Restaurant Reviews – Page 4

The Jam Coffee House….Where hipsters hang loose!

I can’t help myself , I love my coffee shops, but we will get around to some actual restaurants eventually!…Bear with. My wife arrived home from work and the first words from her mouth were. “Let’s go to The Jam Coffee House, I got a deal on Scout Mob.” This wouldn’t be the first time she’s swooned me into trying something new with her discount deals. Which is a great way to try new things I might add.

We arrived to The Jam Coffee House on the corner of a strip of small business’ located at the segway of Wedgewood and 12 South. The outside of the building does not demand much attention. I know I’ve passed it several times on the way to The Frothy Monkey. But once you enter those doors, your greeted by kitschy 50’s decor and an environment reminiscent of Grandma’s house. If you have a ‘cool grandma’. This joint is decked with retro lounge chairs, diner tables and nostalgic black and white prints that’ll have you wondering where’s the Fonz.

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We perused the Lunch & Breakfast Menu selections which consisted of items such as the Mama Mia Sandwich, the Reggie Veggie Sandwich, and the Two Bomb Vegetarian Tacos which I ordered. The tacos were simplistically delicious, only lacking a little S&P and maybe lime juice(but that’s subjective). They’re adorned with shredded cabbage, avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, smushed pintos and the piece de resistance was the house-made taco sauce. This was accompanied by my heavenly, no joke, friends, heavenly Punjabi!

I know, who the heck is Punjabi, well I don’t know, but they’ve got one mean drink named after them. A delightful concoction of espresso, sweetened condensed milk, spiced w/ cardamom over ice. OMG! It was good.

The Jam also offers third wave coffee techniques, 50 selections of specialty teas and some good breakfast options. They also locally source some of they’re products, which we are a huge fan of at The Local Forkful. You can find bread featured from Provence Breads & Cafe, bakery treats from Lucy’s Kitchen, and non-homogenized milk from Gammon Farms.

My wife Jenna ordered the Bok-Bok Panini (yes, that’s chicken). A grilled sandwich on flaxseed bread with chicken, colby-jack, pesto and avocado. It was your typical panini with your typical fillings, but done superbly. You had the crispy crunch of the the grilled bread, all that flavor from the basil pesto coming through the chewy colby-jack and that buttery avocado just fit so perfectly. So if you’re a Panera Bread, Which Which fan, you’ve got a new option for well composed sandwiches and great hand-crafted drinks.

If these hip ladies Maile, Bethany & Diana(not in photo) keep it up, they’ll have it ‘Made in the Shade’.

The Jam Coffee Shop also features Live Music on Saturday Nights!

Fox’s Donut Den…Iconic Deliciousness!

Tell Ya Kids, Tell Ya Wife! These glazed bits of heaven will have you claiming to be a morning person. The only way I’m recommending these donuts are straight from the grease, by-pass the coffee dipping, and send it straight to your tum-tum. The Donut Den has been an iconic piece of Nashville, TN history for over 30 years and the tradition of needing those donuts and pastries in your hands continues on.

I sat down with Mr. Fox himself to discuss the nostalgic donut shop nestled in the heart of Green Hills… but not before I grabbed a maple glazed doughnut and a cappuccino. The Business originally began in your current day Pizza Perfect location on Granny White Parkway. Mr. Fox had a friend whom he sold books with. This friend told him he should open a donut shop and the rest is history. The concept was derived from Harlow’s Bakery based out of Memphis, TN. The place where Fox and his staff learned one on one from the best in the business. He tackled this endeavor while in the Doctorate program at Vanderbilt University. Fox believes…I mean, knows that their fillings, toppings, cinnamon & products are indeed the best in the game. The Local Forkful believes it and we’ve gained 10 lbs. in the last few days doing research just for you. I mean there is over 54 years of experience from Mr. Oliver Harlow himself to back it up.

They moved to their current location in Green Hills during 1977 because it was the “perfect location”. It is said that some 40k + cars pass by the Donut Den a day. Not hard to believe if you’ve ever sat in Green Hills traffic…nightmaaaare!

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I was itching to see how these tasty treats were produced, and Mr. Fox was nice enough to oblige in letting us create these infamous goodies. We spent a few hours with the man who pumps out those consistent donuts. Thee Harold Graves is his name and he’s been working for the Donut Den since 1977. An amicable little man reminiscent of every child’s favorite grandpa, but don’t tell grandma.

It is an understatement to say that Fox’s Donut Den is a just another piece of edible iconography. You haven’t experienced Nashville until you’re removing the icing crumbs from the corner of your lips!…or licking them, which ever you prefer. Dr. Fox says, “Everyone from the Janitors to the Senators eat here.” And I wouldn’t dare contest that statement; these donuts can’t be tamed to the realms of social hierarchy.

I’m pretty sure I’ve tried everything they offer over the course of this interview. During this venture, I’ve yet to find something I disagree with recommending to my followers. Now, I will point you in the right direction. So upon arrival, snatch some of these delicious bits.

*The Apple Fritter-a delicious deep-fried pastry studded with cinnamon swirl and little chunks of apple, drenched in vanilla icing. Your first trip or next trip to the Donut Den tackle these or just splurge and grab a dozen….or two!

*Kolaches-A sausage cuddle-bummed in their sweet donut dough accompanied with shredded cheddar, baked to perfection. It makes for a great afternoon snack or lunch.

*Raspberry & Blackberry filled Doughnuts-my wife is a pretty picky eater so if shes says I need to add these to my recommendation list then so-be-it.

Last but not least, if the Kolaches weren’t a great way to step outside the box go ahead ans grab yourself a couple of bagels to go. The Spinach and Parmesan as well the Cinnamon Crunch are deliciooooous!

If you’re still hanging in their with your New Year’s Resolution crap, that’s a shame! And I have no idea why you’ve tortured yourself thus far. Come on! put down the ‘shake weights’ and get some doughnuts!

Extras: Do you want to know more about Fox’s Donut Den? Check these sites and deals out!

Sweet Jack.http://www.sweetjack.com/deal/nashville/50-donut-den-10-spend-1

Groupon. http://www.groupon.com/deals/fox-s-donut-den Catch it before it expires.

http://placesandplatypie.com/index.html They declare that Donut Den has the Best Donuts in the U.S., but we’ll let you be the judge.

Eat It Tennessee: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donut-Den/15153771875

Like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donut-Den/15153771875

Darlene’s Kakes now resides at Fox’s Donut Den Location: http://www.darleneskakes.com/#!

The Grilled Cheeserie….Lucky Bread!

Welcome to the first installment of Fork-bites. We decided to start giving you the bits and pieces before the whole cow. It seemed unfair to keep our followers from knowing where they need to spend their precious dollars. So we’re bringing you mini reviews so you know who we reccommend for great dining experiences. And then we will return to give you the Who? What? Whens? and Wheres? of our Culinary Adventures.

We dined @ the delicious Grilled Cheeserie Food Truck parked in the Centennial Park. This was not our first homage to find the nostalgic wagon that delivers those ooey-gooey perfections. Crystal and Joseph definitely have these delectable sammiches down to a science. I had the ‘The Caliente’, which has chorizo, pepper-jack, and avocado aioli layered between two grilled to perfection slices of sourdough bread.I salivate thinking of it. I hope you like it spicy because this sandwich has a kick that’s not intended for those without Pepcid AC in their pocket. (But it’s worth the pain) My wife had the Gruyere/Swiss blend which she says you can’t eat without asking for a side of pickles. She’s right, there’s something about the sweet, nutty, buttery, tangy and creamy that just works! If this wasn’t enough, we put the cherry on top with The Grilled Cheeserie’s old fashioned Tomato Soup. My grandma never made this unless it was accompanied with rice, but in this version, no rice necessary. It was delicious all on it’s own.

Please, if you visit this little piece of Nashville Food Truck heaven, don’t adorn your cheese sandwich with any extra condiments, you can’t upgrade ‘Cheesy Perfection’.

We definitely will become ‘serial Grilled Cheeser’s’ and we recommend you jump on the wagon. You won’t be sorry!

Iron Fork 2012…Edible Deliciousness!

You don’t want to miss out on this incredible display of Culinary Talent among some of the Best Chefs Nashville has to offer. Be there or be square, or better don’t miss out on this Culinary Disneyland. The first time when leaving with a belly ache is well worth it! following post from the Nashville Scene

POSTED BY JIM RIDLEY ON MON, MAR 5, 2012 AT 9:00 AM

More tasting stations and a new venue will put some extra sparkle on the gleaming tines of the fifth annual Iron Fork, the culinary extravaganza and charity benefit sponsored by the Scene. The event, in which five of Nashville’s finest chefs vie to impress a panel of judges with their inventive application of a single common ingredient — any resemblance between this and a certain imported Japanese food-competition show is strictly coincidental — vastly exceeded the expected turnout in its first year and has been a blockbuster ever since.

The main attraction each year, however, is the roster of participating chefs. They’re treated and greeted like the rock stars they are, cheered on by fans, and this year’s lineup promises rowdy rooting sections from East and West Nashville. The Iron Fork chefs for 2012 are:

Laura Wilson, 2011 Returning Champion (Nashville Farmers’ Market)
Roderick Bailey (Silly Goose)
Hernan Borda (Rumours East)
Jason Brumm (Merchants)
Vinny Tardo (Saffire)

Please, no wagering. Instead, check out the local favorites who’ll provide tasting stations about the arena: 12 South Taproom and Grill, Amerigo, Copper Kettle, Cuestion Tequila. Four Roses Bourbon, Fuse Sports Club, Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, Mirko Pasta, Nashville Farmer’s Market, Noshville Delicatessen, Perl Catering, Porta Via Italian Kitchen, Solario, Stone House Q, Swett’s, The Art Institute of Tennessee, The Corner Market, The Southern, Urban Flats, Vito’s Ristorante & Wine Bar and Woodlands, with many more to be announced.

The 2012 Iron Fork takes place 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, April 25 at the huge new Marathon Motor Works concert space in Marathon Village. Tickets are $35, available here until April 1 (when they go up to $45). This year’s event benefits Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

dose. [coffee and tea]….’java nirvana’

I discovered dose. [coffee and tea] one day when I took a wrong turn. And I’ve been thankful ever since. I turned in and grabbed a vanilla machiato and realized that I would definitely be back. I am a sucker for warm welcoming environments with good views & eats. When I returned home I plugged into google to discover they were holding a coffee and chocolate tasting that I would refuse to miss. You say Chocolate to me and done deal. The whole experience of the tasting actually elevated the way I thought of coffee and chocolate as a whole. I definitely recommend checking out the next one .

Ummm! Just thinking about a ginger infused cappuccino makes me a happy man. Something about the smell of coffee beans alone I find to be therapeutic. I mean if there were scratch and sniff coffee scented t-shirts. I’d have one…true story. I mean I am infatuated with everything about that tiny little morsel that creates something so spectacular with the capabilities of curing my headaches, changing the state of my emotions and allowing me to like being around people at 6am in the morning. (sometimes its really hard… I kid you not)

dose. [coffee and tea], the awesome little coffee shop and cafe in the coveted Sylvan Park area of Nashville is serving up some of the best java you will find. Keith Steunebrink and Heath Henley, the owners of this hip establishment take true pride in all that is coffee. I sat down with Heath at dose., a cozy place decor-ed in vintage wood beams, hard-wood floors, trendy art pieces,high privacy booths and dim lighting that will make you want to camp out….Don’t try it! Somewhere between that euphoric state of fresh joe and the melodic swoons Otis Redding to Bon Iver you’ll become a believer and what I like to call a ‘serial doser’.

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dose. has been open for business for 2 1/2 years and is still cultivating ways to become a Nashville staple. I’ve encountered many who gaze at me with a look of bewilderment when asking where they get coffee and have they heard of dose. [coffee and tea]? The name itself is a bit confusing if one is not a savvy coffee drinker. But the name dose. Henley explains, “refers to a step in the preparation of espresso, namely when you transfer the coffee from the grinder to the portafilter, known as dosing the coffee.” Aaaah! It’s all coming together now isn’t it, I know, right?

In trying to discover the perfect name for the shop. The guys decided to make a list if 15 options that would be voted on by the people and dose. won the fight.

You might be thinking, OK, well dose. sounds like a pretty cool place to get coffee, but why should I go there? Well if the ginger cappuccino didn’t get you then back to Pilot for your sugary sludge. At dose. they brew coffee by the cup, none of that mass production of some unmarked silver bag that no one knows what the content holds. Just so know, you will be waiting for 4 to 5 minutes for that perfect cup of Joe. Oh! Yeah, if you’re a die hard fan of chocolate, the Omahene chocolate sauce is to die for. After you add it to your coffee ask for a bowl of it!…No, I’m serious, it’s that good. Heath & Keith (don’t you love that it rhymes) are both above and beyond knowledgeable about all that the coffee industry has to offer. Their mission statement embodies their passion for the bean.

‘Our goal at dose. [coffee and tea] is to share in the love of the products that we choose to prepare for our clientele. And to be passionate about the preparation of products and the consumption. The ability to be in control of production and the personal preparation. Lastly, to create an environment we are ourselves would hang out in.’

Heath hipped us to whats known as the ‘third way of coffee’ which is the preparation of coffee that is appreciated for its nuances. Those flavor profiles that are created as a result of soil, climate and location.

Henley told us they are inspired to do what they do by the producers.Their objective is to ensure that they are producing the best cup of coffee that you have ever experienced because they desire to pay homage to those farmers who put a great amount of love and passion into what they harvest. When on the hunt for new coffee the guys bring in several samples and hold ‘cuppings’ (the technical term for slurping coffee to look for quality and those nuances) to determine what they will sell or feature next.The guys are searching for exceptional quality, unique-ness, and appearance of the product. At any given time you can try 6 different single origin coffees exported from different countries or farms all with their own unique flavor profile. You can find the feature of the month on the website if you’re ever in the mood to step up your coffee game. http://dosecoffeeandtea.com/

I had the pleasure of grabbing some cuisine to go. I enjoyed the Turkey & Brie with caramelized onions on a delicious Brioche Bun made by The Bobby John Bakery. It was accompanied with a refreshing side of Caprese Salad. It was a delightfully filling meal to accompany my Ginger Cappuccino. And there was a not a patron in the room who didn’t agree the food was just as good as the java. Delicious bagels sourced from the Bagel Face Bakery and Yummy Cheese from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese. We know it’s always better to hear from the source, so we bothered some people and here are there responses. When we asked.

Why dose. [coffee and tea]?

Brent from West Meade told us dose. has the “Best coffee in town. I typically order a vanilla latte with extra vanilla syrup.”

David, a Sylvan Park resident, said the coffee is so good. “I go simple black.” He patronizes dose. “because the atmosphere is not overwhelming and the food and drinks are great!”

I saw two women on the patio who seemed to be enjoying themselves and appeared as thought this wasn’t their first time at the coffee shop.

Lauren it turned out was a ‘serial doser’ who claims she practically lives at shop. She continues to return because “They serve a quality food product and the decor doesn’t feel hectic as compared to other coffee joints. It is also convenient to Sylvan Park.” She proved to be a huge advocate for the avocado and tomato bagel that she adds bacon to.

If you want to check out more on dose. [coffee and tea]. Check it out here:

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/americas-best-coffee-bars/13

http://dosecoffee.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/imbibemagazine-