Friday, June 19, 2009
Open Thread Empty Plate: Back from Vacation, Our Weekly Open Thread!
Posted by Jim Ridley on Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 7:30 AM
Tanned, rested and ready as Nixon, Bites' weekly open thread is back in business. When last we met, you were telling us about new Ethiopian restaurants in Nashville, recipes for fresh horseradish and the last time you visited Ri'Chard's. Once again, we turn the agenda over to you. What's on your mind this week?
Here's Ryan B. in a dispatch from the East Side:
I moved last weekend and became an East Nashville resident, rather than doing the usual post-moving meal of pizza my girlfriend and I decided to try out Tom's Elite Carry-Out. Great decision! We got a rib pack with mac'n cheese, slaw, and corn cakes and added some smoked wings. Everything was delicious and there was enough food for two meals each. The ribs were falling off the bone and excellent with or without the sauce that comes on the side, the wings were moist with great smoke.
Hope there's room for one more. As always, if you have tips, news, gossip and other tidbits you don't want to share on the board, write cfox (at) nashvillescene (dot) com.
Comments (34)
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I have a raging food debate that I hope some of you smart people can settle. Some people in my office seem to be under the impression the cream cheese is OK to leave out all day, overnight, what have you. My mother-in-law is also in this camp (she also seems to think that ALL cheeses can be left in the open air and did so over Christmas last year--she could not figure out why I stopped eating the cheese and crackers after the first night).
I don't actually eat cream cheese 'cause it tastes so gross to me, but what's the consensus? Is it dangerous to leave out or OK?
like
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Always,
I'm with you - cheese is a perishable food, meaning that bacteria can grow on it after a while, and the chances are very good that some of that bacteria is unfriendly to human digestive tracts.
But I have another question for the Bites Brain trust: where can one find veal bones in Nashville for making stock?
Thanks!
Ew, yes, cheese is very perishable. I've seen people who leave butter out all the time, too and I think that's okay for salted (or is it non-salted?), but I keep all dairy products cold. I won't even eat cheese that's been out long enough to get sweaty. Yuck.
Went to Southern Bred last night. Couldn't decide on just four "veggies" so I got five. The ensuing food baby kept me up all night, but it was worth it. Man, that food is good. Excellent fried green tomatoes--the best I've had. And those tiny rolls were so good. Luckily, the server gave me no 'tude about bringing more and more out. I hate feeling bad about asking for more bread.
In addition to my cheese query, I learned something important this week: DO NOT rely on a restaurant's website to have current info on its business hours! This is likely a foible of my generation, as someone over 35 would probably have just picked up the phone, but still...
The story goes that my husband and I have been itching to try Martin's Barbecue for a long while. They've been getting so much buzz on Twitter and plenty of other excellent press, so we had to go. My man worked at Grimey's on Saturday and got off around 8:15. I check the Martin's website, and while the weekday hours were listed as 11 - 8, the Saturday hours are listed (in two places) as "11 - 'till the music stops." In my head, this translates as: We have a band on Saturdays and they go until 11, maybe 12, maybe later.
So, we drove 15 miles with very hungry bellies all the way to Nolensville. We arrived shortly after 9 to find Martin's closed and "out of food anyway" according to the staff. They were very nice about everything, but that did not make up for the misinformation, the long drive, and the wrenching desire for barbecue.
So, be warned. The "music" apparently stops at 9 in Nolensville and calling ahead is ALWAYS recommended for any restaurant.
Glad to see the open thread back in business.
Where is the best place for a burger / shake in Nashville / Franklin these days? According to the comments from a thread earlier in the week, Rotier's has taken a dive in quality.
Gabby's burgers and fries - 493 Humphreys - reviewed by the Scene a few weeks back, has a great cheeseburger and sweet potato fries to go with it. I don't know if they have shakes, but after that burger and those fries you'd be hard pressed to fit in a shake! I am no burger expert but that one was memorable and the service is super friendly and fast.
Cheese needs refrigeration? In Europe and Latin A. most cheese is sold in open-air stalls, just wrapped w/ a cloth to keep flies away. I leave butter out on a covered dish, and so far my plumbing still works
PS: That's why you have an immune system
PSS: pink, glad to know you're back, and resemble your moniker.
Heading to Chattanooga tonight for the weekend - anyone have any "must try" restaurants in that area?
Ryan- If you're looking for very nice, St. John's is excellent, and they also have a more casual bistro, The Meeting Place, next door. http://www.stjohnsrestaurant.com/ . It's over on the South Side, near the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Cool little neighborhood. I've also heard good things about the relatively new Terminal Brewhouse over there. http://terminalbrewhouse.com/
Another good one, and more casual altogether, is Terra Nostra which is on the North Shore across the river from downtown. Good tapas.
http://www.terranostratapas.com/
Gabby's was good on my first visit, but the bun didn't do it for me. Otherwise solid.
I am from Chattanooga. I definitely recommend Boathouse or Terminal next to the Choo Choo.
Ryan B. - When we're in Chattanooga, we like to get a coffee and/or dessert and sit in the courtyard at Rembrandt's.
@movethecheese - you should be able to either get them readily at a (real) butcher shop or have them order some for you.
Personally, I go with convenience and pick up a bunch of oxtails at Kroblix. They make a pretty good stock with nice gelatin. And while it won't have a whole lot of flavor left in it, you can use the meat in another preparation and add your own flavor to it for a quick protein boost. Maybe in a soup or some tacos or something.
@ Dave - Bricktops makes a great burger, but so does Cheeseburger Charlies and Five Guys.
For a shake, Cheeseburger Charlies or Noshville. And if you don't mind the throngs of tourists, Johnny Rockets in Opry Mills is really good. Great burgers too.
Had a great dinner at tayst earlier this week. Jeremy did a fun amuse bouche- black raspberries w/ a bacon toothpick- how does he come up with this stuff?
Last night drinks at Patterson House (never tire of this place). Spent alot of time chatting with Toby Maloney and after I told him I hadn't yet tried the Bacon Old Fashioned, he brought over glasses of the bacon bourbon for us to sample. Love!
Oh yeah, and last week was the culinary experience of my life- my Tom Colicchio Tuesday dinner in NYC. Words cannot describe! Tom is also so cool I can hardly stand it- he informed us he was visiting our fair city on his way to Bonnaroo last weekend!
Gabby's won't grill the bun unless you ask. When the bun is grilled, it makes all the difference in the world.
Crusty cheese = bleah.
Hamburgers...I love Five Guys, but they don't have shakes. Fat Mo's peppery burgers are pretty awesome, and the shakes are quite good. PM doesn't have shakes, but its burger with wasabi mayo is dynamite.
If you're headed down Murfreesboro way, you've gotta have a burger at Buster's on Broad.
Thanks for the kind words, ElZ. After a week in Florida I'm looking more like Mr. Mauve.
Has anyone heard of a BBQ joint called Boss Hogg's up by West Park on Morrow Road? I drove by it and just happened to glance at it, and it looked intriguing. They had a smoker out front, I believe.
Joel - I worked near Boss Hogg's (at 56th and New York) for a year and never once heard of anyone setting foot in there. That does not bode well. But I'm prepared to be wrong. It looks like exactly the kind of place that would hide really good BBQ.
mr. pink, thanks for the recommendation of PM for a burger. I was about to leave for lunch, trying to figure out what I wanted, when I read your post. You are right, it is solid.
I have a monthly meeting near Boss Hogg and I always get barbecue sammich on the way home. The 'cue would be better if they didn't pile it into a big aluminum tray and cover it with foil so it gets soggy. But it's real smoked cue, and it's passable. They also smoke burgers, but they leave them on too too long and they dry out.
I forgot to add that I've purchased veal bones for stock at Whole Foods. They were packaged nicely and waiting for me to pick them up (I just haven't made the stock yet so they're still in the freezer). I don't know if they always have them, but I bet if you asked the butchers they could get them for you.
Was in Asheville, NC last weekend and overheard some other diners talking about 360 in Belle Meade. They said the chef left, but the website is still using his name. Any idea where Chef Crowe is these days? 360 used to be my fave.
My Chattanooga recs post disappeared into the ether. Links only this time:
http://www.stjohnsrestaurant.com/
http://www.stjohnsrestaurant.com/meeting-place.php
http://terminalbrewhouse.com/
http://www.terranostratapas.com/
-AnyNoMouse
"Krobilx."
Heh. You just made me spit au Jus on my keyboard.
Speaking of which, am I the only one who remembers Lums (and I think it was also once called Lits) at the Hwy 70/100 split? Further foggy memory hints there may have been another one in the Burg of Gatlin, but I definitely remember they used to serve a French Dip With Au Jus. [sic] and (sick.)
@alwayshungryab - Pat was in New York last weekend and he had to bring his best help up there to assist in serving 150,000 people. There was probabbly no music on Saturday and you know what they say "when the boss is away...."
they also cook the bbq fresh every day so when it is out it is out
@mr.pink - I second the Buster's pick for a burger
@ryanb - I have heard really good things about Lupi's pizza if you are looking for something casual
Last I heard he was consulting with the Scotts at Flyte. Maybe we can get him to chime in here.
I would recommend calling ahead to Martin's anytime, just as you would any fancy joint that's the hottest thing going. On a weekend night you might spend 20 minutes in line at the counter just to place your order. The good thing is that Martin's is also a great place to hang out while you're waiting.
The Boss Hogg that Fluff brought to the office was not bad. It tasted like real smoke, and that counts for a lot.
Also, Ulika, have you checked out Jimmy Carl's yet? It just gets better and better.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, we used a few of them and had enjoyed them thoroughly.
The meal at St. John's Meeting Place on Saturday was start to finish some of the best food I've had in a long time. I can't say enough good things about that place.
Terminal Brewhouse was also excellent for a casual beer and burger dinner Friday and we braved the heat and the wait for breakfast at Aretha Frankenstein's Sunday morning for the famous pancakes.
Great food, a fun town, I don't know why I haven't spent more time down there before!
