Set your DVR for 9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7, when Cooking Channel will showcase several Nashville favorites on its culinary travel show Food Paradise. I knew they were in town filming a couple of months back, so it will be great to see some local restaurants get the attention they deserve.
The episode is titled “Nosh-ville,” and here’s how they describe it in the teaser: “Food Paradise heads down south to Nashville, Tenn., in search of some craveworthy comfort foods that satisfy the soul. From barbecue to burgers and even a Thai twist on pizza, the food is so good it's turning Nashville into Nosh-ville!”
While there are usually a bunch of NDAs involved with being a part of one of these shows, word usually gets out in advance of who is appearing, so let’s do a little sleuthing.
“From barbecue to burgers” covers a lot of possibilities, but I have it on good authority that HoneyFire BBQ is the featured smokehouse. I’m a fan of what pitmaster Shane Nasby has been doing at his attractive and family-friendly Bellevue barbecue joint, so that will be a nice feather in the cap for him and his staff. As far as burgers go, I know that Subculture Cafe was shut down for a day recently for a filming date, but I don’t know what show it was. I do know that they have a fantastic burger, so I hope it’s them!
But that “Thai twist on pizza” has me stumped. I remember that Mellow Mushroom used to have a take on Thai pizza, and California Pizza Kitchen has had a Thai Chicken pizza on their menu for years, but those are both pretty “chain-y” restaurants, so I hope that the producers of Food Paradise went looking for more local flavor. If you have any guesses on that Thai pizza, let us know. If you’re correct, maybe I’ll buy you a slice!
[ADDENDUM]
Local field director Justin Harvey revealed on Instagram that the participating restaurants on the episode will be the erstwhile PM, Nashville Jam Co., HoneyFire BBQ, Hurt's Hot Chicken, Germantown Bistro and Willie B's Kitchen and Lounge. Tune in to watch these Nashville stars shine!
