Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner

Finally together again after almost 6 months!  I was reunited with my partner in faith Carolyn for another church and feast adventure.  My last blog was January 23rd,  which is totally ridiculous that our schedules have been so out of whack for the last 6 months that we couldn't even manage a single trip to hang out with the big J,  and share our experience over a nice meal.  But alas it has happened,  and I've got something to say about it.  As I'm sure Carolyn has already so eloquently put it (i don't have the pleasure of reading her blog before I finish mine,  because she forces me to do mine under the guise of "i have to link it to mine) our adventure "under the bridge" was spiritual,  uplifting,  a smidge scary (there was a participation element that we lapsed catholics tend to get a bit antsy about) and utterly amazing.

Next stop after feeding the tired,  the poor, and huddled masses,   was feeding our own asses.  We took ourselves to Pomodoro East,  formerly Coopers on Porter in the 3 points area of East Nashville.  Once a Nursing home it was transformed into a retail space about 2 years ago,  and after the short lived gastro pub (Coopers) Pommodoro moved in and opened in the early spring of 2012.  Brought to you by the same folks that bring you the Eastland Cafe,  and Park Cafe.  This rustic Italian joint attempts to bring authentic italian cuisine to the hip eating culture of East Nasty.  This is my second time to Pomodoro,  and I have to say I have not ruled it out yet.  This place seems to me to be a solid 6.5 anytime you go.  The food is solid,  the service is solid,  and there is nothing that says "i will never go back to this place again"  On the same token there is not necessarily anything that keeps you coming back either.

Obviously it had been awhile since we had seen each other,  and we had a lot to cover,  so first things first we had to get some wine.  Weather dictated the wine choice this evening.  With a solid 93 on the old thermometer we chose a crisp white wine from the Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano.   Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the local white of this small town considered the Renaissance equivalent of New York City due to all of its tall buildings (thank you Contiki Tour guide).  It was cold,  crisp,  and most importantly contained alcohol,  so we were sold.

Mozzarella Spedini with Lemon Caper Sauce

We each started off with an appetizer,  Carolyn had the house salad ($8) and I went with the Spedini ($9)  Carolyn's salad looked delightful, with mixed greens,  olives,  roasted red peppers drizzled with an Italian Vinaigrette.  Many of you might be wondering what a Spedini is,  well funny thing so was I.  It is possible that Spedini maybe one of those terms that people use for a dish that is italian and they don't have a name for it.  For example I once had something called a Spedini,  and it was essentially a salad stuffed into a flatbread.  This was not that.  Then I looked up Spedini,  and it is described as any type of skewered meat (an italian kabob if you will)  this too, was not that.  Pomodoro's version of a Spedini was what I would refer to as Mozzarella en Corroza.  The forerunner to the ever popular "Mozzarella stick"  it is essentially a mozzarella cheese sandwich that is breaded (or battered) and then deep fried.  So once I figured out what I was eating,  I actually liked it.  Served with a picatta sauce (lemon,  white wine,  butter, and capers)  it was delightful.  

Moving on to the main course Carolyn went for the Lamb sausage pizza with braised fennel ($11),  and I had a 1/2 order of the spaghetti which was described as "scampi,  broccoli raab, and garlic".  Again the menu description had me a bit stumped.  "Scampi" ok, going back to my product knowledge days at CIA,  i seem to recall that Scampi is not only a type of sauce typically served on shrimp,  but also a type of shrimp or shrimp like creature (i.e. prawn,  langoustine, etc)  but that was really pushing my limits so i wonder if a casual restaurant goer would tune into that.  Thinking about it now,  Im just reading way to into it,  cause most people are going to see the word Scampi and think shrimp.  I on the other hand was saying well will there be shrimp or is just going to be spaghetti with broccoli raab and a garlic butter sauce.  It seems to me that a tiny bit of knowledge can often get you in trouble.  The good news was whether this dish had shrimp in it or not,  I was down and was going to be fine with whatever came out.  Low and behold when my dish arrived it had.......wait for it.........Shrimp in it.  Very plump,  tender pieces of shrimp that were not the slightest bit over cooked (not an easy feat) the spaghetti on the other hand was slightly beyond al dente,  but the wine had kicked into the point that I was ok with it.  Carolyn's lamb sausage pizza which I had had on my previous visit,  was quite good although I might have talked it up a bit to much cause she didn't seem to go crazy over it.  What I appreciated about it,  was that it was consistent with what I had had previously and that is half the battle.
We opted to skip dessert,  and head to another place for dessert,  and by dessert I mean another glass of wine :)
So overall,  Pomodoro did not disappoint.  It did not over promise,  nor under deliver.  It was good.  My most favorite place ever?......   not at all.  Will I go back.......Probably.

If you would like to try it out,  hit them up 7 days a week (a big plus for somebody looking for a decent place on monday night) 5:00 to 10:00 (9:00 on sundays)  happy hour from 5-6:30 on week days.  1/2 priced apps,  $5 Wine and $3 Drafts

701 Porter Street in East Nashville

Bullet The Blue Sky

I know that I would be an ingrate if I complained at all about the winter that Nashville is having up to this point.  We have been blessed with rather mild temps,  and little to no snow fall.  What I dislike about winters here is they are very dreary.  60 degrees in January is nice,  but I would happily give old mother nature 15 degrees back if we could have some sun.  This past Sunday was just such a day,  dreary, so in an effort to stave of some of the winter blues Carolyn and I headed to The Sky Blue Cafe for a little after worship treat.

Sky Blue Cafe opened in 2008 and is located at 700 Fatherland St (corner of Fatherland and 7th) in the Edgefield neighborhood of East Nashville.  Housed in a quaint brick storefront It sits alone in a mostly residential area just across from Edgefield Park.  Open from 7-3 Daily,  it's menu offers both breakfast and lunch items all day as well as a litany of caffeinated treats.

I have been to Sky Blue before,  and was on the fence.  Didn't really have a feeling either way.  I do remember that one time I ordered a Greek Salad and the lettuce they used was baby spinach which sort of threw me.  I figured going on a Sunday after church would be a good time to review knowing that it would be busy and they would have to either put up or shut up.

I was pleasantly surprised that on this day they definitely put up.  We had about a 30 minute wait which was expected.  With seating for about 35 in a rather small space we waited outside for our table to be ready.  Thankfully a table of 7 jumped ship which probably got us in there a little quicker.  The menu is not extensive,  but it covers all the bases.  There are 8-10 breakfast items including Omelets,  Eggs Benedict, Pancakes,  French Toast all gussied up just a little bit to make it better than your average greasy spoon.  Lunch items include 3-4 Salads (including the aforementioned Greek Spinach Salad) and 6-8 Sandwiches. I was definitely in a breakfast mood,  and most specifically eggs.  I decided to go with the ATB (Avocado, Tomato and Bacon) Omelet ($9),  I was also that annoying person whom I hate who asked for egg whites,  so that set me back another $1.  They should have charged me more,  seriously on a busy Sunday they've got better things to do than separate eggs for some idiot like me that is eating an omelet with bacon in it.  Just so you know for lunch that day I got a triple cheeseburger, colossal fries,  and a diet coke from Wendy's (I'm kidding,  i didn't really do that).  I did apologize to the waitress for ordering egg whites,  but she seemed fine with it (of course she did,  she didn't have to cook them).  The funny thing is I feel bad about it,  but chances are they have egg whites in a carton back there and it is really no skin off their nose.  Carolyn went with the Mediterranean omelet ($9) and she furthered our desire to have our food spit in by ordering egg whites as well.

Service was prompt considering the full house and we were served in about 20 minutes.  In the event that you have a longer than anticipated wait,  you can occupy your time by reading through the trivial pursuit cards that are on each table.  Since our wait was not long and we had churchy stuff to talk about,  we did not take advantage.  It is great though if you go there with someone you don't want to talk to,  boom instant conversation.

So back to my omelet,  saliva or not was really good.  The eggs were nicely seasoned,  the thick cut bacon was perfectly crisp and added the major flavor component to what would otherwise be a pretty bland combination (I chose it so I'm not complaining.  I love all those things they just don't burst with flavor)  Topped with some shredded colby jack cheese it was just what I expected,  a good solid omelet.  The big surprise on the plate were the home fries.  They were perfectly seasoned with salt and italian seasoning and were absolutely delicious.  Bursting with flavor and prepared in such a way that I can't quite figure out.  They were crispy but really tender almost fluffy if you will, so I wouldn't think they were deep fried.  I would also rule out being sautéed on the grill because they were not wet.  Perhaps a combination of blanching and baking,  not sure but they were real good.  A thimble of fruit salad rounded out the plate (toast was an option,  but I passed) and a lovely meal was had by all.

My bill including tip was $16 for the omelet and a bottomless glass of iced tea.  Certainly a fair price for what I had,  and a pretty nice environment to boot.  Another nice little treat,  a sky blue sticker accompanies each check folder and is yours for the taking (at least I hope so).    Sky Blue is not going to turn the culinary world on its ear,  but it doesn't have to, it is a sweet little joint that serves tasty food.  What more could you want.

For something different Sky Blue Cafe  is now open on Friday nights from 5-9 and offers a special  appetizer and beer menu along with live music.  I might give Sky Fri a try one of these days,  maybe you should stop on by too.

For more info on Sky Blue Cafe check out their web site at www.skybluecoffe.com

Proverbs 12:10

"Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel."

This week at the Village Chapel we got into actual Bible study,  which I found rather interesting.  Having never done the homework,  I did feel a bit behind but it was a lesson learned just the same.  After the service we headed to dinner at Fido in Hillsboro Village.  In an effort to keep with the weeks theme (and to attempt to come up with a clever title) I wanted to see how dogs are portrayed in the Bible.   Seems the precious pooch has come a long way since its somewhat vile beginnings as a scavenger, savage beast,  and otherwise nefarious character.  Most every passage I came across used the dog as a key player on the road to damnation.  Perhaps it was the above passage from Proverbs that ultimately brought mankind to a place where said beast is held in a regard that in some homes is higher then every human in it.

I had never been to Fido before,  and was always a little perplexed by the name.  What exactly was it?  is it a pet friendly joint where it would be difficult to blame a stray hair in your soup on any one being.  Could   it be one of those places that has gourmet food prepared specifically for your dog.  Would it be filled with yipping chihuahuas,  and puppies that may not quite have the training to handle themselves in such an establishment.  Without doing the proper research,  I let my imagination get the best of me and have avoided it until now.  To my delight,  Fido is none of those things.  It's tag line "Blurring the line between upscale coffeehouse,  and casual restaurant"  pretty much says it all.  A sister restaurant to Bongo Java,  it ups the anty on the food end and makes for a delightful hang any time of day or night.   The name Fido comes from (and it's a stretch) Kaldi,  the Ethiopian goat herder who was said to have discovered coffee in the 6th Century.  Obviously goat herders (like sheep herders) need a dog to help them with the herding,  so Fido represents Kaldi's partner in crime without whom humankind would be without their daily buzz.  This is all far more plausible than using fido as a name for an establishment that was once a pet store and already had a neon sign of a dog atop it.

We entered Fido through the back parking lot,  and immediately came upon the counter where you place your order.  Menus are provided along with a chalkboard menu of the daily specials.  There is a glass case filled with delicious looking cakes and other sweet treats.  I am currently trying to avoid such things,  but I was told that I need to return at some point and try the Strawberry Balsamic Cake (ok twist my arm).  The menu is a nice mix of soups, salads, sandwiches, and composed plates.  There was a bit of a chill in the air so soup was definitely going to be a must.  Their sausage, red bean, and habanero ($4) seemed right up my alley.  I was also intrigued with the pulled smoked turkey and corn cakes ($8.99) so I went with that as well.  Little did I know that this was one of Carolyn's favorite places.  She had already made up her mind that she was going to have the Mediterranean Salad with Caramel Champagne Vinaigrette topped with grilled salmon ($6.99/$2).  The guy that had turned her on to this dish happened to be behind the counter,  and she reminded him that he told her "it would change her life"  pretty strong recommendation,  but I had a hunch it wouldn't be that far off.

We paid for our meals,  and were give an adorable picture of Ellie Mae,  a sweet 15 year old chocolate lab that would keep us company at our table until our order came out,  at which time she would be ripped from our hearts and replaced by some really great looking food.  We would miss Ellie,  but we did after all come for the food.

The Decor is hip and cozy with exposed brick, and nicely appointed walls.  A mixture of booths,  high cocktail tables,  and lower tables filled a series of rooms.  The atmosphere is lively,  but not loud.  We headed to the back room which was a slightly quieter so we could chat.  Carolyn mentioned that there are not a lot of outlets in any of the rooms in an effort to keep the day long "study groups" from hogging up the tables during prime time which I think is brilliant.  The crowd was pretty mixed.  Several tables of Vandy Sorority Girls fresh from Bid Day celebrations (not judging,  been there)  Some study bugs,  date nighters,  etc.  and so on.  A place where anyone would feel comfortable.

The counter guy was right,  Carolyn's salad did seem life changing.  Basically a traditional Greek Salad with hummus and pita,  but its the dressing that puts it over the top.  Champagne Caramel Vinaigrette (yes please!)  a nice sized portion of grilled salmon rounded out the plate.  I noticed that the salmon was cooked thru but still seemed quite (I'm not going to use the m word cause I don't like it,  instead I will say) juicy.  Not an easy feat for sure.  I started with the soup which missed the mark just a smidge.  I loved the consistency,  and nice deep color,  but it needed salt and the thyme was a bit on the heavy side.  Billed as Sausage and Habanero neither of those flavors were prevalent.  Not bad by any stretch,  but had they called it Red Bean and Thyme it would have been spot on.  Moving on to the Pulled Turkey it was exactly what I was hoping for.  The turkey had been seared which gave it a bit of a crunch.  Served over 2 corn cakes (johnny cakes,  hoe cakes) whatever you wish to call them was the right call.  The cakes were slightly sweet (which i love) and had a nice corn and butter flavor.  On top of the turkey was a BBQ sauce that I would assume was  home made.  The Sauce was perfect Smoky, chunky,  with another little hint of sweetness.  Sour Cream and a slice of avocado topped the dish and all was right with the world.  Great dish that I would definitely have again,  but something tells me there are many more things on that menu that I'm going to have to hit first.

I'm  happy to have bounced back after last week,  and found a place that was not at all what I thought it was,  but in a good way.  Between Fido and Bongo they have pretty much owned the Best Coffee House category in the Scene for the last several years.  In 2009 they added "Best Place to Have breakfast,  lunch, and dinner" to their trophy case.  If you have never been,  go.  If you have, go back it's worth it.  Here are the particulars:

Located at 1812 21st Ave in the center of Hillsboro Village.  It is open 7 days a week from 7am- 11pm.
Breakfast is served all day everyday,  Brunch on Saturday and Sunday until 2 pm.  oh and Ps they have beer.

(615) 777-FIDO
www.bongojava.com/fido.php

    

Kien Giang "Flew well but landed poorly"

I use this expression a lot.  It's a line for the 1979 movie "Just You and Me Kid" starring George Burns and  Brooke Shields.  It is the tale of a 15 year old run away drug mule, who shacks up with a former Vaudeville star (Burns) in order to get away from her drug dealing 30 something boyfriend.  Shots are fired,  hilarity ensues,  and next thing you know Shields is adopted by Burns' daughter and son in-law,  with Burns having visitation rights on weekends.  I don't know if "The Girls Next Door" is still on,  but I think they may be missing out on a pretty good story line.  But I digress,  This week after a rousing,  uplifting, almost head banging service at Holy Trinity United Church of Christ,  Carolyn, myself, and our hosts for the day Nikki and Kim headed to Kien Giang Vietnamese Restaurant in hopes of sampling some of Nashville's finest Vietnamese fare.  Lets suffice it to say,  that if this is the best Nashville has to offer then someone needs to learn how to make a decent bowl of Pho and they would be sitting on a gold mine.

I chose Kien Giang amongst the multitude of Asian restaurants on Charlotte Pike (5845 Charlotte Pike) because I was told it was the best. My tour mates and I have been in search of a good bowl of Pho,  and a great Banh Mi for awhile now,  and with this project I figured I could kill 2 birds with one stone.  Everything about this place screamed that it was going to be the place of my dreams.  It was hidden away,  it was pretty run down,  the decor was early Vietnamese flea market (all of which was available for purchase) and it was full of Asian people (the generally accepted mark that a restaurant is of a high caliber)

I had read many reviews prior to my adventure and most said the same thing,  the food is good,  the prices are right,  and the service sucks.  This was all fine with me,  I don't think I have ever experienced stand out service in authentic holes in the wall.  That's not really the point,  the point of these places is to make you feel as if you are sitting in grandma's kitchen in Ho Chi Minh City, and eating something that blows your mind.  Essentially the food should speak for itself,  who cares if your water glass doesn't get refilled.

oops got a little excited and took a bite before the pic :)

So enough ranting,  and on with the review.  The menu was standard Vietnamese fare,  Pho in all flavors and sizes,  noodle dishes,  Banh Mi, assorted spring and summer rolls (fresh and fried),  etc.  Since I knew what I was coming there to try i needed to only pick out my flavors of Banh Mi and Pho.  My thought was if you do these two things right,  the rest of the food follows suit.  I settled on a Shredded Pork Banh Mi ($2.75) and a small bowl of Pho with rare beef and beef balls ($4.95)

Our first course came out pretty promptly,  the Banh Mi for me,  and an assortment of Spring and Summer rolls for the ladies.  For those of you who don't know what a Banh Mi is,  it is a Vietnamese style sandwich. Literally translated as "bread" it originated during it's colonial period when Vietnam was part of French Indochina.  Traditionally a Banh Mi is constructed on a French loaf and consists of pate (as a spread),  pickled vegetables such as carrots, daikon radish, and cucumbers,  sprigs of cilantro,  slices of jalapeño,  butter or mayo and your choice of meats.  Generally the meat is pork (shredded,  roasted, BBQ, or steamed, as well as cured deli style meats like mortadella,  and spiced ham) although I have seen chicken and beef before I don't think it is traditional, but rather a way of appeasing the American palate.  Kien Giang had 4 choices of Banh Mi,  shredded pork,  bbq pork, meatball with tomato sauce (really.....are they trying to make a meatball sub) and something else that was so far off from what a Banh Mi should be I stopped reading.  I went with the shredded pork,  which arrived and at first glance i thought maybe everything was gonna be ok.  Strike # 1,  the bread,  now you can't necessarily blame them for bad bread cause to be honest good bread can be hard to find in this town.  A perfect Banh Mi starts with a french loaf that is chewy on the inside,  with a slightly crispy "skin" that you would find on a NY style bagel.  This was not that,  it was a club roll that on sunday afternoon was probably a day or two old.  What better way to served old bread?  well toast it of course making the airy inside dry out,  and the crisper out side turn to dust when you  bite into it.  Strike #2 no pate or condiments of any sort.  Strike # 3 Veggies were not pickled (and when I say veggies I basically mean a whole bunch of daikon radish, and one strand each of carrot and cucumber) Strike # 4 no jalapeños.  this I get because the masses may not like spicy,  but an option would have been nice.  and finally strike # 5 the pork.  I've been a cook for awhile now,  and I would be hard pressed to figure out a way to replicate this "pork".  They were tiny worm like pieces,  that looked way to processed to be "shredded" my guess is that it is pork parts prepared McNugget style in some factory,  passed thru a die, bagged and flash frozen,  then sent of to every Vietnamese restaurant that has lost their soul where it is reheated and dumped on to a shit sandwich similar to my own.  That may have been a little bit harsh,  I'm sorry.

Large, small, and kidz Pho with accompaniments

So course number one was an epic fail,  but I still had hope.  The Pho was on its way.  To get back into positive territory for a second,  I did like that the Pho was offered in 3 different sizes.  A large bowl ($5.95) a small bowl ($4.95) and a Kidz bowl ($3.95) and yes it was spelled that way.  I went with the small bowl which was the perfect amount of food combined with the Banh Mi.  Pho is a noodle soup made with rice noodles (although I will admit I make mine with ramen) and a very rich, deep,  beef broth traditionally make with roasted oxtails.  it is served with a number of accompaniments that are added to the soup by the diner.  These include,  fresh basil, lime,  jalapeños or other hot fresh chills,  mung bean sprouts, and cilantro.  Pho is truly about the broth,  everything else is merely a side man to the superstar that is this rich beautiful broth.  Unfortunately Kian Gaing once again fell short.  It was at best just ok,  but i did not taste a single drop of love.  This so far has been par for the course for all the Pho I have tried in these parts. The broth is a little too dark to be chicken stock,  but flavor wise not that far off.  Maybe a dash of kitchen bouquet dropped into a gallon of chicken stock is their secret family recipe.  Once again,  a little bit harsh and I apologize.

Back to something positive.  It is CHEAP,  I mean REAL CHEAP.  Before tip our bill was $41 for 4 of us (this included 3 orders of spring rolls, bank mi,  3 bowls of Pho, a noodle dish,  and a tofu and veggie dish),  so basically you could get out of there for about $13 bucks a person without drinks.  Not that this review would give you any reason to go there,  but if you think I'm full of shit (which most of the time I am) It will at least be pretty light on the wallet.  Here's is a copy of our bill,  and the fancy tray it came on :)

So here are the specifics if you feel like going.  Located at 5845 Charlotte Pike (not to be confused with Giu Giang at 5823 Charlotte Pike) it is located in a strip mall that also contains K&S World Market,  there will be a small sign for K&S and the rest on Charlotte,  but you actually have to go up a hill to get into the parking lot.  It is open 7 days a week,  from 11am-9 pm (hard working folks,  so I feel bad for giving them a hard time)  Bring cash,  they do not accept credit cards.

So to bring it all back around,  you can fly first class from LA to NY, have and amazing meal, cocktails served in a crystal glass, and have your every need attended to,  but if you crash land into the Hudson River (and survive,  cause we all know that is entirely possible)  then what are you going to say about the flight?  Kien Giang had the makings of of a great, authentic, genuine Vietnamese joint,  but when it came down to the food....."It flew well,  but landed poorly"

My Pho with herbs and peppers from my garden

Until someone gets it right (and I am open to any and all suggestions) I'm going to stick with my own creation,  anybody wanna come over?

The Madonna and Mad Donna's

This week after hanging with the Methodists at East End United Methodist we headed to brunch at Mad Donna's.  Located at 1313 Woodland Street (Corner of Woodland and 14th st.) this place never dissappoints.  The neighborhood vibe,  bangin food,  and delightful cocktails are reason to head to this East Nashville joint whenever you get the chance.

On this particular Sunday we were blessed with absolutely beautiful weather,  leading to the opening of the outdoor patio.  Having arrived at prime time (just passed noon)  we expected a wait.  Luckily with a lot of folks headed outdoors for a little alfresco dining on this lovely New Years Day,  it was only about 15 minutes before we were headed to our table.

Brunch is one of my favorite meals at Mad Donna's  not only for the food,  but for the drink specials.  Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday from 10-3,  and offers 2 for 1 mimosas ($6) and a make your own Bloody Mary Bar ($6).  Typically I go for the Bloody Mary,  there must be something about someone bringing you a pint glass nearly full of vodka that makes me happy.  This time however I opted for the mimosas and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they came in a multitude of flavors.  I won't remember them all but here goes:  Orange, Peach, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Blueberry, and White Grape.  I stuck with the peach throughout,  and Carolyn mixed it up having the white grape,  pineapple, and peach.  The only real loser in the bunch was the white grape,  seemed a little too watered down.  The others were nice and refreshing.  For our entree we both ordered the crab cakes benedict ($14.50) (this is not about you, the reader, getting a review of the different items the place has to offer,  it is about us getting our hollandaise on :)  Anyhoo,  in a word delicious.  The crab cakes were made with fresh crab meat (no imitation crap) and seasoned and sautéed nicely.  The eggs were perfectly poached,  and the hollandaise was tasty and showed no signs of breaking.  Served with a side or either grits or home fried potatoes,  I went for the grits and Carolyn the potatoes.  The grits were not as creamy as I like,  but still pretty darn good.

Always a good value our bill ran about $30 a piece with tip,  and the server was nice enough to let us split the last 2 for 1 mimosa instead of insisting we liquor up a little more on a Sunday afternoon.  I don't think we are kidding anybody by saying that would have been an awful thing,  but it was sweet just the same.

Mad Donna's is a hotbed of activity just about every other day of the week as well (except Monday when they,  and every other restaurant worth a damn is closed in East Nashville).  They run food and drink specials every night of the week,  almost too many to mention.  Some of my faves are Taco Tuesday with $2 tacos,  chips and salsa,  and Dos Perros pints,  and Burger and Beer night every thursday ($8).  Upstairs in the loft they have entertainment most nights.  Open from 7-12 weeknights,  and 7-2:30 on weekends in addition to live music they have Karoake (Sunday),  Drag Queen Bingo (Tuesday) and Live Trivia (Wednesday).

So if you haven't picked up on it by now,  I really like this place.  Anytime of day or night (except Monday) it is a good time.  Service is casual but attentive,  food and drink are exceptional,  and the vibe is easygoing.

Open for Lunch and Dinner Tuesday-Friday,  Brunch and Dinner Saturday and Sunday.  For full menus,  and weekly happenings check out their website maddonnas.com

Ready....Set.....Church!

Over the last few weeks  I have been thinking very seriously about reestablishing(or establishing as many of my friends and family would argue) a relationship with God.  By some type of "Divine intervention"  my good friend Carolyn posted on Facebook that she too was interested in beginning such a search.  Her plan was to visit a different church each week and blog about it.  I got in touch immediately and asked if I could tag along.   We decided that after our weekly church adventure we would spend a little time  discussing the service,  the church, etc. etc,  and what better place to do so than at one of Nashville's fine eateries.  That's where my blog comes in.  Carolyn is handling all the church musings while I will be providing a review of the weekly restaurant of choice.  I am a chef by trade,  and unfortunately not one of those chefs that have other creative abilities (like writing) so I ask that you bear with me, my incomplete thoughts, and what I'm sure will be a multitude of run on sentences.