By Kay West

Where else would a group of six adults debate the correct pronunciation of an exotic spice than over dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant?

“Tu-mer-ic,” said one expert, accentuating the first syllable. “Tu-mer-ic,” countered another, accentuating the second. The table was evenly divided. You say potato, I say po-tah-to, you say tumeric, I say tumeric.

You can put your red pens down right now. I know, I know, I know. It’s not tumeric, or tumeric. It’s turmeric, something I discovered when, to settle the matter, I looked up the word in my invaluable copy of Larousse Gastronomique, which defines turmeric as “a tropical herbaceous plant with an aromatic underground stem. The powdered stem is used as a spice and colorant. It is used mainly in the cuisine of India and Southeast Asia.”

And also, we suspect, in some of the earthy dishes coming out of Daniel Maggipinto’s kitchen at The Dancing Bear. His menu leans more to the Mediterranean than to India or Asia—though there are elements of each—but either way it is chock-full of flavor. So much so that a couple of days later, we had a difficult time remembering which dish prompted the great turmeric debate. Susan, finally, said that it was the West African spread that accompanied the homemade foccacia delivered gratis to every table. Every one of us, however, has lingering memories of several creations that teased our taste buds that evening.

Personally, I am still savoring the grape sambal that accompanied my Moroccan chicken. Lugging out the Larousse again, we discover that sambal is an Indonesian condiment made with red chili peppers, grated onion, lime, oil, and vinegar. In Maggipinto’s kitchen, however, sambal consists of whole purple grapes stewed and sweetened with indefinable spices. I found it so delicious that, in a fit of gluttony, I asked for more on the side. (To my credit, I shared it with the table.)

The lentil and sausage appetizer was another stand-out, with two links of char-grilled sausage set atop a bed of lentils in a tangy mustard sauce. Another favorite was the shrimp bruschetta, on which I can salaciously flash back. It delivered impassioned flavors of fresh summer tomato and basil, sautéed jumbo shrimp, and dabs of goat cheese.

The Dancing Bear arrived almost a year ago in a little space on Church Street formerly occupied by the vegetarian Garden Allegro. At first, it was open for breakfast and lunch, but the Maggipintos (wife Maria is in the biz, too) quickly discovered what I tried to tell them—Nashville is not a breakfast town. They dropped the early-morning meal and, several months ago, added dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays. Considering the generous portions heaped on the Fiestaware plates and the general heaviness of the food, you may prefer to sample your Lasagna Nonna or Lamb Provençal in the evening, then go directly to bed.

At dinner, the complexion of Dancing Bear changes as the mosaic-tile tables are covered with white linen. Unfortunately, the glaring, overhead fluorescent lights are also switched on about this time, causing diners to feel as if they are in a bus waiting room. To impart a cozier feel to the room, which is tiled, not carpeted, we would suggest some dimming options in the lighting system.

But all the better to see your food, my dear, and there is much to gaze upon. It’s fun to poke around the plate and unearth not only grape sambal but preserved lemons, figs, and apricots. The eggplant caponata is a colorful melange of purple-skinned eggplant, red tomatoes, peppers, and onions. If the room had been any darker, we would never have seen the morsels of feta cheese hidden within the crispy little saffron couscous cakes. Likewise, it was a joy to discover the capers that added even more salty flavor to the smoked salmon pappardella. (Oversaltiness was our sole complaint in the seasoning of the food, but everyone at the table was salt-sensitive.)

While The Dancing Bear is very accommodating to vegetarians—if you’re of that bent, do try the Shepherd Salad—and Maggipinto uses loads of fresh veggies in all of his dishes, his best efforts, in my view, are devoted to raging carnivores.

The half Moroccan chicken is tender, juicy and flavorful, thanks to its marinade of yogurt and honey. We loved the lusty mix of roast pork loin, Tuscan white beans, and spicy sausage in the Mediterranean pork cassoulet. The falling-off-the-bone lamb shank was another vigorous dish, served with eggplant caponata and stewed red lentils. If you’re not strictly veggie, but don’t do meat, there are four pastas to choose from—one with salmon, one with veggies, and two with shrimp.

The Dancing Bear offers a few desserts, though how you’ll have room for one more bite is beyond me.

Appetizers range from $4.25 to $8.50; entrees from $10.25 to $18.95.

1805 Church St., 963-9900. Open for lunch Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ; dinner Wed.-Sat., 4-9 p.m. Dancing Bear is BYOB, with a $5 corkage fee per bottle.

Dog gone

In Dancing Bear alumni news, we catch up with Kim Totzke-Farr, who helped Maggipinto open his restaurant before she moved to Fido about a year ago. Some of her kitchen plans took a while to pan out, but with the recent addition of Vanessa Farrell, most recently of Magnolia’s in Franklin, and the impending arrival of a new baker at the end of this month, she says she has the staff to support her vision.

The Fido kitchen had been operating under a limited summer schedule, but the hours expanded this week. Also growing is the menu. Among the dishes making their debut at Fido are the Mid-East Burrito—curried potatoes, spinach, corn, and feta wrapped in a tortilla and topped with a tangy fruit chutney; The Corn Bread Thing—homemade green chili cornbread, topped with warmed sweet potato, roasted garlic, and apple compote; and the Asian Orange Chili Oil Sauté—veggies sautéed with roasted garlic cloves, ginger, cilantro, and peanuts.

New kitchen hours for Fido’s all-day menu are Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Breakfast is served every day of the week, with a regular breakfast menu Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-11 a.m., and a brunch menu Sat.-Sun., 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Fido, which is also a coffeehouse, is open Mon.-Thurs., 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 7 a.m.-midnight. Fido is at 1812 21st Ave. S., 777-3436.

Mad about you

Michael Gray has returned home to The Mad Platter as head chef.

Gray staged his comeback last July 20, after a stint helping a friend open Cafe Bambino near 100 Oaks Mall. Gray joins co-owner and chef Craig Jervis in the kitchen.

While Jervis will focus on lunch, Gray will lend his culinary talents to Mad Platter’s dinner menus. He will also assist with the catering and deli departments.

Also enjoying a resurrection at the Germantown restaurant are the popular wine dinners, which are five-course meals paired with wines. Wine dinners take place Tuesdays through Thursdays.

Mad Platter is at 1239 6th Ave. N. 242-2563. Lunch is Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Tue.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m.

Mad Platter is at 1239 6th Ave. N. 242-2563. Lunch is Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Tue.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m.