P.S. Noodle Pot (Antioch) TN

1307 Bell Road
Antioch, TN 37013
445-4990

Location

PERECT location for me and the 10 million people who travel down Bell Road every single day during our commutes.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is much better than most of the oriental places I have been to in Nashville. Many are old and outdated. Others are high end and expensive. P.S. Noodle Pot is a perfect mix. It is new and fresh. The lighting is contemporary and the mood is young with a trendy crowd kinda feel. I can see this becoming a place to eat and socialize a bit. You can sit at tables, booths or even a bar that faces the kitchen. Oddly, there is a wall in front of you at the bar that prevents you from seeing past your food. This is the very same setup as is in Pei Wei in Brentwood. I really enjoy the vibe of this place.

Food

I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai and a Tom Ka Kai soup. 1st off, the soup was so plentiful that it could have been a meal in itself. Lots of chicken and mushrooms to fill you up. It is the best Tom Ka Kai I have had so far. The Pad Thai portion was also enormous and can easily be enough for 2 people. I had to take 1/2 of mine home. Delicious! For an appetizer the lettuce wraps are a must! Amanda chose a noodle and broth pork dish. She didn’t like the taste of the pork so I ate it. I didn’t think it was spoiled but it did taste a little funny.

Service

Traditional polite oriental service. He did forget my soup and I had to ask for it. No big deal though.

Overall

I am definitely going back despite me getting bellied over with painful cramps afterward. Amanda was not sick at all despite eating all the same foods. She only had a taste of the pork though. I ate all the pork on her dish. I am willing to write that off as a one time thing and give this place with all its great vibe and menu variety another chance.

Genie’s Persian Palace (Brentwood TN)

6990 Moores Ln
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 370-7022
Location

Not very convenient to anyone outside of the Brentwood/Cool Springs area. I work in Brentwood and this place is still a 10-15 minute drive. Round trip takes up quite a bit of my lunchtime. As far as going for supper, it would be convenient if you were doing some shopping in Cool Springs and popped in for a nice dinner buffet.

Atmosphere

Very small place. 5 or 6 tables and 2 are right in front of the door. So when it opens you get a rush of sound and outside temps. I went in November so when a new patron would come in I froze! There is noce music in the backround and you can see “Mo” from the legendary Fat Mo’s preparing food behind the counter area.

Food

I was pleasantly surprised. Most everything on the buffet was hand made even down to the butter and yogurt. The homemade humus was the best I had ever had. I could quite literally go and have the grilled pitas and humus for my entire meal. There are trays upon trays of traditional dishes to choose from. Plenty of flavor and plenty of meat. Chicken, beef, pork in sauces and on kebabs. The names of the dishes fail me but I plan on learning them! I thought some of the meat was a bit dry. I attribute that to having to keep trays full of meat hot in a buffet dish. I would imagine the best time to get fresh food is around 4:30pm when they change from lunch dishes to supper dishes and freshen the bufet.

Service

The owner was there and was extremely kind. She share infromation about each dish and gave me a “tour” of the bufet. She said she does this for everyone on their 1st visit.

Overall

I plan on going back again. I am looking forward to it. I can see the location eliminating it from my regular rotation however. It is definitely worth trying!

Siam Cafe (Nashville TN)

Nashville, TN 37211
(615) 834-3181‎

316 Mccall St

I am actually reviewing Siam Cafe after I went to another Thai resturant in Nashville. It would seem that nothing beats Siam overall so far.

Location

You can easily miss this place if you aren’t looking for it. It is a couple hundred feet off of Nolensville pike on the northbound side of the road just a few blocks south of Thompson lane. Use Google Maps to help!

Atmosphere

When you 1st go in, you won’t see or feel anything special. Very 80′s. However there is an area in the back where you sit sort of Tatami style. No chairs. Rather you sit on a raised floor with pillows behind you for support. You feet and legs go under the table and onto the real floor. Not very authentic I imagine but if you are lucky to get seated at one of the few tables like this in the place, it really lends to the experience.

Food

I LOVE this food! The sad part for me is that I get the very same thing each time I go up to this point. The Curried Duck. 2nd to none so far! The food is served, what I call “family style”. You get a large platter with the duck and veggies and then a large chaffing dish full of white sticky rice. You serve yourself. The Tom Ka Kai soup is very good but not the best I have had.

Service

Standard polite Oriental staff.

Overall

This is a great place to go. It was not expensive, it is not fancy but what they have is a very nice experience with some great food. I will add to this review as the next time I go, I plan on changin things up a bit!

Athens Family Resturant (Nashville, TN)

http://www.athensfamilyrestaurant.com
2526 Franklin Pike
Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 383-2848

Location

Being that it is right off of Franklin ave in Nashville, it is convenient for most anywhere you live or if you are out and about and need to get a bite to eat.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is quaint. Red white and blue walls and trim with cafeteria style tables and chairs. There are only about 10 tables so it lends to a nice cozy feeling. The place looks like it was decorated in the 70′s and never updated but this is not a bad thing. I feels nice. It feels like a place that has been in Nashville for a long time.

Food

The menu is mostly Greek for lunch and dinner with a nice amount of Mediterranean seafood dishes. we opted for breakfast of course. We had Eggs Benedict, banana pancakes and and egg sandwich. The Benedict was cooked just right but I didn’t feel the wheat English muffin helped. I think it distracted from the expected flavor of a traditional eggs Benedict. They had a generous covering of Hollandaise sauce but I would have been happier with a thicker, richer sauce and half as much if I had to have a choice. All in all not bad but not memorable. As far as the egg sandwich… I make a mean egg sandwich and I judge all others compared to mine. This one didn’t come close. Now what I did LOVE was the banana pancakes. The nailed it! Instead of chopping up bananas and mixing it in the batter like some places do, Athens pours the batter on the griddle and then adds slices of banana on top. This way all the bananas are the same distance away from the griddle surface and they cook evenly. Great job. I really enjoyed them.  The hash browns, even though we ordered the potatoes, were cooked too fast and not stirred. The outside was browned and the inside was not done enough. I saw someone else having a “skillet” breakfast and it looked incredible. I will definitely go back for one of those!

Service

The service was up to par. One miss for the hash browns over potatoes. No big deal though. All else was nice.

Overall

It may seem like I picked on the food a bit here and I did. I am picky about my food and have high expectations in what I get for my hard earned money. I want more than I can do for myself in my own kitchen. With that said, I would still go back to Athens. I think they have a nice combination of atmosphere, charm and menu items to keep me going back and trying other things. Athens is worth your time.

Angelo’s Picnic Pizza (Nashville TN)

http://www.picnicpizza.net/antioch2ndpage.html
2713 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville TN 37013
615-399-0010

Location

I have lived in this area for 7 years and this is one of the ONLY places that will make my list of places to eat in this area of town.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is nothing special. Inexpensive tables and chairs, small TV in the corner and not the cleanest of bathrooms. None of this matters really. Go for the pizza.

Food

If you are from the NY/NJ area, not just having “been there” but actually grew up there, you will know that this is real pizza. This is not what many people call “NY Style” pizza but real authentic NY Pizza. The only thing that I can see different is that Nashville water is different from the water used in NY/NJ to make the dough. Not only are the owners from Brooklyn NY, they actually packed up and brought their ovens with them to Nashville. When I walk in to the place, I feel a bit of my home town of The Bronx NY. It even has a familiar smell. I love it. Ironically the picture on the front page of their website does not look like their pizza. It looks like a generic pizza picture. They make NY PIZZA! They also make fantastic Calzones and Stromboli as well. They have a buffet also on Saturday. Prepare to loosen your belt as you will not be able to walk away without overfilling yourself on this food. The pasta dishes in the buffet were a bit lacking but I write that off to keeping pasta sitting in hot water in the buffet for too long. Pasta needs to be taken out of the water when it is done. Too long and you get mush. Stick to the pizza!

Service

Simple service. I have never had an issue with the service. I have also never been blown away by the service. This is also not a factor. Go for the pizza!

Overall

Of the literally hundreds of “NY Style Pizza” places that I have tried in my life, Angelo’s Picnic Pizza the only place so far that has kept me going back year after year for the past 7 years! I go for the pizza!

Chef’s Market (Goodlettesville TN)

http://www.chefsmarket.com
900 Conference Drive in Goodlettsville TN
(615) 851-2433

Chef’s Market is a unique place in that it is a cafe that actually sells ground coffee, deserts and knickknacks in a small shop in the front area. The back area and the curb side tables are for eating. They also cater. 

Location

The location is great for the people who live on the north side of Nashville. It is very close to the Rivergate Mall and all of the shopping in Rivergate, Hendersonville, Galatin and Goodlettesville.

Atmosphere

I can best describe this place and a Christmas store without the Christmas decor. I had the feeling of Christmas time the entire time I ate there. It is very quaint and great care was taken to make the place feel comfortable like visiting a wealthy relative at Christmas time. You wear a nice casual outfit and behave proper but no so comfortable that you kick off your shoes and play with the kids on the floor.  I really like the warmth the place exudes. 

Food

What can I say more than this is some of the best food I have every had in one single place. Some places excel at specific dishes and fall short with others. Not Chef’s Market. Everything we tried and everything they bring to my office when they cater, is perfect with little or zero room for any improvement. One of my favorites is the Spring Mix salad with a home made sesame seed oil dressing. This is beyond words. The cooked to order pasta bar is incredible and the next time I go back that will be my sole order! It is that good. The choices here of what to eat are numerous and are all somehow related. They do in fact seem like dishes a chef would prepare for another chef who was coming over for supper.

Service

I have eaten Chef’s Market numerous times but it has always been catered. The one time we went to the location it was for the buffet. We only interacted with one person and he was pleasant and made nice conversation. That set the tone for the rest of the evening. very nice.

Overall

This is at the top of my list for places to crave. My mind races like a kid in a candy store when I think of what I want to eat next there. I would highly recommend trying Chef’s Market to anyone wanting fantastic food and variety with a charming, comfortable atmosphere.

Copper Kettle (Nashville)

www.copperkettlenashville.com
4004 Granny White Pike
Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 383-7242

The Copper Kettle is a small, out of the way place that serves a cafeteria style meat & 3 for lunch during the week and a on Sunday they have a brunch buffet.

Location

I love that the Copper Kettle is off the beaten path. That makes for a great place to go and NOT be surrounded by tourists and Country Star Wannabes. On the flip side, I don’t like that it is so far away from my home. It makes it hard to frequent the place. It is close to my job so I am lucky enough to be able to go there for their “Meat & 3″ cafeteria style lunch.

Atmosphere

I like it here. It is very simple, clean and not pretentious. You eat on wooden benches and tables. There are a few cafe tables out front but they are so small, tight up against the building and too close to the people waling by on the sidewalk you share. I prefer the inside.

Food

The food here is fantastic. I have eaten here countless times and each time I have enjoyed every single bite of food. The Mango Chutney is the best ever! The meatloaf is dern near perfect and the green bean casserole is just like Mom used to make! When we make time to go to the Sunday brunch, we are always in for a treat! The waffles are made to order and are light on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Just the way I like them! They also have a gourmet pastry table that is…. uh…sweet! The roast beef carving table really sets this buffet above many others we try. I love eggs with my breakfast. There are no scrambled eggs in the buffet at the Copper Kettle but the Eggs Benedict more than makes up for that. Seasoned just right with a rich creamy Hollandaise on top. MMM MMM I love it.

Service

Being this is a buffet on Sunday and cafeteria style during the week, the service doesn’t really play too much of a part in this. However, the staff is all very courteous and they work with smiles.

Overall

I simply LOVE the Copper Kettle. This is the kind of place that weighs in a decision on where to buy your next house. I wish I lived closer. It is definitely worth the gas to get over there and I plan on going back for years to come.

Sonobana Japanese Resturant (Nashville TN)

40 White Bridge Rd.
Nashville, Tn. 37205
(615) 356 6600

Last night we celebrated Amanda’s birthday in the Tatami room at Sonobana, an Authentic Japanese restaurant in Nashville. A Tatami room is a traditional Japanese dining room where you sit on the floor with a very low table, the room is surrounded by rice paper walls and there is bamboo mats on the floor. We took our shoes off and ATE. Boy did we all eat! We were surrounded by our friends who shared in the laughter and good time.

Location

This is a very conveinient location for many Nashvillians. It is right on White Bridge road about 2 minutes off of interstate 40 on the west side of town. There is shopping nearby and West End blvd is a stone’s throw away so there are hotels nearby, college dorms etc.

Atmosphere

Atmosphere was just “good”. Although 2 friends that joined us for dinner are from Japan themselves, I still always knew I was in Nashville. Maybe it was the fact that our waitress was Polynesian and not Japanese or maybe it was the music that was not traditional Japanese or just that I could see the parking lot outside the window but I never “bought” the authentic Japanese theme.

Food

The food was plentiful and the variety more so. I thought the sauces for dipping were all to strong except the tempura sauce which I though was too bland. The Seafood Tempura plate was enormous and easily enough for 2 or more people by the time you eat your salad and appetizers. BTW, the ginger dressing on the salad was very flavorful and refreshing. I had a Teriyaki chicken/steak dinner and although the meat was cooked correctly, most of the plate was comprised of bean sprouts. They were delicious but they could have balanced the plate better. We all pased our plates around quite a bit to give eachothers food a try so I believe I got a good idea of the menu.

Service

We had one server for 10 people and I think she did a fine job. She had trouble with English which can be expected in a Japanese restaurant but we had to Native Japanese women with us and we still had trouble as apparently there is no commonalities between Japanese and Polynesian.

Overall

All in all, I am glad we went. We had a fun time trying more traditional Japanese food as opposed to the very typical, American influenced, Hibachi grills that are all over these days. However, I am not compelled to make another visit there.

Ellendale’s (Donelson, TN)

http://www.ellendales.com
2739 Old Elm Hill Pike, Donelson  TN 884-0171

Sunday Brunch is one of my favorite meals. I am always searching for hotdogs stands and good places to have Sunday Brunch. The 101st Airborne was my longtime favorite until they went out of business a couple years ago. I hope I didn’t eat them out of business! Anyway back to Ellendale’s. We happend across Ellendale’s during my search for a replacement Sunday Brunch location. It is a very old historic house that has no tie to the actual “Ellen Dale”. The owners simply are paying honor to a woman in history that they admire.

Location
For me, the location is great! A mere few miles away from where I live. It is near the airport and near some of the airport hotels to people flying into town fo a visit can easily make this place a stop on their dining list.

Atmosphere
It is a very large turn of the century looking house that has been converted into a resturant. One part I really enjoy is that they left the walls up and you get to eat in small bedrooms with 4 or 6 tables in them. You really feel like you are in an old home.

Food
The Sunday brunch is the limit of my current experience at Ellendale’s. They do have menu eating throughout the week and lunch buffets daily. As far as the brunch goes, it is a toss up for me. I love that they have waffles but leaving them in a chaffing dish, softens them to the point they have no crispy outside. Made to order would be my preference. They use a tasty batter and real butter and that mostly makes up for any “buffet” effect on the waffle. They often have wonderful pot roast and pasta dishes, nice ceasar salad, soups, a very full pastry/desert table and a made-to-order omelette station. There is always a line at the omelette station. They have a large assortment of fillings or toppings and they are make right there while you wait. I have had an omelette on 4 different visits so far. 3 times, the omellete was overdone to the point of being brown and crispy. The one time is came out nice, I had to ask the chef “may I have it now?”. He slid it onto a plate and it was perfect. I don’t know if the chef prefers them well done or if trying to cook 5 omelettes at once is the issue.

Service
The wait staff has always been courteous and very attentive.

Overall
Although I can’t rate anything about Ellendale’s as top notch, everything combines to make a nice brunch that I will continue to frequent until I find another 101st Airborne.