Watermark

My birthday is coming up but I had to make arrangements to do my annual birthday dinner a weekend early in order to attend a friends wedding. No problem for me since it just meant I got to go eat sooner! Each year I try to go somewhere I haven't been in awhile and steer away from all of my regular spots. For this birthday I decided on Watermark, a great, upscale restaurant that I haven't been to in over a year!

Watermark is located in the constantly growing neighborhood called The Gulch. With a patio and view to die for, the food has always been equally as good so I was excited to give this old favorite another try.

We arrived a little early for our 8:30 reservation so that we could sit at the bar and have a drink before we started dinner. My mom and I ordered the "Cucumber Refresher," which consisted of vodka, cucumber juice, ginger liqueur, and lemon. If you've read my blog before, you know a cucumber/vodka drink is perfection to me and this one was no different; not too sweet, refreshing, and strong. Just what I needed!

After a short wait, we were seated and ready to eat. We started out with the fried green tomato appetizer which came with a lump crab salad(we ordered this on the side) and green goddess dressing. The tomatoes were firm and the dressing was garlicky and went well with the tomatoes. After the tomatoes I opted for the lettuce salad: mixed greens with marcona almonds, grilled halloumi cheese, figs and herb vinaigrette. I had never heard of this cheese and it's a shame because it was absolutely amazing. Firm and smoky from the grill, this cheese along with the figs really made the salad.


After 2 great courses and a yummy Pinot Noir, I opted for the Fall vegetable tart. Of everything I tasted throughout the night, this was by far the least impressive. 

For an entree, the tart was very small and only came with a small serving of baby greens dressed in a vinaigrette. It was also mostly crust. I wanted so badly to like this entree as it is right up my alley, but I missed the cheesy, warm, vegetable flavors I was hoping for. Our server said this was a brand new item so hopefully they will tweak it for the next diners.

On the other hand, my parent's entrees were divine! My mom ordered the Steelhead Trout, one of my favorite fish. It was prepared with a herb-Brioche crust and served with vidalia-onion mashed potatoes and a rosemary- shallot vinaigrette. One of the best fish dishes I've tasted in awhile.

Cooked perfectly and the brioche crust was insane!

My dad, as usual, went with the red meat option on the menu; the hickory grilled New York strip with truffled twice baked potato, patty pan squash, arugula and port demi-glace. The presentation was enough to make me love it and then I tasted it! 

Vertical twice baked potato. As good as it looks!

I obviously didn't try the meat, but let me tell you about the sides on this dish. First of all, the potato was awesome. Full of butter, sour cream, cheese, and chives, this warm, salty potato was to die for. I want another one right now just writing about it! Also, the roasted patty pan squash, one of my favorite vegetables, was sauteed perfectly leaving it still firm but perfectly cooked. I can't say enough about the veggies on the plate. And, according to my dad, the meat was amazing as well.


Despite the tart falling short, Watermark still has it. I highly recommend this place for a special occasion as it's a little pricey for a casual date night or quick dinner. And a tip, if you are going to be dining later in the evening like we did, request to sit in the bar where things stay a bit livelier later into the night.


Happy Eating,
Evyn


Watermark
615.254.2000
www.watermark-restaurant.com

Cha Chah

It has been awhile since I've blogged! If I'm not blogging it means I haven't been dining out or eating anything exciting lately. Due to a new early morning work out regimen, my alarm goes off at 5am every morning. This means quick, easy, and sometimes boring dinners at home since my new bed time is around 10pm!

However, I recently made plans to have early drinks and tapas with a great friend of mine at Cha Chah. Located in an old house turned restaurant in Nashville's Belmont neighborhood, Cha Chah is a small, open air restuarant that's always inviting and great for an affordable and delicious meal. Cha Chah is owned by Arnold Myint, one of Nashville's celebrity chefs who was recently on the hit television show, Top Chef. Of the three restaurants owned by Myint, Cha Chah has my favorite menu. The menu consists of Spanish style tapas, perfect for sharing. I absolutely love tapas because you get to try a little bit of everything!

To start the night off right, I ordered one of my favorite drinks in town, the Sweet Basil Gimlet. Comprised of gin (I substitue vodka), lime, basil, simple syrup, and soda, this drink is delicious. If there is ever a drink with basil and lime, you can pretty much count on me ordering it.

After a yummy cocktail and some good conversation, we decided on a few tapas. First, to much on, we ordered the Mediterranean Tapenade. I've had this yummy stuff before and it's always great. 

A light spread of red peppers, artichokes, olives, and some other Mediterranean goodies, it is served with yummy homemade pita chips and fresh cucumber. My kind of snack for sure!

Next, we ordered another favorite, and something I crave regularly, the Brussel Sprouts. Let me tell you about this little salad! Served warm, the brussel sprout leaves are separated, tossed in some tangy smoked vinegar with garlic, red onions, and almonds, then topped with thinly sliced cheese. Tangy, spicy, crunchy... just amazing. I get this dish every time I go, so you really need to try it!

We also ordered the Roasted Cauliflower. I hadn't seen this on the menu before, but I love cauliflower so we gave it a shot and it was a amazing! Served in a small white dish, these huge heads of cauliflower were perfectly browned, topped with capers and grated cheese. It was so pretty I almost didn't want to eat it! And yes, it tasted as good as it looks.

How awesome does that look?

So, next time you're in need of a quick bite that won't cost you a ton of money, go to Cha Chah. They have an amazing full dinner menu as well, but I like to stick to the tapas so that I can taste everything Arnold has to offer! So go for either snacks or dinner(and definitely drinks) soon, but either way, just go! And don't forget the Brussel Sprouts!

P.S.- GM Ross Powells is an awesome guy and always around so be sure to say hi! And he's got a great Australian accent to boot.

ChaChah
615.298.1430
www.chachahnashville.com

Miller Union, Atlanta

Last weekend my mom and I took a weekend trip down to Atlanta, Georgia. We had a family reunion to attend on Saturday but decided to go down a day early and check out a cool dinner spot. If you've read my bio at all you know that I get my obsession with food, drink, and dining out from my mom, so when the two of us get together, it can be trouble.

After researching some local Atlanta blogs and magazines and asking some of my foodie friends, I was led to Miller Union. A fairly new restaurant, opened in November of 2009, Miller Union is a simple, classic, yet modern take on upscale southern fare. As often as possible, Miller Union uses organic, local and sustainable ingredients; a huge plus for me (and something Nashville needs more of in my opinion).

Located in a refurbished warehouse in Atlanta's old stockyard district, Miller Union's rustic wood interior and pantry-formed walls full of cookbooks and other "homey" details is just the type of place you'd expect to eat farm-to-table southern food. As usual, my mom and I arrived early for our reservation so that we could have a drink or two at the bar. Let me tell you, if you like vodka, even at all, Miller Union has one of the best vodka cocktails I've ever had! The "Strega Nona" is basil infused vodka, Strega (an Italian herbal liqueur), bitter lemon soda, and lime. Seriously, insane.

After our drinks, My mom and I were seated in a cozy little nook right next to the main dining room. We started out with a great bottle of Gruner Veltliner and the "feta snack," something I'd been eyeing since I checked out the menu a week prior. A perfect summer dip made of creamy feta, olive oil, and cracked pepper served with fresh cucumbers, carrots, and watermelon radishes, the "feta snack" was simple and delicious.

Our wonderful bottle of white

After some serious thought since everything looked so amazing, I decided on the Triggerfish entree; a lightly fried, mild white fish served over roasted spaghetti squash and topped with a delicious sweet and sour vinegar sauce with red peppers and basil. My mom got the vegetable plate which was a gorgeous plate full of summer veggies: fresh sliced tomatoes, green beans with basil, roasted yellow squash, a warm field pea and sweet corn succotash, and finally, some of the best fried okra I've ever tasted.

Summer vegetable plate

Triggerfish entree

We finished our meal with an amazing chocolate cake filled with bing cherries and served with house-made earl grey and dark chocolate ice creams. A perfect ending to a perfect meal. After typing this and looking at the photos, I almost want to drive back to Atlanta again this weekend. So, check out Miller Union next time you're in Atlanta. So good... seriously.

Oh, P.S. - I almost forgot to mention that they had the best sourdough bread I've ever had. It was so fresh and served with really creamy, REAL butter. How could I have forgotten that??

Miller Union

999 Brady Avenue

Atlanta, GA

www.millerunion.com

Whole Wheat Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Salad

I am in a book club. Yes, it sounds nerdy, but I assure you, it's really fun. A bunch of cool chicks get together, talk about a good book, and eat and drink wine. I love to read but I really love to eat and drink wine, so this is a perfect excuse to do both. For each book club, everyone is asked to bring a dish. I am proud to say that even with a busy work schedule, I have taken a homemade dish to every book club for the past 2 years! It's usually something simple and easy but always delicious.

For our last book club we discussed "Room," by Emma Donoghue, which I highly recommend, and I took a yummy pasta salad: Whole Wheat Orzo and Grilled Veggies with Feta, Olives, and Herbs. It has been my favorite salad I've made this summer!

Whole Wheat Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Salad with Feta, Olives, and Herbs

1 cup whole wheat orzo, cooked
2 small zucchini (I also used some squash because my dad had some fresh from the garden)
1 large red bell pepper
olive oil, for brushing vegetables
Italian seasoning
 1 1/2 cup black olives, drained and cut in half
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 T chopped fresh basil
2 T chopped fresh oregano
1/2 to 1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled (I like a lot of feta!)

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Instructions:

1. Cook orzo al dente. Drain and let cool while you prep other ingredients.

2. Cut the zucchini and red bell pepper lengthwise into fourths and remove seeds and stem from pepper.  Brush the vegetables on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with dried herb mix.  Grill vegetables until they are cooked, but still slightly crisp, about 10-15 minutes. (I was short on time for this batch so I simply sauteed the veggies in a frying pan which is fine too.)

3. Thinly slice green onions, olives, and chop fresh herbs.  

4. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, and dried oregano for the dressing.

5. Cut the zucchini and pepper into bite-sized pieces and put into a plastic bowl large. Add about 1/3 of dressing and stir so all the vegetable pieces are coated with dressing. Let marinate. 

6. Add the cooked orzo, green onions, and herbs to the vegetables and add enough dressing to moisten all ingredients. Stir in the olives and crumbled feta and that's it! Serve chilled but not too cold.

I made my salad overnight and it kept great. Hurry and make it before summer is over and you miss out on all the beautiful squash and zucchini!

Happy Eating,

Evyn

Park Cafe

After a recent date night at the Frist Center for the Andy Warhol exhibit, my boyfriend and I ended our night at one of my favorite restaurnats in Nashville, Park Cafe. Located in Sylvan Park, Park Cafe is a cozy neighborhood place complete with dim lighting, funky art, and a cool space split into seven small dining rooms. There's also a covered patio in the back. When my boyfriend and I eat at Park Cafe, we usually find ourselves nestled at one of the tall tables in the bar.

Park Cafe not only has some of the best food in town, but I am in love with their drinks. My current obsession is their cucumber martini. On this dining trip, the menu had changed a bit, but definitely for the better. Being a vegetarian (sometimes I eat fish), there were some new options for me, including the most amazing vegetable plate I have ever had, seriously. Veggie plates are hard to make exciting, but Park Cafe nailed it. It consisted of a frisée salad dressed simply with lemon and olive oil, baby patty pan squash, roasted baby carrots, grilled asparagus, a lady pea and onion salad, their famous szechuan green beans, and a delicious corn pudding!

Seriously, how awesome does that look?

The other entree we ordered was the sous vide chicken. It came with a seasonal panzanella salad with micro greens, cucumber, roasted corn, tomatoes, huge chunks of local feta, and homemade bread all dressed in delicious olive oil and tangy vinegar, drizzled with basil oil. My boyfriend said the chicken was tender and amazing.

And of course, if you eat at Park Cafe you have to get the green chili mac and cheese, even if you're not hungry! It is definitely the best mac and cheese I've ever had. Individually baked with parmesan and pepper jack, green chiles, and topped with breadcrumbs. Just amazing! This stuff saves exceptionally well and is really delicious the next day, or if you're me, is a great midnight snack when you get home from dinner.

If you live in Nashville and haven't been to Park Cafe, or just haven't been in awhile, go check out the new and improved menu. If you are from out of town and visiting soon, definitely hit this place for dinner one night. And maybe get a mac and cheese or two for the road.

Happy Eating,
Evyn

Park Cafe
4403 Murphy Road
615.383.4409

Friday's Foodie Find

Sorry to skip a restaurant review or recipe and go right into another "foodie find" post, but it's Friday, and I'm going to try to bring you a cool new gadget or product every Friday.


Along with the Juiceman, another one of my favorite kitchen gadgets is the 4-in-1 avocado tool from Williams Sonoma. It is amazing! As much as I love avocado, I use this thing a lot. It makes peeling, pitting, scooping, and mashing an avocado easy and fun. The tool has a serrated edge for cutting through the skin, a curved tip that helps remove the pit, and a scoop that gets the avocado out of its skin without much of a mess. It also has a masher that is great for making guacamole.

Photo: Williams-Sonoma.com

The only negative about this tool is that it's not made for left-handed people. Kind of a bummer, but lucky for me, I'm a righty and get to use this thing all the time. So, if you're a righty and love avocado too, go get an avocado tool and make some guacamole! 

Friday's Foodie Find

I always love finding new gadgets that make life easier in the kitchen. My current obsession is my Juiceman citrus juicer. It only juices citrus fruits but it's cheap and awesome. What makes this thing amazing is that it's electric. All you do is plug it in, cut your fruit in half, and push the citrus down on the juicer. I buy tons of lemons and limes and juice about 10 at the beginning of every week. I keep the juice in mason jars in my fridge so when I need lemon or lime juice (for cooking but mostly for my cocktails on the weekends) I just pour it in. Simple, convenient, and only about $25 at Target!

Tin Angel

One of my favorite restaurants in Nashville is Tin Angel. It's a cool, casual, neighborhood bistro with amazing food and a great vibe. Lucky for me, my house is a five minute walk to the restaurant. It's amazing to be able to walk down for a casual dinner at the bar any night of the week. My boyfriend and I definitely eat here once a week if we can.


I love the atmosphere of Tin Angel almost as much as the food. The exposed brick, fireplace, copper bar, tin ceiling, and local art remind me of a neighborhood joint you'd find in Greenwich Village. In fact, Tin Angel is named after a now closed restaurant in New York.


This past Tuesday we decided to sit at our usual spot at the bar and have dinner with a friend. If you don't like sitting at the bar, request to sit at one of the tables in the window. It's nice to watch the hustle and bustle of West End while enjoying a relaxing dinner.


When you go to Tin Angel, always start with the fried green tomatoes. They are the best fried green tomatoes I have ever had, seriously! They are extra crispy and served with a perfect horseradish sauce (I always order extra sauce with my tomatoes). For my entree, I ordered the Med Salad; an entree sized salad with fresh greens, orzo pasta, roasted red peppers, red onion, chickpeas, tomatoes, artichokes, toasted pumpkin seeds, feta, and grilled shrimp. A big salad! I'm not a huge shrimp fan so I usually get the salad without it, but this time I ordered the salad as is, and it was really good. 

I always get the Lemon-Herb dressing with this salad. Yum!

My boyfriend ordered his usual and one of the most popular dishes at Tin Angel, the Lobster and Shrimp Risotto. Let me tell you, this stuff is good! Risotto is one of my favorite foods if done right and they do it right. It is garlicky, buttery, cheesy, and comes with tons of warm red and yellow tomatoes that are to perfectly in season right now and are to die for. 

An amazing dish!

Our friend ordered another one of my favorite dishes, the Pasta Med. It is the only thing I ordered at Tin Angel for the first two years I started going there regularly. I couldn't not order it! It's a delicious pasta full of all my favorite things: tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, capers, spinach, artichokes, and feta cheese. Delicious!

My friend ordered his Pasta Med with meatballs.

As usual, we were too full for dessert but I was forced to order their Dark Chocolate Whiskey Indulgence which is an individually baked chocolate gooey brownie of sorts served with vanilla bean ice cream. It's pretty amazing. My boyfriend knows I'm happier when I have chocolate around so he got one to take home. 


When we move, which probably won't be long, I'm going to be sad that Tin Angel isn't right down the street. However, it's totally worth a drive. I definitely can't live without Pasta Med or their Fried Green Tomatoes in my life. And you shouldn't either! Go check them out.


P.S. - They have a killer brunch as well!


Happy Eating,
Evyn

Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co.

Chocolate might be my favorite thing in the world. Cheese and wine are at the top of my list of course, but chocolate definitely makes me the happiest. In the past, I've always been a milk chocolate only kind of girl. I never really understood how chocolate was chocolate without all the butter and sugar. Well, let me rephrase. I did understand, I just didn't think it tasted as good. As I've gotten older, I've grown to love dark chocolate. Not only is it delicious, but it's healthy too! Bonus!


Recently, an amazing local chocolate maker, Olive and Sinclair, opened in Nashville. They create small batch, hand crafted chocolate that founder, owner, and maker, Scott Witherow has labeled as "Southern Artisan Chocolate."

Their darkest chocolate made with organic cacao beans from the Dominican Republic

Olive and Sinclair offers a variety of creative and interesting flavors like Sea Salt, Salt and Pepper, Cacao Nibs, and Mexican Style Cinn-Chili. They are all amazing. And let's not forget the wrappers which are just as beautiful as the chocolate. Since I'm such a fan of all things spicy, I think I like the Mexican Style chocolate bar the best. The mix of the salty, dark chocolate and the smoky cinnamon blended to create a delicious granular textured bar is to die for. 

Check out their website for more information on the chocolate, the chocolate maker Scott, and some great photos and video on how it's all done.

Olive and Sinclair
1404 McGavock Pike, Suite C
Nashville, Tennessee
P: 615.262.3007
oliveandsinclair.com

Pasta Night

On the nights that I am not eating out, I am usually making something simple, easy, and a breeze to clean up. That means we have pasta at least one night a week. I always use fresh veggies and sometimes throw some kind of protein in a separate pan for my meat-eating boyfriend. I hate to admit it, but yes, I almost always use store bought sauce. In the late summer when my parents' tomatoes are plentiful and ripe, I make a raw tomato basil sauce that is to die for. Until then, I settle for the jar. Luckily, I have found the best pasta sauce you can buy, Brignola! It is locally made in Old Hickory, TN. They have two varieties that are available at my local Whole Foods; Marinara and Arrabbiata. I always opt for the Arrabbiata since it is spicy and I'm obsessed with all things spicy!

As you've probably seen in my other posts, I'm always using veggies from my parent's garden. They have a small garden on their 7 acres in Franklin, TN and I'm always driving to their house to steal whatever summer veggies are ripe! Every week I throw in different veggies, whatever I have on hand that is fresh, local and in season. On this particular pasta night I had some summer squash from my parent's garden so I sautéed the squash along with some asparagus, onion, garlic, and kalamata olives.

All you need to do to make this simple dish is chop up all the veggies, throw them in a pan with some oil (lately I've been using coconut oil), and sauté them until they are slightly browned. Next, just pour the sauce over the veggies, let it all simmer for 5-7 minutes, and pour it on your pasta. That's it! A no fail, quick and easy dinner!

The final product topped with fresh parsley and crushed red pepper.  And of course, wine!

Don't forget to check out Brignola sauces. They really are amazing!
www.brignolafoods.com

Happy Eating,
Evyn

Stefano's Pizza

This past weekend I went on my annual family trip. My entire family on my mom's side, all 17 of us, go to Gatlinburg and rent a cabin. We all stay together and hang out, play cards, and eat lots of food. After three gluttonous days in the Smoky Mountains with my family, my mom and I decided one more day of overindulgence couldn't hurt. We stopped in Knoxville on the way home to grab some pizzas from our favorite place in the world, Stefano's. Stefano's has been in Knoxville for awhile. In fact, my mom and dad used live in Knoxville and go on dates there before they were married.

Stefano's is a Chicago style pizza, though not the super deep dish kind you might be thinking of. The best part about their pizza is the crust! They were the first pizza joint I had ever heard of to have whole wheat crust, and let me tell you, its the best; thick and crunchy but with a fluffy bread-like texture inside. It is also the best pizza sauce I've ever had. It's extra thick and dark red in color with lots of flavor, unlike most pizza sauces that are thin and runny and taste watered down. We always order our pizzas with extra sauce! 

Large veggie on whole wheat with extra sauce. YUM!

Stefano's has all the regular toppings and combinations, and I'm sure they are all good but I have never, and will never, stray from the regular veggie pizza. Even my boyfriend Jaren, who is an avid pepperoni and sausage pizza eater, likes their veggie pizza better! They load the pizza up with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and green and black olives. It's simply the best. 

My slices. Always topped with a heavy dose of crushed red pepper!

If you get a chance, stop by Stefano's when you're in or even near Knoxville. It's well worth a short (or long) drive. And a little tip, if you decide to dine in, don't forget to get a fountain drink. They not only have the best pizza I've ever had, but the best ice too! Now if we can only get one in Nashville...
Stefano's
1937 Cumberland Ave.
Knoxville, TN
(865) 522-4151

Grilling

The weather this past weekend was perfect for grilling out. It was little hot, but when you grow up in Nashville, you're used to hot summers. On both Saturday and Sunday, my boyfriend Jaren and I took advantage of the weather and did some serious grilling. After a late night out on Friday, all we wanted to do on Saturday was relax at home and eat some good food, so that's just what we did. Following our long and expensive trip to Whole Foods on Saturday, we were ready to get the grill going. I bought lots of veggies to throw on and Jaren got a grass-fed sirloin for himself. I have to say the highlight of the meal was my grilled green cabbage, inspired by chef Guerry's cabbage I had at The Yellow Porch last weekend. It is so simple and so yummy.

Guerry's Grilled Green Cabbage

Half and then quarter one head of green cabbage (I used half of the head for the two of us)

Cut the quarters into two wedges

Rub butter on all sides of the cabbage wedges, then season with salt and cracked black pepper

Wrap the cabbage in aluminum foil and throw on the grill! (The wedges should become slightly mushy to the touch and begin to look transparent in color, about 15 minutes)

Saturday's meal: Grilled cabbage, corn, homemade sweet potato fries, and our first tomato of the summer!

On Sunday our friend Glenn invited us over to his house to grill out again. He had already prepared some chicken and fish so we brought squash and zucchini to grill and I made a potato salad which was quite good if I do say so! I always change up my potato salad recipes depending on the season so yesterday I opted for a lighter more pared down version.

Summer Potato Salad

What you'll need: Baby red potatoes, mayonnaise or veginase, dijon mustard, 4-5 stalks celery (chopped), 1/2 red onion (chopped), large bunch chopped dill, juice of 1/2 lemon, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper

Directions: Boil potatoes for about 7 minutes or until soft (but not mushy)

Drain the potatoes and let cool (place in fridge if you are in a rush)

After potatoes are cool, mix in mayonnaise/veginase, dijon, celery, onion, dill, lemon and spices

Refrigerate and enjoy!

Dill (from my mom's herb garden), celery, red onion for potato salad

Summer potato salad!

When we got to Glenn's he was grilling up a storm and as usual, there was too much food. Not a bad problem to have! He grilled some of his famous chicken, this time in a Mexican inspired marinade, as well as some Haddock spiced with smoked paprika, parsley, and dill. There was also a delicious fruit salad, caprese stacks, and our grilled veggies. We had a serious summer feast!

Glenn's grilled Haddock

Fruit salad: Mango, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, and fresh basil. How gorgeous?

Glenn's plate. See, too much food!

Hope all of you enjoyed your weekend and ate as much food as I did!

Happy Eating,

Evyn

The Yellow Porch

For my first entry I wanted to write about one of my favorite restaurants in Nashville, The Yellow Porch. Last weekend, my parents and I were lucky enough to snag a table at this quaint little spot. As long as The Yellow Porch has been open, they have never advertised and it is always packed! "The Porch," as regulars like me call it, has an intimate and cozy dining room decorated with beautiful local art, as well as the best patio in town. The ambiance alone is enough to bring you back. Add to that the to-die-for food (lots of which comes from the small garden out front), amazing waitstaff, and expansive wine list, and you have a spot that can not be missed.


On any given night, The Porch is filled with a variety of people; a young rock band stopping in for dinner after a recording session at the famous Blackbird Studios down the street, a group of girls out on the town, suited-up businessmen, or a couple celebrating an anniversary. The night we decided to dine was as eclectic and busy as ever. 


We had to forego the awesome patio due to the heat and humidity so we sat inside. We started, as usual, with the best appetizer in Nashville: the "Sweetwater Tennessee Cheddar Fritters." If the words warm, cheesy, gooey, crispy, and spicy appeal to you, then you need these now. They are served with a spicy aioli and a delicious locally made chow chow. I can't go to The Porch without these and once you have them you won't be able to either.

Cheese Fritters with spicy aioli and chow chow

Every night, The Porch has at least 2 specials, usually fresh fish, in addition to the regular menu. Chef Guerry McComas creates some of the most inventive and delicious fish dishes I've ever had. I especially love all of the veggies and sides he pairs with the fish. That night, I chose the Corvina special. It was served over a local hash made with potatoes, beets, zucchini, and other seasonal veggies all tossed in an herbed brown butter sauce. I paired it with a glass of rosé and it was delicious! 

The Corvina special from The Yellow Porch

My mom chose the Alaskan Halibut special which was served over local smashed potatoes, grilled green cabbage, and a smoked yellow tomato sauce. Also absolutely incredible! I think I ended up eating as much of hers as I did my own dish. My dad, as always, got the filet. I personally do not eat red meat, but according to my dad, who is a filet aficionado, The Yellow Porch has the best filet he has ever had. If the potato and mushroom gratin that it is served with it is any indication of how good the filet itself is, then I know he is right.

Filet over potato-mushroom gratin and asparagus

After some amazing food and a great bottle of rosé, we were too stuffed to get their famous flourless chocolate torte or the bananas foster bread pudding. Next time, which won't be too long from now, I'll dive into dessert and tell you all about it.


As soon as possible, go visit chef Guerry and the incredible staff at this hip little neighborhood joint. You won't be sorry!


Happy Eating,
Evyn