A Taste of Everything Nashville

Last Friday Jeff and I had our very first “surprise date night” (see my previous post for the background of the game)… he came and picked me up and of course I was dying to know where we were going, but he was good about not spoiling the surprise – keeping with our constant need to try new restaurants in Nashville, he drove us to Charlotte Pike (the Sylvan Park area) and arrived at Miel Restaurant, which interesting enough means “honey” in Spanish.

A somewhat new bistro in the area, they opened their doors in October 2008 and Chef Jimmy Phillips has embarked on his culinary journey with the belief that each dish should touch all five senses. Miel uses local products for their flavorful dishes, enabling more nutrients to be digested because they are consumed closer to picking time (I NEVER knew that was important to chefs!). Even better, the restaurant is small and the service was impecable- you can definitely tell are there to impress and the plating of your food can’t be beat- it’s more of a piece of art and we were both a little intimidated to dive right in.

Food – was a strong B (I had the Fudge Farms Pork while Jeff ordered the Lamb Tenderloin- and yes, his was better)

Service – definitely an A (hard to beat)… the wine list was pretty large for such a small restaurant and we enjoyed the Buehler Vineyards Cabernet (it was amazing!)… I’d say this place is definitely worth checking out for a romantic date night with you and your favorite person (they have outdoor seating as well, for those nice summer nights we’re finally getting to experience)

Then Sunday night, we met my parents for dinner at Saffire, which is located within the Factory at Franklin. The neatly exposed kitchen and incredible bar took precedence over the open and ecclectic atmosphere, but we really enjoyed our experience there- who knew a restaurant as trendy as Saffire would be nestled in Franklin?? Definitely took some investigating for us to find it, but I’m so glad we did!

We started off with the Lobster Empanadas and Bam Bam Shrimp appetizers (both were VERY tasty) and then each of us had a different entree so we could all sample the goods (hands down, the Loveless Pork Chop was the best- it was huge and oh-so-tender!). And of course, what meal is complete without dessert? We couldn’t choose just one so we tried the Key Lime Tart, Chocolate Pecan Pie, and Creme Brulee (definitely go with the tart!)

As an FYI- for those of us still wanting to enjoy our nights out at restaurants, Saffire offers 1/2 price bottles of wine on Sundays so you can enjoy for half the price- not too shabby!!