134971 Mon Oct 04 16:42:53 -0700 1999 21 11 South 0 725459 I've been asking around for suggestions for places that are the epitome of good, homey, typical Nashville eats. The suggestions that were given to me were McCabe Pub, Midtown Cafe, Tin Angel, and Sesso (maybe Sasso? not sure). Any response to these suggestions? Mon Oct 04 16:42:53 -0700 1999 0 Kate 1 725460 I suggest you scroll through past "South" message board for lots of posts re Nashville which may be helpful to you. Mon Oct 04 18:07:31 -0700 1999 725459 0 jen kalb 2 725461 I've looked at the old posts and gotten some great ideas. I am looking for info. on the particular places that I mentioned. Tue Oct 05 15:32:57 -0700 1999 725460 0 Kate 3 725462 Kate, I'm curious. Do you actually eat in Nashville or just assess the restaurant scene? Do you get to go there a lot on business (lucky you, if you do!)? I remember your asking about Nash Vegas restaurants before, so I'd love hearing about which ones you've tried. I'm hoping to get down there before too long myself, and always enjoy hearing about Music City eats. Susan Tue Oct 05 17:02:13 -0700 1999 725461 0 Susan Thomsen 4 725464 Actually, Susan, I've never been down to Nashville or Memphis, although I'd love to get down there. I'm a new cookbook editor and I'm looking for some great ideas. I'd love to do book about a place that captures that Tennessee feeling, which is why I've been asking all these questions about places that have been recommended to me. Thu Oct 07 12:04:25 -0700 1999 725462 0 kate 5 725465 Kate, that's cool! What a fun job to have. You must visit Music City some time; it's a great town. I don't get down there as often as I'd like, but if I hear anything about those restaurants (haven't been to 'em myself), I'll post here. Susan Thu Oct 07 13:41:35 -0700 1999 725464 0 Susan Thomsen 6 725466 Kate, I asked my cousin-in-law, a lifelong middle Tennessean & excellent cook, about your restaurants. Here's what she said: "Mid Town Cafe is not what I'd call "typical" - if, by typical you mean southern. It's good, but more modern. Actually, it's very good. I've never heard of Sesso. Tin Angel is good, but I think the rap on it is inconsistent. For true "typical" there is a place in Germantown (way out 8th Avenue) called Monelles that is supposed to be fabulous. Might just be open for lunch - #615-248-4747. I haven't been there, but everything is served family style - lots of veggies, fried chicken, ice tea, etc. McCabe's Pub is a place I've only been to for lunch - good, but not a place I'd make a special trip to - has occasional star sightings. Sunset Grill is the best place to see stars, but the food is not southern, but it is very good - Wolfgang Puck-ish. There's a nasty meat and three called Arnolds that I wouldn't take a dead cat to, but lots of people think it's heaven on earth. Also, Dotson's in Franklin has been around since God was a baby." Fri Oct 08 17:32:52 -0700 1999 725465 0 Susan Thomsen 7 725469 Thanks for the Monelle's suggestion. I'll check it out and report back. Tue Oct 12 12:52:23 -0700 1999 725466 0 Kate 7 725589 In response to the comment about Arnold's, a meat n three restaurant on 8th Avenue: I was there just last week and must defend Mr Arnold's honor. The place is far from "nasty." Indeed it's spic and span clean and I would argue that it's one of the best meat n three restaurants in Nashville and thus one of the best meat n threes in the South. Perfect fried green tomatoes, porky collards, a monstrous round of beef, studded with garlic cloves and sliced to order, airy little hoecakes. No frills, no frou-frou. Just amazing food. Sun Jan 23 11:19:04 -0800 2000 725466 0 John T Edge 8 725590 John, I'm glad to hear your good report about Arnold's and the earlier one about Loveless. Thank you! How about Mary's BBQ? Have you been there lately? And is the Belle Meade Cafeteria still in operation? Enjoying your posts, Susan Sun Jan 23 18:21:18 -0800 2000 725589 0 Susan Thomsen 9 725592 Re Mary's: It's been a while since I've been there, but I've never found TN bbq to be that great much to the east of the little town of Lexington. Never been to Belle Meade, though it looked open when I drove by last month. Ever been to Prince's Hot Chicken Shack? Hot, hot stuff fried in monstrous cast iron skillets burbling with pure lard... Mon Jan 24 09:33:35 -0800 2000 725590 0 John T Edge 10 730431 Dear Kate and Susan, I am from Nashville and my family has lived there for years. I live in Panama City Beach now. But, I am pretty sure that the Belle Meade Cafeteria is still open. Most people seem to like it. I know that my grandparent's go there quite often. It's been a few years since I have been there though. Sincerely, Another Susan Wed Feb 12 03:28:30 -0800 2003 725592 0 StylinSuz1 3 725463 Kate--I'm sorry you've received so few responses...these regional boards are very new and it'll take time for them to catch on. We're about to get some heavy national publicity, which should help a lot. In the meantime everyone's asked to PLEASE tell friends about chowhound.com (especially friends outside of New York, so we can get these regional boards going!). One way to do this is via our automatic Pass The Chow feature (use link below): Link: http://www.chowhound.com/misc/referral.html Tue Oct 05 17:50:57 -0700 1999 725461 0 Jim Leff 1 725467 Only two of the places you mention are worth visiting; Sasso and Midtown. Both are quite good, but not at all typical Nashville (whatever that is). McCabes is average to below average bar food, and Tin Angle is nothing special. One of the posts mentions MOnell's which is very good country food, fried chicken and that sort of thing. Unfortunately, Nashville is not the kind of place one visits for the food. Instead come here to enjoy the music. Also if anyone mentions Rotiers-don't go, it is really awful. Mon Oct 11 22:29:03 -0700 1999 725459 0 neil k 2 725468 Oh, come on. Rotier's is awful? Pshaw. Don't you like their cheeseburgers on French bread? Has the restaurant gone downhill recently, or have you always disliked it? Susan Mon Oct 11 23:40:03 -0700 1999 725467 0 Susan Thomsen 3 725470 No it is the same it has always been. I do agree those burgers are pretty good. I just don't think it is the kind of place anyone should make a special trip too. I find it to be a rather ordinary greasy spoon. Of course Nashville has so few non-chain restaurants (people here were actually excited about Planet Hollywood opening a few years ago--even as the chain is in bankrupcy the local paper assures everyone that the Nashville store has strong sales and won't close), you may find Rotier's to be mildly interesting. Tue Oct 12 23:57:08 -0700 1999 725468 0 neil k 4 727954 you are obviously an insecure out-of-towner. Rotier's is great. Mainly because it is free of insecure out-of-towners. josh Fri May 31 00:31:19 -0700 2002 725470 0 josh 5 727956 i am now feeling guilty about posting that, even though no one will probably ever see it, since it's an old thread. BUT, i still think you are treating Rotier's unfairly. it is the very essence of greasy spoon, and that is why it's good. there is nothing insincere about Rotier's, and the burgers and meat-and-two's are darn good, and they even have good beer. Rotier's is so unassailable that it is a sure sign of someone reaching for hipness when they start trying to find a reason to hate it. heh heh, i just can't seem to be nice. must be bedtime. i really miss the lady at the cash register that used to yell at you if you did the slightest thing wrong. i sometimes wonder what happened to her. josh Fri May 31 01:28:58 -0700 2002 727954 0 josh 6 729464 That was Mrs. Rotiers. Everyones mom. And yes, this is a locals place - about the same as amy other meat and three here. But the service and servings are often a lot better if you're a regular, and not obviously a tourist. Need a quick place to go with the wife and kid that's not expensive? This is the place. Special trip, No way. I remember the first time I was dragged here by a local some 18 years ago - I was introduced to Mrs. Rotiers, and she still remembers my name. Sat Oct 19 14:56:18 -0700 2002 727956 0 Steve 4 727963 oh geez! if anyone in a position of authority ever reads this, alpha-dog, whomever, you should delete my posts to this thread. because i obviously feel too passionately about the subject! only a lunatic would write all this!! josh Fri May 31 12:20:46 -0700 2002 725470 0 josh 4 743800 Neil K. is out of his mind ... to say there are "so few non-chain" restaurants is Nashville is ludicrous ... Zola's, Sunset Grill, Sperry's, Valentino's, Sole Mio, Jimmy Kelly's, and of course The Wild Boar, which is the only Wine Spectator Grand Award winning restaurant in TN ... Neil must have kept himself to the tourist dives on Broadway because, if he were looking for fine dining, he didn't look too damn hard. Sat Jun 04 15:13:59 -0700 2005 725470 0 B Loyd 2 727957 good god, i cannot stop posting refutations to this guy. usually the people who describe Rotier's as "really awful," are also people who drink orange martinis. if anyone reading this likes orange martinis, for god's sake steer clear of Rotier's. otherwise, it is a great, unpretentious, inexpensive place to eat. for those of us who enjoy the food selection in nashville, it might even be described as a jewel in the crown. if you will visit Nashville, do not eat at a chain, do not eat at a brewery, do not eat downtown, and avoid all the other restaurants mentioned in the last post. but of course only if i sound like someone whose advice you would trust and whose taste you would share. "really awful" though?!!--give me a break!! josh Fri May 31 01:42:43 -0700 2002 725467 0 josh