There is something so comforting about pasta. I’m not sure if it’s the carbs or just the warm Italian flavors, but I’m here for the pasta! Penne Pazze just opened in the new L&L Market in Sylvan Park, it’s authentic, farm to table Italian, they serve seasonal new dishes every week, and it needs to be at the top of your Nashville food spot list!
Although Maple Street Biscuit Company started in Jacksonville, FL, we fell in love with it in Chattanooga. There’s so much to desire about this place. So, when we discovered they just opened up in Brentwood, TN, we couldn’t contain ourselves!
With a simple, warm, modern design inside and the smell of maple as soon as you walk through the door, it feels as welcoming as the comfort food they serve. Trust me, you aren’t really there for the decor anyway. You’ll be greeted by friendly staff having a good time and ready to make you enjoy the service as much as the food. And they make it fun!
Instead of writing your name wrong on a coffee cup (we all know who you are), they have a question of the month and your answer is how they call out your order. For example, when we were there the question was “what is your favorite summer song?” Other times we’ve been they asked “who is your favorite super hero” and “who would you choose to play you in a movie about your life?” It really gets a fun conversation started with whomever you’re with!
We know why you’re really here. All you care about is the glorious foodie style temptations we always share. They’re of course known for their flaky biscuits, which are made fresh every day and brushed with real butter, but it’s really all about what’s between them. We give it our best effort to explore the menu with every visit, however, we just can’t get past the Squawking Goat. OMG. This biscuit has insane flavor! It’s all-natural fried chicken, a fried goat cheese medallion, and house-made pepper jelly on a biscuit. It is definitely a must-try!
The Squawking Goat in all it’s glory
If you want a no-fail amazing breakfast (and you’re really hungry) go for The Five and Dime. You get fried chicken, pecan wood smoked bacon, a fried egg, and cheddar cheese topped with house-made sausage gravy with a kick all on their flaky biscuit. It’s a lot of food and I can assure you, you won’t be disappointed.
The Five and Dime - That gravy is phenomenal!
Their breakfast is without a doubt out of this world. Even though they are a biscuit company, you can’t sleep on their waffles, they will surprise you. The three layer cake (fried hash brown cake with smoked gouda cheese, topped with chives, gravy, and an egg) for obvious reasons can’t be missed either! Just don’t think you can’t enjoy this place if you missed breakfast time.
The Firebird is still a biscuit, but definitely more fitted for lunch (although we won’t judge for knocking one down for breakfast). MSBC brought the HEAT with this one! It’s their natural fried chicken breast coated in house-made buffalo sauce, topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and cooled down a bit with house-made buttermilk ranch. A great southern take on the buffalo chicken sandwich, and will have you coming back for more.
Right now they also have a summer menu including a chocolate chip biscuit s’more. Jackie is all about some s’mores right now, so of course, we had to get this. It did not disappoint! You get one of their house-made flaky biscuits filled with chocolate chips, stuffed with a hand-toasted giant marshmallow and Hershey’s chocolate.
If you feel like comfort food is what you need right now, this will hit the spot, 100%. With basically everything made from scratch in house, you really can’t lose with whatever you choose. For example, their house-made apple butter is to-die-for! Oh, and they roast their own coffee. I can drink their maple iced coffee (with free refills) until my eyes twitch and love every minute of it.
Check them out right next to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream in Brentwood, TN or in their downtown Nashville location on 8th Ave. S. You won’t be sorry!
Ready to find a home in Brentwood, TN and eat Maple Street Biscuit Company all you want?
The skewered yakitori plates will keep your tastebuds entertained while you wait for the main course! Get ready to crave them for weeks to come like I did.
Two Ten Jack is ABSOLUTELY a must-try restaurant for East Nashvillians! This pub-style Ramen restaurant serves the most mouth-watering Japanese comfort food in the area! I can’t even think about the avocado yakitori without starting to drool! And despite not being able to pronounce half the things on the menu, you can’t go wrong with anything you order!
The Donut + Dog BROUGHT IT with this Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich!
FAIR WARNING: You will want, nay, NEED to have one of these sandwiches by the time you’re done reading this. I apologize in advance, but my mouth is watering just thinking about this sandwich. Seriously. #sorrynotsorry
The Donut + Dog on Belcourt Ave. has been crafting some of the best donuts on the planet for just over 2 years now, and the love they put into their food is evident. The creator of The Donut + Dog, Will Primavera, and his team took an age-old Nashville tradition of Hot Chicken and paired it with their signature 20 hour brioche donut. (Yes, their donuts take 20-24 hours to make, minimum. And good lord, they are amazing.) They tested this Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich at their Boise, Idaho location, and people went crazy for it! We have been dying to try it! We got news they were f i n a l l y bringing it to Nash, and they invited us to come try it a few days before they put it on the menu officially! And man, oh man, have they outdone themselves this time!
THE SANDWICH:
Their menu description of the heaven that is on this donut sandwich is simple: "fried chicken, asian slaw, pickles, and secret sauce.” But it is soooooooo much more than that!
It has the perfect balance of flavor! I could smell the sweet of the donut & the tangy slaw before it even reached my mouth, and then when I bit into it, sparks flew. I got a little bit of everything in each bite that kept me coming back for more: the buttery donut, the sweet glaze, the tangy slaw, the bright house-made pickles, and the spicy chicken all married together with the flavorful sauce. Are you drooling yet?
Not to mention, the different textures! The fried chicken stayed crunchy! NEVER once did the breading get soggy or slide off the chicken! The wonderful mouthfeel of the soft caramelized donut, crispy fried chicken, fresh crunchy pickles and slaw, the sticky donut glaze, and then the smooth sauce all piled together to create the perfect Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich.
Now, don’t get me wrong, it was DEFINITELY messy. I lost one of the hot chicken tenders a few times, but I was able to tuck it back into the sandwich just fine. (I wasn’t mad about the secret sauce all over my fingers either: the true meaning of “finger-lickin’ good”). I definitely left with a few stains on my shirt, but this sandwich was worth it; mere battle scars from probably the best meal I’ve ever had there. I SAID IT! The best meal I’ve ever had at The Donut + Dog was definitely the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich.
I, surprisingly, would have liked the chicken to be just a touch spicier, but if you’re not wild about spicy foods, this is a Hot Chicken you can definitely handle!
If you’ve never been to The Donut + Dog, you’re missing out! They have rotating donut flavors and MANY other locally-sourced savory options you can pair with a signature organic coffee. (My favorite is the the Smoked Caramel Latte… they smoke it in a glass box right at your table. How awesome is that?!)
Okay, I don’t know if I can talk about this place or this amazing sandwich anymore right now. My mouth is watering so bad. So, to answer the question, YES. A million times, YES. The best Hot Chicken in Nashville IS a donut. Go get it. NOW!
Ready to live nearby? Check out the neighborhood!
The pizza love is VERY real. From the pizza emoji to all the pizza slogan t-shirts (including one of my wife’s favorite tees that says “you had me at pizza”), it’s no secret that pizza is now a staple in any foodie’s diet. With so many great pizza spots in Nashville, it’s tough to know where to go, but the owners of Biscuit Love, famously known for their crazy long brunch lines in The Gulch (yeah, it’s that popular) do pizza right with their new Hillsboro Village restaurant, ‘Za wood fired pizza.
