NASHVILLE
RESTAURANT SCENE COMES ALIVE
By Michael Hepworth
Of course
Nashville
is famous for the music, and in fact the minute you step off the plane at
the airport it is impossible to ignore the guitar motif that seems to be
everywhere. However a lot of food writers and customers have noticed a
marked improvement in the restaurant scene in music city the last few
years, and on a visit a couple of weeks ago
was more than surprised with the offerings. All
of the chefs I sampled are trying to do a multitude of creative things
with their menus, and do not seem to be hampered in conforming to the
surefire formulas that can hinder the originality of a restaurant. All of
the restaurants visited had a real comfortable Southern ambience, with
plenty of original art generously dotting the walls, and a relaxed
atmosphere seldom scene in big city restaurants.
First up is a modern restaurant called Ombi, featuring two chefs creating some unique dishes. Kim Totzke
seems to be the driving force here, and the 30ish woman seems particularly
keen on foie gras and curries. The
long bar is separated from the restaurant, creating a super atmosphere,
especially for the eight course tasting menu for $75. It is also the only
restaurant in
Nashville
with an advanced sommelier, and also a restaurant known for outstanding $9
cocktails. A large appetizer
of Curried Turkey Meatballs ($7), consisted of five of the little darlings
served with Yoghurt Raita. Truffle Popcorn is another popular item here to
start any meal, and others on our table tried the Cornmeal Crusted Oysters
with a zesty BBQ sauce. Main courses here are equally creative, such as
the Paella with Finfish and Shellfish in a spicy Tomato Broth over Saffron
Rice or the Foie Gras stuffed Burger with Garlic Aioli and Caramelized
Onions. Desserts are far more than afterthought here at $7, like the
Chocolate Espresso Tarte and the Grand Marnier Crème Brulee. You can
certainly eat well in
Nashville
.
The Sunset
Grill in trendy
Hillsboro
Village
, is full of
Nashville
’s movers and shakers having lunch, sometimes with their musical
clients. The place also comes alive at night, and has recently been voted
one of the best seafood restaurants in
America
by Spirit Magazine. It is also widely considered one of the top five
restaurants in
Nashville
. However the Lump Crab Cake served with Ratatouille and Roasted Garlic
Aioli was too mushy for my taste, and a better choice would have been the
Duck Confit Cigar. This was served with goat cheese and walnuts in Phyllo
Pastry, and ably accompanied Strawberry Port Jam and Horseradish Cream.
I much preferred the Voodoo Pasta, consisting of Chicken, Bay
Shrimp and Andouile Sausage in a very spicy Black Magic Tomato Sauce with
Fettuccini. Other interesting main courses on offer included the Avalon
Acres Organic Half Chicken brined in sweet tea served with the wonderfully
named Tennessee Buttermilk Cheddar tone Ground Grits, and Rosemary Beef
Tips with Blue Cheese Bread Pudding and Aplewood Smoked Bacon. Round off a
meal at the Sunset Grill with Jack Daniel’s Chocolate Pecan Pie and you
will be set for the day. The restaurant is also well known for a superb
wine list, and continues to be one of the places to be seen in
Nashville
.
The Acorn
Restaurant is also a fairly new establishment, very eclectic in style
and fronted by a chef who favors a mixture of dishes based on Southern
favorites. Asian and Japanese food, Sea Food and Mexican. I tried the
Grilled Salmon over Bourse Risotto, mixed Japanese vegetables all in a
shrimp bisque and a Nicoise Olive tapenade. It mostly worked thanks to the
bisque, and I wonder how my second choice of Hot Wasabi Green Pea
encrusted Sushi-grade Tuna, pan seared on sweet Ginger Jasmine Rice
compared. My fellow diner seemed to enjoy the dipping pool of Lemon Ponzu
and Japanese Vegetables that came with the dish, so everybody was happy.
Had to rush off to catch the Grand Ole Opry at the original venue
of the Ryman Auditorium, and had to forego dessert.
A brand new restaurant that made a big impression is Mackes,
located in a smart arcade in the Green Hills district, and the ultimate in
relaxation. This is a very elegant restaurant that serves Southern
Nouvelle Fusion cuisine, including totally unique sandwiches for lunch
such as the signature Lobster that sells out every day, and a real steal
for $12. The owner imported the chef from
Ventura
,
California
, and the change of scenery seems to have done wonders for him. Fruit or
French Fries are served with the wraps, with the fries being the best I
have tasted since visiting Feenie’s in
Vancouver
. The Crab Cake Baguette ($13)
was also a winner, two crab cakes with red onions and roasted red peppers,
and just about the right size for lunch. The Mushroom Soup prepared with
shitake mushrooms was freshly prepared allowing the mushroom flavor to
come surging through. Desserts are excellent and prepared by a separate
pastry chef, and it shows. Standouts include the key lime pie and
raspberry cheesecake.
The place to try for breakfast is the Pancake Pantry, one of those places you have to queue up on weekends
for about an hour before getting a table in the busy square shaped eaterie
that has been a
Nashville
institution since 1961. Rumor
has it that celebrities and country music stars have to wait in line like
everybody else, but it seems highly unlikely that the likes of Faith Hill,
Vince Gill or Dolly Parton would be doing that. It is more likely that
they would be ushered in through the back door. Once inside they would be
treated to a massive range of pancake and breakfast selections too
numerous to mention, but try the Three Pigs in a Blanket, a humongous dish
suitable for even the biggest eater.
Average price for a meal here is $7.
Fact
Sheet
Ombi
Address:
2214 Elliston Place
Phone:
615.320.5350
ombi@comcast.net
The
Acorn
Address:
114 28th Avenue North
Phone:
615.320.4399
www.theacornrestaurant.com
Mackes
Address:
2131 Bandywood Drive, Suite 212
, Green Hills
Phone:
615.292.3838
Sunset
Grill
Address:
2001
Belcourt Avenue
Phone:
615.386.3663
Pancake
Pantry
Address:
1796
21st Avenue
S.Nashville
Phone:
615.383.9333
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