Geek Food Critic

We spent Thanksgiving with my family in Hermitage this year, and on Black Friday we decided to take everybody out to dinner. We tried Gondola House Pizzeria, mainly because it is the number 2 rated restaurant on TripAdvisor for the area. The place got rave reviews on both TripAdvisor and UrbanSpoon, and after eating there, I know why.

We started off with an appetizer - Deep Fried Ravioli. The ravioli was very good - filled with plenty of cheese and only lightly fried. Everyone liked it, especially our son, who ate three quarters of one of the large ravioli himself.

I ordered the Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce. It was one of the specific dishes called out in multiple reviews, and I’m glad I tried it. I haven’t had really good spaghetti in a long time, and this was extremely good. The meatballs were awesome - huge, dense but still moist. I ate every bite of this - something I’m pretty sure contributed to some heartburn I had later on, but that’s my fault for eating so much tomato-based sauce in addition to the pizza I shared with my wife.

My wife and I also ordered a pizza - the Old School Gondola Special with onions, green peppers, and sausage. This was very good pizza. Maybe not the best pizza I’ve had in a while, but I’d order it again and be satisfied. The crust was thin and light, with a generous amount of mozzarella. The sausage was really good as well, and our son ate quite a bit of it from each of his mom’s slices.

Speaking of our son, we ordered him a child’s pizza with ham on it, since that’s his favorite topping. He ate three slices of it, as well as most of one of the meatball’s from my mom’s spaghetti.

We ordered desserts to go - three of them. The Tiramisu was mentioned in a couple reviews, and both Butterscotch Bread Pudding and Chocolate Bread Pudding were on the special list for the night. We divided them up at my parents' house according to individual taste. My wife liked the tiramisu and I found it to be good as far as it goes, but it’s really not my thing. Bread pudding, however, is one of my favorite desserts, so I was really looking forward to trying each of them, even though butterscotch sounded like it might not be that good. As it turns out, the butterscotch was definitely the better of the two, with the chocolate being, according to my wife, “not chocolatey enough.”

I was really happy with our meal at Gondola House. The food was great. The service was outstanding, with our server being both quick with a joke and a refill of our drinks. The other staff were friendly, thanking us as we left. I sincerely wish that Gondola House were located in Knoxville, because I can’t think of another Italian restaurant in town in that price range nearly as good on so many fronts. We’ll definitely be returning the next time we’re in the Nashville area, and I’m certain my family will try it again as well.

This is post 28 in the #NaBloWriMo #vDM30in30 30 Day Blog Challenge

Something I enjoy almost as much as eating at one of my favorite restaurants is sharing them with people I know. That’s one reason I write this blog, of course, and the reason I’m quick to offer opinions about restaurants when they come up in conversation. I’m attending a professional conference this week with several coworkers, and the second night of the conference was a “free night” with no planned dinner or activities. I suggested we eat at McNamara’s Irish Pub, and my coworkers agreed it sounded good, so we did.

We walked into the restaurant at 5:45 and our party of six was seated immediately. I fielded questions about the menu and made recommendations about what was good, which, quite frankly, is everything I’ve ever tried and most of the items on the menu. My coworkers ordered each of the following: Shepherd’s Pie, Potato Soup (x2), Irish Nachos, Fish & Chips, and Kettle Chips. Each of them really liked the food, although one coworker did report that she expected “creamy” potato soup to have cheese in it, and it didn’t.

I began my meal, as usual, with a pint of Magners hard cider. It wouldn’t be an Irish meal to me without a glass of cider.

I ordered an appetizer to share - the Boxty Spinach Dip. The spinach dip itself is good, but the real star of this dish are the fried potato cakes you use a dip delivery mechanism. I could eat them by themselves and be happy.

For my entree, I went with the tried and true Bangers and Mash. I have to say the mashed potatoes were a little dry, but I didn’t really care because the sausage was so good. As my side, I ordered the Corn Casserole, and it was very good, both creamy and with just a bit of spice. I had a few of my coworker’s kettle chips as well - they were generally good, although some were nice and crispy and others were a bit chewy.

We were all stuffed after the meal, especially my coworker who ordered the Irish Nachos, an enormous appetizer of nachos made with the same beef used in the Shepherd’s Pie. Still, it wouldn’t be a visit to McNamara’s without a serving of the Bread Pudding. I ordered some, as did one of my coworkers. The bread pudding was warm, made with baked apples, and topped with a sweet sauce and what I believe was vanilla bean ice cream. I didn’t need it, but I ate every bite.

Sharing a restaurant I love with people I like is a blast. I look forward to doing it again soon.

This is post 12 in the #NaBloWriMo #vDM30in30 30 Day Blog Challenge

Made another trip to Nashville this weekend to visit family. We were looking for a new place to try for lunch on Labor Day. Our first two choices, a Bosnian cafe and a Barbeque place, were closed on Monday. So we settled for our third choice, JB’s Pour House, and I’m glad we did.

We started off with the Chips and Queso. One reviewer on Trip Advisor said it was the best queso he’d ever had. While I wouldn’t go that far, the queso was quite good. It was a bit spicy, with some chopped jalapenos for both flavor and texture. The chips were good too, both warm and perfectly crispy.

We ordered a variety of entress, and since my parents knew I’d be writing a review of JB’s, my mom insisted I try some of hers. She had the Beef Brisket Quesadilla. I’ve never been a huge quesadilla fan, but I was pretty impressed with this one. Quesadillas are usually boring, with bland chicken. Having beef brisket in one was a nice change of pace, and the cheese and onions were done well too.

My wife ordered the Chicken Tenders and she had me trip a couple of bites of it as well. They were extremely good - obviously hand-breaded at the restaurant and not just bought pre-prepared.

We ordered the Chicken Tenders Kids Meal with Mac & Cheese as the side for our son. The mac & cheese was excellent, elbow pasta with a cheese that tasted very much like the queso in the appetizer, with perhaps a bit less spice. What surprised us about the meal, though, was that the chicken tenders were the same as those in the adult meal. This is not the norm at most restaurants.

I ordered the Ribs & Meat Combo, with Brisket (of course) as my choice of second meat. The ribs were excellent - tender, smokey, and covered in just enough sauce to make it interesting, but not so much as to be messy. My only regret for the ribs was that it was only a third of a rack. The brisket was good too, although not award-winning good. It was sliced more thinly than most places, almost like bologna in thickness, and a bit more done, almost dry. Nothing a good bit of their sauce couldn’t handle, though. The sauce was good to, although I would have preferred a choice of both sweet sauce and spicy and all they had was fairly sweet.

We waited a long, long time for our food. So long that our server came over and apologized twice for the backup, saying they were short-handed. I didn’t mind since we were having a good time visiting, and she kept our drinks filled. My dad, however, had to make a crack about it, saying that if they didn’t have enough staff to take care of the customers walking through the door, the door shouldn’t be opened. While we waited, I asked for a bowl of their chicken and sausage gumbo. It was very good - nice and thick, a bit spicy, with plenty of both meats and okra in addition to the rice.

Aside from the inordinate amount of time it took to get our food, I really enjoyed JB’s Pour House and I heartily recommend it.

I was on my own for lunch yesterday in Nashville, so I did what I always do - looked for someplace new and local to try. I was driving down Lebanon Road near my old neighborhood in Hermitage and I noticed a sign for “House of Gyro Salad & Hamburger.” The building looked familiar, but I haven’t lived in that area for over 20 years, so I couldn’t be sure. I later learned it used to be a Pizza Hut.

I pulled into the parking lot and opened Urbanspoon to check reviews. Only listing for “House of Gyros” was in another location, so I don’t know if they moved at some point or what. Switched to Yelp. Decent reviews, and I like Mediterranean food, so I figured why not? When I got out of the car, I noticed a large smoker next to a mobile food trailor of some kind. I looked closer and made out the name “Constant Smoke” on the smoker. I’ve posted before about my feelings about barbeque, so it should come as no surprise that I was conflicted as to what to do about lunch. Eat at the gyro place I’d intented to give my business, and in whose parking lot my car was sitting, or walk across the way to patronize a competitor offering a selection of smoked meats? I actually did both, and I may write about the barbeque experience at a later date. This review is about House of Gyro

Right off the bat, I’m going to cut the place a little slack, as my intention to eat inside the restaurant was altered before I walked in the door. My parents called and said they could meet me at home, and that I should just order lunch to go for myself. I had to order my food to go, and I don’t like to eat out of to-go containers, so I know that probably impacted my impression of the food.

I ordered a Gyro and was given a choice of ranch or cucumber salsa as the dressing for it. Neither sounded particularly appealing, so I asked the lady ringing me up what she preferred and she said ranch, and I went with that. I also ordered a 4 piece appetizer of Falafel. Same two choices for sauce, so I got the cucumber salsa. Here’s a pic of both items in the to-go container.

The gyro wasn’t half bad. Not awesome, but I’d order it again. I’d prefer Tzatziki sauce to ranch, though. The meat was tasty and the tomatos and other veggies tasted fine as well. The pita was soft and seemed fresh. The falafel was only so-so, but I think that’s mainly because I didn’t care for the cucumber salsa. Not sure why they didn’t have Tahini sauce, and plain falafel really isn’t that exciting.

Like I said, though, I’m going to cut this place some slack. I’d be happy to try it again for a dine-in experience next time I’m in the area. Until then, I’d give it a tentative recommendation.

Another day in Nashville means another dinner with my parents. Like me, they love Mexican food. Like Knoxville, there seems to be an abundance of mediocre Mexican food in Nashville. I know of a really good place I hope to visit and review next time I’m in town, but tonight they picked our dinner spot - El Chico on Murfreesboro Road.

I can remember eating at this El Chico off and on for most of my life. I know we used to live in that area of town when I was 5 or 6. I even learned tonight my mom used to wait tables at an upscale steak & bar combo right down the street. My family has a lot of history with this restaurant, which is fairly unusual for us, as most places don’t last 30+ years. I point this out to make it clear that I probably can’t be completely unbiased about this place, both because of family history and because it is one of my parents’ favorite places.

We began tonight’s meal with the Top Shelf Guacamole. Our server showed up at our table with a huge platter filled with bowls containing avacados, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, a line, and some spices. He mixed the guacamole to our tastes, leaving the jalapenos on the side for me to mix into mine separately. Nothing beats fresh-made guacamole, and while this may not have been the best I’ve ever had, it was some of the best I’ve had in a while, and certainly the best $6 guacamole I’ve period. The chips and included salsa were fairly good.

I ordered the Rodeo Combo, which included two beef burritos with sour cream or cheese sauce, a beef taco, rice, and frijoles rancheros. I ordered this in a rush after not paying attention to the menu until my parents were finished ordering. I usually go for chicken-heavy when I eat Mexican, and I probably would have been better served doing that tonight. The burritos were OK, but not awesome. The taco was quite good, with an almost chalupa-like shell, and plenty of avacado and tomatoes. Come to think of it, if I had it to do over, I would have simply ordered three of those tacos. The rice was mostly boring and the frijoles rancheros were decent but nothing to get excited about.

The service was good, but I’d expect that since my parents are regulars. We had a nice conversation about the guacamole coming with a half lime this time as opposed to a quarter last time, and how much the price of limes and tomatoes has impacted the menu over the last several years.

El Chico isn’t the best Mexican to be had in Nashville, but in my experience over many years, including a few times in the last couple of years, they’re predictably decent. Sometimes that’s good enough.

There is one restuarant in Nashville I make a point of eating at whenever I drive in, be it to visit family or on business. McNamara’s Irish Pub & Restaurant. I’m not sure how I discovered McNamara’s, but my wife and I quickly made it our go-to restuarant for family visits, and once our son was born, our special date night spot for those delightful weekends when we drive into town and drop our son off with my parents.

Before I say anything else, though, you need to know McNamara’s is closed on Monday’s. I hate that, as I have driven over there on more than one occasion while in middle Tennessee (not necessarily Nashville) on business, sometimes with coworkers, only to be reminded of the terribly sad reality that on Mondays there is no happiness to be found at McNamara’s.

I’m in Nashville for a few days visiting my parents, and I decided we could use a nice meal, so I sprung for dinner at McNamara’s because I’m a good son. I was pleasantly surprised to discover on walking in that there would be live music starting in 10 minutes and that there were tables available in the bar / music room. While I was mildly disappointed that the band was not Nosey Flynn, the house band with the owner as lead singer, the music of Colm Kirwan & Celtic Country was quite good.

I began my evening with a Magners, of course. I asked for a glass of ice to go along with it. Tasted great. So good, in fact, I had another.

For my meal, I ordered Bangers & Mash, with Corn Casserole as the additonal side. I love McNamara’s sausages. I know it would kill me quickly, but I think I could eat them for every meal for the rest of my life. The potatoes I could take or leave, but they work with the sausages. The corn casserole is quite good, although I’m not nearly as fond of it as is my wife.

What made the bangers & mash even better tonight was the fact that the gentleman who delivered our meal, who I believe was a co-owner and GM, brought me two kinds of sauces to try with them. This is a first, so I don’t know if the sauces are new or if my servers in the past just never thought about offering them. I didn’t care for the HP sauce, but the Colman’s English Mustard was very good and quite spicy.

The band kicked into high gear early on during our meal and they were a blast to listen to. The lead singer, Colm Kirwan, said he was from Ireland, the lady playing the fiddle was from Chicago, and I didn’t catch where the guitar/banjo player was from. They were a delight to listen to, and the audience really got into clapping along with the music, as is normally the case at McNamara’s. As you can may be able to make out in the forground of this picture, a young couple even brought their baby to the show. She had a good time.

I decided to wrap up my meal with the Bread Pudding. Bread Pudding competes with Cheesecake for the top spot on my favorite desserts list, and tonight it earned temporary supremacy. The pudding tonight was fresh, crisp in spots, soft in others, mixed liberally with fresh apples, and a nice big dollup of vanilla ice cream.

I cannot recommend McNamara’s Irish Pub & Restaurant highly enough. While I always have a ready to be in Nashville when I eat there, on more than one occasion my wife and I have decided to drive in to spend an evening in Nashville after waffling on the idea for a while once we remember we’ll get to eat at McNamara’s. It’s good.

I recently spent a week in Nashville to attend a training class.  The trip lasted five days and I tried a new and different restaurant each night.  Having asked for recommendations from my Nashville friends on Facebook, I intended to work my way down their list of favorite lunch & dinner spots on Monday night.  A combination of bad timing, even worse weather, and a bit of luck prevented me from trying either of the first two recommended restaurants.  Instead, I found myself pulling over to the side of the road and playing a little Urbanspoon bingo.  Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish was the most popular choice by far in the area of East Nashville I'd wandered into, with a rating of well over 90% and over 100 people voting.  I decided to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did.

Bolton's doesn't look like much from the outside, or on the inside, for that matter.  Located on the side of a busy street with very little parking, it would be easy to miss if you weren't looking for it.  The dining area is very small, which makes me think they probably do as much or more take-out business than dine-in.  I followed the instructions and knocked on the pink door to let the cook know I was ready to place my order.  I couldn't decide if I wanted chicken or fish, so I ordered both; the spicy chicken dinner with green beans and macaronic & cheese, and a spicy grouper sandwich.

The chicken was amazing, and I'm not ashamed to admit it was almost too hot for me to handle.  I remember wondering what the two slices of white bread were for when I opened the container, but as soon as I took my first bite of the chicken I understood how I'd be using the bread.  I really like spicy food; I don't hesitate to ask for my Thai food to be "Thai hot."  That's how hot Bolton's chicken was, but the heat wasn't just there to be overpowering.  The heat was a star of the dish, but it wasn't the star - the crisply fried chicken was.  The sides were good as well, but I only tried a couple bites of each so I would have plenty of room left for the fish.

The grouper sandwich was good as well.  The fish itself was excellent, but I discovered that while I love spicy food, and I love fish sandwiches, I must not love spicy fish sandwiches.  I'm also not especially fond of mustard, which probably contributed to my lack of excitement for the sandwich.  I could have ordered the fish without spice, and next time I would do so and ask for mayo instead of mustard, and I know I would like it much more.

I liked Bolton's, and I'd gladly eat there again.