It was pretty exciting to see some familiar names pop up when Food & Wine magazine put out their list of nominees for this year’s People’s Best New Chef - one of them being Matt Lackey from Flyte World Dining and Wine right here in Nashville!
If you haven’t dined at Flyte since Matt took over the kitchen, you simply must do so soon. He’s doing great things over there, and I’d love to see him win this title.
Soooo…..can you help make this happen?? Every vote counts, so please take a minute (actually just a few seconds!) to cast your vote in support of Matt.
Voting is open now through March 18th, so please, vote and spread the word, showing the rest of the country that Nashville’s got it goin’ on!
Nashville State Community College Student Services Building
120 White Bridge Road
Nashville, TN
$50/person
Last year I attended the very first Tennessee Flavors event – in fact, it was my “new mommy’s very first night out on the town” after having the baby. With all sorts of delicious food and beverages to be sampled, it was the perfect way to launch myself back into the world outside of my house.
This year it looks like the event is shaping up to be even better than last year with fifty (yes, 50!) local food and drink artisans serving dishes using homegrown Tennessee products. Even just a quick glimpse at the list of participating restaurantswill tempt you – Etch, Fido, Red Pony, 1808 Grille, Merchant’s, F Scott’s and Table 3, just to name a few!
Tickets can be purchased on the event website or if you’d like to purchase by phone, call 615-353-3222.
Dishcrawl Nashville
Tuesday, March 19th
7 pm
The Gulch
$45/person
In case you haven’t heard the news, Nashville now has a walking food tour! Well, the first one hasn’t actually happened yet, but it kicks off on March 19th in the Gulch. Dishcrawl Nashville is a guided, walkable restaurant tour of the city, during which participants will spend the evening sampling a trio of tastings at four restaurants. All food is included in the ticket price and drinks will be available, but are an additional cost.
The specific restaurants are kept a secret until a couple of days before the event, though Dishcrawlers will get clues as to who is participating via their social media channels, so be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
If you guys have never been to one of the special event dinners at Fido, you are really missing out! And if you’re a beer lover, then this dinner is a no-brainer. Check out this menu and prepare to drool:
Intimidator Doppelbock
west wind farms apple cinnamon bratwurst, housemade sourdough pretzel,
thai hot chicken, rice cake, coconut sauce, pickled onion,
greens, sesame hot sauce
Lily Flagg Milk Stout
stout braised beef empanada, black beans, avocado, curtido slaw
mango hot sauce
Unobtanium
candied benton’s bacon, barren county blue, cheddar gougere, local honey,
spiced pecans, mustard, dried cranberry
Liberation Barleywine
bitter & dark chocolate cupcake
For more details and to purchase tickets, visit their eventbrite page.
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Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival
Saturday, March 23rd
10 am – 4 pm
Public Square and 3rd Ave
Downtown Nashville
Free event, food prices vary
You’ve probably heard about the Cherry Blossom Festival that happens each year on Public Square at the Courthouse downtown. It’s an awesome family-friendly celebration of the Japanese culture that is totally free. There are performers, artists, and of course, food. What I never realized was what a large selection of Japanese food was actually available.
And this year, for the very first time, 3rd Ave is going to be closed to traffic to become a dedicated food truck area! Making it even more interesting is that our favorite local food trucks won’t be serving their normal fare (for the most part), instead they’ll all have special Japanese inspired menus for the day. I’m loving this idea. Also new to the festival this year: Sarah Gavigan of Otaku South serving up her Ramen!
For more information regarding the festival, visit the event page, and to check out all of the menus, go to the “Taste of Japan” section.
Little mess. Very little clean up. Easy to make. Good reheated. Satisfying. AND my 1 year old likes it. This is the kind of dinner that makes me so happy! (and takes my stress level down about 10 notches)
The original recipe, torn from my February issue of Bon Appetit, called for chorizo, but I just so happened to have some turkey smoked sausage in the fridge, so I made a substitution. Turns out that was probably a really good decision. In reading the online reviews, people that used chorizo weren’t too thrilled with the texture and flavor of it. On the other hand, we loved our version of this white bean and turkey smoked sausage stew!
One Skillet White Bean and Sausage Stew
Yields 6 servings. Adapted from Bon Appetit.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
13 oz turkey smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick medallions
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 15-oz cans of Great Northern beans, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Smoked paprika
5 oz baby spinach (about 10 cups)
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage medallions and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook, crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Fold sausage into stew. Divide stew among bowls and serve.
Dates for the third Savor Nashville have just been announced and my calendar has been marked. If you love food, then this is a weekend not to be missed!
Mark your calendars for
April 12th and 13th, 2013
This year they’re switching the order of things up a bit by kicking off the weekend on Friday with the “Challenge to the Chefs”, instead of having it follow the big “Celebrity Chef Dinner”.
In case you’re not familiar with either part of the weekend, it goes something like this:
Challenge to the Chefs
Friday, April 12, 6:30 p.m. at Union Station Hotel
Some of Nashville’s top chefs participate in a cooking competition using local ingredients (ingredients tbd). Guests get to mingle, sample the chef’s dishes and throw back a few cocktails while a panel of judges determines the winner. Yours truly was fortunate enough to be one of the judges last year, and you can tell by the photos on this page that choosing a winner was delicious fun!
Celebrity Chef Dinner
Saturday, April 13, 7 p.m. at the Hutton Hotel
This is a seated, high-end, multi-course dinner with wine pairings., and you guessed it – celebrity chefs! The celebrity chefs this year will include Chef Jeremy Ashby of Azur Restaurant in Lexington, KY; Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, KY; Chef Jeff Michaud of Osteria Restaurant and Amis Restaurant in Philadelphia, PA; Chef Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto in New York, NY; and Chef Robbie Wilson of Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos, CA.
Tickets for both events are on sale now at www.nashvillelifestyles.com. The Celebrity Chef Dinner is $160/person and Challenge to the Chefs is $35/person. An all-access pass is available for $185/person.
Now back to the “Challenge to the Chefs”. Currently Savor Nashville is accepting applications from local chefs for participation in the competition, so if you’re a chef here in Nashville and think you’ve got mad skillz, contact Lacey Greene Keally at lgreene@nashvillelifestyles.com for more information.
For those of you that aren’t chefs, but you have some thoughts on what chefs you’d like to see in the competition, speak up! Who do you think has what it takes to wow the crowd (and the judges) at the Challenge?
~Contest Closed~
The winner is:
#41 Jessy!
Voicing your opinion might just get you a little something too…. the folks at Nashville Lifestyles have been kind enough to offer two (2) Challenge To The Chefs tickets for one of my lucky readers! All you have to do is this:
Mandatory
1. Leave a comment telling me what chef (or chefs) you’d like to see compete at Challenge to the Chefs.
For up to 2 additional entries, you can do either or both of the following. Note: You must leave a separate comment for each optional entry.
2. Follow me on Twitter (@betheats) and tweet “Win 2 tickets to @NashLifestyles Challenge to the Chefs from @betheats! http://bit.ly/13IzKcq”, then leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.
3. Like Eat.Drink.Smile. on Facebook and come back and tell me you did so (or just tell me you already do if that’s the case!)
Contest ends on Friday, March 1st at Noon Central. Once the winner is chosen, I’ll make contact via email and post the name here on the blog. If they don’t respond within 48 hours, I’ll be forced to choose another, so be sure to check your email!
There’s nothing better than a hot bowl of soup on a cold day. Oh wait. Yes there is… sampling 50-something soups, stews, bisques, and chowders on a cold day for a good cause! And these aren’t soups from just anyone, these are from some of Nashville’s best restaurants like Etch, Chef’s Market, Lockeland Table, Watermark, Silly Goose, 1808 Grille and so many more!
Purchase tickets by clicking here. Note: If you purchase by February 22nd, they’re discounted!
My tips for you: Get there early. Only taste soups that sound good to you. If you don’t like a soup, don’t finish it. There are SO many more to choose from, you can’t waste precious belly room on underwhelming soup. Eat as you wait in line. Attempt to sample the rich, thick, cheesy soups last so you don’t get too full too fast. Above all – enjoy!
“Nudo is an olive grove. And part of it can be yours”~ from Nudo’s Facebook page
Okay, before I explain that line, let me first apologize to you.
I’m sorry that I didn’t write this blog post in November. Back in October, I was contacted about sampling olive oils from Nudo Italia, an artisanal Italian olive oil company. I got the samples. I loved them. I had good intentions of writing a ‘suggested gift idea’-type blog post that would have been perfect for Christmas.
But alas, here we are. It’s February and I’m just now getting around to writing this post. Shame on me because I really, really love this olive oil and the story behind it. (if you liked Under the Tuscan Sun, you’re going to love this story, so be sure to click through and read!)
Now on to the explanation of that intro line: “part of it can be yours”.
In addition to the fact that the olive oil is delicious, the packaging is super cute, and the pricing is really reasonable on all of their products, they also have an ADOPTION PROGRAM! And it’s not like getting a star named after you — you actually get olive oil from the tree! (Those stars don’t come with magic star dust do they?)
There are a few different options starting at $49/quarterly (if you purchase for yourself) or $69 if you give it as a gift (this option includes an adoption gift pack). Check out the Adopt section on their website for full details.
How cool is this? Seriously, I would be ecstatic if I got this as a gift –hint hint.
I suppose I shouldn’t be kicking myself too hard over missing the Christmas gift giving season because truly, we’ve still got plenty of occasions on the horizon: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, your sister/aunt/cousin/friend’s birthday, anniversaries…
And while I think the Adoption package makes a really unique gift, I wouldn’t want you to overlook all of the other fabulous gift options in the Nudo online shop. The item I was able to sample was the Nudo Divine Duo, and both the olive oils in this set are wonderful.
And guess what? The nice folks at Nudo would like for one of you to experience the Divine Duo as well!
~Contest Closed~
The winner is:
#50 Erin!
To enter, all you have to do is this:
Mandatory
1. Leave a comment telling me about the most unique gift you’ve ever given or gotten.
For up to 2 additional entries, you can do either or both of the following. Note: You must leave a separate comment for each optional entry.
2. Follow me on Twitter (@betheats) and tweet “Win a @NudoItalia Divine Duo from @betheats! http://bit.ly/Xqkzo8”, then leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.
3. Like Eat.Drink.Smile. on Facebook and come back and tell me you did so (or just tell me you already do if that’s the case!)
Contest ends on Friday, February 15th at Noon Central. Once the winner is chosen, I’ll make contact via email and post the name here on the blog. If they don’t respond within 48 hours, I’ll be forced to choose another, so be sure to check your email!
Photos of Rosario Grove and olives courtesy of Nudo’s FB page
A package arrived on my doorstep earlier this week- my new Breakfast for Dinner cookbook! I’m thrilled to be one of the lucky few that got a sneak peek before the books actually hit the shelves next week.
And you guys…. I’m salivating. Please forgive me.
I want to eat breakfast for dinner, and lunch, and well, for breakfast! This is one of the best looking cookbooks I’ve seen in a long time, and I’m not just saying that because Lindsay and Taylor are my friends.
Yes, that’s right. I’m very fortunate to know the authors, Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth, the duo behind the food blog Love and Olive Oil. I’ve eaten their food. Several times (don’t be jealous). Lindsay and I planned the Nashville Food Blog Forum together. I helped test recipes from her first cookbook before it was published.
And I swear to you- I am not just saying this because I like them – Breakfast for Dinner is absolutely incredible. When I opened the package, I spent at least an hour (probably more), drinking in the beautiful photography and reading through every scrumptious sounding recipe- Bacon Fried Rice, Cornmeal Pancakes with Beer-Braised Short Ribs, Habanero-Cheddar Bread Pudding, Bacon Jam, Vietnamese Iced Coffee Pops, just to name a few!
For all you Nashville folks, don’t miss out on your opportunity to meet Lindsay and Taylor in person next week at Parnassus Books and buy their fantastic new cookbook the very first day it goes on sale! I have a feeling they may even sign a copy for you :-)
Lindsay and Taylor also have author events scheduled for San Fransisco, Napa, and Memphis. See their website for more information.
1st birthday gift that made the birthday boy very happy: Maracas!
It’s hard to believe that this time last year I had just gotten home from the hospital with my tiny baby boy. The change and growth that has occurred in him this past year is truly amazing.
The last few weeks have been a pretty exciting time in our house. In early January, Archer took his first solo steps. Within days he was zooming around the house like he’d been walking his whole life.
On January 26th, our families came to town to celebrate the little guy’s first birthday. Then just a few days ago, he watched in wonder (and maybe a little confusion), as snow flakes fell: his first snow!
We decided to keep the birthday gathering small, and just had close family over to the house for cake and ice cream. Of course, that meant I had to go all out on the birthday cake!
Crumb de la Crumb did an amazing job bringing Archer’s favorite book, Little Blue Truck, to life. For the adults, there was salted caramel chocolate cake and vanilla white chocolate cake. The birthday boy had his own chocolate cupcake topped with a little blue truck.
Determined to hold on to the maracas as he eats his birthday cupcake
A year ago if you’d have asked me what to buy a 1 year old for his/her birthday, I would’ve had absolutely no idea. In fact, in the past, when I’ve been invited to birthday parties for kiddos, I’ve Googled “best gift for a (add age here) year old”. Yep, my experience with babies was extremely limited. But hey, now I’m an expert! (okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but I do know A LOT more than I used to!)
So, just in case there are any of you out there in that same boat, and need some 1st birthday gift inspiration, here are just a few Archer’s favorites:
Books – all kinds of books, you almost can’t go wrong. For months now, the Little Blue Truck and The Nose Book (Dr Seuss) are top choices in our house.
Hi, I’m Beth, a food and drink obsessed girl living in beautiful Nashville, Tennessee. I'm always on the hunt for new and exciting things in the culinary world, so I created this blog to share all of my adventures, discoveries, inspirations, and recipes, along with a sprinkling of just about anything else that brings a smile to my face! Follow along and I bet you'll smile too... more
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