blue Hole and Bell roads, has closed. After changing lands in late 2007 and being reinvented with a healthy, fresh menu in summer 2008, the restaurant--much beloved by Bites readers--closed Aug. 16. A letter from owner Carlos Moncayo cited unfavorable economic conditions.

Anyone who's spent any time on top of Monteagle Mountain probably knows about Pearl's Foggy Mountain Cafe. Located midway between the sleepy burgs of Monteagle and Sewanee, Pearl's offered upscale Southern cuisine prepared with local and organic ingredients and served in a comfortable homey atmosphere. Notice the unfortunate use of the past tense in the previous sentence.

Yup, unfortunately Pearl's was a victim of "Sewanee Lightning" last year. Just like the nearby unfortunately named Burnt Wood Roadhouse, a suspicious fire destroyed most of the building but left the kitchen space intact. The ironies swirling around those circumstances boggle the mind. Local scuttlebutt involved arson, stolen checks, meth labs and disgruntled ex-employees. What really matters is that there's one less place to get a good meal on top of the mountain.

They didn't say WHICH holiday

​After an initial bit of optimism that they might rebuild and reopen, the longer the rubble remained untouched, the less optimism anyone had for a Phoenix-like revival. Hoping that there was just a delay in the insurance claim, some mountain denizens still clung to the belief that Pearl's famed Low Country Shrimp White Cheddar Grits would eventually return to the table.

Now, the ghost has officially been given up and Elvis has left the building. While the burnt debris was eventually cleared and some rudimentary structural work has begun, this large sign appeared earlier this month.​

It's a beautiful site full of memories with a built-in clientele of Sewanee students, their wealthy parents and the weekend Nashville/Chattanooga/Atlanta commuters who own property on top of the mountain. I can't guarantee anybody can make a living entering the restaurant industry in this economy, but I can think of a lot less desirable places to go bankrupt. Hopefully, somebody will give it a go. I'll be first in line for a table for two on Opening Night.​

cadged from The Martha Blog

A tomato with blight in Martha Stewart's garden.

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At first the rain split the tomatoes, which healed over with unsightly cracks that could be cut away, so the tomatoes were usable. Later in the season, nearly ripe tomatoes all looked as if a rotten patch was forming around a spot that might or might not have been nibbled by one of the many creatures that visit our kitchen garden.

Then I saw that even Martha Stewart and her 50 varieties of tomatoes have the blight. I didn't feel better for either of us. It also doesn't get my tomatoes back. But it does make me feel better that the "good" half of a tomato I salvaged, stuffed with crabmeat and ate wasn't bitten by a creature.

Can you tell your garden secret? Or news?

El Manjar Mexican restaurant, known for unusual delicacies including grilled tongue and barbecued lamb soup, has closed. The phone has been disconnected at the Nolensville Road eatery, and an eviction notice dated Aug. 6 is posted on a window.

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But not in our house. For Shoney's Classic Recipe Seasoning Salt is deceased.

Rumors of its death had been greatly exaggerated over the years. One location might not have any bottles for sale, but another would have three or four. Shoney's employees looked askance, and somewhat suspicious, if you tried to buy more than a couple of bottles. Three turned out to be the magic number. There were always three bottles.

And so Shoney's salt became a Wood family stocking-stuffer, Father's Day gift, extra birthday surprise and more.

Shoney's salt consumption reached a peak in our house in 2000, when my mother-in-law, panicky on hearing of the salt's imminent demise, purchased two cases of it, for a total of 48 bottles. Those lasted a couple of years. Then it was back to the bottle-by-bottle purchase.

It's possible that the death knell is just another rumor--it wouldn't be the first time. So if you see it, contact Bites right away, OK? Because my 20th anniversary is just a couple months away.

​The second half of 2009 got a shot of restaurant adrenaline, with a rush of openings and announcements of projects on the way.

Among the headlines, PM and ChaChah owner Arnold Myint is conspiring with the Tribe/Play team to launch Suzy Wong's House of Yum on Church Street later this year.

Over in the Gulch, Virago and Lime owner Chris Hyndman announced plans to launch Kayne Prime steak house and The Whiskey Kitchen as part of a full-block development on McGavock between 11th and 12th, to be known as M Street. Those projects are coming later in the year. Meanwhile, Casablanca Coffee brought java to the Gulch dwellers in the Icon, and The Wine Loft uncorked a new nexus for oenophiles.

Downtown got a few new dining options, with the openings of The Painted Cupcake and Ali Baba Mediterranean restaurant.

Nolensville Road saw a couple changeovers, including the replacement of Super Pollo with La Cocina de Paula and the dramatic unveiling of the new Shoney's prototype at the corner of Thompson Lane. Cocina Mexican Grill opened a third store, in Berry Hill, around the corner from the latest offering from the Monell's family of restaurants.

East Nashville got some new cheap eats at The Nuvo Burrito and Far East Nashville Vietnamese. Meanwhile, Las Maracas will launch new stores in East Nashville and Madison, and former Ombi owner Terrell Raley is working on Holland House restaurant and bar.

On the Western front, the Whitfield's team announced plans to launch Brio Bistro Italiano in the former Wildwood Oak-Fired Kitchen, and Belle will fill the void left at Belle Meade Plantation by the closing of Martha's.

A more complete list of openings and closings is posted after the jump.

With the summer solstice and the Southern heat came a couple of cool new entries to the dining scene. Sweet CeCe's frozen yogurt in the Belle Meade Publix shopping center struck a nerve with the hot-and-sweaty kiddie camp crowd, which swarms the adorable pay-as-you-weigh shop every afternoon. With almost a dozen nonfat flavors, including the zesty Original Tart, and a phalanx of crushed cookies, candy bars and candies for toppings, Sweet CeCe's is the surprise blockbuster of the summer.

Another icy attraction arrived in Hillsboro Village this summer when the Snowball Stand parked its light blue push cart at the edge of the Shell stations' parking lot. An apple green umbrella, a tiny table and a roster of colorful shaved-ice confections is luring pedestrians to Kelly McGonigal's cute and cool enterprise.

Other openings in June included The Ivy restaurant downtown and Goha Ethiopian on Murfreesboro Road.

On the other side of the restaurant ledger, we said goodbye to Ombi: A Gastropub, which closed for good a few months after courageous bartender Terrell Raley purchased the Elliston Place eatery and tried valiantly to breathe new life into it. Out White Bridge Road, Bridges Cafe closed its doors after a series of chefs failed to make a destination out of the former Molly P. space. Most recently, Bites posted about the closing of Rosario's in Edgehill Village.

On the horizon: Burger Up is slated to open in December in 12South, and chef Clay Greenberg is looking ahead to 2010 for the opening of Chez Lis in Green Hills, near the new Bedford Commons.

A more complete listing of 2009 restaurant openings and closings is available after the jump.

According to a story at Nashvillepost.com and a drive-by confirmation, Rosario's, the nuevo-mex restaurant at 1200 Villa Place on Edgehill, has closed its doors.

Sources say paperwork filed recently to comply with a Chapter 11 debt reorganization in January, revealed revenues much lower than predicted. It is anticipated that a Chapter 7 (liquidation) trustee will be appointed to sell assets to satisfy creditors.

A sign on the door of Rosario's stated, "Sorry for the inconvenience, Rosario's Mexican restaurant is now closed."

Bridges Cafe, the Southern lunchroom that filled in when Molly P closed two years ago, shut its doors this past weekend. Owner Tom Zazzi has been selling the restaurant equipment. When we called, there were currently no plans for the space, which adjoins Belle Meade Drugs in the building at 85 White Bridge Road.

Our worst fears about Ombi: A Gastropub have come to pass. The Elliston Place eatery is closed. After diners found a note about a problem with the gas line taped on the door of the dark restaurant last week, owner Terrell Raley, the bartender who recently purchased the restaurant from its founders, sent this email Sunday afternoon:

Ombi fans and friends,

Due to unforeseen, and unlikely, circumstances, I will be unable to continue business as Ombi. I would like to extend my gratitude to all who have supported us these past months and to say that we hope to see you all again in the future, as Jason and I are currently seeking funds for our next endeavor (calling all investors!). It has been a pleasure to meet so many lovely people and an even greater pleasure to call them friends. You know who you are.

Cheers, many thanks, and hope to see you soon,

Terrell Raley

In March, Raley purchased the struggling restaurant from its founders, Wonnie Short and Dennis Rogers, in the hopes that he, chef Jason Love and a dedicated team--many of whom worked without pay when Raley first took over--could make a go out of the culinary haven.

The sleek and stylish Ombi began life four years ago as an awkward daytime-nighttime hybrid of Le Peep restaurant and Ombi Bar. Two years ago, chefs Laura Wilson and Kim Totzke took over the kitchen, eliminating the Le Peep element and turning Ombi into a full-fledged restaurant with a French bistro-style repertoire. In recent months, the menu has morphed toward a collection of smaller plates and a style Raley describes as "gastropub."

Totzke left Ombi for Provence Breads & Cafe last year, and Wilson officially handed over the kitchen to chef Love on Valentine's Day this year, when she left the business to spend more time with her new baby.

Ombi: A Gastropub, the sleek Elliston Place eatery, is closed tonight. A sign on the door of the dark restaurant says the closing is due to a problem with the gas lines.

Bartender/owner Terrell Raley, who purchased the 3-year-old restaurant from its founders earlier this spring, could not be reached this afternoon, but if the restaurant reopens, we'll keep you posted.

According to the good folks at WJLE Radio in Smithville, TN, one William Gossett of Gordonsville must have had a powerful hankering for an early morning Blizzard.

Trooper Dewaine Jennings of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, who is investigating, said Gossett was traveling east on Highway 70 when "the tractor trailer exited the roadway to the right, struck a sign in front of Larry's Discount Grocery. The sign was then thrown through and busted the front door of the store (Larry's)."

"The tractor trailer continued eastbound traveling through the parking lot of Susie's Restaurant. It also took down their sign." (Susie's Restaurant was also closed at the time).

"The truck then entered the westbound side of Dairy Queen, went completely through the building, and exited through the other side, where it came to a final rest, with most of the vehicle still inside the building."

www.wjle.com

photo from www.wjle.com

In Gossett's defense, the sign did say "Drive-Thru."

Cheap and cheerful appear to be the new watchwords in Nashville dining, as the month of May saw a slew of new cheap eats opening up, plugging the holes left by recent restaurant closings.

The Local Taco filled a vacuum in the space that formerly housed Goldie's, Bro's, Red Rooster, Murphy's Loft and Portland Brew, and in the process, sucked all the Cinco de Mayo crowds onto its cheery Sylvan Park patio. Pranzo Jersey Italian Cafe picked up where In Dyer Need left off at the Roundabout. The Wine Loft announced it would open in June in the Gulch space that housed the bygone BarTwenty3.

Bombay Bistro fortified the international offerings along Carothers Parkway in Cool Springs. Jolly Rogue parked a trailer of snowballs next to the ever-so-cool weenie wagon in East Nashville, Zumi Sushi confirmed Belcourt's title as Nashville's Next Noshing Neighborhood, and Jimmy Carl's Lunch Box brought lunch and life to the venerable Station Inn during the daylight hours.

An expanded list of 2009 openings and closings is available after the jump.

For a change, April appeared to be a net-positive month when it came to restaurant openings and closings. Nick's Italian Deli was the only casualty reported on Bites; meanwhile, Patterson House, Cantina Laredo and Fleur de Lis Flavors opened their doors and SouthSide Grill replaced Sofie's Bistro, though it's still owned by the same people.

There are already a few openings on the horizon for May, with The Local Taco coming to Sylvan Park in time for Cinco de Mayo, Fresh Blends in Belmont launching May 9 and Zumi Sushi zooming toward opening soon.

A more complete list of openings and closings is available after jump. As always, if we left something out, please add it to the comments so we can keep a running tally.

At lunchtime today, there was kitchen equipment lined up beside the building and a sign on the door warning against trespassing at the shuttered Nick's Italian Deli. The phone number appears to be disconnected, but the website says, "We're Sorry! Nick's Italian Deli is currently closed. Please check back for updates on our new location." We'll keep you posted as we learn details.

March saw the shuttering of a couple of high-profile restaurants, as Andrew Chadwick's on Rutledge Hill and Wildwood Oak-Fired Kitchen closed their doors. Also among the recent tombstones is In Dyer Need Cafe, which served its last lunch in the Music Row Roundabout on Friday, April 3.

On the positive side of the ledger, caterer Sharon Johnson opened Southern Bred in East Nashville, and Brewhouse 100 launched in Bellevue.

On the horizon, Patterson House is scheduled to open next week, and Sofie's Bistro will reemerge as SouthSide Grill later this month.

An extended list of restaurant openings and closings in 2009 is posted after the jump.

In Dyer Need, the friendly cafe in the ground floor of the Roundabout Plaza, is closing its doors on Friday. Owner Racquel Dyer will continue to operate her catering business from 1700 Church St. (phone: 419-6160).

The space, which was originally occupied by Provence Breads & Cafe, is currently available for sublease.

WildWood Oak Fired Kitchen, the Bellevue dining destination intended as the prototype for a proposed chain of locally focused restaurants, has closed its doors. According to former co-owner and co-founder Dave Wachtel III, the restaurant called a halt to operations last Saturday night.

"The economy's been tough," Wachtel said. He declined to discuss any other aspects of the closing, explaining that the restaurant's current and former owners are "involved in sensitive legal issues."

When it opened in mid-2007, WildWood immediately lifted Bellevue's limited dining options with relocated Seattle chef John David Crow's menu of creatively tweaked staples, such as pork chop with chestnut spaetzle. No sooner did the Scene's Carrington Fox give it a glowing review, though, than Crow parted ways with then-owners Wachtel and Justin D. Tatum.

Another Wachtel-Tatum venture, Barfield's All-American Grille in Hendersonville, shuttered its doors in January.

Andrew Chadwick's, the fine dining venue in the stately old house at 37 Rutledge Avenue, has closed its doors.

The eatery, opened and operated by Chadwick, a one-time chef at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas, earned rave reviews, including several from Scene critic Carrington Fox, for the carefully imagined and meticulously crafted food. Chadwick's served its last meal Saturday night.

This week, the handful of servers and chefs was milling about the building in preparation for a couple of events to say goodbye to the small cadre of regular diners, who often checked in with Chadwick to learn when the truffle shipments were arriving from France or how the fig trees were doing in the gardens of the historic house.

With March already claiming its first reported restaurant victims, we take a look back at the restaurant closings reported on Bites in the first months of 2009:

Agave Tequila Lounge
Alleycat Lounge
Barfield's
Bistro 215
City Limits II
Eats à la Carte
Goldie's Deli
Michael T's
One Hundred West
Radius10
Tangredi's Italian Kitchen

On the bright side, we've seen a burst of hopeful entrepreneurship with the following recent openings:

1808 Grille
Cajun Steamer
ChaChah
Elliston Place Green Hills (Transition from Green Hills Cafeteria)
Gabby's Burger and Fries
Patterson House (opening spring 2009)
Re'Je's Grab & Go
Satay
Watanabe Sushi and Asian
Wild Bill's Beignets and Bikes
Zavós

If you know of other restaurant openings and closings, please email them to cfox (at) nashvillescene (dot) com or post them in the comments here, and we'll update the list monthly.

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment when I fell in love with my husband. But I've narrowed it down to two places, one of which was Goldie's Deli in Belle Meade Plaza. So it is with great melancholy that I report today's closing of Goldie's.

Now located in Sylvan Park, where it moved two-and-a-half years ago, the traditional Jewish deli served lox, latkes and a matzoh ball soup good enough to make a shiksha consider converting. Our family favorite was the corned beef hash-and-eggs with a side of latkes with applesauce and sour cream. One of the greatest controversies of our marriage centered around the use of grape jelly on said latkes. I contended the purple schmear added an unnecessary plastic tinge to the otherwise perfect brown lace of deep-fried potato shreds. He maintained that a latke without grape jelly was just hash browns. Yet even with such ideological differences, our mixed marriage thrived in the narrow black-and-white shotgun room that once housed Schwartz's Deli, near the old Mills bookstore.

Within the past hour, a recorded phone message at Radius10 was updated to announce the restaurant's closing. "It is with great regret and great memories that Radius10 has decided to leave The Gulch," the voice says. "Sadly, the level of business since the economic downturn is not sufficient to sustain our operation over the long haul."

A pioneer in The Gulch restaurant community, Radius10 opened three years ago to much acclaim, and was named Best All-Around Restaurant in the Scene's Best of Nashville writers' poll in 2007. This fall, chef-owner Jason Brumm discontinued lunch service and turned his attention to a catering company specializing in barbecue. The updated voice message did not mention the future of Riverwalk Catering Co.

Barfield's All-American Grille has closed, according to an article in the Hendersonville Star News. A sister nameplate of Wildwood Oak-Fired Kitchen in Bellevue, Barfield's anchored Hendersonville's Streets of Indian Lake outdoor shopping center, which debuted in March. Opened in June by owners Dave Wachtel III and Justin D. Tatum, Barfield's was touted as the flagship of a nascent chain of casual dining restaurants.