First Bite: Viener Fest

OK, go ahead and get over the snickers about the name of this new restaurant. It is what it is, and what it is is pretty darned good. After what seemed like an interminable delay since the first "Coming Soon" sign hanging from the front porch of the old house across the street from

(y'know, where

in the standard Nashville historical geographical description),

is finally open and serving its brand of "German and Austrian Styled Cuisine with an American Accent."

I'll admit that while I was intrigued, I wasn't as excited as some Bites readers who've been all atwitter, including on Twitter. I expected something similar to Cori's around the corner, with a walk-up counter serving some of the best wurst if we were lucky.

I was very surprised when I first walked through the side door (after searching a while for parking) and discovered I was in a nicely decorated, tasteful room of a refurbished bungalow. There's a full bar that features a happy hour I haven't experienced yet and several rooms comfortably furnished with tables of various sizes. Currently, they are serving wine, liquor and high-gravity beers while they await a variance from the beer board due to their proximity to Centennial Park. It sure would be nice to have a pilsner with a wurst.