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Mad Donna’s New Menu Turns Up the Heat

Dec 10th, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
4 comments

East Nashville locals have always had a soft spot for Mad Donna’s, but there’s even more to like now that the kitchen’s new management team has rolled out a new menu. We had the chance to drop by a few nights ago and try out some of the new dishes for ourselves, and if that sampling is any indication the new offerings should be a big hit.

At the heart of the new Mad Donna’s menu is a fondness for heat and spice, no big surprise given that owner Rachel Fontenot originally hails from Louisiana. The new habañero mac and cheese ($12.50) has a liberal dose of the hot peppers throughout and a spicy crunch topping that’s offset nicely by the cream sauce. Then there’s the new Spicy Latina burger ($9.50), which is topped generously with hot queso and fresh jalapeños. The epitome of this new spiciness is the “Hades” hot wings ($6.25 for six, larger orders available). Where the “medium” and “hot” versions are made with a chili paste cut by butter and olive oil, the Hades version delivers that chili flavor without an editor and should satisfy even the most hardcore spiceheads. (If you’re not normally one for a mouth full of hellfire but decide to be adventurous and go the Hades route, count on a solid 20 minutes of burn from just one of these wings – they’re really hot.) While you savor the burn, take the time to enjoy the rich chili flavor that lies below all that heat.

If you’re looking for something a little different than burgers and wings, there’s still plenty to like about the new menu. The new mac and cheese roster is of particular note, sporting Pesto Chicken (pesto, spinach and chicken topped with Parmesan, $14.95), White Truffle (four-cheese bechamel sauce with white truffle oil, herb breadcrumbs and Parmesan, $12.95) and Mardi Gras (Cajun spices, Andouille sausage and mixed peppers, $13.25) offerings. Sweet potato fans will love the delicate sweet potato enchiladas ($10.95) and the light and delicious sweet potato fries ($3.95), which are served with a sweet chili sauce. The current seasonal special, a light pumpkin bread topped with cranberry sauce, will delight those who find themselves ruing the end of late fall every year.

The biggest hit of all, though, may be Mad Donna’s brunch offerings. Every Saturday and Sunday from 10am-3pm, six dollars will get you 2-for-1 Mimosas (orange, black raspberry, peach, pineapple or pomegranate) or a visit to the Made-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar. If you don’t require a strictly liquid diet before noon, you’re in luck: if the Captain’s French Toast (twice-dipped Provence Tuscan bread crusted with Cap’n Crunch cereal, drizzled with maple syrup, with a side of bacon, $8.95) doesn’t satisfy you, the variety of omelets ($7.95-$9.95), grilled turkey melt (turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, spinach and artichoke on Provence Tuscan bread, $9.50) or vegan MD Black Bean Burger ($7.95) just might.

You can download the lunch, brunch, and dinner menus as PDFs to explore further. Mad Donna’s is located at 1313 Woodland Street in the heart of East Nashville and is open Tuesday to Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday 10am-11pm and Sunday 10am-10pm.

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The Silly Goose: Good Things Come in Small Packages

Apr 28th, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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The Silly Goose is housed in the same building as Ugly Mugs and Wild Cow over on Eastland Avenue, though the space it occupies is only a fraction of the size of those two businesses. You could be forgiven for not expecting much from a business working in such limited quarters; if that’s the case, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that the Silly Goose is another fantastic addition to the East Nashville culinary scene.

The Silly Goose

There aren’t any whopping entrees with whopping prices on the Silly Goose menu. Instead there are salads, sandwiches, wraps, and the main draw, couscous. There’s plenty of vegetarian-friendly fare available, with eggplant and portobello dominating many of those offerings. The dishes are made with fresh ingredients from local purveyors like Delvin Farms and Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese. But best of all, there’s not a single item on the menu that goes for more than ten dollars. At Silly Goose, you can eat fresh and healthy without breaking your wallet.

With just a handful of tables and bar seating for about half a dozen, the dining room area inside Silly Goose is definitely on the small side. We visited yesterday for Dining Out For Life and were unsurprised to find it packed full of people when we arrived. The hostess told us there would be a 20-minute wait and offered to come next door and get us at Ugly Mugs when it was our turn, so we enjoyed a quick beverage there. Before we knew it she was there to retrieve us.

We were seated at the bar, which was lined with fresh roses in a variety of colors and was flooded with natural light. I enjoyed a refreshing basil lemonade while we looked over the menu, while Rachel just had water. Both were served in small Mason jars, a charming touch that made the two of us, both native southerners, feel right at home. Once it was time to order food, Rachel opted for the King Kong – (sesame couscous with curried shrimp, mint, ginger, cashews, coriander and avocado) – while I went for the T-Bird (roast beef, roasted red pepper aioli, blue gouda, arugula, grilled onion on Tuscan bread) with sides of greens and couscous.

The King Kong

Rachel described the King Kong as “a very eclectic mix of flavors – Asian-inspired sesame and ginger, Indian-inspired curry with little dabs of hot sauce, Caribbean-inspired mint and avocado – all pulled together with cashews and large shrimp that were artfully intertwined on the plate. I was surprised that the couscous was cold, especially because the shrimp were steaming hot. But cold couscous is refreshing, particularly when flavored with mint. Unlike some eclectic dishes, the flavors were best when eaten separately – combining the avocado, shrimp, and couscous, which were spaced apart on the plate, didn’t really enhance the flavors. The meal was light, fresh, and healthy – nothing seemed processed or from a can. If it was, they fooled us pretty well.”

The T-Bird

As for the T-Bird, the roast beef was tender, the onions were grilled to perfection, the bread was still warm from the grill, and the blue gouda added a complex tang to the overall flavor that complemented the rest of the package. My only complaint was that I didn’t get much roasted red pepper flavor in the aioli, something I’d looked forward to since roasted red peppers are a personal favorite. But even with that caveat, the T-Bird was one of the better sandwiches I’ve eaten in East Nashville. And the fresh greens and couscous made for a light, delectable side dish.

The portions at Silly Goose are quite large for the price, something which might need to change down the line but is great news in the meantime for East Nashville food lovers. As a customer, the only real downside to the large portions was that we were too full to sample the house-made ice creams on the menu, which change regularly. We’ll be looking forward to trying those on our next visit . Given how light the hit was to our wallet, how good the service was (even with Dining Out For Life filling the place to capacity) and how much we enjoyed all the flavors we experienced, that visit will probably come sooner rather than later.

The Silly Goose, located at 1888 Eastland Avenue, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am-9pm.

Silly Goose on Urbanspoon

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Dining Out For Life in East Nashville

Apr 26th, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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Tuesday, April 27th is a big day for Nashville foodies, as the eighth annual Dining Out For Life event descends on our fair city. Local eateries participating in the event will donate a portion of your bill to Nashville CARES, Tennessee’s leading community-based AIDS service organization.

Nashville CARES has been in continuous operation since 1985. According to the organization, “Our mission is to promote and participate in a comprehensive and compassionate response to HIV and AIDS through education, advocacy, and supportive services. The doors of CARES are open to anyone affected by HIV and AIDS in need of comfort.”

A slew of East Nashville restaurants are participating in this year’s Dining Out For Life, including some of our favorites. Here’s a look at the participating venues on the east side, the meals during which they’ll be participating in the event, and the percentage of your bill they’ll donate in parentheses:

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Marche Artisan Foods (50%)

Lunch & Dinner

Allium (50%)

Nuvo Burrito (50%)

Silly Goose (50%)

Far East Nashville (30%)

Dinner Only

Batter’d & Fried/Wave Sushi Bar (30%)

Eastland Cafe (30%)

Mad Donna’s (30%)

Margot Cafe and Bar (50%)

Watanabe Sushi & Asian Cuisine (30%)

All diners at participating venues will also have a chance to win two round-trip domestic airline tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines. Just fill out a donation envelope  at your restaurant of choice and return the envelope to the Volunteer Host to be entered into the drawing. Donations aren’t required to win, but they’re appreciated and will go a long way toward helping people in your community.

This event is bound to see big crowds turn out, so reservations may be in order depending on the restaurant you choose. Click on the name of the restaurant above for contact information. For a list of all the participating eateries in the entire city, click on Dining Out For Life.

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King Solomon’s Gyros: Friendly, Fresh and Cheap

Apr 12th, 2010
by Jason Kirk.
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If you’re looking for a good meal in East Nashville but don’t have the time it takes to sit down, consider stopping by King Solomon’s Gyros at 716 Gallatin Road.

For starters, you won’t find better service anywhere in East Nashville. While Rachel and I waited behind two other cars on our last visit, the owner brought a menu out to us so we could look it over before arriving at the window to place our order. Once we got there, he was exceedingly friendly and attentive to our requests and got every detail of the order right – more than can be said for a lot of fast-food-style establishments.

The menu at King Solomon’s Gyros is diverse. There’s the standard fare that you would expect from a gyro joint, along with a few favorites like the Philly Cheesesteak and Catfish Sandwich, and a number of different salad options. There’s also a full complement of appetizers from stuffed jalapenos to fried mushrooms and hot wings, making it a low-priced option for game-day snacking. On our visit we kept it simple, opting to go with a taste of the Mediterranean and leave the American favorites for another time.

At King Solomon's Gyros, you get all three: fresh, friendly and cheap

Rachel ordered the falafel plate ($5.99) and noted that the falafel cakes were perfectly cooked with a great soft crunch. They were a touch dry on our last visit, but a little cucumber sauce is the perfect antidote to that little problem. Served on a bed of aromatic yellow rice with saffron, the falafel was accompanied by warm and tasty pita wedges. Rachel described the side salad – lettuce, cucumbers, tomato, banana peppers, and feta cheese in a vinegar dressing – as “refreshing.” The tangy peppers and potent vinegar overpowered the other flavors in the salad to a degree, especially the delicate flavor of the feta, but all the ingredients tasted fresh.

I chose the gyro combo ($5.49), my second go-round in the last two weeks with this option. At just $1.50 more than the gyro alone to get an order of fries and a drink, it’s as good a bargain as you’ll find on this side of town. The meat was tender and flavorful, juicy but not greasy, and served on a fresh roll with cucumber sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and onion. The portion size was generous without being too much to handle, though you might end up with a few leftover fries if you didn’t grow up a member of the Clean Plate Club.

I finished my meal by splitting a small vanilla milkshake with Rachel. Made with local Purity ice cream, it was a bit on the sweeter side but still made for a nice treat on a hot day. Even with the milkshake and tax included, we both ate for under $15.

Even though it’s a drive-through business, it can take a few minutes to get your food at King Solomon’s Gyros because they have a small staff and make everything to order. But with long business hours (Sun-Thurs 10am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-11pm), fresh food, friendly service and the affordability of a diverse menu all working in the restaurant’s favor, the wait is a small price to pay for one of the East side’s best cheap meals.

King Solomon's Gyros on Urbanspoon

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Nashville’s Eastside Brunch Guide, Volume 1

Apr 10th, 2010
by M. LaVigne.
3 comments

Sunshine and 80-degree temperatures, coffee and biscuits on the porch, Bradford and cherry blossoms – yes, it’s springtime again in East Nashville, which means some of us have contracted spring fever and allergy season has returned for others. Whether you’re finally peering out from your seasonal affective disorder funk or beginning the long battle with the itchy sneezes, brunch is the best medicine.

Okay, so this auspicious portmanteau can’t really cure your springtime ailments. But it can distract you for an hour or so, which may be better than anything a doctor could prescribe. Brunch is a chance to get out of the house, take in a little piece of what the world has to offer and enjoy time with friends and family. Most importantly, though, it’s an opportunity to eat delicious foods and sometimes even drink before noon.

Here are a few of the spots in East Nashville where we’ve been known to drop in for a brunchy bite.

Marché on Gallatin Road

Marché

  • Location: 1000 Main Street
  • Hours: Breakfast: T-F 8am-11am, Lunch: T-F 11am-4pm, Dinner: Sat. 5-9pm; Brunch Sat. 8am-4pm and Sun. 9am-4pm
  • Cost: $10-20 per person

Combining artisan foods with a relaxed atmosphere, Marché serves a variety of foods ranging from eggs and homemade sausage to roasted beet tartine. The staff is usually in good spirits, even on the weekends when they are busy – and they do get quite busy. Their coffee is strong (bless them), and they offer a variety of specialty beverages like blood orange mimosas and cucumber-sake Bloody Marys. Their menu changes regularly and never fails to impress.

Mitchell Deli at Riverside Village

Mitchell Deli

East Nashville’s semi-secluded delicatessen, this spot in Riverside Village is a great place for good breakfast without all the “atmosphere” which can often just mean snobbery. Mitchell’s offers a variety of delicious sandwiches as well as a breakfast bar charged by the pound. Tight quarters in the dining area are a drawback, but they do offer outdoor seating so you can enjoy a meal in the sunshine on nicer days. We first took a look at Mitchell Deli last year in A Drunkard’s Brunch.

Nashville Biscuit House on Gallatin Road

Nashville Biscuit House

Our queen of greasy spoons, Nashville Biscuit House is not the kind of place you’ll want to take potential business clients or finicky eaters. What you will get at the Biscuit House is a traditional diner experience. Their coffee is a bit on the freeze-dried side, but the warm-ups keep coming. The staff members are usually chipper and not unknown to banter with patrons. If you’re more comfortable in jeans than khakis, this might be the place for you.

Pied Piper Eatery on Riverside Drive

Pied Piper Eatery

  • Location: 1601 Riverside Drive
  • Hours: M-Th 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., F 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sat. 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun. 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
  • Cost: $10 per person

Serving dishes a notch above diner fare, many locals swear by the Pied Piper Eatery. While the food is good, it’s not going to wow anyone. Here you can get most of your classic breakfast foods: eggs, sausage, bacon, French toast (or “Freedom Toast,” as they call it), and a good cup of coffee all in an environment that’s a neat combination of hip and kitsch – let’s call it “hiptsch.” The staff is incredibly friendly, making it a good place to to take out-of-towners who are eager to find a roll-out-of-bed-and-get-some-pancakes joint with plenty of local charm.

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Hunan Express Not So Hunan After All

Mar 30th, 2010
by M. LaVigne.
3 comments

Though a preface seems counterintuitive to the nature of restaurant reviews, I feel the need to do so in the case of Hunan Express. I typically love hole-in-the-wall shops, stands and street vendors, for their mystery and excitement add to the overall gustatory experience. I get the sense that I’m not just eating to sustain myself, but that I’m also having an adventure, which improves my estimation of the food. Eating becomes as much an emotional event as much as a necessity.

It's more "Express" than "Hunan"

That said, I don’t hold short-order vendors to the same standards that I would a sit-down restaurant charging two to three times the price. With Hunan Express or any such Chinese restaurant, I don’t expect to find fancier plates the likes of Squab with Five Spheres, or dishes made with douchi (豆豉), the pungent, bitter-sweet fermented black bean typical of the intensely flavorful Hunanese tradition and for that matter, much of China.* When it comes to short-order Chinese food I’m looking for a certain level of quality for a fair price. So even though I frequent Hunan Express semi-regularly, I’m not a return customer because the food is good. When I get home from work and I want to satisfy my craving for Chinese food without cooking it myself or driving out to China Bell in Madison or The China Cottage in Rivergate (hands down the best Chinese this side of the river), I hit up Hunan Express at 920 Gallatin Ave. because they’ve got the market in East Nashville cornered.

I understand it’s just a name, but I find something a bit misleading about a restaurant called “Hunan” having a severe deficiency of Hunanese dishes on the menu. I also understand that this is not a concern many of their customers share; most Americans want a variety of Chinese dishes to choose from, and they often want the weak-sauce versions of the Chinese originals. Hunan Express does carry one dish that has become the American standard for Hunanese food, General Tso’s Chicken. While General Tso’s is not actually from the Hunan province – most sources say Chef Peng Chang-kuei invented it while in Taiwan after the Nationalists fled Mao Zedong‘s reign – it does exhibit some traditional Hunan characteristics, a combination of spicy and salty with sour in a rich sauce. Chef Peng later altered the recipe to suit American tastes by adding sugar, and it’s this version that has proved popular throughout much of the world.

The General Tso's at Hunan Express is lackluster at best

The Americanized version of General Tso’s is often criticized for being too sweet, but Hunan Express takes this syrupy overabundance to new levels. Granted, not much can be expected from an establishment that has it listed as “General Joe’s” on their menu, but I have to draw a line somewhere. Their version of the dish upsets the careful balance of flavors and blatantly disregards the other flavors entirely, culminating in a dish that is nothing more than chicken in sweet tomato sauce. It lacks dried chilies, an indispensable and relatively inexpensive ingredient in what is supposed to be a spicy dish, and rice wine vinegar, the element that provides the dish with its delicate pucker factor, is scarcely detectable if present at all. In fact, this is a trend I’ve found throughout most of Hunan Express’ offerings. The dishes which are supposed to contain shaoxing (绍兴酒), the quintessential dry cooking wine that graces many Chinese dishes, is completely absent from their dishes, leaving them quite flat.

Hunan Express is, however, not entirely devoid of positive characteristics. It is cheap, with most dishes averaging in the $5 range for a generous portion. And as I mentioned earlier, it is the only Chinese restaurant in East Nashville – so it does have that going for it. Perhaps Hunan Express has erred on the side of pandering too much to the American palate, but with Asian cuisine doing quite well in our neck of the woods at restaurants like Far East Nashville, Thai Phooket and Pad Thai Kitchen it seems that Hunan Express could only benefit from upping its game. Or perhaps the East Nashville market is ripe for another enterprise to step up to the plate. Either would be a welcome development. (more…)

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Five Points Still Doesn’t Get The Drift Of Barbecue

Oct 14th, 2009
by Bobby Shamwell.
3 comments

Editor’s Note: What you’re looking at here is almost as much a review of all the East Nashville spots owned by Matt Charette as it is a look at his newest place, Drifters. But Bob’s review of Drifters depends pretty heavily on a familiarity with those other businesses, so I’ve left the whole thing intact. – JK

drifters

My EastNashvilleBlog.com foodie colleagues and I recently sampled the fare at Matt Charette’s newest Five Points eatery, Drifters BBQ. Before I get into my review of Drifters, let’s take a quick glance at all of the other Charette-owned East Nashville establishments.

Beyond The Edge: This sports-themed restaurant has absolutely the dumbest theme going in East Nashville. Its logo is of a rock climber rappelling a distorted martini glass. The theme matches poorly with its pub fare food – burgers, fries, pizza, quesadillas, and various sandwiches, most of which you can tell just gets microwaved.

Beyond The Edge does thrive as a drinking establishment with good alcohol variety and popular drink specials. This is the only reason to go. They should ditch the “extreme sports” schtick and simply call themselves The Place That Doesn’t Call Last Call Early. They should also stop trying to feed us.

Battered n’ Fried: The Battered n’ Fried portion is decked out with Boston-themed kitsch. Before the Red Sox won their “miraculous” World Series those several years ago, it was rare to see anything Sox around the South. Afterwards (and continuing still), all of the “fans” have come out of the woodwork. Nothing is more annoying than being surrounded by the bandwagon when you just don’t care, and B n’ F’s Boston fetishism is no exception. Another corny theme from Charette.

Food-wise, seafood lovers like myself will definitely try this place once. While B n’ F can sometimes satisfy a rare craving, frying absolutely everything on the menu gets old quickly. There’s not much variety, and southerners already deep fry everything anyway – which makes the Boston theme even more confusing. East Nashvillians who want a good pan-seared or baked piece of fish will get no help from Battered n’ Fried.

Wave Sushi Bar: Sharing the building with Battered n’ Fried is Five Points’ only other seafood option, Wave Sushi. I have to say that the rolls I’ve had from Wave are quite good. The taste has consistency; the problem is the portions you get for the price. There are endless sushi options in Nashville that are just as good, more filling, and much better-priced. Wave Sushi Bar is like eating appetizers for dinner. The appetizer bill is well over fifty bucks, making you wish you had stayed home and rolled your own.

Watanabe: In Riverside village is Watanabe, Charette’s second sushi zone and possibly his tastiest restaurant. Watanabe has Wave prices, but more variety, better portions, and better atmosphere. (It helps when you’re not eating sushi beneath Boston newspaper clippings.) I dropped a lot of money there on my birthday, but I had a good time and felt it was worth it. Mmmmm, sea urchin.

With Drifters BBQ, Charette has added another finger to his gradually-forming stranglehold over East Nashville, but can he up the already limited, and boring, food ante? Riverside Village’s Watanabe is delicious, but despite East Nashville’s reinvention of tattooed, bohemian yuppification a lot of people around here simply can’t afford to eat at places like that all the time. Can Drifters make its mark in Nashville’s barbecue world? This review is going to split hairs, but when it comes to southerners rating their beloved BBQ, that’s just how it’s gotta be. (more…)

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Fresh Baked Tradition: Sweet 16th Bakery

Jun 22nd, 2009
by M. LaVigne.
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Few foods compare with the comfort of fresh baked goods with their warm smells wafting from the ovens, the visceral experience of going to the bakery, peering into the cases and having to decide between a variety of texture and flavor combinations. For me, the experience sparks fond childhood memories of visiting my grandparents when they would often take me to the local bakery in their town. Granted, as an eight year-old, my selections often consisted of doughnuts, but still, those experiences ingrained in me the notion of the bakery as a communal institution.

Sweet treats to eat at Sweet 16th

Sweet treats to eat at Sweet 16th

Offering a wide variety of treats and savory items, Sweet 16th bakery in East Nashville is continuing that tradition. At Sweet 16th, the goods are baked fresh daily and the variety of choices is excellent. On our first visit, we selected lemon, vanilla and currant scones and a large piece of chocolate and beer bread pudding and neither failed to satisfy. The scones were near perfect, light and crumbly, yet dense enough to hold and eat without making an enormous mess at the table. The flavors blended well, slightly tart with the mellow aftertaste of vanilla which was not overpowering.

The bread pudding tasted as good as it sounds, if not better. Dense, rich, and weighing in at nearly a pound for one piece, this is definitely an item to share. The hedonistic and often overlooked combination of beer and chocolate provide this delectable with its characteristic flavors. Though I imagine they’d be reticent to reveal trade secrets at Sweet 16th, I tasted both milk and dark chocolate flavors mingled with the malt of a stout brew. I must admit here that I am allergic to chocolate and only make an exception for Mole Poblano. I believe I now have two exceptions. Sure to please both the chocolate lover and the beer aficionado, the chocolate and beer bread pudding is a winner.

Located at 311 N. 16th Street, be sure to make Sweet 16th a regular stop on your East Nashville ramblings. Their menu changes regularly, including daily soups, so there are always new options. (I also picked up a vichyssoise for lunch while I was there, which was great on such a hot day.)  Sweet 16th also accepts call ahead orders so consider them for special events; though, if you are considering a sampling of their menu for Sunday brunch, you may want to visit them on Saturday as they are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Sweet 16th - A Bakery on Urbanspoon

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