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.