Apologies in advance that so many of the events in this week’s Monday Menu seem to have last-minute deadlines, but I know Bites readers work well under pressure. So without further ado, here’s what you might want to get hopping on!
While winning a trip to Franklin might not seem like that big of a prize, the organizers of the Made South Holiday Market coming up Nov. 17 and 18 at The Factory at Franklin have made it pretty attractive and worth at least putting your name in the hat for the drawing. They’re calling it a Girlfriends Getaway, but I think anyone would enjoy winning two nights' stay in a luxurious double queen room at The Harpeth plus gift cards for 1799 Kitchen & Cocktails and McGavock's Coffee Bar & Provisions, and four VIP Holiday Market tickets. It's valued at more than $1,600, so it’s worth entering, but you’ll have to submit your info to the contest website by tomorrow, July 25, at 7 a.m. Even if you don’t win the grand prize, all entrants will receive a discount code to purchase tickets starting Aug. 1, so get on the stick!
You’ve got two whole days to prepare for the next event on the docket, a special Chillable Summer Reds wine class at Miel. From 6 until 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26, Miel will be pouring five wines to accompany summer snacks on its patio and talking about the fact that there’s nothing wrong with serving some red wines like gamay, Croatian and Bulgarian wines and even some Californians at fridge temp. Tickets to the class are $65 plus tax and are available at the event website.
The next deadline to mark on your calendar is July 31, because that’s the cutoff to nominate exceptional Nashville women for the Nelson’s Green Brier Louisa Nelson Awards, which recognize the contributions of these winners to the community. Winners in three categories will be recognized at a ceremony in October at the newly renovated Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery and will receive a $5,000 grant to donate to the charity of their choice. Nominations are open at the awards website, and a little birdie told me they might extend the deadline by a week or two. But don’t dawdle!
Speaking of those renovations at Nelson’s Green Brier, they have recently opened their long-awaited restaurant at the distillery, appropriately (if not stunningly creatively) named Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery Restaurant. The Nelson brothers have put together a strong hospitality team to run their new venture, including veteran executive chef Joey Ray, sous chef Christopher Garritson, manager of hospitality Erica Dahlgren, assistant GMs Kevin Dolson and Mike Wolf and beverage lead Rachel Ramirez. While there’s a lot of experience in that team, Wolf is a big get to manage the beverage program after stints at spots like Chopper and Husk. He’s also the author of three cocktail books and a successful podcaster.
They describe the food menu as “featuring refined Southern flair and local influences, as well as an extensive drink menu highlighting a range of Nelson’s bourbons and whiskeys.” So expect to see apps like fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs and barbecued carrots, as well as entrées like the croque madame, a smoked Gifford’s bologna on brioche, the soft-shell crab, a Nashville hot crab sandwich, and a Niman Ranch double patty smash burger dubbed The No. 5. Desserts include German chocolate cake, peach and cinnamon pound cake and a boozy milkshake made with Louisa’s Liqueur from Nelson’s Green Brier.
The 100-seat restaurant also provides the comestibles for on-site private events in Green Brier’s Whiskey Garden, Coopers Club, Oak Room and Rickhouse Room, so event planners should probably add this to their potential venue lists. Current operating hours are lunch from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday, but you can expect expanded hours sometime soon after the kitchen gets its feet under them.
Next on your list of impending events is a special tasting menu dinner at Husk featuring the wines of Golden Cluster, an Oregon winery that has been a fixture on the restaurant’s wine list for a long time. Winemaker Jeff Verj will be a guest at the dinner which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 28, and will feature six courses and six pours of his envelope-pushing wines.
Chef Ben Norton has planned complementary dishes to accompany the wines picked out by Verj and Husk GM and wine director Rory O’Connell. Although the menu has already been planned, if you need any dietary accommodations, they ask that you make your reservation for the $160 dinner ASAP and mention any requests as a note in the reservation.
The Peach Truck has hooked up with several Nashville restaurants and bars for its annual celebration of Peach Week running July 24 through 31. Rare Bird at Noelle got a head start on the festivities at their rooftop bar featuring a menu of cocktails and peachy bites beginning last weekend and running all the way until Aug. 31.
Other participating locations include sister restaurant Edley’s Bar-B-Que,with fresh peach pies and fried pies made in-house, and Pancho & Lefty’s, with salsa, pico and empanadas all made using peaches. Culture & Co. has added some sweet and savory dishes to their menu for the week, as has E+Rose, so there are some nice healthy options for you to explore during the week.
Culaccino in Franklin has added a peachy spin to several Italian classics on their menu, while Chauhan Ale & Masala House combines the flavors of India with the fruit for a special cocktail and chaat. Chauhan’s neighbors at The Mockingbird have a peach cobbler cheesecake in rotation now, and you can find limited-edition peach mocktails and cocktails at Elegy Coffee and The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club.
Finally, if you’re the sort of person who wants to cancel cancel culture and maybe show some support for Bud Light, the mega brand is bringing a special event to town on Thursday, Aug. 10, with a free show by OneRepublic. The band usually plays to arena and stadium crowds, but for this special concert, they’ll be appearing at a still-unnamed venue that promises to seat 1,000 to 3,000 fans for a more intimate experience.
To RSVP, fans 21 and up can head to BudLightBackyard.com and enter for the chance to see OneRepublic live, up close and personal.
