Monday, December 1, 2008
Restaurants Pied Piper Eatery: A First Look
Posted by Carrington Fox on Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 5:05 AM
We stopped by Pied Piper Eatery last week to check out East
Nashville's latest dining addition. Just looking around the colorful room--with
its handmade tables topped with album covers--I couldn't help thinking what fun
it must have been to grow up in a house with the Pipers, who just seem to ooze
creativity and hospitality. During our visit, ice cream maven Jenny Piper was
having lunch before heading over to her Pied Piper Creamery near Five Points, while
brother Andy and sister Becky were manning the lunch rush at their cheery
family-friendly spot in the former location of Veggie Café.
The playful, music-themed menu--dotted with items such as
David Cassidy chicken fingers ($4.95), the Hannah Montana hot ham and cheese
sandwich ($4.95) and the Clay Aiken (nothing but cheese) ($4.95)--had plenty of
crossover appeal for our multigenerational table. We particularly enjoyed the
giant Monte Cristo ($7.95), which looked like a ham sandwich that had had a
run-in with a funnel cake, and the hearty veggie burger ($6.95), which masked
its vegetarianism well. Had I known Jenny Piper better, I would have reached
over to her table and grabbed one of her giant onion rings in a light golden
batter. (It's a friendly place, but maybe not that friendly.)
We were intrigued by the concept of "add-ons and pile-ups," an
à la carte selection of cheeses, vegetables and other accessories that can be
added to omelets, hash browns or a giant platter of penne mac-and-cheese. We'll
save those decadent dishes for another visit. In the meantime, if you get to
Pied Piper Eatery, please report back to Bites.
Located at the intersection of Riverside and Porter, Pied
Piper Eatery serves "lunch, dinner and everything else," from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Comments (10)
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Were there lots of people there and that's why service was slow? Or just disorganized?
Seemed a little disorganized. Some of that can be attributed to being new, I'm sure. Will have to try them again.
I was more disappointed in the food. Again, another visit is appropriate.
I had lunch there today. It was perfectly serviceable for what it is, though all that add-on stuff is needlessly confusing...my mother almost had a nervous breakdown trying to figure out why she'd want to add sauteéd bell peppers or whatever to a Reuben. If they'd rearrange the menu and put the add-on stuff near the stuff that you want to add-on to it'd make more sense.
Lunch for four ( plus three beverages and a water) was $38, plus tip. Which was my exact tab at Marché for the same four people a week ago, so that's worth thinking about.
Good Reuben, though.
Ah yes, what fun it must have been to grow up in the Piper household. I can't stop giggling.
I'm going to eat there tonight and I can't wait. I hear it's really good.
I'm from California and some friends took me to eat breakfast here on Sunday. My meal was very simple but probably the best buttermilk pancakes I've gotten outside of my own kitchen. The hashbrowns were delicious too. I say you give breakfast here a try.
David Cassidy chicken fingers and a Reuben. Mmm sounds like she's a "Partridge Family" fan.......Or she's personally fed David Cassidy. That'd be fun!!
My take on the Pied Piper Eatery.
Using Google maps to get directions to this restaurant is problematic or at least slightly misleading.
Google suggests that you take Gallatin Rd (toward town)---take a left on Cahall---then a "slight" right on Porter and then a left on Riverside Drive??? The "slight" right on Porter is about a 135 degree turn heading the wrong way.
To get here (off of Gallatin Rd)just follow the twists and turns of Cahall Dr.At the stop sign on Riverside drive just look left.
Now to the food--I went to the PPE around noon today convinced ahead of time that I would order the Reuben.After viewing the picture of this sandwich on their menu I said to myself---the corned beef sure looks a lot like thinly sliced Spam---I better not do this.So I didn't--I ordered the Philly Freedom burger (swiss,mushrooms,onions,etc) instead.As a side I had to order the onion rings which several have crowed about in recent reviews.You can' do that---onion rings are only served as an appetizer.
The burger itself wasn't bad--nice bun,patty with nice taste--but the rest....canned mushrooms and the nondescript swiss cheese...whatever--typical.The fries that some reviewers have "talked up" were tasty but I received less than a handful--less than a small MCDonalds portion and they were all the bottom of the bag---small,broken up splinters of their former selves.
IMO---there should be no rush to get to this restaurant.It's just typical.
as far as pied piper eatery, I like the burgers, the fries are decent. the "no onion rings as a side dish" thing is kind of silly, but unless you're a big fan of ranch dressing you're not missing much. the batter is flavored with ranch, and they serve them with ranch for dipping. give me beer battered any day. Service of late has gone downhill fast. It was downright horrid last time I went.
alan, re the google maps directions, they're actually correct, the confusing bit is that cahal ends at porter, so by going "slight right" or straight you're actually on porter at that point. generally my experience with their fries is better than yours, their portions are typically ample in my opinion.
