February 2015 (and one March) Food and Drink Happenings
Snake Handler Week-Long Celebration
Tuesday February 10th – Saturday, February 14th, 2015
This week Good People Brewing Co of Birmingham, AL launches their most iconic and sought after beer, “Snake Handler”, here in Nashville with a week-long celebration at various establishments around town.
All events start at 5pm:
- Tuesday, 2/10: Good People Tap Takeover at 12 South Tap Room. Snake Handler on draft as well as other Good People brews: Bearded Lady, Fatso, Pale Ale, IPA, and the Coffee Oatmeal Stout.
- Thursday, 2/12:
- Beer dinner at Rudie’s Seafood and Sausage, including seven different food + Good People beer pairings.
- Brewhouse Midtown will be offering a pint glass giveaway and three Good People beers on tap.
- Friday 2/13: Good People Tap Takeover at Flying Saucer featuring Snake Handler and four other Good People beers.
- Beginning Friday 2/13, 3 Crow Bar and Five Points Pizza will offer Snake Handler on draft.
James Beard House ‘Nourishing Past’ Preview Dinner
Saturday, February 14th, 2015
Seatings at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Mason’s at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel
2100 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
Cost: $75 per person plus tax and gratuity. Wine pairings included. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (615) 321-1990.
I don’t typically post Valentine’s Day specific menus because pretty much every restaurant has one. However, this one is a little different, so I wanted to highlight. Chef Brandon Frohne of Mason’s has been invited back to the acclaimed James Beard House in New York to cook on February 21st (his second visit there) and he’ll be making a very special meal that draws on his family heritage.
The ‘Nourishing Past’ dinner tells his grandparents’ love story, and those of us here in Nashville can experience it ourselves on Valentine’s Day when Chef Frohne hosts a special preview of the dinner at Mason’s!
STORY BEHIND THE MENU:
The dinner will explore Frohne’s grandparents’ European roots and the story of their journey through Germany, Sicily, Bulgaria, Switzerland and Canada, which ultimately shaped his family’s food heritage and influenced Frohne’s approach to Southern cooking.
The tasting menu takes diners on a journey, starting with his grandfather’s experiences in WWII of repeatedly escaping enemy capture and caring for his mother in war-torn Germany, continuing with his grandmother’s childhood in Bulgaria and early adult life running a bed and breakfast in Switzerland, and ending with their own love story of meeting in Canada and falling in love over pie and coffee dates.
MENU:
Escape Artist & the Sea (Tunisia/Sicily 1938)
Djerba-Style Prawns with Harissa, Preserved Lemons, Tomatoes, Mediterranean Sea Water
Pfifferlinge & Pflaumen (Germany 1940)
Semmelknodel with Chanterelles, Plums, Pancetta, Herbs
Handshakes & Gypsum (Bulgaria 1943)
Lamb Guvech with Labneh, Okra, Mint
Rustico (Switzerland 1945)
Luganeca Piacenza Sausage with Floriani Red Flint Polenta, Blistered Grapes, Pickled Fennel, Crispy Hen Egg
Toronto Love Story (Canada 1954)
Apple Hand Pie with Messmör, Powdered Apple Streusel, Rosemary-Coffee Semifreddo, Roasted Coffee Beans
Richard Blais Book Signing
Tuesday, February 17th, 2015 To Be Rescheduled Due to Inclement Weather – stay tuned!
5 – 7 pm
Flip Burger Boutique
4111 Charlotte Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
As most of you know, FLIP burger boutique opened here in Nashville recently. I haven’t had a chance to go yet, but plan to very soon. In fact, I’m going to try to get over there next Tuesday, as Richard Blais, the concept chef (and Top Chef alum) behind the restaurant, will be visiting to socialize with guests and sign copies of his James Beard Award-nominated cookbook, Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate.
Copies of Try This at Home will be available to purchase for $30.

Wined Up!
Friday, February 27th, 2015
6- 9 pm
6 pm Silent Auction, Wine Tasting, Bites
8 pm Live Auction and Live Music
The Rosewall
1207 McGavock Street
Nashville, TN 37203
Cost: $125 per person ($90 is tax deductible)
The Thursday Private Vintner’s Dinner and the Saturday Pairings event sold out quickly, but there is still time to get tickets to Friday night’s Wined Up! event. Party with the vintners and sample delicious bites from Kayne Prime, Saint Anejo, Moto, Tavern, Virago, and Whiskey Kitchen while sipping fabulous wines.
For a list of featured wineries, click here and to purchase tickets, click here.
Food for Thought
Friday, March 6, 2015
6:30 – 9:30 pm
Nashville Farmers’ Market
900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd
Nashville, TN 37208
Cost: $50
Note: This is a 21 and over event.
I know it’s February, and typically I only post events one month at a time, but this one is happening in early March and I want to make sure you have plenty of time to get it on your calendar. Food for Thought, a “culinary celebration” fundraiser, will feature Margot Cafe and Bar, Riffs Fine Street Food, Edley’s BBQ, Monell’s, Catering by Suzette, Fabulous Wings, Dough Works, Buttercake Babe, Bosses Burgers, Galen’s Gluten Free Donuts and more!
The event will also feature live entertainment and a silent auction. Proceeds will benefit Benton Hall Academy, where teachers are dedicated to educating students in grades 3 – 12 who learn differently*.
* About Benton Hall
Benton Hall Academy offers students a learning environment that is as individual as they are.Founded in 1977 in Franklin, Tenn., the teachers and administration of BHA understand and celebrate that all human beings are different: in the ways they perceive the world, express feelings, relate to others and have distinct learning styles.Benton Hall Academy is accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and approved by the State of Tennessee, serving approximately 80 students in grades 3-12.For more information, please visit: http://www.BentonHallAcademy.org.