Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Restaurants Midweek Check-In
Posted by Chris Chamberlain on Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 1:29 PM
We're halfway through Nashville Originals Restaurant Week 2009, or as I like to call it, "Get your ass to your personal trainer next Week." Have you been taking advantage of the incredible opportunities offered by our local independent restaurateurs to try out a new place you've never been to or an old favorite you've missed of late?
The 25 participating restaurants represent a whole gamut of dining options, from comfortable neighborhood pub fare to haute cuisine and everything in between. While offers may vary (tip o' the hat to Billy Mays), most establishments are giving diners a choice from a limited menu of an appetizer, entrée and dessert for either $20.09 or $30.09. Other restaurants are presenting one prix-fixe menu with no choices, but which may be items that are usually not on the regular menu. Still others are opening up their entire menus for patrons to mix and match their own trip down gustatory lane.
All three options are attractive in their own ways. You have the opportunity to experience the individual personalities of these restaurants within the context of the owner's choices of what they wish to feature.
As Arnold Myint expounds on his personal blog A Hint of Myint:
I feel like this event is a perfect opportunity for chefs and restaurantsto showcase new ideas and creations. It's a chance to introduce flavors
and philosophies to both new and loyal patrons that are not available
every day. The $20.09/$30.09 shouldn't be looked at as a 'combo meal.'
The chef's creativity and individuality in how they translate this
promotion is where the true value should be found.
Here's a glimpse at some participants and their offerings:
Prix Fixe-No Choice
Flyte
MafiaOza's
Mirror
Some Choice off Regular or Special Menu
The Acorn
Cabana
Cha Chah
Cross Corner Bar and Grill
Fido
Jackson's
Jimmy Kelly's
Mambu
Midtown Cafe
Noshville
PM
Provence
Rumba
The Standard
Sunset Grill
Tin Angel
Wild Iris
Yellow Porch
Zola
Total Menu Choice
Allium
Germantown Cafe
To check out all the menus, head on over to the Nashville Originals' website.
So far this week, I have enjoyed a very nice dinner in the pleasantly packed and chummily noisy Tin Angel and a leisurely evening of gourmet adventures at Flyte. Tin Angel reflected Southern charm with a menu of fried green tomatoes with crawfish sauce, a smoked beef brisket in whiskey BBQ sauce served over Tennessee cheddar grits and accompanied by jalapeno slaw and a balsamic strawberry crème brûlée. A wine flight selected to accompany each course was offered and greedily accepted for an additional $10.09. It was a great deal and a great meal.
Flyte featured the creations of new executive chef, Jen Franzen. Jen has reshaped the entire menu since her promotion from sous chef, but her special selections for Restaurant Week were indeed special. A vibrant cold cucumber mint soup preceded the Berkshire Pork Tenderloin served over a golden jewel mix with peach-and-bacon hash and cinnamon gastrique. A light Buttermilk Panna Cotta with grilled strawberries sent us all home happy. Matching wine flights (Flytes?) were also available at ridiculously reasonable prices.
Reservations are requested if you want to take advantage of these special deals at any of these restaurants. So check your calendar and start dialing. Please share your plans and experiences in the comments below.
Remember, many of these places may be closed on either July 4 or 5, so this offer is limited. Operators are standing by!
That one was for you, BMays.
Comments (8)
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OK, if I can spirit Mrs. Pink out for an evening, where should we go: The Acorn, The Standard, or Cha Chah? Maybe I can even suggest we throw caution to the wind and stop/start by Patterson House, even though it's not on the list (dammit).
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I think it's funny that MafiaOza's (or however the hell you spell it) is "prix fixe, no choice" because god forbid you should get an extra topping they don't want you to get. IT'S PIZZA. What, do they have foie gras as an option they don't want me to choose to put on a pie?
MafiaOza's (their spelling, not mine) is actually offering what looks like a great Piccola Morsi Chef's Tasting. Here's what I found at their website. Looks like it would be worth checking out.
Olive Tapenade
White Bean ‘Hummus’
Goat Cheese with Peppers
Mascarpone Artichoke Dip
Special Piccolo
Carne
Brussetto w/ Herbs
Mortadella w/ Pistachio
Salame Toscano w/ Black Pepper
Bresaola
Special Carne
Formaggi
Gorgonzola Piccante, Cow, Lombardy
Parmigiano Reggianno, Cow, Reggio Emilia
Drunken Goat, Goat, Murcia Spain
Pecorino Romano, Sheep, Lazio
Special Formaggi
Pink: I suggest the Acorn, but I am biased (the husband and Andy are longtime friends). But even before my bias started, it was a place I enjoyed quite a lot not just for the food, but for the atmosphere. It's a great space.
Chachah is good, but I think the menu and the space still need a bit of time to air out and rest--like a fine red wine (good God, that sounds pretentious, doesn't it?).
All that said, I'm sitting restaurant week out. Not a fan of crowds. Though I am dying to check out Patterson House.
After being out of town Monday and Tuesday, I kicked off my Restaurant Week last night at Chachah and am sad to say had a pretty disappointing experience. It was my first time dining there after a few failed attempts at showing up on a weekend without reservations and ending up at PM or Tabouli's instead.
It was not all that crowded, which was a pleasant surprise but it still took several minutes before someone came to take our drink orders. I ordered the blackberry mojito and was told they were out of those - which I really didn't understand, what were they out of? If you couldn't make the blackberry version, could you offer to make a regular mojito or suggest something similar? (btw, I did see someone drinking what looked suspiciously like a mojito as we were leaving later on) I took a second look at the drink list and settled on the sangria which was ok, but tasted watered down.
Moving on to the 3 course menu we both ordered the ceviche as a starter - which they were out of. So we ordered one each of the other two options and both were delicious, I especially liked the yellow curry skewered chicken with a cucumber and red onion salad. I'm not a fan of peas but the chilled pea soup was quite tasty for a few bites (that's a compliment coming from me, really).
Then came the entrees - oh wait that was after a huge commotion just inside the window to our right (we were on the patio) when a large group jumped up from their table screaming because they said they saw a mouse run under the table. The waiter checked under the table and inspected on lady's purse and I don't believe a mouse was located. Ok, back to the food - my girlfriend ordered the adobo rubbed pork entree which I found a little dry but generally a good flavor. A little heat, but not overwhelming. I wish I could say the same for my soft shell crab and spicy noodle dish. I made it about halfway through before my burning mouth and throat forced me to push it aside. It was described as spicy, I was expecting some heat in the dish but this was completely overwhelming and I couldn't finish it.
Thankfully the thai tea pudding dessert calmed my screaming taste buds and was an excellent end to the meal but I was still left unimpressed by the whole experience. I do plan to return and try the regular menu which looks to have several tempting options but I might just wait awhile before doing that.
Dear Ryan B.
I am so bummed that your experience was less than par, as I do take this week seriously. I recall your table as I wanted to actually have the server '86' the menu completely right before you ordered. We got hit with RW reservations early and were out of many items even though I tried to anticipate a few walk in participants. Sadly, communication got lost with the chaos of the week and as a result your dish and service obviously suffered.
As far as the Mojito...we use a Prichard's Key Lime Rum (which is what we probably ran out of) and a Korean Blackberry Soju in that specialty cocktail. It's delicious, however there is no way to mock one up with standard liquor. Next time your in, I'll have one with you as it is a very tasty treat.
Please keep in mind that the kinks from this week will be over on sunday and we will be back to our normal operation and flow.
(as far as a mouse? ummmm, not quite sure about comment..)
I love restaurant weeks and am glad that people are coming out for it. I wish I had the time to do so too!
Thank you for your constructive comments and support of local businesses that keep this city so unique.
-Arnold
Thanks for checking in Arnold. Meanwhile, I had ChaChah Goat Cheese Spread and Flatbreads at Movies in the Park last night. Very festive. Goes well with pizza. And tacos. And Ben & Jerry's. Oink.
Thank you for the reply Arnold, I love your food at PM and have heard many great things about ChaChah. I am looking forward to checking it out again once the craziness of Restaurant Week is over with.
To be clear, we never actually saw a mouse just some jumping and screaming and things calmed down quickly and the party went back to their drinks and food so whatever they thought they saw didn't drive anyone away!
The blackberry mojito did sound delicious from the menu description, I will gladly have one with you anytime!
