A review. Jay-Z's book. Decoded.

Thanks to Lacey I left Nashville and headed to the beach with Jay-Z's new book: DECODED, in tow. I've been a big Hov fan for years although in retrospect don't have all of his albums (will have to work on that). The book reads very easily (finished in 4 days) and is a compilation of his life stories and a diagnosis of his lyrics.

The book is filled with cool pictures, art, and other eye-catching pages that help the flow of the book and enhance it's feel of a really nice professional book with the credibility of the streets- I bet Random House can't say that about too many of it's titles.

In the first few chapters I felt that Jay was dumbing down the explanation of his lyrics a little too much as it started to feel like the book was written for middle-class white people that make up a large portion of his fan base. But as the book progresses the lyrical diagnosis gets a little more in depth and seems less patronizing.

I have always respected Jay and his music and DECODED just pulled it all together for me and gave me additional insight into a hard-working, pretty damn smart man.

Curried shrimp pasta

My dad started making one of the best dishes I've ever had about 20 years ago and I have made a few tweaks to it through the years and crafted another nice version this evening on St. George Island. Here's how it goes...

In a saute pan combine:

- Juice of 1/2 lemon

- Salt & Pepper

- Pinch of Crushed red pepper

- 1 clove of fresh garlic chopped

- large pinch of French Thyme

- 2-4 teaspoons of curry powder (to taste)

- 1/2 cup of white wine

- tablespoon of butter

peel 20-25 medium size fresh shrimp (raw, not frozen) and place in pan on low/medium heat.

add 1/2 cup of water once shrimp have started cooking to loosen and dilute the sauce.

Boil pasta to al dente (I prefer fettuccine for this recipe)

Time your dish so shrimp and pasta are done at same time (about 7 minutes cooking for both). Drain the pasta and put in saute pan with shrimp and sauce. Combine so the pasta soaks up the sauce. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh Parmesan cheese and voila.

This is the easiest recipe but the trick is the fresh seafood.

Pair with a lovely glass of white wine (or whatever you like). I prefer a Chardonnay to stand up to the heat that the Crushed Red Pepper adds.

Also best when paired with beach :).

Check this out. Seriously.

I'm not sure how old this is, but I came across this pretty amazing website this morning. It's a visual interpretation of Arcade Fire's song We Used to Wait. The site which is an interactive interpretation of the song is titled "The Wilderness Downtown". Here's the link: http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/. The site allows you to become personally involved with the video by entering your childhood address and let the journey begin. I recommend closing all other open windows and programs.

Super cool stuff.

Best songs of 2010...in my opinion.

Let's set a few records straight. (Pun intended).
1. I started this blog thinking people cared what I thought about life, randomness, and stuff in general.
2. I'm now aware know that's not the case.
3.Today it lives as a tool to continuously help me with my writing.

Now that we done got that outta the way.

Below you will find my favorite songs from 2010. For the most part they were released this year or in some cases I found them this year...enjoy.

In the order I would place them on an album:

1. Love Everybody by: Shelly Fairchild, er, Shelly and the People, er, Ruby's Money....Shelly has gone through a couple of identities this year but is now safely, or it seems, grounded as Ruby's Money. I was introduced to her by a good friend about a year ago and am in love. What a great singer, songwriter, performer-- all in one. She sings soul with the energy of a twelve year old and the heart of a southern lady. Keep an eye out for her first album (as Ruby's Money) sooner than later.

2. Wild and Young by: American Bang, er Bang Bang Bang, er, Bang...you see a trend h

ere? I had the privilege to attend high school with 3 out of the 4 of these kids and they've been making music for as long as I can remember. Front man Jaren Johnston and I were in music class for years together-- when he played the drums and was a punk. Now he's the lead singer, and a punk. In a good way. This song embodies everything that a fun summer love song should. Roll the windows down, crank the stereo on full blast and drive and sing.

3. If I Die Young by: The Band Perry. I would be lying to myself if this song didn't ma

ke the list. The playcount on my Ipod would be a tell tale sign. This southern bred family group wrote a song that has the melody of a whippoorwill and the lyrics of a Keats poem. For some reason every time I hear it I think the group is from Scotland but I digress..."f

unny when you're dead how people start listening" (sure wish that was true).

4. Sail by: AWOLNATION. This song has been getting nice play in my head for a couple of

months but I was treated to a private show by the Red Bull Records recording artist acouple of weeks ago in Atlanta and must say it's even better live. Talk about a dark, catchy, vocally strong, electronically grounded little ditty. Blame it on my ADD Baby.

5. Kiss Me Again by: Jessica Lea Mayfield. Ok, I know this song didn't come out in 2010 but it's new to me and turns out this is my blog so there you go. I was introduced to Miss Mayfield when she came out and played with her brother and his band Cadillac Sky in their opening set for Mumford & Sons...she was one of the bright spots of their enjoyable set and her voice drew me in. Kiss Me Again is no different. It starts out just about right....You got me where you want me but I ain't all there.....isn't that the truth?

6. Opposite of Adults by: Chiddy Bang. Hip Hop made a valiant effort at a comeback this year thanks to some great new artists popping up, Chiddy Bang being one of them. I heard this track on a blog back in March and was like "um, why isn't this all over the radio?". Next I checked out the super dope video and I was a fan. I got my hands on their mixtape and it was OVER. Their most recent release includes a track with Q-TIP....and that's a rap fol

ks. Oh...and have a I mentioned the beyond sick MGMT sample on Opposite? Oh...and they were sampling La Roux before anyone knew who La Roux was. I'm done here.

7. Tighten Up by: The Black Keys. Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know, it's kool to like the Keys but I just can't help myself. I managed to get on stage with this duo at Wakarusa in June and was sold after then-- they make a HUGE sound for two and have really brought rock music back to just that. ROCK. And I'm appreciative. Big time.

8. If the Creek Don't Rise by: Dylan LeBlanc. I have this sensei of sorts that provides me with music insight-- I won't out him publicly as to keep my sources private, but he turned me on to Dylan in August (ish) and from that point I've been a fan. He played a packed show at the Basement as part of Next Big Nashville and I dragged my friend Susan and she was also sold. Other than this song sort of making you want to off yourself...I think it's real purty.

9. Runaway (the 9:00 version) by: Kanye West. Oh, Kanye. Thanks for coming back around. Thanks for making shit interesting and making interesting shit. Thanks for saying stuff no one else will (not even Gaga). Thanks for stealing the mic from Taylor Swift. Thanks for having one of the most visually interesting performances ever on the VMA's. I don't always like what he does but I like that someones is doing something. I'm all for anarchy but only if it's lead by Kanye. (she holds her head low and wallows in her own lack of revolution)

10. Wild as a Turkey by: Hayes Carll. In retrospect this is the one song I question on the list but I'll leave it on there. It's fun. It's quirky. And it's country as fuck. : "You say you'll never love me but the night ain't over yet...."

11. Colourless Colour by: La Roux. Oooh...what an album. So glad I was gifted a copy of this by my buddies at the Recording Academy in Memphis. This specific record jumps out at me for being the most complete song on the album-- serious yet dancey... pretty much my view on life.

12. Awake my Soul by: Mumford & Sons. I contemplated this list being their entire Sign No More album but that would have been boring and too easy. My music sensei also turned me on to Mumford after he saw them at Bonnaroo. I believe his email said: "I don't care what you're doing but drop EVERYTHING and go buy this album". At the time I was hungover in the Knoxville airport suffering from the drinking runs-- if I could have dropped everything I

certainly would have. I digress. Have you listened to this song? Have you danced around in circles with your arms flailing by your side looking up to the sky wondering if there's a God? If you haven't I strongly suggest it. Right now.

13. Uncharted by Sara Bareilles. I couldn't leave off a classically-poppy, bubble-gummy song by one of my favorite songstresses. Maybe it's that we have the same range, tempo,

and that I can just sing my little heart out to her music. Or maybe that we sound so much alike that when I hear her music it gives me hope of a music career? Or maybe I have a soft spot for pop? One thing I've learned throughout the years is that I don't have to apologize for my likes and dislikes.

Merry Christmas folks and Happy New Year.

The best and worst....Thanksgiving!

A day that is dedicated to giving thanks and over indulging in delicious food...this sounds just about perfect to me. This year, and since my mom passed away I have spent Thanksgiving in two places-- with my grandmother (mom's mum) and uncles, and with the Laiolo family (Bryn, Cara, Jana and Tone Def). I've been coming down from my food coma for a day or so and will officially declare 2 Thanksgiving's is just too much food so next year I'll probably just pick one.

I'm thrilled to write that I had the ability to eat some amazing food and will rank them is this order:

1. Granny's mashed potatoes
2. Cara's mashed potatoes
3. Bryn's deviled eggs
4. My Mac & Cheese
5. Cara's turkey
6. My blackberry cobbler

There were a million other great dishes (B's sweet potato casserole, Jana's dressing, Granny's turkey, etc) but I'll tip my hat to the ones above.

My grandmother has been making the best mashed potatoes since I can remember and they were my favorite food in the world until a few years ago (recently replaced by the egg). As she's aged and hasn't been able to cook much and my mashed potato consumption has decreased significantly but I suggested that we make them together this year so she could teach me....and boy did she.

First- she peels and boils the potatoes- and then she dumps only about half the water (she kept way more water than I would think necessary but Granny knows what she's doing). To that she adds a considerable amount of butter (1 stick for about 8 servings), a little bit of milk, salt and pepper AND THAT'S IT. No cream cheese, no cream, no parm, no nothing...turns out the trick is the starchy water-- and they were divine.

Cara also made great Pioneer Woman inspired mashed potatoes and the recipe can be found here:http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/delicious_creamy_mashed_potatoes/. She doesn't keep any of the starchy water which is why I think she feels the need to add other delicious calories to make the right texture but I'm telling you....not needed for greatness.

Bryn made a traditional deviled egg recipe that involved relish, pimentos, salt, pepper, mayo and mustard and they were super yummy but I've never been one to pass up ANY egg.

Growing up I had one bad experience with macaroni and cheese and it I couldn't eat them any longer...until I was about 25 and started to realize what I had been missing: CHEESE AND PASTA- TOGETHER. Really, how can it get any better than that?
My current recipe is pretty much on point and I have to give props to my girl Ronda Brown-Quarles for the base recipe but I've added some additions to kick it up a notch.
First you boil pasta- I prefer a mix of bow ties and elbow macaroni to give it some textural differences. After the pasta has boiled you drain it and then place it back in the pan you cooked them in and place it on the stove on low heat. And you start adding cheese...and lots of it. I add a mixture of pepper jack, mild and sharp cheddar, and American cheese. You could get fancier if you wanted but I don't see the need for a country Thanksgiving. I also add: 2 eggs, about a cup of milk, one shallot- diced very thin, salt & pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and mustard powder. Mix everything together and then put in a baking pan-- stick in the oven for 20 minutes on 350 and voila-- cheesy pasta perfection.

In the past Bryn and Cara's mom Jana has led the charge to tame the turkey but this year Cara stepped up to the plate and made that bird her bitch. She practiced the brining method on the bird-- I'll allow her to comment on the recipe for her brine but it was amazing!! Super tender, great flavor. Here's a video from the food network on how to brine a turkey: http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/how-to-brine-a-turkey/58780.html.

Last but certainly not least- Blackberry Cobbler. It's both mine and my grandmother's favorite and cannot be beat! The best is that it's super simple and easy. First you take your blackberry's (either fresh or thawed & drained from frozen) and you add a cup of sugar and let them marinate in a separate bowl. I like to use 2.5 cups of blackberry's per 8 inch square pan. I also add the juice of 1 lemon to the blackberry and sugar mixture.

In another bowl I add flower, baking powder, melted butter, and milk and whisk until combined well. Once the blackberry's have gotten a nice syrup to them I pour the batter in the pan and then put the blackberries on top of them and bake for 40 minutes on 350 or until golden brown and the dough isn't jiggly any longer. PERFECTION. You can serve with vanilla ice cream or a fresh homemade whipped cream slightly sweetened (I like to use honey).

With all of that greatness comes some disappointments as well and this year they were all at my hands:

- canned green beans (which I'm religiously against but my grandmother loves)
- canned creamed corn (same excuse as above)
- Apple Brown Betty (this dessert actually turned out to be quite tasty but it was due to some last minute recipe changes and had I not acted on the fly this could have been a disaster.)

The bottom line is that Thanksgiving is a pretty amazing holiday. I'm personally thankful for so much in my life-- my family, my friends that have become my family, my good health, great job, and clear mind. Next year I'll do a better job of GIVING back to the community-- knowing how much I personally consumed makes me a little sick to my stomach (mentally and physically) as there are so many people that don't have the opportunities that I do. This makes me question my current level of community involvement and giving-- I've got to do better.

Signing off to go eat more leftovers,

E

And there it was...Zaytinya

I recently spent a weekend in DC to celebrate the Rally to Restore Sanity along with two of my dear friends, Cara and Lacey, and while we were there, well, we ate.

One of my good college buddies Emily lives in the city and made some recommendations for restaurants and on the top of her list was Zaytinya, a middle Eastern spot featuring small plates and big flavors....however, we couldn't come close to grabbing a reservation on this busy weekend so we thought we were out of luck. This was until we found ourselves wandering around the city on Friday afternoon; starving, feet hurting and cold. The next thing we know....we're standing right outside of Zaytinya-- and they're open-- FOR LUNCH! PERFECT.

We walk in, grab a table immediately and start our divine cuisine experience with lovely glasses of bubbly and white wine.

On the lunch menu there is a choice to do a 5 course tasting and we jumped on the opportunity to try as many dishes as possible. I can't remember exactly in what order we had what but here are some of the dishes we had: Hommus, Falafel, Fattoush, Garides Me Anitho, Kibbeh, Adana Kebab, Shish Taouk, and a heavenly dessert that consisted of the creamiest custard ever.

Each plate was phenomenal and the perfect portion-- enough for each of us to have 2-3 bites of every offering. The Garides Me Anitho were by far the table favorite-- shrimp that were sauteed in a dill, shallot, lemon and mustard seed sauce. This sauce was beyond anything I have ever tasted in regards to flavor just jumping around in my mouth. The acidity of the lemon paired with the earthiness of the mustard was a blissful marriage.

Thanks much to Emily for the great recommendation and of course to the amazing chef's and service at Zaytinya...it was the perfect way to start out a great weekend.

Hey guys. Here's RJD2's live set from Next Big Nashville....live at The Cannery.

Pretty funky stuff.

Pok Pok. The morning after.

For our last evening in Portland we ventured for a group dinner at a Thai restaurant that came highly recommended by friends, strangers, and food magazines alike...Pok Pok. Pok Pok was originally a mobile food cart in the Portland area until owner and head chef Andy Ricker decided to take the plunge and open up a part open air/part indoor seating restaurant in the front of his house. The dishes are still inexpensive (ranging from $5-11) and pack huge flavor but now can be enjoyed seated.

Cara was so thoughtful and arranged a reservation for our group of 10 at 8:45 our last night in Portland. After being seated we were treated to water flavored with Pandanus leaf which gave it a grassy flavor. We all ordered one round of beverages that ranged from a mango infused vodka speciality drink (mango infused vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, pressed coconut milk), to a Tamarind Whiskey Sour, to a Salted Plum creation.

Our server was very helpful and guided us through out meal with ease...3 dishes are usually enough for 2 people, he'll bring us some rice that goes well with our meal, we'll eat with our hands and a spoon and there will be no pad thai ordered. Got it.

Well, we managed to obey most of his instructions except for the abundance amount of food we ordered. The highlights are:

Kai Yaang: A small game hen that is stuffed with lemongrass, garlic, cilantro and pepper-- served with 2 dipping sauces. This hen was so tender and so flavorful that it melted in my mouth. I tore that bird apart in seconds.

Muu Paa Kham Waan: BOAR collar meat, rubbed with coriander root, garlic, and black pepper. Glazed with soy and sugar and grilled-- served with a chili-lime-garlic sauce and with a plate of frozen mustard greens to cleanse the pallet. I'll let Harbin's words sum up the experience with this dish: "That boar is so good I want to hit someone" Our server responds with: "Where are you guys from?" Us: "NASHVILLE BIOTCH". Ok, we didn't actually say the "biotch" part but that sure would have be hilarious.

Kaeng Hung Leh: Pork belly and pork shoulder that they stew in this pot of ginger, sugar, tamarind, turmeric, Burmese curry powder, and pickled garlic. I swear....this was like eating the best tasting comfort food on the planet. The meat was phenomenally tender...I mean, it couldn't have been more tender and stayed together. A definite table favorite.

Other dishes worth noting: some crazy spicy fish sauce wings, a poultry salad of sorts, a lovely prawn dish and a vermicelli noodle dish that was understated but still appreciated.

No better way to spend our last night than with an amazing dinner that didn't cost us an arm and a leg, great service and even better company.

Now...It's 7AM and my stomach is still recovering from the heat, bold flavors and the over indulgence but I'll deal with the after effect for a meal like that almost any day.

Don't know how you do the voodoo that you do...

Voodoo Donuts.....another Portland, Oregon staple. With donut names like the Maple Blazer Blunt, Marshall Matters, and Cock and Balls you know when entering such an establishment only the finest behavior is to be displayed. Nine of my rowdiest friends and I made a trip to Voodoo's original location in downtown Ptown to see the line snaking around the building...and then quickly made a trip across the river to Voodoo Donuts Too where the parking was ample and the donuts ready to eat!

We each ordered 2 donuts from the spinning case (the donuts currently available), found a place to park our haunches and got down to business. I ordered the original glazed, in my opinion a donut in its best form, and Chocolate Coconut. Both were delicious! My friend Harbin ordered the Blueberry Cake donut which was spectacular; very moist, flavorful, and tasted fresh!

I must have tasted over 10 donuts and they all were super yummy! Being from the south we have a couple of Krispy Kreme's in most cities (based in Winston-Salem, NC) and Voodoo definitely rivaled the KK but I'll take a hot glazed KK over any other donut, any day.

Biscuits. In Oregon.....eeeehhhh?

Every year a group of friends and I go on a vacation. We call it Annual Holiday. I'm writing this on the last night of our Sixth Annual, Annual Holiday or AHV6 as we like to call it. My location? Portland, Oregon. You see...we switch it up international and domestic and last year we visited Costa Rica so this year we picked a spot not nearly as hot as our home of Nashville, TN and a place where none of us had spent a considerable amount of time. During these holiday's we pretty regularly do two things: eat and drink. The first restaurant I'm going to cover is Pine State Biscuits.

Pine State can be found in North East Portland and boasts yummy biscuits and biscuit accoutrement like eggs, bacon, gravy, etc. Being from the south I question the PNW's ability to really comprehend the importance of the biscuit and exactly how to make the perfect biscuit. My questioning is for good reason.

We busted up (all ten of us) at Pine State on Thursday morning after a day of whitewater rafting and a night of wine and liquor beverages. I perused the menu online prior to our jaunt (we stayed in Lake Oswego) downtown and knew I was going to have the Moneyball.

A biscuit topped with sausage gravy and an over easy egg. (if you like it then you should have put an egg on it). The Moneyball was NOT bad but it did have 2 things pointing it in the wrong direction: 1. The biscuits are too dense. Not nearly fluffy enough. Probably not made with buttermilk. And definitely not made by my granny. 2. The sausage gravy was a bit too sweet.

Neither of these completely flawed the dish but I'm not ready to give Pine State Biscuits a crown.

Side Note: The do have a dish their called The Reggie Deluxe that consists of: Biscuit with fried chicken, fried egg, bacon, cheese and gravy...it's like whoa.

Side Note #2: The Collard Greens were actually "slap yo momma" good.

When I say "Chiddy" , You Say "Bang"

Music. One of the enjoyments that makes the world go round. It's right in there with water, food, dancing, laughing, loving, children, and MUSIC.

That being said...there's this new group I've been digging to and they call themselves Chiddy Bang. It's a 2 man show...the lyricist and head dude who goes by the name of Chiddy (first name actually Chidera), and the beat maker/drummer/producer who goes by Xaphoon Jones (real name Noah). For the remainder of this blog I will go by my DJ name, Whooty.

As a loyal Twitter follower of @realchiddy, I realize that of all places they are coming to Nashville and convince 2 of my best friends, Lacey (DJ AT-AT) and Cara to join me. We start the evening with dinner at Virago and then head to the new La Paz location for a margarita or 3. La Paz is now right down the road from Exit In...one of my favorite music venues in town.

The show is all-ages which I appreciate until we arrive and realize not only are we the oldest people there but we are fucking ancient compared to all the kiddos. Nevertheless we grab a brew and head to the back where we can take in the show, stay out of the childrens' way, and have plenty of room to bust a move ourselves.

Upon our arrival Donnis and his DJ are still up on stage doing their "thing" for the crowd and within seconds they have me moving to the beat. Next up...Chiddy. Noah sits down at the drum set and it's on. They do a short set that includes their current hit "Opposites of Adults" that has a killer MGMT sample from "Kids". The children in the crowd go nuts. Hold on....who is that??

A MC pops up on stage and turns out it's XV, a dude that was placed earlier on the bill that we missed. HE IS SICK. He's spitting so clearly that it reminds me of a young Q-Tip...killed it and made me wish I had passed on the margaritas and headed to the show a little sooner.

It wasn't a packed house but the crowd was hype. Props to the guys for putting on a good show for a small crowd-- and they played it like it was full-- that takes a bit of maturity. That being said, I heard their show the night before in Birmingham was less than stellar. Apparently Chiddy was blazed off his mind and the small crowd was less than impressed. Consistency. It's important.

These guys will be back. We'll hear them on the radio. Girls will love them. What I appreciate more than anything is young hip hoppers that are performing interesting music, talking about interesting topics, and not taking themselves too seriously.

DJ Whooty Out.

Miller Union. Um....yes please.

Every time I spend evenings in Atlanta I try to find a new culinary delight and this trip I made a call to my godfather, Coke, and Decatur, GA native, for some advice. He suggested two eateries, the first; Floataway Cafe in the Highlands and the 2nd, Miller Union close to my midtown hotel. I went with the close choice and grabbed one of my besties, Kristen Lovett, to join me.

I called Miller Union around 6:00 to see if they had any reservations available for the 7:00 time frame and unfortunately they didn't but did say I could be seated on the patio....it's only August in Atlanta so I agreed. Upon our arrival (30 minutes prior to our reservation) we were seated immediately on the patio with a few other brave guests and it was actually very lovely. They have tomato plants and herbs growing and the ceiling fans and comfortable chairs made for a perfect seat.

Side Note: Miller Union is a the west part of Midtown which is rather industrial as we had semi trucks pulling into a parking lot next to us all night....fine by me-- just adds ambiance.

We were immediately greeted by our server who came with chilled filtered tap water and took our drink order of a Miller Thyme-- a gin beverage that incorporates gin, lemon juice and thyme. It was perfect for the warm evening.

We were presented with nice fresh baked sourdough and phenomenal butter to start and then ordered the Farm Egg baked in Celery Cream with Rustic Bread. I'm not sure if I've been clear about my obsession with eggs but I eat at least a dozen a week and love, love, love them. This dish was good. Clean flavors that let the egg be the star. The Celery Cream was much more of a texture additive than flavor and I was OK with that as it really allowed the egg to be featured.

Next on our list was the main course. I ordered the Pan Seared Duck Breast with a Sweet Corn and Butter Bean Succotash and Kristen had the Shrimp & Grits. The sear on the duck was perfect and the skin provided just enough savory flavors to combat the sweet corn to make it a meal in perfect balance. The flavors were clean and clear which is always hard to come by. Kristen's Shrimp & Grits was bursting with flavor and seemed to sit in a tomato, garlic and shrimp broth. The grits had a very nice texture and were not too mushy like they can get sometimes. The shrimp were cooked to perfection, and like the egg in the aforementioned meal, were really the star of the dish.

I couldn't leave without trying a dessert so we opted for Key Lime Semifreddo with a fresh blueberry mixture topping. The semifreddo (which we'll just call ice cream for our purposes) was smooth, tart and packed huge key lime flavor but mixed with the blueberries sang a sweet harmonious song in my mouth. Yup...just wrote that.

Upon leaving I was not stuffed but felt perfectly satisfied and that I had just really treated myself to a lovingly prepared dinner.

Chef Steven Satterfield has found a perfect balance of clean, crisp southern inspired food that doesn't leave you feeling like you need to spend the day on the farm bailing hay to work off the calories.

You can follow them on Twitter: @millerunion or on the web at: www.millerunion.com.

Signing off from the A.

E.

That Pig Don't Fly.

I recently had a craptastic experience at Blind Pig No. 55-- a restaurant spawned from the folks at Watermark and Miro District in the old Mirror Restaurant space. And when I say spawned I mean it in every negative way as I've had consistent great experiences at Watermark and like Miro fine but the mark has been missed with this new endeavor.

The night that Bryn, Lacey, and I dined at the Pig we had planned to eat at Burger Up but the wait was over an hour so we walked down the road and were seating immediately at the Pig. Upon walking in I was saddened by the decor and ambiance of what used to be one of my favorite spots in Nashville, Mirror. It was very casual with condiments on the table, paper napkins, and dressed down servers.

I had a water to drink while Bryn ordered a Vodka tonic and Lacey ordered a Maker's and Coke. Our drinks came out in a reasonable amount of time and we ordered the guacamole (yes, this is BBQ place) for an appetizer. The guacamole itself was fine but the chips were WAY over salted and too oily. App Score: C

For our entrees I had the pulled chicken sandwich with a side of mashed potatoes, Lacey had a pulled pork sandwich with fries and Bryn ordered a slew of sides that included green beans, mac & cheese and something that was so unmemorable that I actually don't remember. WOW.

My chicken was rubbery, tough and lacked a bold taste; my mashed potatoes were dry and lacked seasoning. Bryn's Mac & Cheese dish was possible the worst Mac & Cheese I've ever had in my life. She enjoyed the green beans but I thought they were NASTY. yuk.

Lacey's pork sandwich was fine but she was very put off by the use of sweet pickles on the sandwich....Now, I don't eat pickles at all so I can't comment on this catastrophe of pickle-ness but her and Bryn were appalled. Entree Score: C-

Needless to say we didn't eat dessert and my night concluded with the worst heartburn I've had in years. So....overall grade: C-

Best. Restaurant. In. Nashville. Macke's.

I rarely give anything or anyone the title "BEST" (with the exception of Magic Johnson and REM), but I'm ready to dole it out to Macke's Green Hills--- In my humble opinion the best restaurant in Nashville. I've been 3 times now and it has yet to disappoint and only gets better.

This past week I celebrated my friend Christina's 32nd birthday with a group for dinner at Macke's.

We started with beverages (I had some bubbles) and then moved into a heavy appetizer rotation that included: Seared Scallops with a bruleed peach, candied Benton's Bacon and creamed Kim Chee; Lobster Corn Fritters; Jumbo Lump Crabcakes with saffron, pineapple compote and Paprika Oil; Butter Bean Hummus; Yazoo Pale Ale Battered Shrimp with a local tomato aspic and House-Made Mayo. All of the appetizers were delicious with special props going out to the Butter Bean Hummus and the House made mayo that accompanied the shrimp. Mmmmm....

Next we took our try at main courses. I spilt the entree special with my friend Ava Kay....Tarragon Crusted Halibut plated over a crab risotto in a golden tomato broth. It was phenomenal. Everyone else also loved their entrees that included salmon, scallops, and pork cheeks.

One thing I love about Macke's is that with most of their entree's they offer half portions-- perfect for those who love amazing food but also love fitting into clothes. :)

Most of us were pretty much done and done after entree's but our side of the table decided to splurge on the caramel apple creme brulee'-- AND I'M SO GLAD WE DID. I will say that it had not quite set properly but the taste was so robust and spot on that it could have come in an IV bag and I would have been fine with the presentation and consistency.

Some Nashville foodies claim the more posh places like City House, Tayst, Margot and Watermark to be the best-- but not me. I'll take friendly, family-like service, precise flavor profiles, and fresh ingredients any day over a pizza with an egg on it. (and don't get me wrong, I love eggs)

One thing to note: Macke's does have a full service bar, however, they don't have an actual BAR at which to sit so drinks after work won't work so much here.

Another side note: Unlike speakeasy's that purposefully make their establishments hard to find, Macke's has made their establishment hard to find without trying. It's located in Grace's Plaza in Green Hills where the old Davis Kidd used to be and across from the Davidson County Clerk's office. (I know, weird).

Follow them on twitter: @Mackesgourmet

Totally fLliPPed out....

I've been wanting to eat at Flip Burger since I heard of the Richard Blais joint that boasts homes in both the A and the Ham and considering the Ham (Birmingham, that is) resides in my territory I made a point to visit this time. There were ups and downs to our experience but here's the skinny...(ha)

Joining me for dinner was King Cobra (KC) a new full time Red Bull marketing specialist based in the Ham. We arrived around 7 and put our name on the list (pretty hopping place) and waited in the front area. Soccer moms with Louis' and 14 year old girls going on 20 packed the place along with the occasional old fart that would walk up to the host and ask if there was a wait (hello there are people standing EVERYWHERE). I digress.

We ended up spotting 2 seats at the back bar and politely turned in our pagers and headed to belly up. After waiting forever for a bartender or server to come by we finally flagged down a server and asked that she take our order....she immediately did so and after that downside it was smooth sailing. Grade for original service: F. Grade for flagged down service: A.

KC ordered (after much urging from me) the Korean BBQ burger and a side of fries and I decided on the Chorizo burger (of course I did) with a side of the panko and Parmesan zucchini fries. Our order came up quickly and KC loved his burger and here's a bit more detail on mine: The Chorizo burger boasts spicy pork sausage (I know, I know, I'm supposed to be off the pig), romesco ketchup, hashbrowns, manchego cheese, smoked mayo and last but certainly not least FRIED EGG. I think it was the ancient philosopher Beyonce who once said "If you like it then you should have put an egg on it".

The burger itself was a little disappointing as it wasn't spicy and lacked a savory kick that I really enjoy from chorizo. The egg, however, really helped the burger as it blended all the other toppings together. Grade: B

Oooohhhh....panko and Parmesan zucchini fries....to die for. WITH A GREMOLATA MAYO that I could have bathed in. I ended up putting some of the mayo on the burger....winner, winner chicken dinner. GRADE: A+

So it turns out that the bar where we were sitting wasn't the alkie bar....oh no, it was the milkshake/liquid Nitrogen bar. After seeing a specific Nutella, burnt marshmallow and N2 shake made a few other times for loving patrons KC and I just couldn't resist. OMJ (Oh Michael Jackson).....I have few words to describe this shake but I'll try: GO AND GET ONE RIGHT NOW. Grade: OMJ

Taking everything into consideration-- definitely somewhere I would go again and recommend to others-- probably a good idea to wait for a table if you want great service and be sure to leave the calorie counting at the door.

Stupid is as stupid does

I learned the hard way how to not sweat the small stuff and put life into perspective; I lost my mom too early. I remember thinking when mom died that I would never again allow myself to get all worked up for nothing. I would never allow myself to put meaning in the meaningless, place importance on the non-important and worry about things I cannot control. Well I blew that out of the fucking water this week.

Sunday night I'm enjoying a lovely evening at home. I'm looking at my Twitter and @IamDiddy tells me to turn on BET...so I do, and start watching the BET awards. Next thing I know I go to do some work and voila...no internet. I check my home phone line also provided by Comcast....no phone either. I imagine this is something that can be handled easily so I give Comcast a call and 2 days, 7 conversations, and tears later I still have no fucking internet. OK...well, I do now because I just got it back but you get the point.

It's one thing to go without TV, Phones, and Internet when you're on a camping trip but when I'm at home (and I work from home mind you) I want these things to work, and work well, and work quickly. I have literally been a raging bitch for the last 2 days. I had multiple anxiety attacks and had to have a glass of wine at 4:30 yesterday so I could continue to breathe. (Veronica, if you're reading this I swear I only had one and I went back to work).

The bottom line is that I'm an idiot. Why in the world would something without importance, meaning and definitely something that I can do nothing about get me so worked up? Why did I let it get to me? I have my priorities figured out, right?

So now the internet is back on and I can tweet, blog and email in peace....but mostly I can put myself in a serious TIMEOUT. Worry about what you can control....the rest is trivial.

That's my REV RUN blog for the month.

Monday Night June 28, 2010-- I'm getting out, are you?

Tomorrow night is Monday and although I rarely go out/am in town on a weeknight anymore there are 2 amazing shows I want to tell everyone about. The first is my good friend Lindsey's, Masters Recital for cello at the Belmont Mansion. It starts at 7:00 and is free to the public.

The second stop will be the Benefit for Bella at Exit In with American Bang, Will Hoge and Ricky Young. Those American Bang boys are awesome and I haven't seen Will play in quite a while. There's a $10 minimum donation at the door and all proceeds go to help little baby Arabella Cobb's medical expenses. I don't personally know the parents but since seeing the show I've been keeping up with the blog and have been thoroughly touched by this story. You can also follow the blog at : http://arabellacobb.blogspot.com.

Burger Up or....down?

I've just returned from my first visit at Burger Up....Nashville's newest (and only) speciality non-chain burger establishment. I'll start by saying that I love the location- 12th south in the Paris building right next to a long time favorite- Las Paletas. The restaurant is relatively small and has a few smaller tables and two long community tables. There's also a well stocked bar full of trendy liquors like Prairie Vodka and Corsair, Plymouth, etc...you get the point.

Dinning with me this afternoon was Cara L.--- who is always up for trying new food and experiences. We were sat in a 2 top right next to the front door-- a high boy and stool situation that didn't allow me to cross my legs or really get comfortable...but not completely horrible.

I started off with the Bloody Mary which came highly recommended from our server and Cara had an Amstel Light. The Bloody Mary was interesting. Not bad...but definitely not 3 Crow's or Jackson's. Grade: B

We then ordered a Crab, cheese, habenero fondue of sorts. The toast points served with it were a little soft and the dip missed the mark to a degree. Plenty of crab (which is rare) but not enough cheese to really call it a fondue. Grade: C+

Next UP were our burgers- I went with the Turkey Burger and Cara had the Mushroom Swiss. My burger was good and had plenty of moisture which is tough when cooking ground turkey. Cara also really enjoyed her burger and the sweet potato fries that came on the side. I thought the fries were soggy and lacked seasoning and pazazz.

I enjoyed the side salad that would have been fab had the greens not been completely drenched in the bacon vinaigrette. It could have used half the dressing but was still tasty.

Grade: B+

Overall a pleasant experience and definitely want to try again once I get back on the Cow and Pig to try the Woodstock burger that boasts Benton's Bacon and a white cheddar cheese...yummm.

Check them out at: http://www.burger-up.com/.

Side note: Rumours East will be closed for a week or so due to remodeling (they are apparently taking an amazing old historic home in East Nashville and modernizing it's interior). Potential bad call but I could be eating (or drinking) my words later about that one. http://www.rumourseast.com/