NASHVILLE EATS: ROLF AND DAUGHTERS

It has been some time since I did a Nashville Eats post, and I can't think of a better restaurant than Rolf and Daughters to reintroduce the series. It was recently voted #3 "Best New Restaurant in America" by Bon Appetit, so you know it has to be good. Located in the up-and-coming Germantown, it has a great ambience, with a rustic but urban charm. I have been fortunate enough to eat at Rolf and Daughters not once, but twice. The second time was simply amazing - it was a work dinner and as our reps worked in the food industry, we sampled just about every dish on the menu, from starters to pastas to entrees and finishing with dessert.

Of the pastas, we tried the garganelli verde, farro gemelli, and squid ink canestri. Chef Philip Krajeck makes each of the pastas fresh daily and it is honestly impossible to say which of the three is my favorite, because each were so different and amazing. I was a little hesitant about pasta with squid ink, but wow, it was good. The farro gemelli was very light, almost with a slight lemon flavor from the sauce, and the garganelli verde had a marinara sauce and was just plain delicious. We also had the heritage chicken, yorkshire pork, and dry aged meatballs for entrees. Yum, yum, yum. I think the chicken was my favorite, and I can't even do justice describing it, but it was so tender and full of flavor. The meatballs and pork were also great, but quite heavy, so I recommend splitting with your dinner date. Of the menu, I think the pasta shines the brightest, but you really, truly cannot go wrong.

If you live in Nashville - make a reservation as soon as you can, because Rolf and Daughters truly is one of Nashville's best. If a visit to Music City is in the future, make sure to stop by. You will not be disappointed. Now I have to go make a reservation for my third visit. I'm salivating just thinking about it. :)

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NASHVILLE EATS - THE SOUTHERN

Ya'll. It's Wednesday, which means another Nashville Eats - this time featuring The Southern. This restaurant is awesome and I can't just go without sharing raving about it!!! The Southern is new in town - located on 3rd Street, just past Bridgestone and the massive-almost-here-beautiful convention center, and a few blocks from Broadway and the honky tonks. I've now been there twice - once with Patrick and his mom, and another time for a work dinner. Holy moly, my meals get two thumbs up.

Pretty cool design on the floor

Old doors and chairs create a place for diners to sit while they wait for a table.

So what makes The Southern so good? Well first, the atmosphere and dining experience is great. Everyone is seated in a large room with a gigantic bar with more types of alcohol than I care to count at the center. It's got this neat tiling, the fans are all connected by some engineering genius. Not to mention, the ad agency I work for designed the menus, which kind of makes me love it even more. Please excuse the poor iPhone photography... my pictures don't quite capture the essence of the restaurant, but hopefully you get a good idea.

General eating area, with huge bar in the background. If you look close enough, you can see the fans!

And the food - WOW. On my most recent visit, I literally felt like I dined like a queen. We had oysters for an appetizer (yes, this typically picky eater actually tried one!), along with the Saphire Steak Biscuits and the Dominican Pork, a Caribbean-spiced pork that came with mango pico on top of a sweet potato grit cake. If you are in for lunch, I highly recommend getting one of these two things. For dinner, I had the filet. I don't know if I just hadn't eaten steak in so long that it tasted so delicious, but I think it was actually that good. It comes topped with a complimenting red balsamic glaze with mashed potatoes and asparagus on the side. You seriously can't leave disappointed and I'm most definitely looking forward to the next time I can go.

 

If you like a sauce so much, you can buy it and take it home with you!

 

So many sauces to try and buy!

NASHVILLE EATS - THE PHARMACY

One of my favorite things to do is try new places to eat. Living in Nashville, there are so many amazing restaurants to try, so my friends have made a bucket list of all the places we want to go. Luckily with my job, I have the chance to eat out a lot for lunches and dinners and try new restaurants I probably wouldn't otherwise. I'm starting a new series called "Nashville Eats" where every Wednesday I'll be posting about a restaurant I've been to and will give my opinion on it (since I'm such a foodie, HA).  Even if you don't live in Nashville, this should be fun to read - who knows when you could be heading down South and need a restaurant recommendation!

For my first "Nashville Eats," I'm taking you to The Pharmacy, which is located in East Nashville - an up and coming area with some pretty awesome restaurants. The Pharmacy is said to have arguably the best burgers in town... and I wouldn't disagree with that statement. I've been twice now and it has been delicious both times. I've ordered the cheeseburger and while that sounds boring - it comes with 3 types of cheese, garlic aoili and tomato. It's delish. Friends have gotten the chili cheeseburger and stroganoff burger as well and have raved about it. The Pharmacy also has an old school soda fountain where you can make just about whatever kind of soda your heart desires and their milkshakes are the bomb.com.

I also really love the atmosphere - I'm really big on a restaurant's ambience. If I don't like the feeling I get from it, I'm probably going to like the food a little less. The Pharmacy delivers on ambience. It's just cool inside, and outside, they have a huge outdoor seating area where you can sit at picnic tables underneath strands of white lights. Just another reason I'm excited for this weather to warm up!

If you haven't been to The Pharmacy and live in Nashville, it's in your best interest to go as soon as you can. If you live out of town, make sure to add it to your checklist when you visit. If you have been, wouldn't you agree that it's pretty amazing? I'm definitely a believer!