Uniquely delicious!

My frequent Partner in Dine, my mother, has a friend who recommended a lunch spot to us, Unique Flavors Cafe.  Tucked away in a commercial strip on Trousdale, the exterior does not exactly scream "Tasty food here!" but then strip malls tend to be pretty generic looking.  They have a fairly limited menu, which is fine by me, I'd rather you make a few things well than a 100 mediocre ones.  Their food selections are especially attractive during this long, hot summer we've been having, with cooling salads and fresh, surprising sandwiches.  They'll cool you off, or at least stop your stomach from doing flips at the thought of a hot, greasy burger in 90º heat!  Generally, I'm not a person to get sandwiches from a restaurant, the thought being that I could surely make the same, if not better, at home.  At Unique Flavors Cafe, however, they add that little something extra to make it special.  So far I have sampled the Steeplechase, the Grassmere, a pizza of the day (Muffaletta) & the Bella Bleu Salad and they have all rocked my face off!  I have tried both their brownies and their lemon bars and they were superb as well.  The brownies are rich and fudgey without being overwhelming and lemon bars are so very light & lemony! (I often feel that lemon foods are always too light on the lemon flavor, these are juuuuust riiiight!)    The employees are nice and the atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed, but could probably use a little bit of polish.  Honestly though I'd eat these sandwiches in an unair-conditioned, cinder block room if necessary.  Affordable, quick and convenient I would highly recommend it to anyone.  They have recently expanded their hours and are offering dinner, I can't wait to go there in the evening and give that a try!

Put a Fork in It!

So thanks to the benevolent patronage of my friend Danielle, retired chef and frequent Partner in Dine, I was able to attend this year's Iron Fork competition.  To be honest, I was really there for the full on gourmet grazing that it afforded and not so much for the competition itself.  There was a lot of Tuna Tar-Tar to be had (3 booths to my recollection) and it was pretty good all 3 times, but 360 Bistro was the best by far.  Urban Flats was the poorest showing (still pretty good) but they must throw a ton of salt on their food because both Danielle & I had a case of the Michelin Man Hands after we ate there. (They were our last stop, so it could have been others, but I doubt it)  The big standouts for me came down to 2 places, the first was Jimmy Carl's Lunchbox, who provide the food for the Station Inn and Fleur de Lis Flavors snowballs, a New Orleans style snowball stand.

In a place where Whitt's consistently (and mysteriously) wins Best BBQ, I was beginning to wonder if anyone in Nashville knew what good barbeque was.  Apparently, Jimmy Carl does.  Moist, tender and delicious it stood out at a competition where there was more than one place offering BBQ.  The sample was so good I almost immediately turned around for another helping despite the fact that the top button of my pants may have flown off and taken out someone's eye and any moment.  I cannot wait to tuck into a huge plate of the stuff at my earliest convenience.  Jimmy Carl can fill my lunch box any time. (and no, that's not as dirty as it sounds)

The place that really had me talking up a storm at the event and after the fact, was Fleur de Lis.  I don't know that I had ever had a snowball, (NOT to be confused with a snow CONE) New Orleans style or otherwise, but I can tell you now I will have another! (and another, and another...)  The fresh faced and friendly proprietress of Fleur de Lis was quick to correct my faux pas when I first called them snow cones.  Rather than finely crushed ice as in a snow cone, a snowball uses shaved ice and offers the option of adding either sweet cream or condensed milk to your typical (and in some cases not-so-typical) flavors.  I had lemon with cream (heavenly) and tamarind with condensed milk (delightful) and if I had not felt like a hog, I would have gone back and tried a few more flavors.  Light, cooling and utterly delicious, I highly recommend a trip to the Nashville Farmer’s market as the days get warmer.  They also have a mobile cart, so expect them to show up at local events and festivals.

Sadly my Partner in Dine and I slipped out once our bellies were full and a pleasant dozey feeling had set in.  Food that I get to smell, almost touch, watch being meticulously prepared and plated, but then have no chance of eating holds no interest for me, but if you want the results of the actual competition, please check out the Nashville Scene's article.

Jimmy Carl's Lunch Box
402 12th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
615-788-2967



Fleur de Lis Flavors
900 Rosa Parks Blvd
Nashville TN 37208
615-351-6109

Fat Girl road trip

Now I have to start off by saying that it normally drives me up a wall when something is "of Nashville" or "about Nashville" and then they proceed to talk about events and businesses in Franklin or Gallatin or any number of surrounding towns.  These places are not part of Nashville, a business in Spring Hill can not be one of the best in Nashville, it just can't!  You know why?  Because it is not in Nashville, that's why!

All that being said, I'm going to be a bit of a hypocrite and take The Fat Girls' Food Guide to Nashville a little southeast of here to Murfreesboro.  As part of a trip to visit the fine ladies at Mesh Boutique who kindly ply my crafty wares, my friends and I decided to make a day of it and get some lunch at Marina's on the square.  A charming little restaurant that exudes a homey vibe and a general sense of well being, with prompt & friendly service. My friend Amanda first turned me on to Marina's, unfortunately I was flat broke the first time I went and just got a salad. (and huge, delicious salad mind you, but a salad nonetheless)  This time I went prepared to chow down and had a couple of friends in tow so that we could share with one another.  I had a dish called Dante's Inferno made with chorizo, japaleños & penne pasta with a spicy cream sauce.  It was good and spicy, not too overwhelming with the flavors blending perfectly.    My friend Rachel got the spinach stuffed shells which were firm (not overcooked as is often the case at other places) and savory with a hint of sweetness from the ricotta cheese.  Danielle got the eggplant parmesan, which was perfectly crispy and not at all greasy.  Add to that a bottle of wine, loads of delicious bread, Caesar & garden salads and the world's largest "small" antipasto bowl and we were pleasantly stuffed when we finally got up to leave.

Like I said we were stuffed, but I know very few ladies, stuffed or not, that can pass by a banner that says "Fresh Chocolate-dipped Strawberries" and not stop in and investigate.  This is how we found ourselves at The Country Gourmet.  Full of local products, especially those of the edible variety, this shop is definitely worth a visit, but for me the main attraction is the candy case.  The glorious, magical candy case.  Rarely have I had such well balanced and delicious chocolates.  My favorite by far was the smoked sea salt, dark chocolate caramel, it is everything you want from a salty/sweet candy.  I popped it in my mouth as soon as I got out of the store and I almost turned right around and bought more!  Other favorites were the Dulce de Leche, which in addition to the creamy caramel center had a cream cheese flavored topping with yet more smoked sea salt, and the Mocha Madness that had ground toasted espresso beans in the filling, as well as one whole bean in the center.  Neither my friends nor I got anything that was less than excellent there and I am waiting to hear back from my friend Danielle when she gets around to using her non-candy counter purchased sauces & dressings.  The Country Gourmet website has a message that says they should have an online catalog up soon, but in the meantime I highly recommend that you make a day of it, grab some friends, do some shopping and totally pig out at these two fine purveyors of deliciousness!

Marina's on the Square
125 North Maple Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
615-849-8881‎



The Country Gourmet
107 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
615-896-3634

Sweet CeCe's will make you say, "Oh, how sweet it is!"

I am not normally one to go out for frozen yogurt (one does not cultivate the moniker of "Fat Girl" eating fat free ice cream substitutes!), but when the 2nd branch of the local chain Sweet CeCe's opened up right around the corner, my Partner in Dine & I decided to pay them a visit.
We were not disappointed!

I normally don't go in for non-fat, but these frozen treats are as creamy & delightful as any ice cream and the selection of serve yourself toppings has no match.  Fresh fruit, crushed cookies, chunks of real cheesecake, cereals, chocolate covered espresso beans, the list goes on & on.  And while a lot of these toppings may be in direct conflict with eating a fat-free dessert, a couple of chocolate chips here and there never killed anyone.  And if you're like me you may end up with more toppings in your cup than actual yogurt!  Now be aware that they charge by the ounce, so going the "let's try a little bit of everything" route can get a bit pricey, but it's very easy to get an affordable lo-fat treat if you don't go berzerk. (says one who speaks from experience!)  It's a great place to take the kids because they get to pour their own yogurt (if they're tall enough to reach the handles) and load up their own toppings, there's nothing kids like better than getting to be a big girl or boy and do it themselves.
Always neat and clean no matter how many people are jostling for frozen delights, the staff is always friendly and they always have the cutest seasonal displays.  They even have a rewards card where you can work your way to free frozen yogurt with enough punches.

Sweet CeCe's Belle Meade
4322 Harding Pike, Suite 103
Nashville, TN 37205
615.383.1711
info@sweetceces.com

Sweet CeCe's Franklin
 500 Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
615.807.1412
info@sweetceces.com

Don't call it a comeback!

As of St. Patrick's Day, Mas Tacos is back in business for the season and today was the first day that I could catch up to them for lunch.  Over the winter Theresa has made some obvious improvements to the "Tacobego" and the food is even better than I remembered!

Is that even possible?!!?!

The menu is more or less the same, with old favorites and variations on them.  She was offering cantaloupe agua fresca (as opposed to the old standard, watermelon, which is delightful & refreshing) today but ran out 2 people ahead of me, I'll have to get there sooner next time! (and let that be a lesson to the rest of ya'!)  I don't know whether a long winter of taco longing made everything taste that much better or if she spent the cold season in her taco labs refining and creating even more delicious taco treats, but if you didn't get around to trying Mas Tacos last year, don't let another day slip by without stopping by!

Gracias, indeed!

Damn fine cup of coffee!

Like Special Agent Dale Cooper, I am a sucker for a good cup of coffee, so I have to drop a quick note to recommend Crema in downtown Nashville.  I stopped on a whim while on my way somewhere else and was delighted with the delicious cup of coffee that I got.  I ordered a caramel latte which is my usual everywhere else only to find out that they don't truck with those chemically syrups & silly flavorings.  (they do however have REAL chocolate and vanilla) She recommended a Cuban, which is made with sweeten condensed milk as a worthy substitute.  It was marvelous, good to the very last drop.  And unlike my lattes made with syrups, this didn't separate as the day went on leaving me with a god awful gulp of chemical aftertaste at the end of my cup. Their focus is 100% on good quality, good tasting coffee and they are not shy about not offering what everyone else has, because they know that what they're making, they're making it right!
My only complaint is that their location is not in any way convenient to me.

Crema
15 Hermitage Ave
Nashville, TN 37210
615-255-8311

You will never forget The Smiling Elephant

Today my Partner in Dine (aka Mom) tried The Smiling Elephant: Best Pad Thai Restaurant for lunch and I am still floating on a cloud of delight more than a day afterward.  The first thing that you notice upon stepping inside is the wave of delightful smells from the open kitchen.  Olive oil, fresh chili peppers, herbs, the list of delightful smells goes on and on, but they were by no means overwhelming, just maddeningly delicious.  In fact assuming that I had a full tummy, I would love to spend and afternoon sipping tea and just smelling The Smiling Elephant's kitchen.  The second thing that you will notice is the warm, blond wood that covers almost every available surface.  Apparently Sam, the owner, has spent the last 3 years crafting the interior of the restaurant by hand and it shows.  While it is foreign to western eyes, the homey vibe transcends any cultural barriers and invites you to settle in and get comfortable.  There are serene images of the Buddha, colorful pictures of daily life in Thailand and hand painted Thai signs adorning every wall.  We were greeted as soon as we walked in and it became apparent that everyone that works there is friendly and happy in what they do.  We were directed to choose our own seat in the tiny, but lovely dining room.

     The emphasis at The Smiling Elephant is on their food being light, fresh & healthy in a warm, friendly environment.  This is the first restaurant that I have ever been to that makes the offer of custom dishes if they have the ingredients, this should be bonus for the hardcore Thai food junkies out there.  I was just excited to try what is already on the menu as many of the dishes I have never heard of before.  They have, compared to other Thai restaurants in town, a limited menu.  This is not to say that there isn't something for everyone on it and to be honest it makes the decision making process much easier when you are being driven half-mad by all the delicious smells emanating from the kitchen.  A smaller menu also means that what they do make, they make very, very well. We started with fresh rolls, which are always a favorite of mine, but these were particularly delicious.  They were served precut into bite-sized pieces and top with some sort of mystery vegetable that honestly I meant to inquire about, but I was too busy stuffing my face to remember to do so!  They offer the option of just ordering an entree or what they call a "set," which is vegetarian soup (add $1 for meat), an entree and dessert.  I opted for a set, while mom got just the entree, I ordered the Pad Kra Pao, a spicy pork dish, and mom had the Gai Yang, a sweet & sour chicken dish, both were amazing.  For my soup I got Tom Kha, their version being less milky than others that I have had and including far more vegetables.  The layers of flavor in this soup made me sad when it was all gone, I was half tempted to lick the bowl, but I managed to restrain myself.  The entrees arrived quickly, piping hot and fresh, we gleefully dug in an barely had time to mumble out a garbled & emphatic "Good!" in between bites.  We shared with one another after the initial wave of unrestrained hunger washed away and were both pleased with what the other had.  Again the layers of flavor are what blew me away.  The fresh lime, cilantro & garlic worked so well together, but I could taste them individually as well.  I always find it amazing how in really good, fresh Thai food there can be so many tastes in one dish and it never seems to overwhelm.  The other magic of my entree was the fried egg that came with it.  You can ask anyone, I'm not really an egg person, but this little guy was a gift from heaven.  I'm not sure that I understand how they were able to make the white so fluffy and still keep the yolk runny and delicious, it must be an ancient Thai secret.  I never knew how good a fried egg with spicy, savory food could be, not only does it take some of the heat out of the dish, but it blends seamlessly with the rest of the food on my plate.  Marvelous!  I periodically had to remind myself to stop and really enjoy every bite, it was so delicious it took everything I had not to cram it all in my mouth at once. (I'm an instant gratification kind of gal)
     After I had finished my entree it was time for dessert which I had very much been looking forward to, Jack Fruit with milk & syrup!  Now I have only ever seen Jack Fruit in the Asian market, I've never purchased one because they are enormous and frankly look like something that an alien pod creature bent on world domination would come out of and try to eat my brain.   (the picture of the Jack Fruit to the right is to give you some scale)  That being said,  I was extremely curious as to how they tasted, I mean a fruit the size of a small child is quite an investment when you don't know what you're getting.  I was not disappointed, the Jack Fruit dessert was the perfect finish to my meal.  The Jack Fruit tastes like tender, very fresh, sweet cantaloupe with a lemony/citrus taste.  It's served over ice with coconut milk which is light and cooling, just perfect if maybe you overdid it with the chili peppers.
     I could not have been more pleased with the service, the atmosphere or the food at The Smiling Elephant, every last detail has been see to in this charming establishment and I would give it a resounding thumbs up to anyone who asks.  It is obvious that this is a labor of love for Sam & his wife, a dream finally realized that they graciously share with anyone who walks through their front door.  They have a gong by the door with a note that says, "If you like the food, hit the Gong!"  If I could have, I would have played The Carol of the Bells on that thing on my way out, I had to settle for a single clear note and a cheer from the kitchen as I walked out the door.

 

The Smiling Elephant: Best Pad Thai Restaurant

2213 8^th Ave South
Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 891-4488
follow them on Twitter!

There are tacos and for those who know there's Mas Tacos!

With its popularity growing everyday, Mas Tacos is the word on everyone's lips (and the little spot of sauce on their chins), so the Fat Girl just had to find out what the fuss was about for herself.
So you're saying, "Fat Girl, who cares about tacos? There's a Taco Bell down the street & they do just fine, when I want fancy ones, I'll go to Las Palmas or La Hacienda, I mean how good could they be?"
And I say unto you, so good you'll slap your momma or anyone else within arms reach, friend, relative or stranger...

It is hard to believe to look at them that these tacos, so unassuming in the their little red & white paper trays, could be so filling and have such a range of both bold and subtle flavors. They are not the unhealthy, mass-produced fair of fast food using lettuce for filler and banking on you being in too much of a hurry to notice that they don't taste very good. They are not even the sit-down Mexican restaurant standard overflowing with gooey white cheese and greasy ground beef. These tacos are fresh & light but hearty & filling at the same time. You bite into one and get a burst of cilantro as well as fresh squeezed lime juice and wonderfully creamy fresh sour cream dancing a jolly little jig on your tongue and that is just the beginning of what makes these tacos the best. I revel in the surprised grunt from Mas Tacos virgins as they get their first bite. It is a surprise to most (myself included) that a taco could be so flavorful. I have tried the chicken (rich flavors without being overwhelming, moist and rib-sticking good), the Quinoas (seasoned potatoes and corn good enough for even the most stalwart carnivores to make an all veggie meal exception) and the fried Tilapia (I am not even a fan of fish, but these are amazing! there's a mildly spicy secret sauce on these that I would kill to get the recipe for). I have yet to try their grilled corn on the cob, but how could it be bad? Everything else is made with artistry their grilled corn just has to be great! At the delightful aqua and yellow "tacobego" you can even find a fresh and tasty beverage unlike most you'll find. For those of you old enough to remember when Coca-Cola was made with real sugar and not corn syrup (and actually tasted good) there are Mexican Cokes in the old school glass bottle, ice cold and ready to satisfy you with their bubbly goodness. They also offer home made agua fresca, water mixed with fresh fruit juice. Fresh is the word to describe everything that Mas Tacos offers. Fresh ingredients, fresh ideas of what a taco can be as well as the fresh & fiesty proprietress, Teresa. Quick with a joke & a smile and a friendly "hon" or "babe", it is her personality as well as the masterful tacos she creates that bring people back again and again. Mas Tacos even provides a feast for the eyes, you would never expect food from a mobile vendor to be beautiful to look at, but the purple cabbage along with the bright green cilantro on the back drop of sour cream are like tasty little jewels wrapped in wax paper! For such a tiny package to contain such a lovely, delicious and addictive payload must surely be magic of some sort, so I have set about asking Teresa (owner, founder and gourmet taco enchantress) some of the hard hitting taco questions that people are dying to know the answers to. (I left her capitalization alone as it lent an artistic e.e. cummings sort of vibe)

Fat Girl: What inspired you to paint a Winnebago and sell tacos?

Mas Tacos: the winnebago was by chance, i had been looking around at old ice cream trucks and just anything that looked cool that would be big enough for a kitchen and ran across this truck on shelby for sale. its funny because i had been traveling all over tn looking at different things. i bought it from the band danger bear, they were trying to use it as a tour bus, but not having the best of luck on long trips.

(Their loss is our delicious taco gain!)

as far as the taco idea, i have always been crazy about street food, most bigger cities are full of vendors of all types. so its not an original idea, just new to nashville.

Fat Girl: Are these family recipes? created from scratch by you? found as a prize in a Cracker Jack box?

Mas Tacos: recipes came from a lot of trial and error and knowing ultimately what i wanted the food to taste like, so it was only a matter of time until i got it right.

Fat Girl: I know that something this delicious must be a closely guarded secret, but what would you say is the number 1 ingredient to a stellar taco?

Mas Tacos: i think what makes these tacos so good, is just that they are fresh, everything is homemade (except the tortillas..they do such a good job right down the street at la hacienda, why mess with a good thing) and simple.

Fat Girl: Would you ever like to have a stationary taco restaurant or would that destroy the charm of the lone gypsy tacobago wandering the countryside like Caine from Kung-Fu? (feel free to describe your dream restaurant or fleet of tacobagos or whatever, in detail)

Mas Tacos: i do want a permanent place..but its too soon. i love the idea of having a home base to work from though. it would be in the neighborhood for sure. maybe the truck could even still be the kitchen!

Fat Girl: What is the best way for our readers to track the Mas Tacos revolution as it feeds East Nashville and beyond?

Mas Tacos: twitter.com/mastacos facebook or myspace. i like myspace because you can put fun music and photos.


Fat Girl: What's next for Mas Tacos? Any Cinco De Mayo plans?

Mas Tacos: the cinco de mayo party is behind the alley cat, we've got a great indoor and outdoor space..full menu, live music. i'm really excited. if you mention it tell folks to bring thier lawn chair!

(of course I'll mention it, any reason to get these tacos is a good reason!)

oh and i definately am going to expand the menu soon. and you can look for me at movies in the park this summer. (in centennial park)

*****

My only complaint about Mas Tacos is that as a West Sider I have to drive across town to imbibe these little tortilla wrapped beauties. As complaints go this isn't a big one, as a lone tacobego, how many places could she be at one time? I am thrilled to see her at Movies in the Park this year, as it will open up her taco magic to my side of town and further the Mas Tacos Revolution.

Viva la Taco!
-Fat Girl