Brunch for a Bunch

Last weekend, I had friends in town from Birmingham. No strangers to the Art of Dining Well, they were excited to see which restaurants I led them to. And I was excited to show off my city again.

Friday night we met for Happy Hour in the Yazoo Taproom. I'd taken the brewery tour before but never just had a drink in the taproom. Overflowing with suds and twenty- and thirty-somethings all gathered to kick off their weekends, we had a hard time working our to the front of the room and finding a table. The one we did find was not cleaned off so we had to drink with caution to avoid setting our elbows in spilled beer. But the atmosphere was fun and the beer was good. And Justice even bought a growler to enjoy his Yazoo the next week.

For dinner, we walked down the sidewalk to Urban Flats, not exactly local but fun and enjoyable nonetheless. We topped off the night with mojitos from The Greenhouse, a literal greenhouse-turned-bar in Green Hills that boasts introducing mojitos to Music City. At $9 a pop, they are definitely an indulgence, but a delicious one at that. I'm fairly certain they grow their own mint and serve up the rum-based concoction in a mason jar.

The next day, we breakfasted at Fido, went to the Tomato Arts Fest, and toured the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Frist.

Sunday morning's brunch was probably one of the highlights of the weekend for me. We were ready to go early, so I had to find somewhere that started serving at 10. That nixed Tin Angel, 55 South, and Bosco's. With my usual spots out of the question, I did a quick Urban Spoon search for other options and was reminded of the Copper Kettle's brunch buffet.

Both locations (Granny White across the street from Lipscomb University and Downtown on Hermitage Ave.) serve Sunday brunch beginning at 10 a.m. Downtown starts serving at 9 on Titans Sundays. I chose to take them Downtown for the view.

The buffet is a little pricey ($16.95 for adults) but it's all you can eat, and if you choose wisely, you can have fruits and cheeses, main courses, pastries, and desserts all in one sitting. I tried a little bit of everything but didn't notice the bread pudding until the very end, when I was too full to enjoy it. We tried everything from cream puffs to caprese salads, to eggs Benedict (yes! eggs Benedict on the buffet!) to roast beef to bacon, hashbrown casserole, and biscuits & gravy. Wow, I'm getting hungry again just remembering it all.

Coffee, teas, and juices were offered with unlimited refills. Though our waiter did not offer mimosas or Bloody Marys, the restaurant did have a liquor shelf, so we probably should have just asked. While the total with tip was bordering on $20, but we ate and ate and ate. I didn't need to eat again until 7:30 because I was so full all day. I justified it by thinking if we had gone anywhere else, I'd ordered something like an omelet and a side dish, a coffee, and a breakfast cocktail, it probably would've been the same price. And the best part of a buffet is there is something that appeals to everyone!

If you have in-town company, need to entertain the in-laws or parents, or just want something to break your usual Sunday morning routine, I highly recommend checking out the buffet at Copper Kettle. Enjoy!

What all the fuss is about...

(So this post is much delayed. I do realize this...please do not fault me for it.)

In the midst of the holiday season rush (that is, trying to pack suitcases, load cars, and catch flights) time was running short for our annual December dinner. So...we rescheduled to lunch. Which got rescheduled to breakfast. Which is how I came to finally find myself at The Pancake Pantry for breakfast two days before Christmas.

In the 1.5 years I've been a Nashvillian, I'd yet to eat at this famous local joint. I just refused to stand in line for breakfast.  I just could not imagine something delicious enough to wait for more than an hour to eat. Especially if it was cold. Or hot. Or an extreme temperature in any sort of way. Well, here's my advice: Should you find yourself craving fabulous pancakes (or you are currently very upset by Nashville's frozen waffle drought) then you should visit The Pancake Pantry at a random hour on a random weekday.



At 7:57 on Christmas Eve eve, there was no line and no waiting. (However, there was a line by the time we were finished.) We were crowded onto the row of banquette seats with seven other people and their winter coats, but it was cozy and not all that uncomfortable. I quickly browsed the menu (but let's be honest, ordering coffee was my number 1 priority!) and settled on the sweet potato pancakes. Just to verify my choice, I asked the waitress for her opinion. "OH, the sweet potato pancakes. Yeah, that's what we're known for," was her response. Apparently this avoider of long lines and waiting was not aware of this. But I ordered them anyway. And let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed!

Served with a pat of butter so big it hardly qualified as a pat anymore (shmear, maybe?) and a warm, cinnamon cream syrup, these pancakes were quite possibly one of the best breakfast foods I've inhaled lately. Reminiscent of the pumpkin spice-flavored anything that I enjoy during the fall, these cakes were fluffy and filling without feeling too heavy. Of course I was the last of the group to finish eating and of course I could not get anywhere close to cleaning the 5 massive flapjacks off my plate, but I gave it my best shot. And it was so worth the wait, the early hour, and the subsequent comatose state I found myself in until mid-afternoon. 

So here is my post-Pancake Pantry conclusion: choose your timing wisely and make this a must-eat when in Nashville. My new mantra is to live like  a tourist in my own town. And so I encourage you to visit this touristy hot-spot and enjoy a warm, delicious, and generous breakfast. Pick a random time, have a Tuesday morning brunch, and head on over to this Hillsboro Village favorite. You'll be glad you did. I'm glad I (finally) did!

And, if the line is wrapping around the building and you simply can't wait for breakfast, I hear Fido just expanded. 

Buon appetitio, y'all!