Margot, Flyte, Radius10, PM, Eastland Cafe Top ‘Scene’ Poll

IN THE NEWS: The Nashville Scene’s Best of Nashville 2007 poll results are just out. Among the restaurant highlights: Best Restaurant in Davidson County, Margot Cafe and Bar (readers); Best New Restaurant (since October 2006), Flyte (readers); Best Chef, Margot McCormack, Margot’s (readers), and Will Uhlhorn, F.Scott’s (critics); Best All-Purpose Restaurant, Radius10 (critics); Best Neighborhood [...]

‘Gourmet’ Lauds Farm-to-Table Meats at Watermark

Gourmet magazine’s October 2007 issue features a guide to “America’s Best Farm-to-Table Restaurants.” gourmet.com:
RESTAURANTS WITH FARM CONNECTIONS: 2nd Street Bistro, Livingston, MT; Amherst Chinese Food, Amherst, MA; Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; Crook’s Corner, Chapel Hill, NC; Eve, Alexandria, VA; La Provence, Lacombe, LA; Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC; Pacific’O and I’o, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii; Tree House [...]

Star Chef Flay Set for Barbecue Cook-Off

Food Network star chef Bobby Flay will be featured at the third annual Fiddlin’, Brewin’, Bar-B-Q’N Cook-Off at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Sept. 28-29. Barbecue enthusiast Flay will grill specialties of his own in a 90-minute Celebrity Chef Series seminar on Saturday during the cook-off weekend. Go to www.gaylordopryland.com for more info. … [...]

Noted Restaurateur Frank Varallo Jr. Dies

IN THE NEWS: The Tennessean’s Colby Sledge reports the passing of longtime Nashville restaurateur Frank Varallo Jr., who died Sept. 9 at age 93. Varallo ran the legendary Varallo’s Restaurant, which was founded in 1907, from age 14 after his father’s death until he and his wife of 70 years, Eva, retired and closed the [...]

Sitar Opens South Indian Branch on Church

IN THE NEWS: The Tennessean and The Rage’s Dana Kopp Franklin reports the owners of the popular Indian restaurant Sitar have opened a second restaurant, Madras Bhavan, on Church Street in the space formerly held by Taste of India. The restaurant specializes in the cuisine of South India, though it serves familiar northern Indian [...]

California Pizza Kitchen to Open Sept. 1

IN THE NEWS: California Pizza Kitchen will open its first Nashville restaurant on Sept. 1 inside the new Hill Center in Green Hills, The Tennessean reports. The Los Angeles-based company said it plans to donate 100 percent of its dine-in pizza sales on Sept. 10 to the PENCIL Foundation, a local non-profit group that [...]

Einstein Bros., Max & Erma’s Eye Nashville

IN THE NEWS: Einstein Bros. Bagels and Max & Erma’s are both launching aggressive expansions and looking to enter the Nashville market, the Nashville Business Journal reports. Einsten Bros. Bagels is owned by Lakewood, Colo.-based Einstein Noah Restaurant Group. According to Securities and Exchange Commission filings in April, the company operates more than 400 [...]

East Nashville Awaits Rumours East Debut

IN THE NEWS: This past weekend’s East Nashville Tomato Art Festival served as a sneak preview for the tapas and wine from Rumours East, a wine bar owned by Christy Shuff and Whitney Ferre. The new business, which fills the spot of the former Red Wagon Cafe at 1112 Woodland St., is a spinoff of [...]

Several Locals Win ‘Wine Spectator’ Honors

IN THE NEWS: Recent winners of Wine Spectator’s prestigious Awards of Excellence include: Capitol Grille, Fleming’s, Morton’s, Old Hickory Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris, Sperry’s, Stock-Yard, Sunset Grill, The Melting Pot, The Palm, Trace, Valentino’s, and Watermark. winespectator.com … The Scene’s Carrington Fox reviews the new Blue Moon Lagoon (525 Basswood Drive) and reports on the expected [...]

Franklin’s Sandy’s Downtown Grille Closes

IN THE NEWS: The Tennessean’s Kevin Walters reports July 30 that Sandy’s Downtown Grille in Franklin has closed its doors: “Brown paper covers the windows of the popular downtown Franklin restaurant and signs announcing its closing are hung in the doorway windows. “We want to thank the community and our loyal customers who have kept [...]