Nashville Restaurant Health Scores April 30-May 6

HIGH SCORES:

Nick’s Famous BBQ
2817 Clarksville Hwy
Date Inspected: 4-24-08
Score: 91

Istanbul Restaurant
2631 Nolensville Road
Date Inspected: 4-22-08
Score: 92

Nashville’s Most Wanted Pizza
207 Woodland Street
Date Inspected: 4-23-08
Score: 95

LOW SCORES:

Jersey Mike’s
5506 Old Hickory Blvd
Date Inspected: 4-21-08
Score: 58
Major Violations:
· Meatballs in sauce, in the warmer, is out of temperature
· Unlabeled chemical spray bottle of blue liquid on floor in sandwich prep area
· Employee did not wash hands before preparing food, after touching clothes.

China Star Restaurant
630 S. Gallatin Road
Date Inspected: 4-24-08
Score: 55
Major Violations:
· Sweet-n-sour chicken, in trays, are out of temperature
· Eggs in bowl are out of temperature
· Employee wipe hands on apron and continued to prepare food without washing their hands

UPDATES:

Seoul Garden
4928 Edmondson Pike
Passed Reinspection

Baskin-Robbins has 31 Cent Scoop Night tonight

Ice cream marketer Baskin-Robbins will hold its second annual 31 Cent Scoop Night to raise money for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the company said on Wednesday.

Canton, Mass.-based Baskin-Robbins will hold 31 Cent Scoop Night on April 30 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at all of its 2,700 stores, according to the company. During the event, the company, known for its long running branding platform touting its 31 flavors, will reduce the price of its 2.5 oz. ice cream scoops to 31 cents.

For the event, Banskin-Robbins will partner with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and donate $100,000 to the organization. The two organizations will also honor 31 firefighters from across the country who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to community service through the newly created America's 31 Firefighting Heroes program.

Nashville Restaurant Health Scores April 23-29

HIGH SCORES:

El Chico Restaurant
1132 Murfreesboro Road
Date Inspected: 4-16-08
Score: 95

Deli Burrito
5324 Mt. View Road
Date Inspected: 4-18-08
Score: 95

Nero’s Grill
2122 Hillsboro Road
Date Inspected: 4-10-08
Score: 97

Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant
15560 Old Hickory Blvd
Date Inspected: 4-18-08
Score: 96

LOW SCORES:

Seoul Garden
4928 Edmondson Pike
Date Inspected: 4-17-08
Score: 59
Major Violations:
· Employee rinsed-off tongs and did not wash rinse or sanitize them
· Ground beef in cooler is out of temperature
· Employee touching nose and handling food without washing their hands.

UPDATES:

Mambu
1806 Hayes Street
Date Inspected: 4-10-08
Passed Reinspection

Upcoming events in Nashville

May 2 -May 4
Nashville, TN
Tennessee Crafts Fair
Celebrating its 37th anniversary in 2008 this juried crafts festival features more than 170 contemporary and traditional artists, continuous demonstrations, live music, and food. more

May 10
67th Annual Running of the Iroquois Steeplechase
Nashville's original "Rite of Spring." more

May 17
Nashville, TN
A Toast To Tennessee Wine Festival
Eventful day of festivities, fine wines, delicious food, and live entertainment. more

May 17
Nashville, TN
Robbery Mystery Train
Ride the 90-mile mystery train and try to solve “who did it.” more

Mint Julep recipe from Webbspun Ideas

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Crushed ice
Kentucky Bourbon
Silver Julep Cup or just a nice glass

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Kentucky Whisky or Bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

City Hall is moving out of the Gulch

City Hall Entertainment Space, a music venue in the Gulch, will close in mid-September, after being asked to leave their lease to make way for an Urban Outfitters retail store.

Urban Outfitters will bring its funky apparel and home furnishings to The Gulch in early 2009 in the 12,000 square foot space vacated by City Hall. This will be its first store in Tennessee.

MarketStreet Enterprises, principal developer of The Gulch and owner of the building leased to City Hall, approached venue owner Austin Ray and Benjamin Goldberg about vacating their lease early, and they accepted. They will look to establish a similar venue elsewhere in Nashville.

"This deal got brought to us by the landlords. It was great for all parties involved," Goldberg says.

City Hall filled a niche in Nashville's live music venues because of its size. Goldberg says he loves the name so he hopes to keep it at the next location. He doesn't expect much affect at his Gulch bar Bar23 after City Hall is gone, but he does think certain bands won't come to Nashville anymore.

Read the entire article in the Nashville Business Journal.

X Marks the Test Room

It is known simply as the X-room.

Set up last November at the Courtyard by Marriott in partnership with the University of Delaware in Newark, it is a test guest room. It is equipped with everything from waterproof mattresses to the experimental technology of wireless electricity (no plugs) to a specially designed Nintendo Wii game console for travelers. There is also a digital door display that lets guests see who is in the corridor.

Nor is Marriott the only chain with what the lodging industry calls test rooms or room labs. From a hotelier’s perspective, a test room helps demonstrate what is working and what is not, before huge amounts of money are spent on the latest technology or new light bulbs are acquired.

“In the last five years there’s been more research on what the consumer wants than at any time during my 40 years in the industry,” said Joseph McInerney, chief executive and president of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Read the entire article in the New York Times.

Trace is gone

A longtime Nashville restaurant that went out of business is coming back with a new name and a new owner. The Trace in Hillsboro Village closed last month, but the owner of Tangredi's Italian Kitchen on Elliston Place has opened a new restaurant in that space.

The new establishment will be called T's Tuscan Bar & Grill.

The Trace, the longtime fine-dining spot in Hillsboro Village, has closed its doors permanently.

Entrepreneur and wine collector Ken Perry has owned The Trace since late 2004. Its history includes time under corporate owners from the Southern Restaurant Group. The restaurant's previous incarnation, Faison's, was a pioneering business on the Nashville dining scene starting in the early 1980s.

Some of this story came from WSMV Channel 4.

Garrett Parris, Shawn Flarida and some reining horses

This is a compilation from a the Cabin Fever Classic horse show in Murfreesboro. The song is "Western Son" and Garrett Parris is the one singing. Be to visit Garrett's website to hear more great music.

A nice little party on a Saturday night

Last night, ya know...Saturday night...we went to one of the coolest parties ever. There was amazing Mexican food, a bar, big stage, and a cool setting out in the country. I can't put it into words except to say that I had a wonderful time and look forward to doing it again next year.

Rosie Flores performed and provided a big shot of enery to an already cool party that went magically with a perfect day that wasn't to hot or cold. Rosie rocked the house and now, well, I must say that I have one knee bent to the power that is Rosie. She rules!!


We bumped into Jonell Mosser and we talked for a moment and I found out that I missed an amazing performance by this amazing lady at 3rd & Lindsley on Friday night. I'm beggin ya to go out and check out her next performance here in town. You will thank me later...


by the way, Those Darlins performed and entertained on the dance floor as well. Quite unique and fun is just what these girls are.

3rd & Lindsley calendar...April 28-May 3

Monday, April 28
Amy Cook and Annie McCue – 7:00 pm
Megan Conner and Bryan Edwards – 9:30 pm

TuesdayApril 29
George Ducas w/ Julia Burton – 6:00 pm
The Players:
Brent Mason, Michael Rhodes, Eddie Bayers,Paul Franklin, Michael Rhodes – 9:30 pm

Wednesday, April 30
Tim McDonald – 6:00 pm
Kata Rhe and Rebel Yell – 8:00 pm
The Wooten Brothers – 9:30 pm

Thursday, May 1
Hayseed Dixie w/ The Van Leers – 8:00 pm

Friday, May 2
Shelly Fairchild and The People w/ Chris Weaver and Cayde Doyle – 7:00 pm
Levi Rose, Kingbilly, and Floord – 10:00 pm

Saturday, May 3
Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken – 7:00 pm
The Jack Pearson Band – 10:00 pm

The horses had a date with the dentist

Here are some pictures of Jim Koostra, of EquiDental International, working on the horses teeth. It was quite the adventure but he really knew how to take care of the horses and keep them calm and he talked to them the whole time, just like any good dentist would.

It just makes me glad that I can sit down when I go to the dentist as opposed to standing with my head on a pad.










A girl and her horse

Watch the Kentucky Derby at Past Perfect in downtown Nashville

Nashville Experience Walking Tour by Corey Webb

300 Miles to the Gallon Car

Three hundred miles per gallon and a Jetsons-style look are enough to get anyone excited. But ever since the word got out on it last month, Aptera’s innovative Typ-1 three-wheeler has been the target of relentless theorizing and conjecture across the Web. Is it real? Does it have what it takes to be a practical vehicle for daily transport? Is it stable enough to drive? Does it even actually drive? Well we wondered some of those things, too, so we scouted out if a drivable prototype really exists.

It does.





Read the entire article about this cool car in Popular Mechanics.

Earthships- Architecture for the Planet

Earthship n. 1. passive solar home made of natural and recycled materials 2. thermal mass construction for temperature stabilization. 3. renewable energy & integrated water systems make the Earthship an off-grid home with little to no utility bills.

Biotecture n. 1. the profession of designing buildings and environments with consideration for their sustainability. 2. A combination of biology and architecture.


"self contained dwellings that will sail on the seas of tomorrow"


". . . the Earthship is probably the model of a sustainable home unrivaled in the modern world."


Earthship Biotecture, based in Taos, NM, USA is a global company offering proven, totally sustainable designs, construction drawings & details, products, educational materials, lectures / presentations, consultation & guidance toward getting people in sustainable housing. From single family to colony / community / city complexes.



Learn more about Earthship homes at Earthship Biotecture.

See videos about the Earthship home on YouTube.

3rd & Lindsley calendar April 22-26

Tuesday, April 22
Katy Parkinson Benefit
Julie Roberts, Dave Berg, Ezra Jane, Sarah Buxton, Casey Kessel, Katrina Elam, Luke Laird, Bonnie Baker, Mallory Hope, Natalie Stovall, and many more – 6:00 pm
Three of Hearts Tour Featuring Jonathan Clay, Alexa Wilkinson, and Todd Carey – 9:30 pm

Wednesday, April 23
Kevin Reeves – 6:30 pm
Singleton – 7:30 pm
The Wooten Brothers – 9:30 pm

Thursday, April 24
Chris Young – 7:00 pm
Sixwire – 9:00 pm

Friday, April 25
Zig Zag – 7:00 pm
Jonell Mosser – 10:00 pm

Saturday, April 26
FAB – 7:00 pm
Chris Janson w/Josh Byrd – 10:00 pm

Robert Plant seems to be making the rounds in Nashville

Robert Plant was spotted on the patio at Batter'd & Fried in East Nashville on Wednesday. At least, it looked like him from 100 yards back, which is how far the restraining order requires me to be at all times.

~Beverly Keel

Read more from Beverly Keel's column.

Hotels use gas cards as incentives to woo travelers

My Nashville... is the Interstate Heating and Cooling sign

Next to I-40 in Donelson

Charlie Hutton from Hilldale Farm talks about the move from Tennessee to Kentucky

A packed house greeted Dr. Charlie Hutton here Wednesday when he talked to local residents about the factors that led him to relocate his quarterhorse operation to Caldwell County.
~
Hutton, who entered the horse business after teaching at the university level for 15 years, and his wife Tammye rely solely on the Hilldale Farm operation for their livelihood.

“We have no other income — everything we earn comes from our horses,” he told a crowd of about 45 people. “We are different from most horse operations because we are not only breeders, but trainers, too.”

And the business objective is simple — “we must raise the best quarterhorses possible.”
~
Hilldale Farm gained national prominence in 1999 when Hutton rode to two all-time records on Nu Chex To Cash, becoming the American Quarterhorse Association’s all-time leading open reining point earner, and Nu Chex To Cash became the only horse to ever earn national high point championships in reining and working cowhorse in the same year.



Nu Chex To Cash is one of eight living studs who have sired winnings over $1 million in reining competition. Total earnings of its offspring are now at $1.3 million.

Read the entire article in the Times Leader newspaper from Princeton, Kentucky.

Nashville Crawfish Boil 2008 is May 16-17

Q - Where is the Merrell Crawfish Boil located and how to I get to there?

A - The Merrell Crawfish Boil takes places at Riverfront Park, 1st Avenue & Broadway, Nashville, TN

Q - How much does it cost to get into the event? Do I need to order separate tickets for headline shows?

A -Single Day General Admission Tickets are $20 per day in advance, two day tickets are $35. Single Day VIP tickets are $50.00 and $90 for a two-day ticket. There are a Limited number of VIP Weekend Passes available. No separate ticket is needed to see headline acts

Q - Does the admission at the door include crawfish?

A - Crawfish does cost extra. Crawfish are sold per plate which include about 2 lbs. of freshly boiled crawfish, corn and potatoes. VIP Tickets include free crawfish.

Q - I'm not a huge crawfish fan. Will there be other things to eat?

A - In case crawfish isn't your "cup of tea" there will be several food vendors selling other types of food on the festival site.

This info comes from theNashville Crawfish Boil website. For more info be sure to visit and learn more.

Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday is coming

The special Sales Tax Holiday will begin on Friday, April 25 and end on Sunday, April 27.

What’s Tax-Free?
Clothing - $100 or less per item
School and Art Supplies - $100 or less per item
Computers - $1,500 per bundled package

To learn more about this, please visit Tn. Tax Holiday.

Corey talks about what is coming up on Webbspun Ideas

Have you heard about the Nashville Scene's Iron Fork?

Win tickets to this event HERE.

Buy tickets for this event HERE.

Nashville Sounds Offers Free Tickets To School Employees

The Nashville Sounds are offering free tickets to all teachers, school staff and administrators at their May 4th game.

According to Nashville Sounds Management, "The Nashville Sounds would like show our appreciation to all of the hard working teachers, administrators and staff in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky."

On Sunday, May 4th, school employees can receive four free tickets at the box office for that days game after presenting their school ID or school pay stub.

All school staff will be entered into drawings for gift certificates to restaurants, movie tickets and more.

For additional information, call Nashville Sounds at 615-242-4371.

Did you feel the earthquake this morning?

Some residents of northern Middle Tennessee say they felt an earthquake centered in eastern Illinois.

Calls poured in to television stations.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports the quake was centered near the Illinois-Indiana border, about 6 miles east-southeast of New Salem, Illinois.

It was recorded at 4:36 a.m., Central time, Friday and the preliminary magnitude is estimated at 5.4.

Read much more about it in the Tennessean.

Nashville Restaurant Health Scores April 16-22

HIGH SCORES:

Ed’s Fish and Pizza
1801 D.B. Todd Blvd
Date Inspected: 4-09-08
Score: 94

Taqueria Arandas
1019 S. Gallatin Road
Date Inspected: 4-07-08
Score: 96

The Greek Touch
#13 Arcade
Date Inspected: 4-10-08
Score: 95

LOW SCORES:

Mambu
1806 Hayes Street
Date Inspected: 4-10-08
Score: 52
Major Violations:
· Live roach crawling on window seal
· No hot water at three compartment sink
· Rice in cooler is out of temperature

UPDATES:

Yamamoto Japanese Restaurant
2695 Murfreesboro Road
Passed Reinspection

Final minutes of Thunder over Louisville 2008

Waterfall of fireworks off of the bridge at Thunder over Louisville 2008

Thunder over Louisville 2008 part 2

A nice clip of some of the fireworks in Louisville.

4 minutes of Thunder over Louisville 2008

Here is a short video near the beginning of the fireworks.

Is that a light or a blooming onion on your ceiling?

Fossils in Diamond Caverns

Fossils in the walls of the Diamond Caverns.

Some luxurious things to help you enjoy your beverages

Opulent Items brings us DrinkStation (Icemaker/Refrigerator) for only $10,000 each.
Made by a German company, this drink station includes a built-in refrigerator, ice machine, flute holders, bottle bins and wooden serving shelf. So you don’t need to bother about refilling ice from the kitchen refrigerator repeatedly.


Symposium consists of a thermobottle having an RFID reader (wine reader) and a thermal baseplate for temperature regulation (wine chiller/warmer). Wine readers allow a richer wine tasting experience as they contain a full range of specific data on the selected wine such as features, producer, vineyard, and a number of cultural references to places, traditions, poetry, art, and so on.

Visit Coroflot to learn more about it.

Steve Vai plays the part of Hank Williams in "Crazy," a film about Hank Garland

Steve Vai as Hank Williams

Ray Scherr and Steve Vai are executive producers of a movie about guitar legend Hank Garland and Vai is also playing the part of Hank Williams. He looks great but I would never thought of him playing that part.

Read much more about the movie, Hank Williams and Hank Garland, at the HERE.

Mandy Barnett, Waylon Payne and Ali Larter also star in this movie.

Nashville Tidbits

There will be nearly as many stars on the streets as in the sky tonight because the 2008 CMT Music Awards' lineup includes virtually everyone who's anybody in contemporary country music.

Just look at who's performing: Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, Taylor Swift, LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban and Brooks & Dunn. Presenters include Martina McBride, Julianne Hough, Reba McEntire, Sara Evans, Josh Turner, Miranda Lambert and John Rich.
~~~
• Vince Gill will sing the national anthem at tonight's Predators-Red Wings hockey game at Sommet Center. This is Game 3 of the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
~~~
• Reba McEntire was joined by Martina McBride on "Does He Love You" at Divas Nashvegas Saturday night during the Oasis Center fundraiser at the Parthenon.

Read more in Beverly Keel's column in the Tennessean newspaper.

Thunder over Louisville story and videos from the Courier-Journal newspaper

"It's Louisville's Mardi Gras," said Bordelon, who sat along the Ohio River floodwall with her family taking in yesterday's air show and waiting for the fireworks to light up the sky at Thunder Over Louisville.



Bordelon was among an estimated 350,000 people who braved a chilly, dreary day to kick off the Kentucky Derby Festival, which leads to the Run for the Roses on May 3. It was a much smaller crowd than usual, with 800,000 turning out for the show last year.


Visit the Courier-Journal to see more.

3rd & Lindsley calendar April 16-20

Wednesday, April 16
Ryan Michaels w/ Amber Hayes and The Levees – 6:00 pm

The Wooten Brothers – 9:30 pm

Thursday, April 17
CRAZY FACE: The Music of Van Morrison – 7:00 pm

George Ducas and Friends – 9:30 pm

Friday, April 18
Pat Buchanan – 7:00 pm

Les Honkey More Tonkies w/ Lauderdale and The Victrolas – 9:30 pm

Saturday, April 19
Webb Wilder – 7:00 pm

Nathan Angelo w/ Rob Blackledge and Brad Passons – 10:00 pm

Sunday, April 20
Newton Faulkner w/ Jessie Baylin – 8:00 pm

A small example of the Thunder over Louisville airshow

Moving the firework barges into place for Thunder over Louisville 2008

Put some horsepower in your house

Visit Jake's Chop Shop to see all kinds of funky furnishings.

Couch's



Beds

Chairs