Café Rakka Mediterranean Grill

Nashville Restaurants and FoodCafé Rakka Mediterranean Grill71A New Shackle Island RoadHendersonville615-824-6264You hit the door and immediately get a vibe that Café Rakka is going to be different. It looks and feels like an upscale coffee house. In reality the tiny Hendersonville restaurant is turning out top notch, home style Mediterranean cuisine with crisp, engaging flavors in a laid back

Firefly Grille

Nashville Restaurants and FoodFirefly Grille2201 Bandywood Dr.Nashville615-383-0042The feel of a restaurant is more than just the menu: it’s a collage of décor, attitude and environment. The Firefly Grille has a great feel. The Green Hills restaurant is just down the street from the Mall at Green Hills, and yet the eclectic interior makes it seem a world away from corporate polish. Mardi gras

I Dream of Weenie

Nashville Restaurants and Food
I Dream of Weenie
113 South 11th Street
Nashville
615-226-2622
www.facebook.com/IDreamofWeenie
Twitter: @IDreamofWeenie

7/11: The bright yellow VW bus is back in business. We made our first visit recently to the newly reconstituted I Dream of Weenie. The East Nashville hot doggery is under new management and parked just around the corner from the original location

Muddea's Closes

Nashville Restaurants and FoodWe try and update you if there is a change to a restaurant we have reviewed in the past. Muddea's Famous Chicken and Waffles on Clarksville Highway has closed. They cooked up fluffy waffles and tasty fried chicken, so we're sad to see them go. If you hear of any other restaurants on this blog that we need to update please let us know. And on a more positive note if

Bombay Palace

Nashville Restaurants and Food
Bombay Palace
2912 West End Ave.
Nashville
615-321-6140
http://www.rewardsnetwork.com/details.htm?merchantId=93211&menu=true

Also see the updated entry below

It’s a busy Friday night at Bombay Palace. All 15 tables are filled with diners: college students, date night couples, families with kids, and large group of friends. People are sipping Indian beers by

Eastside Fish

Nashville Restaurants and FoodEastside Fish2617 Gallatin PikeNashville615-227-8388http://www.eastsidefish.com/menu.htmlI’ve had fish sandwiches all over town, but I have to admit I didn’t make it to Eastside Fish until recently. Shame on me, I know, I know. So, I decided if I was going to do it, I had to do it right. I walked right in and ordered the Original OG King Fish sandwich. Now, they have

El Jaliciense Market

Nashville Restaurants and FoodEl Jaliciense Market3225 Gallatin PikeNashville615-227-9866Okay, first off this isn’t the El Jaliciense on Charlotte that we have reviewed, enjoyed and is doing fine. This is a market with a taqueria attached and the building has housed at least three restaurants in the last few years, a couple of which we have reviewed in this blog. So, why try again, given the high

Tough Times for Restaurants

Okay, another restaurant closing to report. Kellogg’s Southern Restaurant at 7541 Old Hickory Blvd. in Whites Creek has shut down. This has been a hard location for restaurants...with several taking up residence and failing in the last four years. This may also be an indication of the impact of the economic downturn. The newer, struggling operations are closing first, but who knows how far it

Veggie Cafe closes restaurant location

The Veggie Cafe has closed at 1601 Riverside. The good news is they will go back to operating the mobile kitchen. We'll leave the review up for now at http://cookshopresto.blogspot.com/2008/03/veggie-caf.htmlCheck their website for details on the mobile kitchen:http://www.theveggiecafe.com/

La Usuluteca

Nashville Restaurants and FoodLa Usuluteca2761 Murfreesboro RoadAntioch615-367-1288There are dozens of Mexican taquerias in Nashville these days. You’d figure that the growth in the Hispanic population would lead to restaurants featuring the specialties of other Latin American countries, but these joints are far fewer and often don’t last long. Pupuseria La Usuluteca has been turning out El

One closing, one opening

We're sad to report that Nashville's Most Wanted Pizza has closed. Readers noticed it some time ago, but this is the first chance we've had to take a look ourselves. We wish the former owners well, they had some of the best pizza and wings in town. If anyone knows what they are up to now please drop us a line. That location seems to have issues. But the PadThai Kitchen is giving it a shot. We'll

The Nashville Biscuit House

Nashville Restaurants and FoodThe Nashville Biscuit House805 Gallatin Rd.Nashville615-228-4504When Nashville Biscuit House is your name, you’d better live up to the promise. And actually the biscuits are pretty good here. It’s the rest of the sides that fail to hold up.The restaurant is probably best known as a Knife and Fork, which we reviewed and found kind of mediocre. Things didn’t improve

Las Maracas

Nashville Restaurants and Food
Las Maracas
2704 Gallatin Pike
Nashville
615-227-8000

Update 12/09: This restaurant has moved and taken up two new locations, one down the street in East Nashville at 2704 Gallatin Pike and another in Madison at 1107 Gallatin Pike North. 868-0011. This review is of the old location. We have not been back since they have moved.

Our readers have been suggesting this

Wade’s Chat and Chew Diner

Nashville Restaurants and FoodWade’s Chat and Chew Diner1200 Buchanan StreetNashville615-259-9070Wandering can really pay off. I was looking for a new place for lunch, so I headed into North Nashville took a turn off D.B. Todd, and about screeched to a dead stop when I saw the sign for Wade’s Chat and Chew Diner. The exterior is a bit run down, but that name, how could I not eat at a place called

The Clarksville Tour: Silke's and the Blackhorse Pub

Nashville Restaurants and Food The Clarksville TourClarksville may seem to be only mile upon mile of strip malls and fast food restaurants. But there are a few hidden gems, making it well worth a day trip north. Here are a couple of our favorites.Silke’s Old World Breads1214A College StreetClarksville931-552-4422www.silkesoldworldbreads.comSilke’s bread is starting to make its way onto menus

Mitchell Delicatessen

Nashville Restaurants and FoodMitchell Delicatessen1402 McGavock PikeNashville615-262-9862www.mitchelldeli.comTop notch ingredients, carefully crafted by people who really seem to enjoy what they do, served up in a fun and inviting space. They seem like simple concepts, but so many restaurants fall flat. At Mitchell Delicatessen they clearly understand those basic building blocks and turn out

Nuttin’ But Wings

Nashville Restaurants and FoodNuttin’ But Wings2605 Jefferson St.Nashville615-320-0550Sometimes in life focus is everything: Do one thing really well and forget the rest. Nuttin’ But Wings lives up to its promise and you should take their advice: stick to the great wings.Nuttin’ But Wings first generated buzz with a location on West Hamilton, just off Clarksville Highway, in Bordeaux. The

Sitar Indian Cuisine

Nashville Restaurants and FoodSitar Indian Cuisine116 21st Ave NorthNashville615-321-8889www.sitarnashville.comReady, set, go. We’re off to the races at Sitar Indian Cuisine, led to our table, seated and trying not to get in the way. A hot plate of sizzling chicken is carried by a waiter in a half run. He avoids a collision with another guy rushing to fill water. The take-out orders are stacking

La Terraza

Nashville Restaurants and FoodLa Terraza5751 Nolensville Rd.Nashville615-835-0106www.laterrazamexicanrestaurant.comThe Mexican restaurant scene in Nashville is exploding. A drive down Nolensville Road often reveals the sprouting of a new Taqueria or Panaderia. The Taqueria trucks are moving into more permanent surroundings in new buildings. It all means that the competition is heating up. La

Nooley’s

Nashville Restaurants and FoodNooley’sNashville Farmers’ Market900 Rosa Parks Blvd. (8th Avenue North)Nashville615-259-9818Ah, a Saturday and a great sandwich. The two things go so well together. Combine that with some summer produce shopping and you have a nice afternoon. Luckily there is at least one great sandwich left to be found at the tarp covered construction zone known as the Nashville

Fattoush Café

Nashville Restaurants and FoodFattoush Café1716 Charlotte Ave.Nashville615-321-1667http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp?rid=326515&rpid=3406There are several bustling Greek-Mediterranean lunch spots in Nashville. They specialize in tasty food and fast service. Fattoush Café is certainly all of that, and while it’s not the best Mediterranean in town, it rises above many. It’s in an unassuming

Music City Hot Chicken Festival

Nashville Restaurants and FoodMusic City Hot Chicken FestivalEast ParkNashvilleThe crispy skin, the tang of the first spice on your tongue, the heat building with the next bite, the moist white meat and a bit of juice dribbling down your chin, your fingers start to burn a little and then the lips tingle and start to go numb. It’s Hot Chicken, the pride of Nashville, and it’s nice to see the

Anatolia Turkish Restaurant

Nashville Restaurants and FoodAnatolia Turkish Restaurant48 White Bridge RoadNashville615-356-1556http://anatolia-restaurant.com/There are plenty of Mediterranean mash-up restaurants in Nashville. They combine Greek, Syrian, Lebanese, Turkish and even Italian. While it’s fun to be able to take in so many options in one menu, all those choices usually mean a lack of depth. Nashville could use more

Saturday Night-Courtesy of the Nashville Farmers' Market

So, we hit the Nashville Farmers' Market on Saturday morning with the intention of buying stuff for a fun Saturday night at home. We needed a little help from Lazzaroli Pasta shop in Germantown along the way. Here is what ended up on the menu:-Mini sandwichesSweet rolls from the Amish stand, Kentucky.Sweetwater Valley Farm Italian Pesto cheese, Philadelphia, TN. (From Lazzaroli Pasta)Little ugly

Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint

Nashville Restaurants and FoodMartin’s Bar-B-Que Joint7215 Nolensville RoadNolensville615-776-1856http://www.martinsbbqjoint.com/A lot of folks think Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint is one of the best barbecue spots in the Nashville area. So, why did it take me so long to get there? It’s about a zillion miles from home. Nolensville is a pretty little town about 8 miles south of far south Nashville. It’s

Siam Cuisine

Nashville Restaurants and FoodSiam Cuisine265 White Bridge RoadNashville615-354-0082It seems that the best Thai food in Nashville is spread around the edges of the city. This may be due to cheaper rents and closer proximity to the neighborhoods around Nashville. White Bridge road has its own stretch of Thai. Siam Cuisine can be easy to miss. It’s located in a small strip mall and sports a small

Jamaicaway

Nashville Restaurants and Food
Jamaicaway Restaurant
Nashville Farmers’ Market
900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.
Nashville
615-255-5920www.jamaicawayrestaurant.com

Veggie Eater hit the Farmers’ Market solo as the Meat Eater was out sick. I am pleased to report that progress is being made at the Farmers’ Market. Although the restaurant shed still looks like Beirut, there is a tucked away jewel among the

Brewhouse West

Nashville Restaurants and FoodBrewhouse West7108 Charlotte PikeNashville615-356-5005www.broadwaybrewhouse.netSome people seem to have an intuitive sense of cool. They know how to bring together the right elements in just the right way to make something special. Kelly Jones and various partners have put together plenty of local cool over the years, with the Red Door Saloons, 3 Crow Bar, and

Whites Creek Farm Stand

Nashville Restaurants and FoodWhites Creek Farm StandWhites Creek Pike at Old HickoryIt’s nice to see Alicia and Bert from Hungry Gnome Farm out in front of Earthman's General Store again. Sure, this year’s farm stand is a lot smaller than the farmers market of last year, but they have great produce. This week beets, lettuce, kale, arugula, chard and spinach were for sale. They’ll be there on

Paradise Park Trailer Resort

Nashville Restaurants and FoodParadise Park Trailer Resort411 BroadwayNashville615-251-1515We’ve noticed that we have some readers in far flung locations, which on any given day can include places like: London, England; Frankfurt, Germany; and Melbourne, Australia. That probably means folks are visiting the site for ideas on where to eat in Music City while on vacation. Well, welcome, it’s nice

Edgefield Sports Bar and Grill

Nashville Restaurants and FoodEdgefield Sports Bar and Grill921 Woodland StreetNashville615-228-6422Okay, so we’re morons. We’ll admit it. We’ve heard good things about the Edgefield Sports Bar and Grill, but we finally made our first visit last month. Yes, it took us four and a half years. Sad, considering we’ve been missing out on excellent bar food. And while I can’t claim to have experienced

Neely’s Bar-B-Que

Nashville Restaurants and FoodNeely’s Bar-B-Que2292 Rosa Parks Blvd. (Metro Center)Nashville615-251-8895 http://www.neelysbbq.com/locations.htmThe first thing that comes to mind when entering Neely’s is that this place feels like a barbecue joint. And best yet it smells like it. It’s a big space with a sunny dining room overlooking the Metro Center lake. There’s a cross section of Nashville there

Wendell Smith’s Restaurant

Nashville Restaurants and FoodWendell Smith’s Restaurant5300 Charlotte Ave.Nashville615-383-7114There’s plenty that is new in Nashville and often this blog gets caught up in trying to find the latest restaurant opening. Sometimes though, it’s fun to get back to the old. Wendell Smith’s is a Westside institution. They opened in 1952 and not much has changed since. Big Wendell, as he was known, ran

Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine

Nashville Restaurants and FoodWoodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine3415 West End Ave.Nashville615-463-3005It’s amazing to see a buffet where every item is carefully crafted and tasty. There are only a couple in Nashville that manage to take the buffet to a higher level. Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine is certainly one of them. The restaurant is tucked away on the bottom floor of an apartment

Whites Creek Farmers’ Market Update

Nashville Restaurants and FoodWhites Creek Farmers’ Market UpdateOkay, first the bad news. It seems many of the growers that sold at the Whites Creek Farmers’ Market last year are not coming back. The Whites Creek Saturday morning market was a true delight: just five or six stands, a nice mellow crowd and occasionally another couple of vendors. The produce was great, the sellers incredibly nice

Nashville Farmers’ Market

Nashville Restaurants and FoodNashville Farmers’ Market900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.Nashville615-880-2001http://www.nashvillefarmersmarket.org/On a summer Saturday morning at the Nashville Farmers’ Market you can smell the sweet, earthy perfume of produce from the parking lot. Inside the shed shoppers will be packing the aisles looking for that perfectly ripe tomato or firm squash. The best part has

B and C Market BBQ

Nashville Restaurants and FoodB and C Market BBQ900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.615-770-0032http://www.baconandcaviar.com/files/index.php?id=17B and C stands for Bacon and Caviar, which is the catering company that has now expanded to include this new restaurant at the Nashville Farmers’ Market. There was a pretty good line when we arrived on a recent Saturday. The menu is simple enough: pulled pork,

Chicago-Style Gyros at Farmers’ Market

Nashville Restaurants and FoodChicago-Style Gyros at Farmers’ Market900 Rosa Parks Blvd.Nashville615-255-8283Usually we don’t review chains but we had to give these guys a shout out for their falafel. It’s firm, moist and cooked on the spot. The tabbouleh is also a stand-out: spicy and very fresh. The hummus seemed watery and lacking the richness of good tahini. The Moroccan rice was okay.Veggie

Mad Donna’s

Nashville Restaurants and FoodMad Donna’s1313 Woodland St.East Nashville615-226-1617 http://www.myspace.com/maddonnasYou gotta love a place where people are having martinis and beer with a pug. And Hank the pug seemed to be digging the vibe on the patio at the recently opened Mad Donna’s restaurant in East Nashville. Just down from Hank and his crew was a pack of parents and kids out enjoying a

Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish

Nashville Restaurants and FoodBolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish624 Main StreetEast Nashville615-254-8015Bolton’s is the definition of a chicken and fish shack and a Nashville institution that I always enjoy, no matter how weird it gets. It’s basically a takeout joint with a hastily added little dining room, which is really just four patio tables with mismatched plastic table cloths. It kinda

Bunganut Pig Pub and Eatery

Nashville Restaurants and FoodBunganut Pig Pub and Eatery1143 Columbia Ave.Franklin615-794-4777http://bunganutpig.com/You gotta love a place that mixes a good Bloody Mary. And if they have a weird name with an odd story attached to it, well even the better. The Bunganut Pig Pub and Eatery has been in Franklin for more than 20 years. Recently it changed hands and it was our first time to visit.The

Los Arcos

Nashville Restaurants and FoodLos Arcos3798 Nolensville RoadNashville615-837-3800Have you ever had one of those days when you probably just ordered the wrong thing for lunch? That’s how I felt leaving Los Arcos. There was enough really good about the restaurant to convince me that I just hit a dud menu item.Los Arcos has one of the nicer interiors for a Nashville Mexican joint. The tile floors,

House of Pizza-Arcade

Nashville Restaurants and FoodHouse of Pizza15 Arcade- DowntownNashville615-242-7144So, I go into House of Pizza at 5:30pm on a Wednesday. The place is set to close at 6pm. I look around and order a chicken roll and a slice of pizza. Manny looks concerned. There are two lonely, congealed slices sitting on a pan. He looks up and me and says my slice may take a few minutes. He then proceeds to make

Nashville Restaurants and FoodCity House1222 4th Avenue NorthNashville615-736-5838http://www.cityhousenashville.com/We usually don’t review the fancier places on this blog, but we’ve been waiting for a restaurant like this for several years now. The choices for good Italian in Nashville are few. It’s nice to have a joint that understands how Italians cook: with simplicity and with top notch

Kalamatas

Nashville Restaurants and FoodKalamatas3704 Hillsboro RoadNashville615-383-8700We’re suckers for falafel. It has to be really good falafel. Kalamatas has never disappointed. The falafel is crisp, lightly fried on the outside; moist inside and not greasy. It’s also an indication of the care taken with the rest of the menu.Kalamatas calls itself “classically international food prepared with a

Bailey and Cato Family Restaurant

Nashville Restaurants and FoodBailey and Cato Family Restaurant1307 McGavock PikeNashville615-227-4694When people ask about down home places to eat in Nashville, I have a short list of joints I’ll recommend. Well, that short list is now one longer. Bailey and Cato has top notch meat and three, really good barbecue and a cozy family atmosphere. It’s definitely worth a trip to the East Nashville/

Phillyman’s Cheesesteak

Nashville Restaurants and FoodPhillyman’s CheesesteakThe Downtown ArcadeNashvilleCheesesteaks aren’t complicated. You gotta have the right beef and you’ve gotta have the right bread. I grew up in Boston, so I’ve always known the New England version, called a Steak and Cheese. No matter what the title, it comes down to the ingredients and the simple, but essential, method of preparation. And most