Friday, September 08, 2006

Delighting my taste buds on the flavors of Nashville....



Radius 10
1103 McGavock Street, Nashville
615-259-5105

Appetizer
Lump blue crab salad w/ avocado, watermelon, and key lime curd

Tapas
chef's pie- soppresata, italian sausage, pear tomatoes, feta cheese and basil pesto

Entree
White marble farms pork chop w/ bacon mustard flan, apple soubise and stout honey jus

Dessert
Smoked S'mores

Well, we sat on the patio and the weather was perfect with a big ol full moon that was of the nice orange hue and seemed to be smiling down on us. We had two wonderful servers who always made sure our beverages were always at the right level and our food was just right. We asked them for suggestions from the menu and they had a few and everything they recommended was as good as they said it would be. The ambiance of the place is fun, chic and elegant all at the same time without being snooty. The bar area is an island in the main dining area and looks like the kinda place you wanna pull up and stay awhile.

It was all good but I have to say what made the biggest impression was the S'mores because of the presentation. It is all made at the restaurant, even the marshmellow and it is melted together like any good s'mores would be but where they change the rules is the smokiness of it. They burn wood from an old Jack Daniels barrel that once held some good Tennessee sipping whiskey and they capture the smoke in a fish bowl and bring it to your table like that with the bowl over the dessert with the smoke soaking into the s'mores. Once they sit it on the table they take the bowl off and let the smoke drift around the table and it creates the campfire smell that should accompany any good s'mores. I'm pretty sure they serve this menu in heaven

Pros: Service, Ambiance, Chef/Owner Jason Brumm, Food, View

Cons: Train noise when you sit on the patio, Parking

Loveless Cafe
8400 Highway 100, Nashville
615-646-9700

2 eggs with bacon and homestyle pototoes with biscuits and sausage gravy

This place has been around for years but now they have added a new atmosphere and feel without taking away from the true ambiance it has always had. Great food, service and a down home feeling. My only complaint, besides the long waits on weekends, is the biscuits used to be better. Yes, I know the "biscuit lady" gets a lot of press lately but they arent what they used to be.

Ving-Long
1061 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville
615-399-7582

I don't remember what the dish I had was called but it was so delicious and a very hearty portion. It is hidden in a small strip mall and is very small in its own right but yet it was busy with many people of Asian decent and thus me and my friend were in the minority and we were okay with that because we wanted some authentic food that would knock our socks off and we found it.

My dish was made up of rice noodles, shrimp, beef, lemongrass, mint, cucumber, carrots and lots of spices. I wish I could tell you the name but it wasn't on the menu, my buddy Kevin Doty told me about it and ordered it because he figured I would enjoy it. Right he was

As our dessert/coffee, we had a Cafe Suada which was like drinking the nectar of the gods. It was so delicious and refreshing. It is iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and I'm sure you have to know what you are doing but if you do, it is heaven.

Pros: Food, Service, Cafe Suada

Cons: Limited menu, location




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