Where are we going to eat?  That is the million dollar question every time we travel.  Walking down Broadway in Nashville, TN, we were not enticed to eat anywhere.  Not to sound like food-snobby northerners (or Coloradans… even worse, Boulderites!), but our dining options in downtown Nashville didn’t look too good.  We didn’t want bar food.  We had made a poor choice for lunch that day in Birmingham, Alabama (and that is all I will say about that), and were looking for something made from scratch, on the healthy side, and hip.  As we approached Merchant’s, we glanced inside, walked past, stopped, and said, “Wow.That looks like the perfect place for us tonight.”

Merchants has an upstairs and downstairs- two separate establishments sharing the same finer-dining philosophy. We decided to dine at Merchant’s Downstairs to enjoy a more casual dinner.  The menu is uniquely quirky- just some narrow sheets of paper clipped at the top.  But those photocopied sheets reveal dishes that are thoughtfully created by and for modern foodies ready to break away from the heavy, greasy fare available at most Nashville establishments in the downtown area.

And let’s not forget the cocktails. You know I love cocktails…

We started off with two cocktails featuring absinthe- The Savoy Hotel Special No. 1 (above) and the Mad Hatter (below).  Both were quite complex- sweet, but not too sweet, savory, and a slightly bitter finish with each sip. 

We split a spinach salad.  I got snap happy with my hipstamatic app, so I know this salad does not look amazing, but it sure did taste good.  Especially for a veggie lover like me who is trying so very hard to find veggies on menus here in the south.  Spinach, goat cheese, kalamata olives, red onion, and tomato.  What’s not to love? And, one thing I particularly appreciated was that there was no problem splitting the salad.  Our waitress had it split in the kitchen and served on two plates.  Thank you so much for that.

The duck fat fried tater tots were not something I chose to order (that was my companion’s decision), but I had no problem eating half of them.  Tater tots are no longer just some nasty frozen food that I refuse to go near.  Make some in house and fry them in duck fat.  Merchants has a great idea here.  The only complaint I can muster is that the serving of tots is so huge we both could only eat half of our sandwiches… but, the other halves were perfect for breakfast the next day, so it worked out quite nicely.

I ordered a roasted turkey sandwich that came with cranberry spread on some light, crunchy bread.  It was exactly what I needed.  I couldn’t stop eating the sweet potato fries and the BBQ dipping sauce that came with them.  I definitely over-ate and realized it would be hard to walk out of the place.  Kevin had a fried green tomato BLT and absolutely loved it.  Restaurant chefs out there- if you are reading this, pay close attention: a fried green tomato BLT is a fantastic idea.  Fantastic!  Kevin also over-ate and we came to a good solution…

We ordered a couple more drinks to help digest.  Good idea.

I ordered a Negroni- I liked that is had Campari.

Kevin ordered a Tom Collins.

I couldn’t help but snap a few photos of the place.

It has such an original character with black and white floors, chairs, tables, etc.

We enjoyed our meal at Merchant’s so much that we returned the next day for a few more cocktails, two salads, and their fish tacos.  Again, we really appreciated that they divided the fish tacos and served them on two plates for us to share.  Merchant’s has been a highlight of our southern road trip.  I’d like to check out the more formal dining of Merchant’s upstairs the next time I’m in Nashville.  If you’ve been there, I’d love to know what you think.

I never really thought I’d find myself in Mobile, Alabama, but, we passed right through it on our drive from New Orleans to Birmingham. Mobile is a gulf-coast city and has an old, authentic downtown that is worth checking out for a bit of history. While you’re there, grab some lunch where the locals eat- Wintzell’s Oyster House.

Wintzell’s is the most unique restaurant I have ever seen.

The entire place- literally wall-to-wall- is covered with funny little sayings. You could spend days reading the truisms on the wall. Advice about love, life, etc. Pretty funny.

So, on your next southern road trip, look for a Wintzell’s rather than a Waffle House. There are a number of locations. Not as many as there are Waffle House locations, but I don’t even want to start talking about that. Really… I don’t even want to start. I’d rather end on a positive note: Wintzell’s Oyster House is southern experience not to be missed.

On our quest for original cocktails in New Orleans, we were pleased to discover Bar UnCommon with the illustrious mixologist Chris McMillian (one of the founders of The Museum of the American Cocktail) and his friendly (and foodie) wife Laura. We walked up to the incredibly modern illuminated glass bar and were greeted by Chris. He asked what types of spirits we like and went to work making the best Old Fashioned I’d ever had the pleasure of tasting.

I am currently interested in Rye whisky and it was an interesting coincidence that while sitting there sipping an Old Fashioned, a small group at the other side of the bar had inquired about the differences between bourbon, scotch, and rye. It became clear that Chris McMillian has tomes worth of knowledge on spirits and cocktails and we it felt as if we were attending one of his Tales of the Cocktail classes.

We also got our first taste of a Pimm’s Cup. We have a new summer time party drink here and I’m going to watch Chris on You Tube give his mixology lessons for these drinks.

So, if you’re not in New Orleans for the frozen carnival-like smoothies on Bourbon Street, but prefer to discover some history behind the cocktail and the intricate flavor combinations and sensations that a master mixologist can create, head over to Bar UnCommon, say hi to Chris and Lauren, sit back, relax, and enjoy their creations.

I know it is Christmas time when a Harry and David package arrives on my doorstep. As a “picky” eater (I prefer knowledgeable, but, you might call me picky) I prefer not to eat foods with ingredients such as maltodextrin, dextrose, modified stuff, BHA, BHT, natural or artificial colors or flavors, or anything else I can’t easily pronounce. So, I often give away half of my gift basket. When Harry and David improve their recipes, I will gladly indulge in their sugary sweets.

But, they do some stuff right! Like smoked salmon, Oregon cheeses, olive oil crackers, and their famous Oregon pears. Those simple ingredients made for a fast, deliciously Oregonian snack.

This is one of the only years since moving to Colorado that we will not be heading out to Oregon for the holidays, so it was fun to eat like an Oregonian for a night with wild caught smoked salmon, some Tillamook white cheddar cheese (which we had at home, as usual), some Touvelle cheese from the Rogue Creamery (which I had never tried but will now look for in Whole Foods), olive oil crackers, and Oregon pears. Harry and David included something new in our box this year- some lightly candied walnuts with an ingredient list I could have made at home. They were a fantastic addition to olive oil crackers and the two cheeses. Yum!

So, though I’d like to see some higher quality baked goods and pre-prepared foods come out of Harry and David, I understand that they are concerned more about shelf-life than a healthy-life. I get it. But, they would be such a cool company if they took out some of those junky ingredients and made things more small-batch, crafty-style. Just an idea… take it or leave it. Either way, I enjoyed what I ate.