Gastronome Tart

Favorite Restaurants in Favorite Cities- Nashville Edition

City House- Nashville is the best kept secret in terms of foodie towns. Out of all the places I have lived, this city is another one of my favorite culinary  playgrounds and top of my list? Is City House. 

City House is located in Germantown which is a historical district neighborhood where there seem to be more town homes than actual houses. One drive by on the quaint street that City House is located on, one might miss it. However, sometimes I think that would be hard to do since it is in a more modern looking building than the rest of the neighborhood. 

My first visit to City House was for my birthday a year ago. I had heard many wonderful things about it and decided that I must try it out. Especially after hearing that when Thomas Keller was in town this was one of only two restaurants that he visited and the fact that one of the chef's was nominated for a James Beard award in 2010 was fresh on my mind.

City House serves northern Italian cuisine. You must not miss any of their cured meats as the majority of them are cured in house. 

There are many imaginative cocktails to choose from. Many which one could only dream about. I decided to start our evening with their Dark and Stormy. A cocktail that consists of Rum, Ginger Beer and Lime. 

Sunday evening also caters to the restaurant  worker's crowd. Every Sunday there is a specific menu just for them. Which usually ranges from some of their house cured Salami to the Lonza (which was absolutely amazing) to their  wood fired pizza that you can see prepared from the wood fire oven in the open kitchen.

However, if you are looking for a quiet venue, City House may not be your option. It tends to be a little noisy. Mostly because of how busy it is as well as the building itself.  Reservations are recommended as it may be difficult to obtain a table with out one.

City House Nashville

Margot's-  This has to be one of my most absolute favorite restaurants in all of Nashville. It is located in East Nashville's Five Points neighborhood (Shout out to my old neighborhood! I Miss you!) Rob and I used to come here almost every Sunday to enjoy their brunch. Every single Sunday (and sometimes every day for that matter) the menu would change. This is thanks to the chef Margot McCormack.

Chef Margot is known for taking advantage of not only local ingredients (known to serve Bongo Java coffee. Which is a local coffee roastery and shop) but seasonal ingredients. Every bite of every dish literally seemed to be made with love and carefully thought out to make the seasonal ingredient stand out.

Every brunch we attended,  I would usually start my meal with a mimosa from the mimosa menu. And yes, that changed from time to time too. Everything from St. Germain Mimosa's to Elderberry Mimosa's. That alongside french pressed coffee and I was good to go with picking what I would eat.

Picking what to eat may have been the most difficult part of our time at Margot's. That and making sure you could get a table. Although brunch is served at 11, if you show up at 11 without a reservation, you might not be able to dine. This place get's extremely busy. Even with their sister restaurant Marche down the street.

www.margotcafe.com

Marche

As I had mentioned, Marche is the sister restaurant of Margot's. It opened it's doors as a marketplace for local and imported food products, as well as a cafe that serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.

There were many times where we did favor Margot's over Marche for brunch. One of the main reasons was that Marche does not take reservations for brunch. It is extremely popular, so there have been times where we would walk in and the wait was well over 45 minutes. Word to the wise, go early. Brunch on Sunday starts at 9 am while at Margot's it starts at 11.

We usually went to Marche for lunch and just like Margot's, the menu changes on a regular basis. However, when we did go there is also a mimosa menu as well. However, when we went for brunch, there didn't seem to be pressed coffee available. However, it was local coffee that they did serve. Marche serves Drew's Brew coffee, which is a local coffee roastery.  They also have a great variety of desserts and pastries that are in full view in the back of the restaraunt that are made in house.

Marche is the perfect european style cafe that encompasses amazing food, products and service. Although we did favor Margot's for brunch, Marche was our go to for lunch with mouth watering salads all the way to scrumptious sandwiches and one of a kind dishes.

http://marcheartisanfoods.com

Loveless Cafe

Since Nashville is a southern city, this entry would not be complete with out a few southern style restaurants. Loveless Cafe is one of them.

Located in Bellevue (which is a drive) down a remote highway is the old Loveless Motel. Years ago (as the story is told) the family running the motel began to fry chicken and serve it to patrons who found themselves down this remote stretch of road. The chicken become so popular that the motel seemed to be more patroned by visitors just stopping by for the chicken.

Around 2004, the motel was purchased and where it has now come to be known as Loveless Cafe. Serving the best biscuits, homemade jams, ham and southern fare.

Loveless Cafe has always been the place where I would bring out of town guests when they wanted to eat old fashioned southern cuisine. They were in the south after all. Why not relish it and eat the the most artery clogging foods we can find? In all seriousness however, Loveless Cafe's fare is more than worth it.

        www.lovelesscafe.com

Short Mentions

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack-Nashville loves their hot chicken. So much in fact that there is even a hot chicken festival in East Nashville every summer. So, what exactly is hot chicken? Extremely spicy hot fried chicken. Although it is very spicy, Prince's mild hot chicken (trust me, get mild as it is still very spicy) is probably some of the best fried chicken I have ever had and I am not the only one who most likely thinks so. That second restaraunt Thomas Keller visited while in town? It was Prince's and he didn't seem to mind walking into this small, outdated restaurant either.

123 Ewing Drive Nashville, TN 37207

Allium- Right in our old neck of the woods was this amazing little restaurant. It was in the bottom floor of a building that housed condos. We never ate inside, as there is a nice, cozy patio and the weather always seemed to be perfect. Allium specializes in french inspired cuisine. Although our favorite dish leaned a little more towards Italy. Do not miss the gnocchi with pear and bacon sauce. Sounds crazy, but it was absolutely delicious. It is served as an appetizer, however I wouldn't be disuaded from ordering it as an entree. They also serve a great brunch on Sunday's as well.

http://alliumnashville.com

 

Fido-     Located in Hillsboro Village near the Vanderbilt University campus, is Fido. Fido is part of the Bongo Java empire and serves amazing breakfast (notice a trend? We love breakfast!) The name came about because it is located in an old building that once was a pet store. When you walk into Fido, grab a menu and get in line because you order at the cash register and are given a table marker. Usually the hubby would grab a table while I ordered as it gets quite busy.

http://www.bongojava.com/fido.php

 

 

Favorite Restaurants in Favorite Cities Series- NYC Edition

 

Rai Rai Ken -

While not all college roommates invoke a sense of nostalgia, the ones that do, do so with a vengeance. This would be my Emi-San. Emi and I met while we were in high school working at the local Contempo in the mall. Both of us had wild dreams of making it in the fashion industry. She, a designer. Me, well, I don’t really know what I was striving for back in those days. 

While our days at Contempo were coming to a close the closer to graduation we got, we both made the decision to go to The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Why Los Angeles? Well, we had to get out Arizona, had to broaden our horizon’s and quite honestly it gave new meaning to the term “Get out of Dodge.”

I knew that Emi was half Japanese, however what I didn’t know was just how much she truly embraced her Japanese heritage. I would wake up to the smell of fresh rice cooking in her rice cooker in the morning, mixing it with seaweed and tofu on a regular basis.

Emi-San taught me how to use my chop sticks correctly. Yes, there is a right and wrong way and yes I have become quite critical when I see others using their chopsticks wrong while eating sushi. And, yes, crossing your chopsticks is considered wrong. Which I did not know until Emi had begun to positively critique my chop stick holding skills.

We would spend many a weekend going to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, picking out Japanese groceries and Udon bowls. Eating in Noodle Houses and being taught how to make a mean Kimchee Ramen.

In 2006, I went to NYC to visit Emi-San while she was in town for work. One of her co-workers who is also Japanese informed me that yes, I am Japanese if only in my heart due to my love of the Japanese people. Thank you, I like to think so myself!

Which brings me to Rai Rai Ken. My little slice of Emi-San nostalgia. A Japanese Ramen Noodle House located in the East Village. 

Rai Rai Ken was a first stop on a cold winter day with my husband and his two friends. It was a small restaurant space  (which most in the East Village are) of only about 14 stools and the steam was condensing on the cold windows. It looked steamy, it looked hot and we were cold and very hungry. 

Rai Rai Ken serves your usual Japanese Noodle House fare of only about three ramen’s to choose from, shio ramen (salt), shoyu ramen (soy sauce), and miso ramen which  different variations to choose from within. No matter what your choice and whether or not you are Japanese, Japanese at heart or just love noodles, Rai Rai Ken is a sure bet every time. 

I will definitely be making a stop once again and thanking my Emi-San for teaching me the proper way to use my chopsticks as I slurp up each savory bite.

 

214 E. 10th St., New York, NY, 10003

nr. Second Ave.

212-477-7030

Milk Bar- 

 As a self confessed Martha Stewart addict, I was completely hooked on the concept of Milk Bar from the moment I saw their pasty chef Christina Tosi on her show a couple of years ago. The minute she said they served Cereal Milk, and had a pie that was so good that they had named it “Crack Pie”,  I was hooked. 

My true obsession had started when my husband and I visited New Jersey for Christmas in 2009. We decided to go into the city as we always do on a trip up north and I told him and his two childhood friends, that although the train stopped around Midtown and it was windy, 20 degrees and we were on foot, I announced we were going to the East Village. Imagine the groans on that one. Being obsessed with food, drove me to get what I wanted and as an addict I must feed the need for this Cereal Milk and Crack Pie. This need for this milk and pie that I had not tasted yet knew I needed. I was an addict. An addict to Milk Bar already.

The moment we had walked through the doors there was a line. Panic set in. 

“What if they don’t have anymore crack pie? What happens if they run out of Cereal Milk?!” My mind would not stop racing.

Now, by this moment, you are probably wondering what Cereal Milk truly is. Well, here is the moment that I will begin to tell you about it’s deliciousness and what makes it so. 

Remember when you were a kid and eating sugary cereals was okay, because, “Hey! Your a kid!” No? Well, either do I. My parent’s seemed to think that sugar cereals should only be in the house when my cousins visited. So, I feel your pain. However, on those rare occasions that I was allowed to eat them, I savored every single minute, right down to that last slurp from the milk. And how many of us remember how good that milk was? How many of us would savor it and wish we could drink sugar cereal milk on a regular basis? Well, now we can. NOW WE CAN!!!!! It is called Cereal Milk and it can be found at the Milk Bar. Super yum! Now don’t even get me started on the Crack Pie.

Crack Pie is basically a gooey,oat-mealy, concoction of a pie that got it’s name because it is so good, it will keep you coming back for more. Crack Pie has become so addictive and popular that it can now be ordered and shipped to your home.

Living in Nashville last year, imagine my surprise when I opened the Wednesday’s food section and there it was. A picture of my beloved Crack Pie lying next to a Southern Staple. Chess Pie. Comparison? There is no comparison! What are you doing?! Do they not know that although Chess Pie is excellent that Crack Pie is superior? However, in short, this just goes to show you how popular this slice of Heaven has become. 

If you are in NYC, this must not to be missed! And, now with two locations, you don’t have an excuse. ‘s and 

East Village                 Midtown

 

207 2nd Avenue                     15 W. 56th St.

 

Sorella-

This past summer, I decided to take my mother to NYC to celebrate her 60th birthday. She had never been and to be quite honest, I decided this was the place to take her as the Gastronome in me was screaming once again for a taste of the culinary delight that is New York City.

I spent a big part of my time planning our trip around which restaurant’s and foods I must try. After hearing about Sorella being a Critic’s Pick in New York Magazine and that it was northern Italian eatery (more specifically the Piedmont region) I decided that would be the place for us to go for our first night out. 

My mother is such a fan of all things Italian. Sometimes, I swear you would think that she was Italian in another lifetime. Not the Sopranos type of Italian that has been so engrained in our American culture, yet more of a Northern Italian. Which was just another reason as to why we had made the trek.

You see, my mother and I were staying in in the Upper East Side. When I had looked up the address, I was completely dumbfounded.  China Town. Hmmm. China Town? This is supposed to be a nice Italian restaurant, and it is in China Town? This must be a typo I thought.  

My experience with China Town has been a Love/Scared relationship. The first time I ever went, I was by myself. I remember jumping into a cab and proudly telling the driver that I wanted to go to China Town. I had images of Big Trouble Little China in my head and the magic that I imagined transpired there. Ahhh... China Town. All I remember was the driver saying, “China town? Are you sure?” What on earth does that mean? Of course I was sure.

It wasn’t until he dropped me off about a block away and told me it was around the corner that I was starting to get it. Although I was still excited walking that corner. I imagined dragons hanging from street lights and yummy Chinese restaurants and of course Chinese people! 

However, my first impact with this area of Manhattan was with a man asking me if I wanted to buy a watch and seeing a Burger King as my only salvation. What a waste of a $20 cab ride was all I could think.

Remembering this and knowing my mother, I crossed my fingers and went for it. I recall looking at my mother and seeing almost a disdain in her eyes as she looked around China Town at night. 

I was prepared for what I would tell her if she asked about our surroundings. “It’s New York Ma.” Thank goodness she never asked.

Finally the driver pulled up and said, “Here it is.” Here it is? What are you talking about? It looks like just a metal door. Not a fine restaurant. 

We jumped out and walked through that metal door and into a beautiful scene. There truly was a fantastic restaurant behind that door and we were more than happy to be inside. 

The drinks were fantastic and the food even better. Couldn’t have asked for anything better. I highly suggest making the trip. My memory of the food has helped fuel my passion for this small venue and hey, the cocktails were so worth it too.

 95 Allen Street, New York - (212) 274-9595

Craft NYC-

 Award winning chef Tom Colilichio lives up to his reputation with this amazing food extravaganza of a restaurant in the heart of New York City. One of many of his restaurant’s, the original Craft restaurant will not disappoint.  This is a must stop when in NYC.

Since traveling to Spain in 2007, I have been a huge fan of Iberico ham. Iberico ham is a celebrated cured meat in Spain and one must not miss the opportunity to feast on these slices of deliciousness as until recently it has been illegal to import this meat. 

However, as I was going over the menu I noticed Iberico was an option as a main entree. I jumped at the chance to taste this meat once again. Although this time it wasn’t cured yet was presented almost similar to a filet (trust me it was every bit as meaty as one could imagine although it was pork) I was very happy that I did. 

After ordering our entree and sides, I started the evening with one of their cocktails and ordered a blueberry cocktail that was only on the menu for that evening and I must say it was absolute cocktail heaven! Not only to drink, yet to look at. Beautiful color, and nice presentation with the curled lemon rind. And most of all, delicious!!!

Due to Craft’s philosophy of  cooking with locally sourced product, some items are not available year round. I have found this to be true with the Iberico ham and the blueberry cocktail as it does not look to be on the menu at this present moment.  Yet, if you every see it, order it as you will not be unsatisfied. 

Anything on the dessert menu must not be missed. The pastry chef makes all the sorbet’s that accompany many of the items we saw on the menu. I had ordered a trio of peach dishes from a peach crumble to a peach cake with buttermilk sorbet. Absolutely divine.

Enjoy, eat and above all come hungry! One must not spoil the experience on a full belly as this is one restaurant where it is an absolute must to savor every single bite!

43 east 19th street new york, new york 

 212.780.0880

Reservations Recommended