Fish & Company – Fishy Brunch

Fish and brunch are two culinary items that just don’t seem to go together. One is a water-dwelling creature with a light taste and the other is a hardy hyper-meal that is meant to sustain you for a whole day. That being said, it’s not like we haven’t done it before. But still, no one has shrimp or flounder on the mind when going out for a brunch.

That might explain why the crowd was pretty light during high-brunch time at Fish & Co.’s newest location in 12 South. But consider this one of Nashville’s best brunch secrets—because James Beard Award Winner Louis Osteen has created a menu worthy of praise.

Fish & Co. – 12 South

Pierce: Sunday’s Seafood Frittata Piquant ($12), Grits ($3) Sweet Tea ($3)

Kristen: Bourbon Vanilla French Toast ($10), Water

Shared: Apple crisp ($6)

Service Time: 17 minutes 30 seconds

First Impression: Let’s be real: Blind Pig No. 55 had its heart in the right place. But an upscale BBQ place just doesn’t work. (What’s next—an upscale taco shop?) Much better barbecue could be found for much cheaper (I’m looking at you B&C Melrose). However, there is a huge need in Nashville for more affordable (as in not $30 a dish) coastal dining places. Luckily, Fish & Co. has moved in to fill a little of the void.

The location—across from 12 South and Mafioza’s—makes getting in-and-out very easy. Add in a beautiful day and the outdoor seating and you’ve got everything a bruncher could ever need.

The Main Event: The Sunday brunch menu has a nice mix of traditional and fish-based dishes. Not one for fish, Kristen went with the Bourbon Vanilla French Toast. The lovely plate came with buttermilk sorgum and scattered with pecans. The portion wasn’t all that big—and after she was done, Kristen was left yearning for more.

Pierce, on the other hand, went the fishy route with a Seafood Frittata Piquant. The Frittata is similar to an omelet—but it’s a circular shape. The egg was mixed in with fresh shrimp, scallops, and even a little crab meat. There was some concern that the frittata alone wouldn’t be enough food, so he ordered a side of Osteen’s famous grits to go along with it. As good as the grits were, the frittata probably was filling enough on its own.

Since Kristen was still hungry, we ordered an apple crisp for bressert. It was a tough choice between the crisp and the Jack Daniels Banana Pudding. As it turns out, it seems like we made the right choice. The crisp was superb.

The Verdict: Fish & Co. wasn’t cheap. Our final bill topped out near $35—a bit more than our price range. (Then again, we’ve been cutting way back on the frequency of our brunches, so it’s not that big of a deal.) The food and service were both top-notch—and if we were a bit wiser with our food choices (not getting the unneeded grits, for instance) the bill would have been more reasonable. Overall though, Fish & Co. is a great addition to the Nashville brunch scene.

<a href=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/47/1546752/restaurant/Melrose/Fish-Co-Restaurant-and-Raw-Bar-Nashville”><img alt=”Fish & Co. Restaurant and Raw Bar on Urbanspoon” src=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1546752/biglogo.gif&#8221; style=”border:none;width:104px;height:34px” /></a>

3.75/5 Syrup Crocks

Homemade Brunch: Episode 2

Disclaimer: This was written 2 weeks ago. And Kristen is just now getting around to loading pictures. So when you are reading…imagine it being Feb 13, not Feb 27 🙂

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It’s been a busy week at the Belt Buckle Brunch headquarters. Kristen turned 22 on Wednesday. We didn’t celebrate until Thursday thanks to a little icy precipitation that immobilized the city. The celebration continued into Saturday with an all-night bowl-o-rama with some friends.

So, by the time Sunday rolled around, Pierce’s wallet was feeling pretty light. Luckily, the week before, we received an email from our friend Sarah, who offered to send us some Red Gold Tomatoes. (Yes, tomato companies hire out PR firms… who knew?)

Sarah sent us a few cans, along with several recipes. Considering the “ease” factor, we decided to go with the tomato pancakes–an intriguing combination.

Pierce took the lead on the cooking as Kristen uploaded bowling pictures from the night before. The first step was to separate four eggs–yolks in one bowl, whites in the other. Then, he added cream cheese, sour cream, salt, sugar, flour and, of course, the tomatoes to the yolks.

After beating the egg whites into a firmer consistency, those were added to the larger bowl, as well. Kristen offered a steady hand for pouring the tomato-y batter onto the skillet. A couple of classic pancake flips later and we were ready to go.

Up until this point, we’ve yet to disclose one extremely important element of this story. Kristen strongly dislikes tomatoes–unless they are in ketchup form. And to be perfectly honest, these pancakes didn’t exactly change her mind about anything.

That being said, Pierce enjoyed them. The tomatoes were a really nice addition to the pancake batter. (Numerous possibilities of other additions ran through his head. Ham? Green peppers?) Normally, pancakes are complemented with syrup, and these pancakes would have been better with some sort of topping. (Leave suggestions in the comments section?) Eating them plain was a little dry.

Overall, though, they were pretty darn good. Layer by layer we’re beginning to shed the myth that two normal people can’t make tasty culinary creations. Who knows what might lie ahead?

We ARE Still Alive

Thought we’d check in with our faithful readers who may be wondering….

DID THEY FALL OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH?

To set your mind at ease, no, we are both still here. Still kicking. Just not kicking as high.

Kristen was out of town two weeks ago…so no brunch. Then last week, she had the flu/cold/gunk and is still recovering.

Pierce has been busy with his track season and travelling, and also waiting on sick Kristen hand and foot.

But don’t you fret! We’ll be back with a Super Bowl brunch review next weekend! Thanks for hanging with us!

Homemade Brunch: Episode 1

Today was a day of reckoning. There was a debt to pay. For roughly 10 months, we’ve been gallivanting about Music City, kicking up our feet, enjoying food, and getting on our merry way. But we never really stopped to think about the food, how it was prepared, and the meticulous practice of cooking. We just sat on our snooty high horse and critiqued every place inside-out.

Well, today was time for us to step up to the plate and pay homage to the many cooks in Nashville by trying our own hand at creating edible delights.

Kristen had a recipe for her mom’s monkey bread that she wanted to make–and we also used a breakfast quesadilla recipe from Dr. Josh Axe’s “The Real Food Diet.”

The first stop after church was Publix for ingredients. While we certainly appreciated Dr. Josh for looking out for our health, the almond butter his recipe called for was a little pricey ($6 for a small container). We went with plain ole peanut butter. Also, we couldn’t find “brown rice” tortillas, so we settled for whole wheat.

When we got home, Kristen started on the monkey bread by cutting up biscuit pieces, dipping them into a sugar-cinnamon mix and placing them into a buttered bundt pan. Then, she concocted a glaze of butter, brown sugar, and sugar over the stove and let it drip over the biscuits. Next, it was off into the oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, we started on the breakfast quesadillas. The recipe was pretty easy to follow. We spread the peanut butter on a tortilla and topped it off with diced apples and pears, honey, and a little bit of cinnamon. We threw another tortilla on top and popped it on the stove to heat up.

The first one was a little bit soggy, rather than the crisp crunchy texture that Dr. Josh writes about. We chalked it up to the butter we used for the skillet. The next one was a lot better, possibly because the first one sucked up all the moisture. That being said, both tasted amazing.

With about four minutes left for the monkey bread, we peeked into the oven and got a face-full, then a house-full, of smoke. We took turns fanning the smoke detector so that it wouldn’t go off and took the monkey bread out.

At first sight it looked good, but on further inspection, the inner biscuit pieces weren’t cooked through. Kristen’s mom said it might have been because of calibration issues with the oven. Still, the outer pieces were scrumptious–but the doughy inner pieces were inedible.

So, for a first try, our cooking adventure wasn’t a complete failure. We still sat full and satisfied on the couch, without footing a huge bill. At the same time, I think we also gained a new appreciation for the good folks who prepare our brunch on a daily basis. Next week’s location is still to be determined.

The Pfunky Griddle: End of our brunch pfunk

In following with the New Year tradition of goal-setting, here at Belt Buckle Brunch, we’ve decided to embrace more of the “foodie” label and actually try to make some of our own food. Not only does it save money, but it’s probably healthier and gives us more foodie street cred. (When we met up with other food bloggers in November, we felt slightly “behind.”)

But, as with any resolution, it’s never a good idea to try to give up something cold turkey. We needed a stepping stone. So, it was decided that we should visit Pfunky Griddle in Berry Hill–a place where we could still feel comfortable in a restaurant setting but still do a little cooking of our own.

The Pfunky Griddle — Berry Hill

Kristen and Pierce: Pancakes ($5.99 each), breakfast potatoes ($3.00), Two eggs ($2.20), cheddar cheese ($0.50), pink lemonade ($2.00 each)

Service time: 4 minutes

First Impression: Tucked away in a cutesy little corner of Berry Hill, the Pfunky Griddle definitely has atmosphere working in its favor. The interior is very homey and nature-centered. In our dining area, there was even a real tree that intertwined with painting on the wall. Nice touch.

It was just a little after 11 a.m. and there wasn’t much of a crowd. We were seated right away and our waitress, Katie, was pretty chill and awesome.

For those who might be unfamiliar with Pfunk, the real “catch” of the restaurant is the table set-up. In the middle of each table is a large griddle that you cook your own food on. Sound fun? It is.

The Main Event: It being our first visit to the Pfunky Griddle, we felt it appropriate to get their signature pancakes. At only $5.99 for all you can eat (or make), it’s a good deal too. We also decided to share some breakfast potatoes (with cheddar cheese) and a couple of eggs.

All of our ingredients (including sliced apples and peanut butter for our pancakes) came out in four minutes and we dove right in. Pierce started with the special multigrain organic batter, while Kristen went the traditional route. We caught on pretty quick and made some scrumptious pancakes. Kristen insisted on making one the size of her head.

Next, we decided to get creative and combine the potatoes, cheese, and eggs into a scramble. The eggs cooked surprisingly fast and we scrambled (pun intended) to get everything together. The final result was brown-ish, but tasted much better than it looked.

The Verdict: Overall, the food was good and affordable, with a check totaling just more than $21. Not only that, but the atmosphere and experience were unique and cool. The peanut butter wasn’t a great mix-in ingredient, but that was our own indiscretion. Also, the eggs (priced at $1.10 each) were a little expensive. (We would recommend a BYOE, but pretty sure that would be frowned upon.) Still, the Pfunky Griddle was good food and a good experience.

Perhaps our next brunch will be completely–gulp–self-constructed.

4.25/5 Syrup Crocks

We Have A Winner!

Congrats to Kira, the winner of the first ever Healthy Holiday Giveaway. (She was randomly selected using a random number generator.) Her copy of Dr. Josh Axe’s new cookbook, The Real Food Diet, will be arriving shortly. Kira authors the “Cook, Pray, Love” blog, so maybe we will be seeing some of those recipes up on her blog!

In other news, stay tuned as we file our obligatory end-of-the-year brunch awards. We’ll be back after the first of the year with more brunches in 2011!

Healthy Holiday Giveaway!

We haven’t brunched in a while, but to make up for it, we are offering an awesome holiday cookbook giveaway featuring Dr. Josh Axe’s “The Real Food Diet.” No, we aren’t insinuating that our readers are overweight and need this book, so don’t take it personally! Besides, all of us could serve to be a little more healthy and Dr. Axe has some great cooking tips on how to do just that.

So, if you’d like to enter, just leave a comment detailing your favorite brunch food and you’re entered to win. (Just be sure to leave a VALID email address.)

The deadline for entering is going to be Sunday, December 19, at midnight, so get to commenting! (We don’t have a ton of readers, so the numbers are on your side.)  You might even get the book by Christmas and that will give you ample time to plan out your 2011 resolutions.

We’ll be featuring a few of Dr. Axe’s recipes in an upcoming post, but that will likely be after the holidays. So, stay tuned for that as well!

Happy Holidays!

Capitol Grille: Brunch with Class

Social class is far from invisible in America. Every choice that we make—whether it be how to spend our money or time (or both)—usually shows something about our socio-economic background. Food and restaurants are no exception to this rule. In fact, the “you are what you eat” mantra goes much deeper than your skin turning orange if you eat too many carrots. The dining/food/health choices you make are directly tied to your social class, cultural beliefs, and economic prosperity.

That being said, under normal circumstances, we would never find ourselves within the illustrious dwellings of the Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel. But thankfully, Pierce’s parents were kind enough to give him a birthday gift card for $100 to the restaurant. Upon receiving this gracious gift, Pierce asked “Well, geez, thanks, but what are we going to do with all the money that is left over?”

Surprisingly (or maybe not), that wasn’t an issue.

Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel

Pierce: Shrimp and Grits, Tennessee Jack Egg Sandwich, Chocolate Ganache Tart, Mimosa ($33.95)

Kristen: Sweet Onion Bisque, Steak and Eggs, Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, Mimosa ($33.95)

Service Time: Five minutes for biscuits/mimosas, 10 minutes for first course, 20 minutes for second course, 10 minutes for dessert.

First Impressions: How is it possible not to be impressed when entering the historic Hermitage Hotel? The elegant Capitol Grille is nestled under the lobby and features a dimly lit interior that highlights some local Nashville landmarks. Murals of Centennial Park and the State Capitol encompass the walls.

We made reservations on OpenTable, but at 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, it didn’t seem like it was really needed. Our waitress was very prompt in bringing us our drinks and menus. Our original table spread included an option between a variety of spoons and forks prompting a few “what is this one for?”’s.

The Main Event: Much to our delight, the Capitol Grille employs the three-course menu—the first that we’ve seen it on our brunching adventure. For the first course, Kristen decided to have the sweet onion bisque—which tasted like someone juiced the world’s most delicious onion rings.

Pierce went with the shrimp and grits, which was the size of a main course and featured four jumbo shrimp accompanied by a fried take on grits.

After having a little time for digestion, our main courses arrived. Pierce ordered the Tennessee Jack Egg Sandwich that included Jack Daniel’s-infused toast with egg, tomato, and jowl bacon. Yes, jowl bacon. It was incredible—but after the shrimp and grits, Pierce was only able to finish half of it.

Kristen went with the Steak and Eggs which featured a nice 7 oz. steak, potatoes, and eggs. The eggs—prepared scrambled—were a little runny/mushy and the potatoes were nearly burnt, which wasn’t Kristen’s preference.

Throughout the meal, our waitress came around and continuously topped-off our Mimosas—something neither of us had a problem with.

The meal ended with two light desserts—a chocolate ganache tart and a vanilla bean crème brûlée.

The Verdict: When one thinks of “high-dining,” they think small, flavorful portions. But the Capitol Grille doesn’t abide by this stereotype. Despite the sky-high prices, the food is creative, very good, and anything-but-skimpy. The service and atmosphere are simply second-to-none. While it certainly isn’t an “every-other-weekend kind of place,” if you are looking for a once-a-year/special-occasion brunch, the Capitol Grille is a great selection. (If there’s room for it in the budget.)

4/5 Syrup Crocks

Miss Emily’s: The Pulaski Edition

Editor’s Note: Pierce and his roommate Cory ventured an hour and a half south of Nashville to Pulaski for a Trail of Tears Memorial Walk. On the way, they stopped for a brunch. The following is what transpired.

Every small town in the South—and maybe America—looks the same. There is a large, distinguishable government building (in Pulaski, it’s a courthouse). There is usually a “town-square” structure that may or may not center on aforementioned building. The sad reality is that many of these downtown areas have dark “foreclosure” or “For Rent” signs in the unlit storefronts. The Wal-Mart down the street bustles with crowds.

Pulaski was not the exception to this rule. The small town—which is home to Martin Methodist College—certainly has its charm. Before we took part in the Trail of Tears Memorial Walk, we looked around for a brunch establishment to fuel up. Luckily, we spotted a small diner-like place called Miss Emily’s.

Miss Emily’s

Pierce: Breakfast Special ($5.25), Sweet Tea ($1.05)

Cory: Pancakes and Eggs w/ Bacon ($4.75), Coffee ($1.05)

Service Time: 20 minutes

First Impression: Well, as we walked in we were greeted by a friendly, laugh-hardy waitress who told us to take a seat. The tables were plain and there was little attempt at decoration. A small TV beamed in Channel 4 from Nashville in the front corner. It was refreshing.

A little after we sat down, a couple of camo-donned hunters took a seat at a nearby booth. Apparently, they knew the waitress. “You kill anything this morning, boys?” she asked. “Time,” one of the guys said disappointedly.

The Main Event: As we contemplated the menu, I asked the waitress what she liked. “What do I like? I like two eggs over-easy, about six strips of bacon, hash browns, and some biscuits and gravy, but that doesn’t mean I get it,” she quipped. Awesome.

I settled on the breakfast special which included eggs, city ham, hash browns and biscuits and gravy. This was disturbingly similar to what the waitress liked. Regardless, it was all very good. The eggs—ordered scrambled—were nicely textured/fluffed. The ham—while a little bit overcooked—was still good. A little ketchup made the plain hash browns a lot better. The biscuits and gravy were borderline-godly—by far the highlight of the meal.

Cory went with the pancakes, eggs, and bacon. The pancakes were a perfect combination of large and fluffy. The bacon was a little burnt and over-crispy, unfortunately—but still edible.

The Verdict: Miss Emily’s was both charming and satisfying. It might sound bad, but we didn’t have very high expectations. That being said, Miss Emily’s exceeded those marginal expectations. The food was good, but not great. The watered-down Foldger’s coffee was a downside. But unlike most uppity places in Nashville, the price was right. The final tab was less than $15—after tip. To put that into perspective, two weeks ago at Dose, I paid nearly $8 for a coffee and a bagel. At least in Pulaski, you get what you pay for—no more, no less.

3.5/5 Syrup Crocks

Also: Keep an eye out for some exciting holiday contest/giveaway news coming soon!

Puffy Muffin – Brunchin’ On The Street

Every good idea comes with followers and interpreters—sometimes imposters. Once something is deemed successful, someone else always swoops in to get a share of the pie. It’s only a matter of time. Thus, it wasn’t a surprise when super-cool email-marketing discount service Groupon spawned a bevy of less-clever competitors. But for consumers, it’s still a win-win. Instead of getting one good deal in your inbox every morning, you can have the pleasure of getting four or five now.

That being said, we are always looking for good brunch deals and when Puffy Muffin popped up as a LivingSocial deal, we couldn’t resist. However, as we printed out the deal just moments before heading out the door, LivingSocial revealed a “Fine Print” section—only after we made the purchase. The $10 for $20 deal was only good on take-out orders. Ah…there’s always a catch.

The Puffy Muffin – Brentwood

Pierce: Eggs Benedict ($7.95), Sweet Tea ($1.50)

Kristen: Country Breakfast ($8.25), Bottled Orange Juice ($1.95)

Service Time: 21 minutes

First Impression: Tucked between a FedEx store and a Farm Fresh Market, Puffy Muffin has a um… refined reputation. When we first started going on brunching adventures back in March, a girl once said “You could go to the Puffy Muffin. But that’s kinda like where all the old people in Brentwood go.”

However, despite the confirmed presence of senior citizens and middle-aged breakfast goers—Puffy Muffin’s interior was still welcoming. The large glass display of bakery items would make someone of any age’s mouth water. The pumpkin cupcakes topped with cream cheese looked especially delightful—but we were here for brunch, not munch.

The Main Event: It was a busy Saturday morning, so we placed our order at the take-out counter and waited. After about 20 minutes—much shorter than if we had to wait for a table—our food arrived in Styrofoam containers. Then, we had to go somewhere. So, we decided that we would park ourselves near the curb right outside the restaurant and chow down. Yes, we essentially brunched on the street.

Kristen ordered the country breakfast which came with choice of meat (bacon), eggs (scrambled), toast, and a side (cinnamon apples). Everything was good. The bacon was nice and crispy, the eggs were plentiful, and the toast was about as good as toast can be. Kristen didn’t care for the cinnamon apples, but Pierce confirmed that they were pretty good, as well.

Pierce got the Eggs Benedict with a potato casserole. The casserole had a nice texture and an unexpected peppery flavor to it. The lady at the counter asked if Pierce would like his eggs soft, medium, or hard. In all of our brunch adventures, we’ve never encountered that option. Usually, they are always “soft” and the gooey yolks blends with the hollandaise. Pierce went straight down the middle and went for medium—which had a firmer yolk. It was different, but certainly welcome. The dish wasn’t as messy, but was equally good.

The Verdict: We only had to pay about four dollars after our LivingSocial deal—which made it cost about $14. We didn’t mind eating our brunch outside—especially considering that it was such a beautiful morning. Old people or not, the Puffy Muffin was a good deal with good eats. Lesson learned: always go with the online coupon, but be prepared to contend with the fine print.

3.5/5 Syrup Crocks