The Hungry Apple

My phone is overloaded with pictures of restaurants I have been to this summer in and around town, so I am going to unload them all at one time in an effort to make my phone move a little faster so that you have the skinny on some Nashville gems.

MAS TACOS

First Up? MAS TACOS-East Nashville. Now you know I’m a sucker for anything Mexican and this place is no different. They have the classics (ground beef, pork, chicken) and they also have unique menu choices like fried avocado and quinoa tacos. Aquas Frescas are a refreshing addition to your meal and the cinder block decor cannot be beat. Prepare yourself to wait in line and dine in a get-in-and-get-out fashion. The tables are small and you need to let others have their turn.  I wish they had longer hours for me, but good for them.

8 apples. (+ Food, Cost, Vibe, Unique Quality) Yum, yum, yum.

SKY BLUE

We  hit up Sky Blue for the first time, also located in East Nashville and perfectly perched on the corner of Fatherland and 7th.

Breakfast did not dissapoint.  He went with their special: Em’s Bowl while I opted for an omelette with avocado and bacon.  The coffee was smooth and bright and the service was friendly. We sat outside at one of their sidewalk tables and it was ever so pleasant.

7 apples (+ atmosphere, food quality, service, coffee) to you Sky Blue.

FROTHY MONKEY

Company came to town this summer and after introducing them to Arrington, we tried out Franklin’s Frothy Monkey during dinner, for the first time.  We’ve been for breakfast (see biscuits & gravy/pancakes)  before which as always been good.

 We were really wanting a night time gem. It turns out, it was really good! Throughout the table we had a side salad (simple and delicious), shrimp and grits (better than most), tomato pasta (substantial and creamy), trout (unique!) and a burger (hearty and fresh).

7 apples to Frothy Monkey!  (+ proximity to (my) home, outdoor dining, fresh ingredients, friendly staff, pricing) (-out of a few things but as far as freshness goes, i guess that’s a good thing)

I am looking forward to going back again for round two.

ROLF AND DAUGHTERS REPEAT

A return trip to Rolf and Daughters ended with them maintaining their 9 apples from our last visit. It was just as wonderful the 2nd time around and has officially landed them with the prestigious “Hungry Apple’s Favorite Local Restaurant Award”. This is big.

I drank Moscow Mules. We dined on creative starters,   4 different types of pasta and finished up with Stumptown Coffee. What a night.

RIFF’S FOOD TRUCK

I ate at Riff’s Food Truck 3 times in 6 weeks and let’s just say, I’m a fan. Among my meals there was a chicken burrito and a really tasty burger with goat cheese and poblano peppers. I usually topped it off with Jeni’s ice cream. duh.

8 apples in the food truck zone (+creativity and freshness)

(check out the love birds in the foreground (?)  of the taco and beer pic. is that you? want this cute picture of yourselves?!)

CORI’S HOT DOGS

Cori’s Hotdogs on West End were also on the radar for trying out this summer. I must say their staff was happy and excited to see us. Their HUGE menu names hotdogs after US states and they have good draft beer. The Texas toast like buns are put on the flat top like a grilled cheese  and this was not my favorite way to eat a hot dog. It made them a too greasy and some things are better left undone. I definitely would go back, if they made traditional buns an option. Whad’ya say Cori’s?

The Philly would have been awesome too but then….there was that bun again and it was just too much.

5.5 apples for Coris’s (+creative menu, friendly staff, beer, location) (-buns or lack there of)

TAVERN

And last but not least, Tavern in Midtown. I think I’ve mentioned Tavern before but I’ve never done a post on them. They have extremely good bar food and it still seems to be a pretty hot spot, even though they have been opened for some time.  Among the table favorites were: Philly style egg rolls, mussels, the bologna sandwich and the make your own s’mores dessert.

7 apples right here. (+creativity, beer selection, fancy bar food, tv’s)

Sometimes when I am planning dinners for the week I get to the end and have to completely start over because I realize that pasta is in every meal I was planning.

This night, I omitted the pasta, added cream (hey-i took out the pasta) and came up with this.

roasting those veggies

sauteed shallot

flour and chicken broth

cream

mix in the vegetables

serve with your choice of protein. i used chicken.

add parmesan if desired

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH CREAMY SPINACH TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS

ingredients:

1 large shallot, diced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup cream

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

8 oz container of mushrooms

6 oz fresh spinach

salt

pepper

grilled chicken, fish or steak

instructions and directions:

heat oven to 400 degrees. toss cherries and mushrooms in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  spread evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. bake for 15-20 minutes until tomatoes begin to burst.

meanwhile, in a medium sized skillet, melt butter and saute shallot until soft. sprinkl shallots with flour and whisk constantly until the flour starts to turn brown. about 3 minutes. slowly add chicken broth and whisk constantly (to avoid clumps) until all the chicken broth is in and the mixture is smooth. add cream.

add spinach and saute 1-2 minutes until it begins to wilt. add  cooked mushrooms and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. stir to combine and let simmer 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens.

serve under your choice of protein.