A heck of a Cuban sandwich

A Matter of Taste is the small little sandwich shop arm of a larger catering company located just a few miles away from my office. The only thing I've ever eaten there is the Cuban sandwich. I wait for the tweets to tell me it's on their specials list, then I head on over to Franklin Road and order myself one.

Their joint is eco-friendly (they use an iPad for a cash register and email your receipt to you!) and inspirational. The walls of this small little shop are plastered with feel-good quotes and mantras. I always leave A Matter of Taste with a brighter outlook on my day.

iPad cash register

Inspirational quotes written in chalk on the sliding doors leading to the kitchen.

Up close of quotes.

The Cuban Sandwich is pulled pork, ham, bread & butter pickles, melted Swiss cheese, and yellow mustard on a baguette. Unfortunately, AMOT used so much mustard on my last sandwich that with every bite, I was practically bathing in it. Because I took the sandwich back to work with me, I ended up with mustard all over my keyboard and desk. And I went through at least 3 napkins. Super messy! But...still delicious. 

The sandwich is priced at $7.95 and that does not include chips and a drink, so it's a little on the pricey side. But, it's hearty enough that you don't even need chips. While there are definitely better lunch deals out there, this one is delicious, locally-made, and available on gluten-free bread if you need it. 


I could continue on about the Cuban sandwich, but Rick Bragg does it so much more justice. 

Fried Rice & a Smile

I often complain about the lack of food options in my Berry Hill neighborhood, but I have a rather lengthy list of establishments I have yet to patron. One of those being The Smiling Elephant, a quaint Thai restaurant on 8th Ave. S. that touts itself as the "best Pad Thai restaurant in Nashville."

This is one place I have driven by multiple times, often overlooked, and eagerly waited to try. That day finally came! A few weeks ago, a wonderful email appeared in my inbox. The boss was making a run to The Smiling Elephant, did anyone want to place an order? Yes, please!

I ordered the Chicken Fried Rice, a safe yet authentic-seeming Thai dish. When she arrived, my to-go box was overflowing with jasmine rice teeming with tomatoes, carrots, onions, eggs, cilantro, a spicy green that my uneducated tongue can not identify, and of course, fresh chicken. The lime slice garnish set the flavors in motion. With every bite, I felt the dish got better and better. It was one of those dining experiences when you know you should stop eating half-way through and save the rest for later, but it was all so good I just could not stop myself. It was rather embarrassing, so I was grateful to be eating alone at my desk.

Cut to last weekend, when a friend was visiting from out of town. We essentially ate our way through Music City, sampling everything from Italian to German to gussied-up American, to down home country cookin'. We were ready for something of a different variety. When Jenn suggested Asian, I knew The Smiling Elephant was the place to take her. I was excited to finally get to visit the tiny spot.

And tiny it was! In fact, the fire codes only allow for 30 people at a time! Upon entering, I felt like I'd been transformed to a Thai palace. Guests sit so close to each other that each is barely afforded the elbow room to use the chop sticks. In lieu of chairs, each table has small square benches, which made the "What to do with my coat?" question interesting. (Most folks sat on theirs!) The service was fast and friendly, despite the crowds. The flair on the walls described the Thai culture and traditional Thai meals. Ethnic and quaint without being overwhelming or making you feel as though you don't belong there.

The End Notes:

• If dining here on the weekend, arrive early! It got quite crowded by 6:30 p.m.
• Lunch is reasonably priced ($8.95) but I felt I got less food at dinner for more money ($10.95). 
• Definitely a good option and worth the drive from any part of town!

Crazy about this Creamery

The main reason I want to move to East Nashville is for the culinary adventure I'm certain I would have with so many delicious eateries, drinkeries, and bakeries nearby. One of the many places I wish I lived closer to is the Pied Piper Creamery, a family-owned establishment featuring "original house-made flavors and 'punny' names that get people talking" (according to their website).  Ice cream and wordplay! Two of my favorite things!

Imagine my delight when they opened a second location in Berry Hill, just minutes from my home and office (a dangerous location for sure). At this locale, the Pipers ship gallons of their ice cream across town and sell scoops out of the left side of a small duplex on Bransford Ave., Berry Hill's version of Main Street.

Deciding this week necessitated a celebratory Friday afternoon treat, I ventured over to Pied Piper Creamery for the first time. Inside the purple shack, I was greeted with cheery colors, cases of ice cream, and a jolly scoopster. The best part of Pied Piper, besides the taste of the ice cream and the clever names, is their unlimited samples policy. Try as many flavors as you like until you find one that fits. In fact, my scooper pulled out a handful of sample spoons, anticipating my indecisiveness.

I only sampled three flavors: The Movie Star, a lemon-ginger custard; Caramel Mousse, a light whipped texture with an intensely sweet caramel base and caramel ribbon; and Banana Fana Fo Fuddin, a frozen version of Mama's nana puddin. Normally a fan of banana-flavored anything, I was really hoping to like this one. It was good but was a little too sweet for my liking.

In the end, I settled on The Movie Star. My scoop master told me of the hundreds of flavors the Pied Pipers have experimented with in the last 3 1/2 years, this is still by far his favorite. I can see why. On a hot August afternoon, it was perfectly light and refreshing and doesn't leave you feeling thirsty like a lot of ice creams will. And the custard means its creamier, richer, and--in my opinion--more delicious. (I've heard arguments that its makeup technically makes it more healthy/less bad for you than regular ice cream.) Intriguing and delicious--a perfect way to end a long week.

Partnered with The Movie Star, the shop also offered The Professor, a coconut flavored concoction. On the way out, I heard him explain to the customers behind me that at one point they offered Mary Ann, a low-calorie choice with no added sugar because "Mary Ann was sweet enough."

The only downside to Berry Hill's Pied Piper Creamery is its lack of space. There are picnic tables with umbrellas outside, but there is no inside seating. With as hot as it's been lately, that almost makes eating ice cream counterproductive. Or at the very least, a race against time. But the flavors and the friendly faces make it so worth it. If you don't want to battle the heat, you can take home a pint for only $5.50. Not a bad deal to support a family of local entrepreneurs!

The End Notes:

• Delicious, home-made ice creams
• They make ice cream cakes too, so every occasion can be celebrated with the help of Pied Piper Creamery
• No inside seating makes it a "hot" spot to visit
• Two sticky but satisfied thumbs up!

Coffee in a Clutch

Spend any length of time with me, and you will know I have a penchant for coffee. More than a penchant, a passion. I can drink coffee at any given time of day during any given time of year (yes, even in the middle of a Tennessee summer day!), and I always drink it black. Unless I'm feeling really adventurous, and then I go for a non-fat au lait, and that's just about as fancy as I ever get. So to say that I am thrilled to work near a locally-owned (read: NOT a Starbucks) coffee shop is slightly misrepresenting the truth.

Berry Hill's Sam & Zoe's gets a lot of my money, as they are within almost-walking distance from my office. OK, so walking is unrealistic, but swinging quickly by the old house-turned-java joint is not. Sam & Zoe's is one of my favorite spots for quick cup of joe on the way to work or afternoon pick me up, but it's spot on my Top Ten list is due primarily to its location. Recently, the place has gone through yet-another change in the quest to find its true identity, and the menu (and the service) has not gotten back up to par.

For my standard afternoon pick-me-up, the medium non-fat au lait hold the cardboard sleeve because I'm trying to single-handedly save the environment, Sam & Zoe's is great. For a quick sandwich or salad, it's not so much anymore.

One of the best things I've found on the revamped lunch menu is the Tijuana Wrap, an overstuffed tortilla filled with black beans, melted cheese, avacado slices, and tomatillo salsa. The warm, gooey wrap is good and comforting, but it is too much. I always overeat and always regret it. For the money, I'd just as soon go next door to Baja Burrito.

The coffee shop offers a homemade chicken salad served on a cranberry pecan bread, which I thought was good until I had The Iroquois from Bread & Company, which is one of the only sandwiches I crave. S&Z's just doesn't quite have the same pizzaz.

My most upsetting Sam & Zoe's happened recently, on a day when I definitely could have and probably should have gone home for lunch instead of eating out. But I wasn't in the mood for PB&J so I opted for a quick bite here. I ordered the Chipotle Chicken sandwich, which I had always heard from really good. I thought it was really disappointing. I liked the chipotle sauce and the fresh sourdough bun but that was about it. The chicken was obviously the pre-packaged kind and had some questionable bits. Gross!  I don't quite know what I expected (because they obviously aren't firing up the grill in their tiny kitchen) but when their chicken salad always tastes good and their turkey is pulled and tastes fresh, I just expected more than iffy pre-packaged chicken. Not to mention, on this particular day I had to wait an excessively long time for this lackluster meal.

Despite what my coworker thinks about the quality of their menu, I think I'll save Sam & Zoe's for the quick cup of coffee and maybe the homemade chocolate chip cookies and spend my money on sandwiches elsewhere.

The End Notes:

• Good, reliable coffee
• Staff (almost) always serves with a smile
• Lunch menu is constantly in transition and not as reliable as other bakeries/sandwich joints in the neighborhood.
• I'm neutral about this one. 

This little piggy went to market...& cried Wee! Wee! Wee! all the way down 8th Avenue

This weekend, an unprecedented event occurred. I blogged while eating! My dinner not only filled my tummy but also filled my head full of adjectives I haven't used since I had to critique an avant-garde art exhibit during a college art history class. 

I'm going to own it: I love pork. And so, I have been practically stalking the progress of the new bar-be-que joint opening up next my new favorite neighborhood wine shoppe & the Kroger on 8th Ave. on the edge of Berry Hill. When I finally saw the OPEN sign, I was there. And was surprised to find upon entering that this was not going to be just any local BBQ place. This is B&C BBQ!


That's right, folks. The same owners of Bacon and Caviar Catering and the B&C BBQ stand at the Nashville Farmer's Market have opened up shop outside the green gates of the market. Having heard great reviews of all the food stands inside the NFM but not ever having the chance to patron any of them, I was thrilled to find a Nashville original in my own backyard.


I was also thrilled to find it was incredibly delicious.


I know I said I would start being tougher, more realistic, less "Ohmigosh this place is amazing and the food is so good and you have to go right away!" BUT, I don't think I have anything bad to say about my first B&C experience. 


B&C serves everything cafeteria-style, and they'll let you sample anything. Meat. Veggies. Side dishes. You want a taste? You got it! Although I took mine to-go, it did look like they have established a cozy little dining patio to the left of the restaurant. I saw strings of red lights; it'll probably be great in the spring and summer.


I ordered my standard BBQ joint fare: pulled pork plate with mac & cheese and green beans. (Well, I prefer collards but the beans were the only green thing on the line.) Generous portion of meat, 2 sides, and a corn muffin for only $6.75. What a bargain! The meat was lean and moist, but not greasy. The beans were so-so. A little overcooked, way too peppery, and overall rather bland. 


But let me tell you, the macaroni and cheese and corn muffin more than made up for the lackluster veggies. I dare say this was the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had. It might even beat out the truffled mac from Bound'ry (you know, the one I argued with the waiter for...)! B&C's is creamy and garlicky with the perfect amount of cheese, so unlike most other Southern recipes that use lots of eggs and bake it casserole-style. I probably could eat it by the gallon! And let me tell you about this corn muffin. It was light, fluffy, and sweet, with a little crunch on the edge. More than a corn muffin, it was a veritable corn cupcake!

So, the downsides: besides the bland green beans and the lack of beverage variety (although beer is coming soon!), I hate that they use styrofoam dinnerware. I also was not particularly fond of either of the two sauces I tried. (B&C offers 4--a mild, medium, hot, and vinegar-based.) I tried medium, which seemed to have the wrong proportions of sweet and spicy. I couldn't exactly pinpoint what I didn't like, though. The vinegar sauce was nothing more than bottled vinegar with crushed red pepper flakes. Maybe the other 2 were better...

The End Notes:

• Need a fresh catering option? Think Bacon and Caviar!
• Looking to break the cycle of burritos and fast food in Berry Hill? Come to B&C BBQ!
• Great food, low prices, friendly staff. Can't ask for much more than that!