Monday Menu: Mead, Market, Makeover and Meat Edition

September is apparently National Honey Month, although I’m not sure anyone consulted the apiary community about it. No matter: Henley at the Kimpton Aertson is celebrating with a special dinner in partnership with East Nashville’s Honeytree Meadery on Thursday, Sept. 7, from 6:30 until 9 p.m. Chef Kristin Beringson has crafted a honey-infused menu designed to fit perfectly with a beverage pairing designed by Honeytree beverage director J.A. Harrison.

The hotel is definitely committed to its flying friends and even cares for beehives on its Midtown rooftop. Aertson contracts with urban beekeepers Alvéole to manage the brood, and representatives will be present to show off the rooftop hives as part of the five-course dinner. Tickets are $175 per person and are available at the restaurant’s reservation site.

I messed up last year and didn’t tell y’all about the Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition’s (TIRRC) annual InterNASHional Night Market until after tickets had already sold out, but this year I’m ahead of the game. The event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. at TIRCC’s headquarters at 3310 Ezell Road and will feature more than two dozen immigrant- and refugee-owned food vendors and entrepreneurs, including Feast by Louisa Shafia, Pole-Pole, Frida's Oaxacan Cuisine, La Colmena Ice Cream Shop, Island Vibes, Fidelia's Heavenly Delicious, Mama Yang and Daughter, Madina, MorEmpanadas, Taj Indian Restaurant, and more. The evening will also feature wine and cocktails for purchase along with live music and dance performances.

“What started as a way to reenergize immigrant- and refugee-owned businesses following the pandemic has grown into one of Nashville’s can't-miss culinary events of the year,” says Kennedy Wallace, development manager at TIRRC and organizer of this year's event. “Our InterNASHional Night Market is the perfect way to experience the incredible diversity and culinary traditions of our immigrant and refugee communities and come together with our neighbors of all walks of life over delicious food.”

TIRRC expects to sell out the event for the third year in a row, and tickets can be purchased here.

Sylvan Park stalwart Caffé Nonna has been around for a quarter of a century, and ownership has decided it could use a little refresh. I’ve always been a fan of the intimate atmosphere in the cozy Italian neighborhood favorite, but it’s due for a fresh coat of paint. They’re planning to close for this week through Thursday, Aug. 24, and then reopen on Friday with the addition of a new custom bar that will allow for an extended beverage program to accompany the classic Italian menu. If you’d like to check out the makeover soon, make a reservation at Nonna’s Tock page.

We all mourn the passing of some of our favorite restaurants, but The Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden owner Cees Brinkman wants to go further than that and actually pay homage to some of our lamented favorites with a monthly series of special burgers inspired by restaurants of the past. To paraphrase a quote that is curiously attributed to both Dr. Seuss and Gabriel García Márquez, don’t cry because they’re gone, smile because we can eat them again!

For at least the next six months, The Pharmacy will feature a burger special inspired by gone-but-not-forgotten restaurants of yesteryear. (Actually, December’s specialty is more like yestermonth since East Nashville’s King Solomon Gyro only lost their lease at the end of last May. Hopefully, they’ll find a new spot soon!)

Here’s the lineup for the burgers of homage avec fromage:

September: Rotier’s famous French bread burger

October: Gold Rush bean roll burger

November: Edgefield Sports Bar & Grill fried bologna burger

December: King Solomon lamb burger

January: Arnold’s Country Kitchen meatloaf burger

February: Omni Hut Polynesian burger

These should be fun bites of history, so mark your calendar in advance!