When You Need a Little Christmas, Right This Very Minute (Inn at Christmas Place, Pigeon Forge, TN)

 

 

Christmas ranks as #1 on my favorite holidays list, so I may be just a tad biased.

Year round, the Inn at Christmas Place dangles spangles and sparkles and wreaths and teddy bears, and even has Santa (A singing Santa, no less!) From rafter to rails, everything has some sort of holiday loveliness hanging.


Inside the rooms, the theme continues. Keep in mind, this is not a Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo sort of overkill. There is fun and elegance without being exclusive or kitschy. The beds (super comfy) have sweet Christmas-themed pillows. The bathrooms have holly and pine. Even the TV stand has a tiny lighted tree on top! (In our room there was a handy sign pointing up to the OFF/ON switch, in case it was too much.)

Breakfast was included, and we've been down that road before. What passes for a breakfast in most places I'm sure some prisoners would turn up their noses. However, the Inn at Christmas Place opens its beautifully etched doors to reveal a sumptuous Christmas morning breakfast buffet.

They have rugelach, folks... (For those who don't know, rugelach is this small, plump Jewish pastry stuffed with jellied fruit and topped with squared sugar crystals - very, very tasty!

The standard fare - eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy - is not standard (certainly not for a free breakfast, either.) Try the thickly sliced ham for a lovely treat.

For those looking for more healthful fare, try the various granolas, fruit drinks (including a homemade tomato juice,) four kinds of coffee (including a Santa-inspired mellow one,) yogurts, fruits, and more.

Once we were done, Santa was waiting outside and snapped a few pictures under the gigantic downstairs Christmas tree (did I mention this was in mid-January, long after most places have packed away all holiday decorations and are sadly waiting on Valentines Day for business to pick up?)

We were only in town for one night, visiting a local farm, but we already decided to bring the family up within the month.

Final verdict: A definite do-over, and this time we'll bring more people!



copyright - All rights to the work posted on this site are retained by Cass Van Gelder. If you'd like to use some of my work, please ask. To do so, the permissions must be spelled out in writing...from me...I mean it. I have horribly mean cats; don't make me use them.

Jeans or Tuxedo: Everyone Feels Comfortable (Cork & Cow - Franklin, TN)

As many times as I had been passed Cork & Cow while eyeballing pastries at Merribelle's in Downtown Franklin, when my husband and I had a chance to finally go, it seemed perfect.

The old wood, wood-fired smell as you come in evokes lawyer's bookcases and first edition novels. The U-shaped bar takes up most of the downstairs floor, but is usually filled with locals. Our first time, they seated us upstairs. I'm not a fan of being stuffy, especially as I eat, but the temperature was mostly mild. The view and "floor entertainment" were well worth it, in any case.

From our perch, we could see the majority of the restaurant and the bar conversations kept us entertained between courses. A particularly loud, short-clad fellow was busy trying to - I'm sure in his mind - subtly pick up the woman sitting next to him. Smartly, she made her way discreetly to the other side of the bar, but not before we heard their entertaining conversation.

Cork & Cow has a wonderful mix of steaks and standards that have a bit of a twist. The bartender that night served Crown Royal to our table like it was water - in other words, to our liking.

The owners sport two other neighborhood restaurants - The Red Pony and 55 South - both of which are on my list to try. They seem to know how to keep a look, a theme, and idea clean and clear and not muddy it with other conflicting things. Likely, having three restaurants within a few feet of each other helps with that, too.

Watch your bill because each item is separate - no bundling of side dishes with the meal. IT can add up fast. We think it's worth it, but better to be warned than surprised.

The desserts are a little uneven, but this seems to be an ongoing theme. We've yet to find a restaurant that's solid from start to finish in Nashville (editor's note: We have since visited The Catbird Seat and can amend that statement.)

The relaxing and low key vibe make you feel like you finally found some place grown up to go.




copyright - All rights to the work posted on this site are retained by Cass Van Gelder. If you'd like to use some of my work, please ask. To do so, the permissions must be spelled out in writing...from me...I mean it. I have horribly mean cats; don't make me use them.

Surprising, Adventurous - Worth The Experience (The Catbird Seat - Nashville, TN)

Foodies R Us... yep, we're a bit picky. We just moved from Las Vegas where we had our pick of high-end restaurants and hidden gems. We made our home in old haunts that glamorous stars would hide out to get an excellent meal. We were prepared to be disappointed when we moved here. Boy, were we wrong!

I had heard quite a bit about The Catbird Seat - eclectic, unusual, a place that changes and makes you think about your food. However, after a month or so of having to chase a reservation, I was about to give up. Luckily, a cancelled reservation was posted just as I happened to look one last time.

The place is intimate, and while we dressed up because we came straight from work, there's no need to bother. Your money spends just as well as anyone else's.

We lucked out and were seated on the corner, so we each had a great view of the chefs, each other, and the door (and once in a while, we got a nice breeze - yes, being in the kitchen does make it a little warm.)

Trevor, the head chef, is funny and personable. He comes across as a kid with a science kit - all giggly about his latest invention...and he should be.

Granted, I was a little wary when he brought around our first dish - almond "snow" with a still-live longneck clam on top with herbs. He delighted in telling us that not only were the clams so fresh, one of them knocked an herb off its back, but likely when we put it in our mouths, we might feel it still throbbing.

Admittedly, I wanted to walk out then.

I'm adventurous, but I have a few limits.

In any case, I tried it and it was amazing. Trevor has a real knack for subtle flavors.

All in all, we had about 13 courses (!), each one different; each one with its own personality. We took our time eating so we could savor the smells and textures.

I have to stress one major point with us: both of us have unusual allergies - him, mushrooms; me, peppers (all), jalapenos, chilies, paprika, etc. It can make a dinner out difficult for us and the restaurant staff, However, their staff seemed to take it as a fun challenge, to see how they could rethink the night's menu to accommodate us and still make something spectacular. They did not fail.

The pricing is steep. It's not Joel Robechon/Las Vegas-steep, but it's significant. For us, it was worth it. We like how adventurous and experimental the food was.

The only thing I would change is the temperature. Towards the end, it got a bit stuffy.

But, as they say, if you can't take the heat, get out of their kitchen.


P.S., we will do this again, and again, and be luckier for it every time.








copyright - All rights to the work posted on this site are retained by Cass Van Gelder. If you'd like to use some of my work, please ask. To do so, the permissions must be spelled out in writing...from me...I mean it. I have horribly mean cats; don't make me use them.