Out & About: More Franklin Eats

As I mentioned in my post last week for Nashville, I have this standing folder of food photos that I've been saving for "where I've been eating" posts, and now I've got enough to write one for Franklin! (Click here for more posts about where to eat in Nashville, and where to eat in Franklin.)

Gray's on Main

I've been going to Gray's to meet up with friends since 2013 (read my original post here), and I still love it for the cocktails. While I do prefer some other downtown spots for food, I did have a fancy dinner at Gray's for work that was pretty good.  Definitely made for a pretty picture!  I think my reco is to do drinks and apps at Gray's then hit up another spot for dinner.  Worth mentioning because it's kind of become this iconic spot downtown (and it's beautiful!).

McCreary's Irish Pub
YES to McCreary's Irish Pub, a tiny hole-in-the-wall on Main Street!  It's the only Irish Pub I know of in the area.  It's tiny.  Seat yourself, because that's the only way you'll get served, as it's so small you can't stand around.  Fire codes, y'all.  But once you squeeze in, you're in for a treat.  Their fish and chips are awesome (and their chicken tenders, if you're not a fish person), and they have baked potatoes and other goodness.  I haven't had a bad bite here, ever.  And of course, Guinness, Magners, and other Irish drinks of choice.  I need to get here more often.

Chapman's II
I visited Chapman's a couple years back, when it used to park its trailer by Landmark Booksellers.  I think it might have actually had another set of owners since my first visit.  It went out of commission for a while for an overhaul of the old wagon, and a lot of people didn't love the changes to the menu.  It just wasn't the same anymore.  That said, I had a steak and egg sandwich and potatoes from the truck while they were parked at a local brewery this fall... and it was AWESOME.  Honestly, it was the best meal I've had from Chapman's, ever.  So while there are still folks mourning the way it used to be, and their favorite old menu items, I will admit that I like the new taste now.  Great seasoning and food all-around.

Big Shake's Hot Chicken & Fish
Big Shake's is officially my favorite hot chicken in Franklin.  Judge me if you want, but I get tenders.  (Hot chicken purists think you should only have bone-in...)  But even the purists will agree that Big Shake's is delicious, and that their catfish is excellent.  I usually get Crybaby heat and it's hot enough for me.  The fries are SO GOOD and the perfect complement for the spice.  I also love how close it is to where I work and live, bonus points.

Meridee's Breadbasket
This cute little bakery is a great lunch spot in downtown Franklin, right near Puckett's.  Meridee's has a great apple bacon panini that I like, complete with their own freshly baked breads, perfectly paired with some tomato soup.  You order at the counter and then they bring your food out or call your number.  I've also heard they make great pies and desserts.

Where have you been eating lately?

What's your favorite Franklin spot?

Out & About: More Nashville Eats

I have this standing folder of food photos that I've been saving for one of these "where I've been eating" posts, and now I've got so many I'll be doing one for Nashville AND one for Franklin!  I feel like I don't have enough for a full blog post, so rounding them up feels right.  (Click here for more posts about where to eat in Nashville, and where to eat in Franklin.)

The Loving Pie Company
I wrote about The Loving Pie Company back in 2014, and I still enjoy it!  It's a cute little pie shop that is very Pushing Daisies, if you love Kristin Chenoweth like me and feel like it was cancelled before its time.  I've been back a couple times since my first blog post, and I discovered that on Saturday mornings they play Broadway music and have brunch pies.  BRUNCH PIES.  You gotta visit.

They also have some special events, like The Pie Society hosted at Jackalope Brewing Company, where you dress up and enjoy beer and pie pairings.  BEER AND PIE!

Bartaco

I've eaten at Bartaco in 12 South more times than I can count.  I think their margaritas are great; they're fresh, so they don't give me heartburn like others.  I have had their chips, bowls, and tacos, and all are tasty.  I like their variety.  They serve the food all together in a kind of social, communal manner, and the staff are great.  It's usually a spot I eat with my blogger buddies in Nashville.  It's also very close to Sprinkles, and you can't go wrong with a cupcake after dinner.

Wing Basket
I have a group of coworkers that love hot chicken and chicken wings, so they always drag me out to these fun little spots in search of the best.  One of their favorites is Wing Basket in Nolensville.  It's a casual place tucked into a strip mall, very unassuming.  But they have a huge selection of wing sauces and options, as well as bone-in, boneless, and tenders.  In addition, their fries are well-seasoned and really tasty.  I think I enjoy the fries just as much as the chicken, which is really great!  You can definitely get options with some heat to them, as well as non-spicy flavors.

The Flipside
I went to The Flipside in 12 South with a friend, and it was definitely the kind of meal you need to sleep off afterwards!  The whole place looks very retro, like a diner or soda fountain out of the 50s.  The main event is their Jack's Best Chicken fried chicken patty, pounded thin,  with over twenty options for fixin's.  I chose the eponymous Flipside with jambalaya, eggs, and cheddar, and a side of crispy tater tots.  It was a heavy, gut bomb meal, but tasty the whole way through.  Tots were perfect, and I'd order them again.  I haven't been back since our visit, because I haven't been craving this kind of food.  The service was a little uneven while we were there, with some credit card confusion that resulted in my friend's card being charged twice, but the manager was great despite the server being a bit airheaded.

SmoQue Signals BBQ
The SmoQue Signals BBQ food truck stopped by my office during our summer Food Truck Fridays.  I'm a fan of BBQ, even though I don't always crave it.  Their credo is "Nashville Bred, Memphis Approved" in that they offer West Tennessee-style BBQ.  Memphis-style BBQ is one of the major types of BBQ, and it's really Memphis that is known for being a BBQ city over Nashville.  (People always come to town wanting to eat BBQ like Nashville is known for it, but it's really not.)  This BBQ pork sandwich from Smoque Signals and crispy, thing fries really hit the spot.  There was an extremely long wait for this food, kind of like they didn't realize they'd have a long line.  But I suppose good things come to those who wait!  My only complaint was the wait, the rest was all delicious.

Hattie B's West
My love for Hattie B's is known here.  Since like 2013, right?  But I don't really go to the crowded, touristy Midtown original location anymore.  We head straight to the west side to their larger location, complete with parking lot, (typically) shorter line, and wider drink selection.  You ever have those moments where you're like, "I'm too old for -insert something here-"?  For me, it's the opportunity cost of waiting in enormous lines for something.  I'm just too old.  It's one of the reasons I love restaurants that offer reservations!  But when out-of-towners want a taste of Nashville, we usually stop by.

Where have you been eating lately?

What's your favorite Nashville spot?

Out & About: More Nashville Eats (Food Trucks)

In addition to the regular restaurants around town in my last post, I also had some food trucks I've visited that were excellent!

Bradley's Creamery
Homemade, old-fashioned ice cream.  I LOVED their Cookies 'n' Cream.  Seriously good, creamy, excellent butterfat content too.   Dan's a huge ice cream fan, so I grabbed some when it was parked at the Franklin Farmers Market.

I absolutely love Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, but Bradley's has all the traditional flavors that you know and love.  Classic, classic, classic.  And since I wanted to take some home, they were able to scoop it into plastic containers for me.

Street Provisions
This truck was at the Strawberry Festival at Franklin Farmers Market.  I had a fried chicken biscuit with strawberry honey drizzled on it.  I forgot to take a photo of my food, because it was delicious and I was starving.  So you just get a photo of the truck, in case you see it around town.  They make a solidly good biscuit.

Bare Naked Bagel
We have Food Truck Fridays at work during the summer, and Bare Naked Bagel came by for breakfast one morning and I went for it.  I was feeling something traditional, so I got a breakfast bagel and some taters.

Just look at this perfection.  Everyone was jelly.  They make a great bagel.  I'm a fan!  Next time I'll try one of their more adventurous sammies.

Ellie's Old-Fashioned Doughnuts
I know I've posted about them before, but I just love Ellie's.  Been bragging on them forever, posted about them back in 2014.  By now, they know me and throw in a warm one for the road when I place my order.

And just look at the line!  They're so good, I waited in this line!  Don't forget about Ellie's, ever.

Do you have a favorite food truck?

Bacon Nation

Throughout the summer, our office has been hosting Food Truck Fridays, which I've mostly missed due to travel.  But I was present to join the long line of my coworkers on a recent Friday to enjoy a little Bacon Nation.

Holy heart attack, Batman.  This ain't a diet-friendly truck.  One of my buddies ordered the Double Bypass, which was two big burger patties (50/50 ground bacon and beef) sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches.  FOR REAL.  This exists.  Another got the Hot Mess, which was basically bacon cheese fries with ranch chicken and other fixins.   YUM.

I chose to get Bacon Cheese Fries, which was fries with queso and bacon crumbles.  It cost $7, but it was ample for my meal; I didn't even finish it.  I was hoping to get a fried egg on top, but they were already out.  These guys were serving up a ton of stuff rapid fire; they definitely had service down to a science and rolled food out faster than most trucks.  I appreciated that, given it was crazy hot out and the line was long.

I would say these fries were pretty tasty.  The queso was pretty thick, and overall it was a sticky, delightfully salty mess.  I think Bacon Nation is a great gut truck.  I never thought I'd say this, but it's almost a little too bacon-y and cheesy for me to consider chasing often.   But every so often, I bet I'd like to get my fix.

The Grilled Cheeserie

It's hard for me to believe I've been in Nashville for two years and hadn't tried a sandwich from The Grilled Cheeserie.  Grilled cheese and tomato soup is one of my favorite combos of all time.  My team from work decided to track down the truck when it was nearby us on a Friday.  Since it was prime family vacation time, the line wasn't that long at all.  Score!

Like my favorite local trucks do, they source from local vendors.  (Don't let the Guy Fieri tag on the truck fool you, this is a legitimately awesome truck.  Sorry, not sorry Guy.)  You can choose from their menu (including specials) or make your own melt.

I had to go with a classic, the Pimento Mac & Chee, featuring housemade pimento, local cheddar mac, and bacon on country white bread.  (I skipped the sliced tomato.)  I was going to get some Kettle Chips, but when I saw the famed tater tots were only 75 cents more, I went for it.  You can get some of their Tot Sauce, which is a spicy ketchup, to go with the meal.

I took like three Lactaid pills before I took a bite.

I would love to hit up the truck in cooler months to combo the sandwich with some soup.  I loved the PImento Mac & Chee, but I also loved the custom ideas my coworkers chose for their sandwiches.  It's no wonder this truck is so popular, and that is has won a bunch of awards to boot!

Chapman's II Pie Wagon

Chapman's Pie Wagon was a Franklin staple from 1922-1946.  The Perkins family brought the wagon back to life a few years back, bringing with it the eclectic menu and old trolley feel.  (I'm not doing the history justice here, but my blogger friend Angela has a great background story you can read here.)  Now under new ownership but with the proprietary recipes, the wagon is still serving up good eats next to Landmark Booksellers in downtown Franklin.

My coworkers and I had talked about hitting up Chapman's for lunch for a long time.  It's not a true food truck, more of a food stand, but it's known for great service and food.  We finally found a Friday afternoon with time to head downtown, so we were very excited.  There's a good amount of parking behind Landmark and near the wagon.  We had to wait in line (and wait for the fresh-cooked food) but it was well worth it.

I chose the lunch special, a flank steak with red potatoes and mac 'n' cheese.  The steak was delicious, though I wish it were a little hotter and less salty.  The potatoes and rolls were great too.  The mac 'n' cheese was hands down the bomb.  I actually wonder if they'd serve me a Frank with a Flair with the macaroni on top.  My coworkers' hot dogs (sliced lengthwise and served on sandwich rolls) looked so good I wish I could have eaten to meals.  Our other coworker got her favorite Jazzy Yum Bowl, which are like ultra fresh burrito bowls with some secret sauce.

It was a rainy day, but there were umbrellas over the outdoor seating so we were able to eat near the wagon.  You can tell the new owners are doing a great job, because even with the changeover there's  still a lunch crowd at Chapman's!

Bea's Soda Bar in Bloomington @beafizzy

As I was walking to and from the Bakehouse to meet my friend, I noticed an adorable little camper selling homemade sodas.  On my way back to my car, I had to get a taste of Bea's Soda Bar.

You guys...   Strawberry. Rhubarb. Soda.  I'll let you imagine this refreshing drink.  I love seeing local entrepreneurs bringing concepts like this to towns I love.  It reminds me of when Dad would take me to the old fashioned soda fountain in his hometown in a way.

I opted out of hanging downtown for Taste of Bloomington, because it was already becoming a madhouse (and Mom was cooking goodies at home) so Bea's was my refreshing "something new" from my latest trip home.  Follow Bea's on Twitter here!  Such a sweet little business.

Riffs Fine Street Food

I don't have any ambition to try every food truck in Nashville, but when I hear good buzz I will chase them down!  Riffs Fine Street Food and its Korean BBQ tacos have been on my list for a while.  When I saw they were going to be at Brew at the Zoo, I made a beeline for their truck to check it out.

Some of the trucks at Brew at the Zoo

I decided that I would go with the tacos I'd heard about, as well as the Ginger Plum Iced Tea.  I got the tacos with everything on them...  roasted pork, ginger scallion sauce, cabbage salaw, gochujang BBQ sauce, and spicy mayo.

The iced tea was not overly gingery, which I was glad for, and the perfect refreshment for a hot afternoon in Tennessee.  The Korean BBQ tacos, served in corn tortillas that I really liked, were less saucy than I thought they would be.  I think I was hoping for more of a spicy daeji gogi taste.  I also took a little of the cabbage slaw out because I'm not a big fan of greens.  But they were still really delicious, and the spicy mayo plus BBQ sauce really tied everything together.  Overall, Riffs definitely has fresh food, creative flavors, and my vote of approval as a great food truck destination if you ever get a chance to catch them!

 

Chattanooga Craft Beer Festival (& some delicious eats!)

When I heard Dan's brewery might be short-handed at the Chattanooga Craft Beer Festival, I jumped on the chance to spend a quick weekend in the city with him.  The beer festival was packed with people!  I loved seeing him represent his brewery, as well as seeing people line up (sometimes coming back a 2nd or 3rd tiem) to sample his brews.  Proud girlfriend moment!

A jockey box Dan built from a distillery barrel; the crowds at CCBF

There were also a few local food trucks there, and I had a Marciano (basically a pollo enquesado over rice) from Izzy's Tacos.  It was amazing.  I couldn't find a website for them, but it was awesome.  It really hit the spot to fill my tummy before drinking beer.  It was a warmer day though, so I was hitting up the Woodchuck Cider table more often than others.  I always like seeing the Nashville area breweries represented.

After the festival, our little group went to Tremont Tavern, a locally loved bar that is also known for its fantastic burgers.  We talked to some of the bartenders about it; they source their own meat and fat and grind it in-house themselves.  Like 70-80 lbs a day.  And you can tell, because the burgers' meat quality is epic!  I had the Coltrane (One Eye) Burger because I love a fried egg.  We chose the tater tots as a side, because they are also known for that yummy stuff.

Tremont Tavern

Before leaving Chattanooga, we also had an amazing Sunday brunch at Local 191.  We found it via Urbanspoon, and it was delicious!  We had two of their crushed ice cocktails, the Summer Crush and Basilberry Sapphire.  I thought the Summer Crush would be more grapefruit-y, but it was a bit more sweet.  The Basilberry Sapphire was more our style.  I am starting to like more gin drinks!

Dan had the Loaded Grilled Cheese as his meal, an epic sandwich with BBQ pulled pork, American cheese, and macaroni & cheese on a grilled sandwich.  He had a side of the Yukon Gold whipped potatoes, which were top notch.  It was delicious.  I had the egg burrito, which I promptly devoured.  Few things make me as happy as a breakfast burrito.  Okay, there are a lot of things that make me that happy, but breakfast burritos remain one of the best things ever!

Chattanooga, we will definitely be back for more foodie fun!