Thursday, February 4, 2010

Bro’s Cajun Cuisine

In 1988, I was on the plane with the family traveling to Tennessee for the first time.  We had just left everything I knew behind and were on our way to this odd place which was going to be my home.  It turns out our Nashville relationship would last more than twenty years, but at the time, a California kid didn’t know what to expect.  Feeling a bit of my unease, I’m sure, a fellow passenger – and Southerner – leaned over and let me in on a little secret.  He said, “Son, all you need to know is this, just walk into a country restaurant and say I’m hUNnnn gry, and they’ll take care of ya.”

Such a simple description for Southern hospitality; such a core concept.  Perhaps that was the moment that I really began to love food.  For me, it meant a new way to understand this new home, a welcoming place where people take care of you even when they don’t know you.  I’ve been looking for those eateries ever since then, where they fill you to the brim and don’t leave any vacancy down below, no matter who you are.  They enjoy doing it and getting to know you too.

I think that mysterious Southerner would have enjoyed eating at Bro’s.  Bro tells me he arrived here right around the time I did, so I doubt the passenger would have had the pleasure at the time.  For those of you who are familiar with Bro’s, you know how hard it is to walk out a stranger.  They certainly don’t know me from Adam (ha ha pun…if it was your name you’d think the phrase was weird too), yet it is not hard to catch a conversation or a smile from either the proprietor or the fellow customers.  It just makes you feel right at home.

In my case it’s not far away from my literal home in Sylvan Park.  Just a few seconds down Charlotte lies the humble Bro’s Cajun Cuisine tucked on the underside of the 440 overpass near Sylvan Heights.  It’s off to the right coming from town, has a small and tight turn off Charlotte to navigate before you reach the main parking, and can be somewhat off-putting from the looks of it.   I had done my homework, however, and knew that the place was open for lunch most weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. …. so I pressed on, passing by the Bro’s hitched boat in the front car spot, the Bro’s huge smoker which looks like it doesn’t understand the meaning of “I’ve had enough”, and rambled my way around to the far side of the restaurant where the Louisiana spirit really begins to sink in.  Practical tip: park right below the main entryway.  You’ll be grateful for the downhill approach upon your exit – easier for the stomach.

Walk inside and swing the door wide – this is the type of place that doesn’t mind if you announce your presence and the fact that you’re hUNnn gry.  You’ll be greeted by the aroma of Creole goodness and by Bro (Chef Breaux) if he’s around.  We don’t use real names here.  That would be far too formal.  Just walk in and sit down in one of the curved wooden slate benches.  Eye the whiteboard near the register for the day’s specials.  Apart from the main kitchen, there are also two other rooms that seat customers.  They’re just not as likely to spark conversation as the main area, so pick your bench and sit your butt down.  Notice the entire roll of paper towels on your table, as well as the Tabasco, Tennessee Smokehouse Sauce, file, and other options strewn within your colorfully draped table basket.

The environment is not to be missed. Look around and see the signed shots of stars on the wall, the chef clock, and the lightly playing radio.  Then catch the sign above the kitchen – BRO – Never Trust a Skinny Cook!  Bro and his fellows take this reprobation to heart, as their appearance is enough to make most people agree that they’ve found the epicenter of foodie goodness.  The friendly proprietor and his buddies remind me of Swamp Santas, with all the accompanying good vibes and openness, just without the red suits.

The menu is small but the dishes aren’t.  The starters are Gumbo ($5ish), Red Beans and Rice ($5ish), and Boudin ($3ish).  The Boudin description is worth repeating: A link of handmade sausage stuffed with rice and spicy ground pork.  For drinks, I would suggest the sweet tea and/or water with lemon.  Main dishes range from the Veggie Plate ($6ish) to the Crawfish Etouffee and Shrimp Creole (both around $14), with bigger versions of the Gumbo and Red Beans and Rice available for $9 and $7 respectively.  French Bread Po Boy sandwiches ($10ish) and pork, brisket, and ribs are always available.

I had the Beef Roast Special for $9 and chose the Red Beans and Rice and mashed potatoes as sides.  Bro wanted to know if I wanted onions on the Red Beans and gravy on my potatoes.  I told him not to skimp, I look skinny enough as it is.  By the time he was finished, I had a plate full of over-sized servings such that he commented, appropriately, “I almost put too much on there.”  I told him this was just fine with me, because he was right.

My waiter had not been nearly as friendly.  I couldn’t get a smile out of him.  He just kind of went about his business, and never chose to refill my sweet tea.  I almost choked when a regular rambled in and said, “Hey, Smiley!” Ahhh-haaa.  It was no secret, and I wasn’t the only one to notice the different tonality.  That cracked me up.

The beef roast was exceptionally good, easy to cut with the fork, but not overly done with any particular seasoning so the beefiness is the main sensation, with the soft carrots also coming through. The mashed potatoes were also the real deal, with the gravy carrying most of the flavor to compliment the smoothness of the starch staple.  The Red Beans and Rice came with onions to provide some texture and compliment the deeply-seasoned red beans and andouille slices.  With this type of cooking, I’m usually looking for a melded experience, with the only separateness coming from the last minute options that don’t cook for the lengthy time with the other ingredients.  That was what I got, and the flavoring was just spicy enough to be noticeable, such that it didn’t require any of the additions offered on the table, but also didn’t have me wishing for more water.  The cornbread finished off the plate, and I was slowing down towards the end.  Someone noticed with a smile as he caught my eye.

“You need some help over there?”  Bro was on top of it.  Oh no, I said, I’m too thin.  He laughed and sat down with the lady in front of me.  She had just told him that she was ready for her red beans, and he was making sure she felt welcome.  In my brief time there, Bro must have talked with half of us.  One man had Bro concerned so he got the direct question: “Did you get enough to eat?  How were those wings?”

I finished off and grabbed the paper check, but I felt bad because I took Bro away from his chat with the lady about Louisiana parties.  So I took my opportunity to tell a few stories at the register and find out more about Bro.  He was trying to explain to the woman that parties in Louisiana just have a certain feel to them that’s impossible to describe.  I’ll bet he’s right, and I feel like this post suffers from the same limitation.  When you go, you might learn about Bro’s time in the Navy, and that he never wanted to be the cook, but they found out about him and didn’t let him out of the kitchen.  You might learn that he swore never to cook again.  And he’s been doing it everyday since.  My inquisitive side is wondering what brought him to Nashville.  Maybe you’ll find out on your next trip.  To me, it didn’t really matter.  I just told him, “We’re glad you’re here in Nashville.”  He said, “So am I.”

And that’s the secret, isn’t it.  You just don’t know it until you live here.  Maybe someone will read this, and remember that waitress who called them honey for the first time, or that meat’n’three that sent along an extra smile.  Maybe you’ll find out in your own way that Nashville has its welcoming places.  Maybe you’ll pass your own stories on to those who are coming into town and don’t know what to expect, just as I did all those years ago.  Maybe you’ll show someone a second side to their new home before they ever arrive.  I promise you, it can mean the world to them.  It’s what home can mean for us Nashvillians who enjoy our food.

Bro’s Cajun Cuisine

3214 Charlotte Avenue

Nashville, TN 37209

www.broscajuncuisine.com

(615) 329-2626

Bro's Cajun Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Raz’z to be featured on Food Network

Local restaurant Raz’z will be featured on Food Network on March 9 in the program “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” for their jumbalaya dish.

To celebrate, Chef Raz is hosting a preview party on March 6 at the Smyrna location. If you’ve never been to Raz’z, it’s a great place to eat. And if you’re there when Chef Raz is in the house, he never fails to speak to everyone at least once to make sure they like the food. That’s great personal service.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Unveiling our new site design!

We are so excited to unveil our brand-new site! First of all, we can’t say enough about how pleased we are with the work Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil did with the design. It’s part of her WPSousChef creation, a WordPress theme designed with food bloggers in mind. Check out the info page and keep Lindsay in mind if you are in need of web design services.

Our new design brings a lot of fun features together in one integrated site. And we’re very happy to start bringing you recipes that feature local ingredients, and those posts will have a special “print recipe” option.

If you’re reading through a feed reader, click on through to see the new design (and maybe refresh your RSS settings, just for good measure.)

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Recipe: Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

A feature of our new blog design (thanks to Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil – more on that later!) is a recipe function. In addition to restaurant reviews, we will occasionally post recipes that feature local food sources.

Usually Valentine’s Day brings plans for reservations at restaurants, but Josh and I like to celebrate by making at home the most chocolate-y recipe we can find. We’ve tried several over the years but keep coming back to Nigella Lawson’s Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake. And local chocolate from Olive and Sinclair is perfect for the recipe. We like to use a mix of the 67 and 75% dark chocolate, which we usually pick up at Crema or Whole Foods.

Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

From How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson. Makes 8-10 slices.

Ingredients:

1 cup soft unsalted butter
1-2/3 cups dark brown sugar (We've substituted light brown with good results.)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces best bittersweet chocolate, melted (We suggest chocolate from Olive and Sinclair!)
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease and line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. The lining is important, as this is a very damp cake. In our experience it will not come out of the pan if you simply grease it.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla, beating in well. Next, fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat. You want the ingredients combined: you don't want a light airy mass. Then gently add the flour, to which you've added the baking soda, alternately spoon by spoon, with the boiling water until you have a smooth fairly liquid batter.

Pour into the lined loaf pan, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won't come out completely clean.

Place the loaf pan on a rack, and leave to get completely cold before turning it out. The cake will sink in, becoming very dense and delicious. Enjoy!

We like to serve this cake with homemade whipped cream and raspberry sauce.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Nuvo Burrito

Nashville is simply overrun with fast food burrito chains. Am I saying this food is no good? Do I just not enjoy the assimilated Mexican cafeteria line? Not at all. Admittedly it’s all simple, quick, and filling, but West End alone has at least 3 chains that come to mind where I can get essentially the same thing. A lot of hype has recently been given to Chipotle’s arrival last year, which obviously already had an loyal following in town. All of these restaurants feature the same format – construct your burrito from a standard set of ingredients. Luckily in Nashville, we have a more inspired alternative, Nuvo Burrito.
The style is overflowing from this place. Everything seems about the restaurant seems to have careful creative thought behind it from the simple eye-catching logo, the metallic tables, and the interesting cycle of videos running beside the pick-up window highlighting different aspects of the menu. The dining area is somewhat small with at least one mounted flat panel TV within eye’s view of every seat.
The menu is very well rounded with a wide range of ingredients. On the beer side, there is no Corona to be found. Instead there is a unique selection of beers including Dale’s Pale Ale and La Fin du Monde. Clever titles populate the menu such as the Plymouth (ground turkey burrito) and the Over the River and Thru the Hood ques-idea (don’t try to pronounce that last word in Spanish).
There are both traditional options if you don’t want to stray to far from your habits (Lonestar or Ozark) and the more imaginative Heart of Dixie with sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, and bacon. The Lonestar has chock full of juicy shredded beef and all the traditional fillings as well as those with that Nuvo premium touch like the sliced jalapeños. The overt sweetness and smooth texture of the Heart of Dixie may turn some off, but the pop of bacon and crunch of coleslaw make this a well-rounded wrap. It was at last year’s sweaty Tomato Art Festival that I enjoyed this gem and really became enthusiastic about Nuvo.
Are there any drawbacks? The dining space is somewhat cramped and at busier times it can be difficult to navigate through the madness to get beverage refills. Also, since each item is made to order, there is no instant gratification of food delivery upon paying as with chain restaurants. Yet, the service has always been efficient, even at busy times. Tortilla chips are free with entrees but there is a charge for salsa.
On my visit this weekend, Nuvo was obviously thriving. Half the restaurant was booked for a birthday party. I had my first ques-idea. This of course is not a quesadilla, as in bland meat covered in cheese between two tortillas. This is Nuvo’s version of a sandwich style entreé. The tortillas are crispy and freshly pressed like a panini. The OTRATTH is a grown-up B.L.T ques-idea in a satisfying portion size full of crunch romaine and flavorful tomatoes. It has motivated me to move toward the middle of the menu upon returning.

Megan had a special brunch burrito, the Santa Monica, which had eggs, roasted red pepper, onion, black beans, and hash browns. She happily dug in to the well presented burrito, but was turned off by spicy the potatoes were. It seemed they were cooked in chili sauce that added a strong kick. I found it all quite tolerable, but then again, I always make good use of the hot sauce wall. It would still be nice to have a warning on the product description.

I really recommend this place as it is an oasis for burrito lovers. But watch out for that pesky $79.99 rebasketing fee.
Nuvo Burrito
1000 Main St. #103
Nashville, TN 37206
http://www.nuvoburrito.com/index.htm

Nuvo Burrito on Urbanspoon

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Kobe Asian Restaurant

As Emily and I scouted for a local place to catch a quick meal on the Southside of the airport, we practically squealed our brakes as we caught the red-lit sign for Kobe Asian Restaurant. Being somewhat familiar with the area, I was not optimistic about our chances without heading back down Murfreesboro towards the imperial and intriguing New Orleans Manor and some of the local dives back toward I-24.

Kobe Asian Restaurant is located just a couple of blocks off of the intersection of Donelson and Murfreesboro Road, away from town on Murfreesboro. It is not easy to catch. You have to keep your eyes peeled to the right, and if you miss it, be prepared to u-turn on busy Murfreesboro. We rambled through the parking lot and felt like we were walking into a film noir location in the early evening, and our experience on the inside was as intriguing as the smoke-filled streets of private eye mischief.
Inside the restaurant is a huge interior, bringing to mind images of industrial-strength capacity as the seating would be capable of holding two bus loads. If you’ve got a huge group this is the place for you – especially needed near the airport. The sushi bar spans the length of the long rectangle of a restaurant, and I enjoyed the beautiful framed shots of nature behind the sushi bar while I tried to ignore the news emanating from the flatscreens. On our early evening – around 5:30 on a Thursday, we were one of a few couples dining in this vast space, with an older member of the family relaxing at the laptop computer in the dining room corner.
We wondered why more people were not there. They are right down the road from Dell, so they may focus on a lunch crowd. Their menu is extensive, and surprisingly spans both Asian fare and Thai dishes. Their menu carries a full compliment of about sixty sushi rolls, which averaged at about $7 or $8, but ranged from $3.50 to $16.00 for the Tuna Lover. There is a full Bento box menu with over thirty options, priced around $9.00 for lunch and $13.00 for dinner. Thai options included sesame chicken, several curries, Pad Thai and known cohorts Lard Nah and Pad Kea Mao, each for $8.00. Most intriguing were the House specials for $13.00 – with the Sizzling Talay calling very loudly for a chance to show off. We wished we could have been more exploring with our brief visit, as these wealth of options dared us to push the hybrid style of Asian fare and Thai to the limit.
Despite these expressive options, we were pressed for time, and needed to be in and out, so we gave them simple and quick choices. Emily chose the California roll and I chose the Pad Thai. Our waitress took on the challenge, and to our indescribable shock had our dishes out within about three minutes. I know you’re wondering how they did it too, but you’ll be really shocked to hear how well they did with it.
The California roll arrived with more styling than I’ve ever seen given to the well-known sushi staple. It came on a half-shell ribbed plate, which is not extraordinary when compared to slightly elevated wooden slabs elsewhere, but it did make a nice impression. So what made it special? These rolls came with two rows of four toppled on top of each other like fallen dominoes, and elegantly encased with roe. They perhaps took their inspiration from some logo designs where the smallest grid unit of square dot-per-inch slowly transforms itself from solid to light – that reminded me of the gradual ascent the red roe made from the side of the roll to the top. Both Emily and I were quite impressed, and we enjoyed the flavorful rolls.
My Pad Thai was also a success. The noodles arrived with their usual accompaniment of peanut-themed flavors, and the addition of fresh cut green onions made a lasting impression as the noticeable addition to the classic Pad Thai option. This version included a flat noodle, but did not include any side-item additions such as extra chopped peanuts or slices of red onions. If you preferred hot sauce additions, several styles were available on the table. We were pleased, and although it did not have the flare of the sushi, it made a positive impression. The dish was gone in an instant, as Emily and I had to make our getaway.
With the attention to detail given our simplest selections, it speaks well of what this restaurant can give its signature dishes. Most importantly, if you’re waiting at the airport and need an option, consider slowing down that airport parking meter charge and stop in here. They certainly had us in and out within our time frame. The Donelson-side extended airport parking lots are also right there, so if you’re looking for a foodie exit before a flight, this may be a good option you haven’t considered before.
Kobe Asian Restaurant
1609C Murfreesboro Pk
Nashville, TN 37217
(615) 360-8313
Located at Norton’s Corner across from High Way Patrol and Dell

Kobe Asian on Urbanspoon

Monday, January 18, 2010

Allium

Nashville Originals Restaurant Week has come and gone, and it’s time for reflection on the meal we had. We tried out Allium, sister restaurant to Germantown Cafe. Here’s a spoiler: we weren’t impressed. Here at Nashville Foodies, we don’t make negative reviews lightly. Half of what we want to accomplish by writing this blog is to highlight the talented, hardworking, creative people in food in Nashville. But the other half is to give our advice on where to spend your hard-earned money on food in Nashville. And we can’t recommend Allium.

We were excited to try out Allium, and Restaurant Week has been good to us in the past as a way to try out what a restaurant has to offer. Usually along with the prix fixe format comes smaller portions, but we are all for that. In our minds, Restaurant Week is most successful when you think of it as making a small investment in some restaurants you haven’t tried before. You don’t spend quite as much for a full restaurant meal, but often the payout is great for all involved, especially in motivation to return for a full meal (at full price) later on.

Maybe our first sign that Restaurant Week was a little different at Allium was the online menu. While the Restaurant Week webpage noted that a three-course meal was available for $20.10 a person, this wasn’t clear from the menu, where regular prices are listed for all items. With some investigation we were able to find out that the three courses were house or Caesar salad, entree, and dessert, with the entrees being the same as what is on the regular menu. That seemed a bit much for Restaurant Week, as most full-service restaurants were doing a smallish tasting menu or two courses, but on we went.

The restaurant is beautifully located with a great view of downtown, and the underground parking was nice for the cold evening. We were warmly greeted and taken to our table, and for all we’re about to say about the food, we do think the service was great. Nothing to complain about there.

We each ordered the house salad for the first course, and it was okay. That’s all we really have to say about it. It wasn’t memorable.

For entrees, I ordered the herb crusted skate over sundried tomato risotto, with lemon-caper-brown butter, usually $18. It also came with a few stalks of asparagus. To me, the best feature about the dish was the sauce. The skate was unremarkable and the risotto actually gloppy and cool. Josh ordered steak frites with peppercorn demi-glace and fries, usually $19. He liked the fries alright, although to me they were cold and had a strange aftertaste, as though the oil they were cooked in was a bit old. But he was very disturbed by the large amount of gristle in his steak.

For dessert, I ordered a slice of apple tart, which came with vanilla bean ice cream. The tart was cloyingly sweet, although the flavor of the apples was good. Josh was very excited about his dessert order, a chocolate-pistachio cake, but he thought the chocolate flavor was weak.

Overall, we were underwhelmed by our meal at Allium. Others have reported that Allium’s strength lies in its starter menu, and I have to say that I was tempted to order from it instead of the entree menu. And after ordering just two entrees it’s difficult to say for sure, but at least mine seemed very much like something I would expect to eat at Germantown Cafe, and I was hoping for some obvious differentiation.

I’m sure that forming up menus for Restaurant Week is very tough. The year-as-price plan is a nice one for bringing people in, but that can probably place a significant strain on margins. I think Restaurant Week is done best when restaurants give smaller portions that really highlight what a restaurant is really capable of. Given that what we got during Restaurant Week is exactly what’s on the regular menu, we can’t recommend Allium.

Allium
501 Main Street
Nashville, TN 37206
615.242.3522

Allium on Urbanspoon

Monday, January 11, 2010

Manny’s House of Pizza

In yet another testament to the power of Twitter, we recently became aware of Manny’s House of Pizza. Somehow we’ve missed this little gem and never heard of it until a few weeks ago! But we’re so glad to have found it.

Manny’s is a little pizza place tucked into the Arcade, between 4th and 5th Avenues. The shop itself is tiny and no-frills, and it’s clear that the focus is on getting good food out quickly. As you watch people come and go, you’ll notice that there are the regulars who know what they’re doing, and then there are the first-timers (like us on the day we went!) who aren’t exactly sure how the system works. And that’s what we’re here to help you with.

I suggest taking a look at the menu before you go, so you’ll know what to expect. You can order whole pizzas, pizza by the slice, “rolls” (pockets of dough wrapped around fillings and served with marinara on the side), calzones, pasta, subs, salads, even cannoli. I also suggest stepping back away from the counter when you enter if you plan to peruse the on-site menu and specials of the day and give the regulars room to come and go.

We’ll get to the food in a moment, but one thing I must mention is how active Manny’s House of Pizza is on Twitter. You can find them as @MannysHOP; they have frequent drawings via Twitter for free lunches as well as posted info about daily specials. The day we visited, we hadn’t yet seen any info on daily specials. I tweeted to the shop, asking if there were any going on, and they quickly replied just five minutes later! They’re a great example of using Twitter for your business.

On to the food. The day we visited, I grabbed the aforementioned Twitter special: spinach roll and drink for $5.75. It was fantastic. The roll was full of flavor, even starting with the dough of the roll, which can so often be bland and tasteless. The roll was stuffed generously with spinach and mozzarella, and the marinara sauce was tangy and delicious. Josh got the meatball calzone. He’s not a guy of many words, but when I asked him what he thought about it, his response? “It was just perfect.” There you go.

Another feature I like about the menu is that tax is included in the prices. Why doesn’t everyone do this?

You can take away your items or eat at the location. You should know ahead of time that at Manny’s, you’re not paying for ambiance. The eating area is somewhat dim, and I’d venture to say even shabby, but the focus here is on food, and we did not feel that the environment detracted at all from our enjoyment of the food.

We highly recommend that everyone try Manny’s, and at the very least you should sign up to follow them on Twitter! You might be the next lucky winner of a free lunch.

Other writeups on Manny’s: Lannae’s Food and Travel

Manny’s House of Pizza
15 Arcade Building
Nashville, TN 37219
(615) 242-7144

Mon-Fri: 10am-6pm
Sat: 11am-5pm
Sun: Closed

Manny's House of Pizza on Urbanspoon

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Lulu’s Coffee House

Have you ever been to nearby Watertown? No? Well, here’s a reason to go: Lulu’s Coffeehouse. Lulu’s is the kind of place I wish we had in my little suburb of Nashville: a coffee shop with character, dedicated to making good local food and cultivating a community. A work friend introduced me to this gem and I’m so glad I stopped by one afternoon this fall.

Lulu’s is located in Watertown’s town square. When you enter the shop, you’ll notice the very eclectic interior with an obvious set up for live music nights. Apparently Watertown is a hub of music – who knew? The shop is committed to fair-trade coffee and features drinks made from Nashville’s own Bongo Java beans. The sandwich menu is just right, in my point of view: lots of variety, but not too many items that can end up being overwhelming. I tried the black bean burger ($5.45), which as the menu says is “served on whole wheat bun with Swiss and Cheddar cheese, cilantro mayo or regular mayo, spicy mustard or yellow mustard, leaf lettuce, tomato and red onion.” It was very substantial and flavorful, and I didn’t miss the meat at all. While I was there, someone did order a meat burger and the server went out back to a separate freezer to get the beef. Apparently they get their meat from a local farm source.

For me, the highlight of my time at Lulu’s was sitting back and watching the people come and go. Or I should say, watching the locals come in and interact. The staff was courteous and friendly to me, but it was clear that locals are first and foremost here. Almost everyone was greeted with a hug by the proprietor, and there was rapid chit-chat about how so-and-so was doing, what plans were being made for the upcoming holidays, etc.

I also like how Lulu’s menu is informative. If you check it out online, you’ll notice that the coffee descriptions are complete: you’re told that every drink comes with two shots of espresso, an Americano is an espresso with hot water, etc. Hilariously, their regular drip coffee is described as “just a friggin’ cup of coffee.” Having grown in up a town where the word “cappuccino” often brought up for most people images of gas station fare, I appreciate that Lulu’s is giving its clientele clear descriptions of the classic espresso-based drinks they offer.

I’d love for a Lulu’s-like spot to open up in my town, but for now, it’s nice to know that I can drive out there when the mood strikes. I hope you’ll try it out sometime!

Lulu’s Coffee House
120 East Main Street
Watertown, TN 37184-1419
(615) 237-0065

Monday, January 4, 2010

Nashville Originals 2010 Restaurant Week

Mark your calendars for Nashville Originals Restaurant Week! The local restaurant consortium will offer prix fixe menus for $20.10 or $30.10 during January 11 through January 17.