Say hello to Erin!

I’m so thrilled to be guest posting for Beth, but even more thrilled for her & the new addition to her family. He’s just as cute as can be!

I decided to take this guest posting opportunity to post something different than I normally post over at my blog. When I first started Erin’s Food Files, I specifically chose the name to give myself freedom to write about restaurants, food events, recipes, etc. I quickly realized I just didn’t have the time to keep up with more than just recipes, which is why I was glad when Beth came on to the blogging scene not too long after me. She’s much better at writing up restaurants & events! But that doesn’t mean I don’t talk about restaurants. If you’ve ever conversed with me in person, you know I love to talk about restaurants. I LOVE it when out of towners, or even local friends, ask for restaurant suggestions. I try to tailor my suggestions to people’s personalities & interests, as well as budget & occasion.

My husband Nathan & I enjoy trying out new spots as soon as they open. One thing I know for sure about Nathan is, if there’s a burger on the menu, he’s very likely to order that. The man loves his burgers. Because of this, we’ve eaten quite a variety of burgers around town, both upscale & casual. We haven’t tried every burger, but we have some definite favorites. I’m gonna give you a list of great places to get a burger in town.

(Most photos were taken with my iPhone, so please excuse the quality of the pictures!)

The Pharmacy

atmosphere: casual beer garden

The Pharmacy is one of the newest spots in town. Because we’re big fans of Holland House, we’d been eyeing The Pharmacy for months before it opened. It’s right around the corner from Holland House, and the same people, TC Hospitality, are behind it. We went the week they opened, and sat on the covered patio. Luckily we were warmed by heaters, and I can imagine this will be a hopping spot come warmer weather. I’m an incredibly indecisive diner, and was torn between many options on their menu. They have a Falafel burger, with a chickpea patty, topped with many things, including my favorite local goat cheese, Noble Springs. Their Mission City Burger has guacamole & crema fresca among other toppings.

Another notable option is the Farm Burger, with country ham, bacon, a farm egg, and maple mustard. I about fell out of my chair when I saw that. Finally, at the last minute after conversing with the waiter, I decided to scale it back and get the basic Pharmacy burger, which is their standard burger & toppings. Nathan ordered The Cheese Burger, which has yellow cheddar, swiss, & muenster cheese as well as tomato and garlic aioli. We both opted for the crispy fries, and they were delicious, but later learned from Chris Chamberlin of the Nashville Scene that the tots are where it’s at. (His review here.) I really enjoyed my burger, and I found it was the perfect serving size for me. Not to sound like Goldielocks, but I appreciated it wasn’t too big or too small. One of the most notable things about my burger though was the bun. The buns are specially made by Provence for The Pharmacy and were spot on.

Rest assured that Nathan & I will return here many times. I’ve heard from my other “foodie friends” (as Nathan refers to my food blog & twitter friends), that the brats at The Pharmacy are great too. Seeing as I am growing a human and refraining from ordering beer, I was especially pleased to discover their list of handcrafted sodas. Like Beth, I was born and raised in Kentucky, so when I saw Kentucky Mint I had to order it. It was refreshing and delicious, and I can’t wait to try out all their other options.

One of the reasons Nathan had been eyeing this place for so long was because he’s a craft beer nut, and loves a good beer list. He was really pleased with the beer selection. So if craft beers, burgers, & brats are your thing, and you’re looking for a casual spot to hang out with friends, or even a place to take your toddler (we saw a LOT of toddlers & babies there at 6pm on a Wednesday night), check out The Pharmacy.

Gabby’s Burgers & Fries

atmosphere: diner

Gabby’s is a spot that took me a long time to make it to. When it first opened, it was lunch only. Luckily they are now open until 7:30 on Fridays, as well as lunch on Saturdays. Once Nathan & I made it over there, he was smitten upon first smell. Gabby’s is fairly small, with tables & a bar, as well as the line where they cook your food. You order at the counter, then find a seat.

You won’t come to Gabby’s and find exotic burger toppings. The burger options are your standard cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, etc. But what makes Gabby’s burgers extra special, is that they are committed to grass fed beef. You may think you’re indulging in a greasy burger, but it actually has one third of the fat of a regular burger, and 100 less calories per patty. My suggestion for your side item, GET THE SWEET POTATO FRIES! Last time we were there the sweet potato fries were the best I’d had in my entire life. They were spot-on delicious. Now, I will say on one previous visit I got some fries that were near burnt, but every other time they’ve been delicious. They’re hand cut, definitely not frozen off a truck. Gabby’s is not to be missed!

Burger Up

atmosphere: upscale yet casual, hipster cool

There was a lot of hype before Burger Up even officially opened. Lots of “foodies” like myself were anticipating this new addition to 12th South, by the owner of Frothy Monkey. We went within a week of opening, and have been back many times since. My favorites include the Marathon Burger (vegetarian with quinoa & black beans!), the Turkey Burger (with avocado & caramelized red onions), the Bison Burger (with white cheddar, fried red onions & jalapeño). Nathan has had the Woodstock burger every.single.time we’ve been. The man is a creature of habit. But with Benton’s bacon, TN Sweetwater white cheddar, & Jack Daniel’s maple ketchup, it’s his ideal burger, so why stray?

Like Gabby’s, Burger Up is committed to grass fed local beef. They source as many ingredients locally as they can, as you can see in the Woodstock Burger. They’re more than just burgers though. I’m amazed at the people who can pass up a burger and order a salad, but I see people do it all the time. But with the wide variety of fresh & inventive ingredients in their salads, I guess it’s not too hard. Their sides include truffle fries, sweet potato fries, a vidalia onion tower, and steamed spinach. I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever ordered sweet potato fries, because I’m pretty much addicted to them. I’ve had delicious sweet potato fries from Burger Up, and once limp fries. Same with Gabby’s, it seems with sweet potato fries, every once in a while there’s an off night. I forgive, because when they’re good, they’re GOOD. I’ve heard from from friends who’ve had the truffle fries that they’re delicious.

And don’t forget appetizers! I can attest to the amazingness of the fried mac & cheese, as well as the fried pickles. Of course, you’re going to need something to wash it all down, and you’re in luck with Burger Up because they have a fully stocked bar with hand crafted artisan cocktails. My mouth is watering right now remembering the refreshing Presbyterian I had there on one occasion. Nathan loves that they have one of his favorite high gravity beers, Chimay White, so if you’re into beer, they’ve got you covered.

Much of the seating at Burger Up is “family-style” tables, but Nathan & I have often snagged seats at the bar, as well as a 2 top table by the window (perfect if you are obsessed with photographing your food, like me).

Fido

atmosphere: coffeeshop

(photo credit: Vivek’s Epicurean Adventures)

Unless you’re in on the “secret”, you’re probably wondering why I’m including a coffee shop on my burger list. Well, thanks to a recent article in the Tennessean I feel more & more people are going to know about one of my favorite places to eat. Anything you order off the regular menu will be delicious, but I’ve long since been ordering strictly off the chalkboard of specials. Chef John Stephenson creates a menu of thought-out, often locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. This menu changes (find out on their blog), but almost always includes the Local Burger.

Now, I’ll say that Nathan is pretty basic when it comes to his burgers. He prefers them sans lettuce, tomato, onion. But he orders the Local Burger without removing a single ingredient, and loves it exactly as Chef John intended it to taste. The Local Burger is: locally sourced, grass fed beef and lamb, farmhouse cheddar, caramelized fennel, fried onion, fig aioli, lettuce, pickle, feta, & parsley. You can get fries, chips, or a salad with it, and he always gets the fries. Luckily we have a clause in our marriage contract that says I always get a bite of his food. So while I love to try whatever new or interesting thing I see on the menu, I know I can satisfy my burger craving with a bite of his delicious burger. And I get to steal some of his fries.

The only downside to dining at Fido, is there have been times I’ve been a bit frustrated with seating. Most people still see it as a “coffeeshop” during the week nights especially, which means I’ll see 4 top tables occupied by one person and their books and laptop, study groups, and the like. Just be prepared you might have to wait for a table. Luckily, it’s less like this on the weekend. The great thing about Fido is, their menu will satisfy pretty much anyone! They also serve beer & wine, as long as you drink it inside.

Five Guys

atmosphere: fast food

(photo credit: bizjournal.com)

Five Guys is where Nathan often goes to pick up a cheeseburger to-go. That’s not to say I’ve never been though. I most certainly have, and I’ve had a burger too. Their standard burger comes stacked with not one but two patties. It’s piled with as many of their standard toppings as you want. I opt for the Little Cheeseburger, while Nathan often gets the Cheeseburger or Bacon Cheeseburger. Most importantly we’ll split an order of Cajun Fries. The Cajun Fries are SO addictive & delicious. Their regular fries are good too, but we love the cajun seasoning. Their fries are perfect size, not too thin, not too thick.

One thing you need to know about Five Guys, is you’re gonna want to grab way more napkins than you think you’ll need, and then you’ll probably end up needing more! This burger is messy & delicious. No frills here, just way better than your average fast food burger. Oh, and one more thing, there’s a big bin of peanuts to snack on!

Smashburger

atmosphere: fast casual, located in Murfreesboro

We got an invite to a preview of this new burger chain location south of Nashville. If you know me, you know I don’t even venture out far from my perimeter. I don’t even go as far as Brentwood. But with a quick glance at the Smashburger menu, I knew this place was worth a trip down. Plus, they have locations in parts of Kentucky where we have lots of friends & family. The folks at Smashburger brought out dish after dish and made sure we sampled as much as we wanted. We were highly impressed with the burgers! I thought the patty size was perfect, and the burger was juicy & seasoned perfectly. The menu offers tons of topping variations, and the option to build your own.

They also have healthy salads (way better than you’d expect from “fast food”), chicken sandwiches, & more, but this post is about the BURGERS, so I’ll get back to that. They have a regional burger menu item at each location, and the Murfreesboro one had the “Tennessee” with Jack Daniels BBQ sauce. I opted for the “Spicy Baja” sans jalapeños. It was topped with guacamole. I loved the buns here as well. I consider them an important component to a burger, and are sometimes overlooked. Also, the Sweet Potato Smashfries are tossed with rosemary, olive oil, & garlic. That’s definitely not something you’d expect to find from fast food! Nathan ordered the French Fries which were russet potatoes cut shoestring size, and seasoned with sea salt. Both were exceptional.

We also sampled their Fried Pickles, Haystack Onions, and Veggie Frites. The Veggie Frites, consisting of carrot sticks, asparagus, & green beans, are again, nothing you’d expect from fast food. They are NOT battered, merely quickly fried. They retain their crunch & a ton of flavor, without being overly greasy. Smashburger also offers Häagen-Dazs milkshakes, and I loved that there were perfectly portioned, and NOT oversized. They hope to expand into the Nashville market next, and we really hope it’s soon!

(*Disclosure* I was invited to sample all the food for free, was not compensated, and under no obligation to post about them. I was simply highly impressed with their food, and wanted to share my opinion. All opinions are entirely my own.)

Other Notable Burgers:

Jackson’s

atmosphere: casual bar & bistro

Jackson’s is a place we’ve been going to for a long time. Their menu appeals to any kind of eater and includes: salads, paninis, wraps, pasta, and more. As far as burgers go, Nathan has never been disappointed by the Bacon Cheeseburger, and I’ve enjoyed the Bison Burger. At Jackson’s I skip the fries and opt for a side salad. The food is always great, and the drinks have never let me down either. They have Happy Hour specials, and Sundays are half priced bottles of wine. It’s easy to see why we like it there!

Mad Donna’s

atmosphere: neighborhood spot

Mad Donna’s is another restaurant we frequent when dining with others, or even just the two of us. The menu varies widely, but has a great burger selection. I love that they use Provence buns too. I’ve never ordered a beef burger there, but I have had their black bean burger and found it delicious! I’m pretty sure every single time we’ve been, Nathan has ordered a burger. I’m also pretty sure I’ve taken a bite every single time. We always opt for sweet potato fries over regular fries, and they have daily drink specials too!

PM

atmosphere: neighborhood hangout

PM is one of Arnold Myint’s restaurants. It’s located next to Belmont University, and the menu is Asian inspired. A lot of people will go here for sushi, or shared plates with friends. We went because we heard the burger was great. True to the rumor, it did not disappoint. To vibe with the Asian theme it has wasabi mayo on it.

Riffs Food Truck

atmosphere: food truck

Riffs Caribbean Burger

Riffs Food Truck is definitely our #1 choice when it comes to food trucks in Nashville. We’ll go to an event with a gathering of trucks, and despite all the options, we nearly always opt for Riffs. We’ve gotten to know BJ & Carlos personally, and not only are they awesome guys, their food is PHENOMENAL! I have never had food from them that didn’t blow me away. After Nathan’s first bite of this burger he said “Ok, this might be my favorite burger I’ve ever had in Nashville.” Yeah… it’s that good. Seeing as they operate from a mobile truck, they rotate their menu frequently. So if you see these guys out and this burger is on the menu, get it.

Note from Beth: Erin hasn’t yet had an opportunity to sample two of my favorite burgers in Nashville– those at Tavern and The Melrose, so add those spots to your list of places to try out too!

That’s it for my wrap up of our experiences & opinions on Nashville’s burger scene. Are you ready to run out and grab a burger?

Well, I’ve got one more to tell you about, but it’s not from a restaurant. It’s from my own kitchen! Head on over to my blog to check out this Jalapeño Bacon Cheddar Burger on Pretzel Roll Buns. It’s on par with the best burgers you can buy in Nashville, and I made it with local beef, bacon, & cheddar on homemade buns!

I really love cookies. I think if it came down to it, and I had to choose only one item from the “sweets” category to eat for the rest of my life, it would be cookies.

Peanut Butter, chunky chocolate, oatmeal sandwich cookies, double ginger, mint chocolate chip — there are a lot of cookies that have won my heart over the years.

But the cookies I’m sharing with you today might be my absolute favorite. I made them for the first time a couple of years ago to give as part of a holiday goodie bag, and since have made them for various occasions. Truth be told, I make them for others because I want an excuse to eat some myself!

Another confession: eating the raw cookie dough of these is a risk I can’t help but take. I know, I know. It’s not completely safe for me to do that, and I’m definitely not condoning that you do so, but man, oh man. I can’t stop!

If you don’t like coconut, I don’t expect you to like these, because they are all about some coconut. If you don’t enjoy an intense salty/sweet combo, then you probably won’t be crazy about these. But if you like either of those things, then you’ll be absolutely head over heels for them like I am!

Crispy Chewy Coconut Cookies

Makes 5 dozen cookies. From allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture. Add the oatmeal, crushed cereal and coconut and mix until combined.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies should be light brown at the edges and on the bottom. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Our  little one decided to make an early debut…and

It’s a BOY!

1/26/12

6:43 pm

 5 lbs. 1 oz,  18 1/4″ long

Perhaps it’s not the most beautiful dish in the world. Maybe it doesn’t even sound that interesting. It’s definitely not fancy.

But it’s fantastic. Beyond fantastic even. I can tell you without hesitation that it is one of my absolute favorite family dishes.

Oddly enough, even though I’ve had the recipe in my possession for years, I had never made it myself until recently. And it’s not because it’s difficult- in fact, quite the contrary. It’s über simple.

No, the reason I’d never made it was because I was scared that once I did, it wouldn’t be special any more. For years and years, it has been my Aunt Gay’s Sausage Casserole that I eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s it. In the days leading up to the holidays, I start thinking about it. I get excited.

If I made it myself, would it still hold the same allure?

Now I know that the answer is yes.

This Christmas, when I was hosting my husband’s family for the first time, I took the plunge and made it. Compliments rang from all sides of the table. People went back for seconds. The dish was scraped clean.

And it’s still special. Very special indeed.

Aunt Gay's Sausage Rice Casserole

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice (cooked according to package directions)
1 lb sausage (cooked and drained)
1 can Golden Mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all ingredients and put in a casserole dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Important Note: The soup is GOLDEN mushroom soup. Not cream of mushroom.

Today I am thrilled to introduce my first “helper”, a fellow food blogger who is also involved in some other food-related ventures here in Nashville. One of these ventures is something I’m particularly interested in, so I’ve asked her to share details of it with you today.

Please give a warm welcome to Annakate!

~Alimentum Eat & Greet Tours~

by Annakate Tefft of La Aguacate

First off, I’m super excited that Beth asked me to write this guest post. As a transplant to Nashville, I refer to Eat.Drink.Smile. all the time to learn about the food and drink happenings in Nashville and the Southeast. And don’t even get me started on the recipes. That recent gooey mac and cheese post was out of this world!

When I moved to Nashville two years ago, I immediately started exploring what my new home had to offer food- and drink-wise. What I found was very encouraging – nationally-acclaimed restaurants like City House as well as interesting historic ones like Prince’s Hot Chicken, several local breweries including Yazoo and now Jackalope, artisan purveys like Olive & Sinclair Chocolates and local cheesemakers, a vibrant food truck scene, several ethnic neighborhoods and lots of farmers. Nashville has this big-yet-small-town thing going for it, and I think there’s an approachability here when it comes to artisan offerings that I’ve really come to love.

In my real life job, I do PR in the food industry. At the moment I work for an online recipe club, but previously I’ve represented food companies and cooking schools in Chicago and Mexico. Through these experiences I’ve really grown fond of culinary tourism. I absolutely love sharing food adventures and fun finds with others, to spread the good word. I immediately started thinking about how I could share what I’ve learned to love about Nashville’s food scene with others. And then I met Paulette Licitra.

Paulette is a native New Yorker, a classically trained chef, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Alimentum Journal (the first and only food-focused literary journal), and an instructor of cooking classes of her ancestral Italy and the Mediterranean. Bingo. Together, over a long afternoon of coffee and cake at Fido, Paulette and I hatched a plan to begin conducting culinary tours around Nashville. We had a ball doing “research” in different neighborhoods, eating and drinking our way into a plan for our tours, which we named “Alimentum Eat & Greet Tours.”

For the first tour last September, we took nine folks to explore the ethnic eateries on Nolensville Road. We started the day at K&S World Market (if you haven’t been, get in the car and go at once!), exploring the produce, meats, fish, spices and dry goods from all over. From there we hopscotched our way through many international cuisines including Thai, Turkish, Ethiopian and Mexican. In between these mini meals, we shopped an Indian market and stopped at a Kurdish bakery to see such spectacles as traditional flatbreads being baked in Tandoori ovens.

We ended the day with a taste of Mexico at a gas station-cum-taco joint, where the adventurous eaters in our group ordered tongue and tripe tacos, then enjoyed Persian tea and rose water and saffron-scented ice cream at a Middle Eastern restaurant while the owner regaled us with stories of his native Iraq. All in all, it was an incredible day! Keep in mind we found all of this in a three-mile strip. A short video recap of the tour is below, narrated by Paulette. (It’s worth the five minutes – Paulette did a fantastic job!)

In October, we enjoyed a farm tour, highlighting several interesting artisans and farmers. We began with a tour of Green Door Gourmet Farm, in West Nashville. After a walk through the owner Sylvia’s fields where we learned about her CSA, the local restaurants she grows for and sells to, and her impressive herb garden (more than 20 kinds of basil alone!), we zipped over to an artisan dye studio called ASK Apparel, where Ali Bellos walked us through their seed-to-spool operation. We learned about the textile dye process and how they’re working with local farmers to grow natural dye plants like sumac and indigo.

We could have stayed there the rest of the day asking questions, but we had to get on to our private lunch at Miel restaurant. Owner Seema Prasad arranged a custom menu featuring all local meats, cheeses and produce, with many vegetables grown at Green Door Gourmet, where we just were. The greens in our salad were harvested there that morning!

We finished out the day at Noble Springs Dairy, where Dustin and Justyne Noble took us through the feeding, milking and cheese-making process in the beautiful rolling hills of Franklin, TN. It was a perfect fall day filled with food and friends in Middle Tennessee. Another video recap can be found here.

Here’s the scoop on the next two tours:

• Indian Cultural Tour (Feb 4th, 9:30-3:30p) The group will take a private tour of the famous Sri Ganesha Temple and Hindu Cultural Center, enjoy an Indian lunch feast at a local favorite restaurant, and then be treated to a presentation about yoga by Nashville’s premiere yoga instructor Sujatha Yarlagadda. While the group won’t practice yoga in this session we will be in community with a very gentle, knowledgeable, and caring practitioner.

• East Nashville Artisan Tour (Feb 11th, 9:30-3:30) We’ll start with a tour of Bongo Java Roasting Company to get a behind-the-scenes look at the roasting process including a cupping, then stop for lunch at Silly Goose, a local farm-to-table restaurant. Next we’ll explore the production process of Olive & Sinclair Chocolates along with a tasting. We’ll end the tour in downtown Five Points where guests can indulge in some local shopping at Art & Invention Gallery, Wonders on Woodland and the Idea Hatchery, a small business incubator featuring gift shops, clothing stores, vintage shops and more.

For tickets and more info, click here.

All of our tours include van transportation from a group meeting point, all food and tour costs, a copy of the latest edition of Alimentum Journal, and fun times to eat and greet with local foodies.

It’s been a blast recapping the first two tours and highlighting what’s to come. There’s a lot happening in Nashville food-wise right now, and I’m very thankful to be a part of it.

What’s one of the most interesting or memorable Nashville food finds you’ve experienced?

Reality has set in. The countdown is really on.

In approximately 4 weeks or less, I will be giving birth to a BABY. Wow. It’s hard to believe that I’m going to be a Mommy.

While I’m completely and utterly excited, I’m also feeling a bit overwhelmed. Thankfully I have lots of wonderful friends and family that are here to help me out. A few of those amazing friends threw a baby shower for me this weekend and I have to say, it was THE best baby shower ever! (I’m not biased at all) ;-)

Inspired by an image I have on my Baby Stuff Pinterest board, my friend Libby, an insanely talented designer from Chicago, created the invitations for the shower, as well as came up with the “look” of the event. I think you can probably figure out by the photos what the theme was….

The party was held at my friend Amanda’s beautiful home, and the girls truly outdid themselves. The food was incredible and plentiful. In fact, I’m still happily eating leftovers 3 days later!

The Menu:

Mini Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Black Bean & Avocado Boats
Roast Beef, Roasted Red Pepper and Pimento Cheese Baguettes
Prosciutto Wrapped Melon
Scrumptious Meatballs
Apples with Blue Cheese & Cashew Spread
Artichoke Salad
Tomato, Mozzarella, and Spinach Skewers
Bird’s Nests (aka haystacks)
Rum Cake

The hostesses with the mostesses: My friends Sherri, Charmaine, Lisa, Libby and Amanda

The shower ended on a sweet note with these cake pops for guests to pick up as they exited the party. I didn’t actually eat mine until the next day and holy schmoly! They were so good! Yes, I said “they”. Because I ate two. And then one more yesterday.

They are dangerous to have around the house, so I suggest you only buy them for special occasions. Where to find?  Party Pops by Julie right here in Nashville.

Any of you guys want to take a guess at when Baby Eats will arrive and if our future will be a sea of pink or blue?!?

The menus are up and it’s time to start planning — next week is Nashville Originals Restaurant Week! From January 16th through the 22nd, you can dine at a number of amazing, locally-owned restaurants for value deals that you won’t find any other time of the year.

Within 5 minutes of looking over menus, I booked a reservation at Sunset Grill.

How was my first dining decision so easy? Remember that “25 Things I Must Eat in Nashville in 2012″ list I started last week? Well, their menu contains one of the first items on my list- their famous bread pudding. There was no way I was going to pass up this opportunity. It didn’t hurt that all of the other courses sound incredible too. I’ve already plotted out my order and can hardly wait for next week to get here!

Starter: “Beet & Heat Salad”: Golden beets, wild baby arugula, shaved fennel, TN goat cheese, orange segments & candied pecans tossed in tabasco-honey vinaigrette

Entree: Coca-Cola BBQ Beef Short Rib served with sweet potato Johnny cakes, Benton’s bacon collard greens, Farmer Dave’s apple butter & tobacco onions

and then, of course….

Dessert: Butterscotch-Habanero Bread Pudding covered in white chocolate sauce

So what else is on my agenda for the week?

I really have my heart set on gathering a group of friends for Mama Myint’s “House Salad” at Cha Chah. This is a very special offering indeed. If you’ve never heard about this salad, you should check out this article by Carrington Fox. I’ve been dying to try it for what seems like AGES, so this could be the perfect opportunity.

Others on my radar: Watermark, Holland House, Fido and Yellow Porch. It’s so hard to choose! Some I’ve visited during past restaurant weeks (remember this pork chop? yum!), or go to on a regular basis already. Others I don’t get to often enough, so this is a good push. Ah, decisions, decisions.

So where will you go? Have any of you already made reservations? If so, I’d love to hear what menus grabbed your attention. For those of you that haven’t yet started planning, you better get on it before others like me grab up all the open reservations!

For a list of all of the participating restaurants and their menus, click here.

When I say this is THE Best Mac & Cheese I’ve ever put in my mouth, that is not an exaggeration. Ooey, gooey, cheesy, rich and decadent-  it’s so wrong, yet so right.

One bite of this dish a few weeks back at a dinner party was eye opening. Honestly, while I like macaroni & cheese fine, I’ve never been one to go ga-ga over it like some people do.

But this? This is different. It makes me want to turn cartwheels down the hallway.

In fact, when it came time for me to host friends for dinner on New Year’s Eve, this was the first dish I added to our menu. The rest of the meal was created around it. While I don’t want to speak for our guests, I’m fairly certain that they would agree with my opinion of the cheesy creation.

A huge thank you to Ashley who made the eye-opening mac & cheese for a friend’s potluck, and to her Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Craig for sharing their recipe with her. Even though I made a few minor tweaks, the ultimate credit goes to them. The world is now a better place for having access to the Best Ever Mac & Cheese!

Best Ever Mac & Cheese

Serves 14-18.

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4 inch pieces
3 1/2 cups milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
10 oz grated sharp white cheddar cheese
10 oz grated sharp yellow cheddar cheese
8 oz grated Gruyere cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk and whipping cream. In a high-sided skillet, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in warm milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cheeses. Set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Do you see this ooey, gooey, cheesiness???