Ole Red Nashville Airport is the airport outpost of Blake Shelton-inspired Ole Red, the country-themed restaurant and live-music concept operated by Opry Entertainment Group. Located in Concourse C near Gate C-18 at Nashville International Airport, it essentially brings a scaled-down Nashville honky-tonk experience inside BNA, pairing Southern food and drinks with a stage for live country music.
The menu leans heavily into Southern and Nashville comfort food, including Honey Bee Hot Chicken & Waffles, Redneck Nachos, smash burgers, pulled pork barbecue, ribs and a Stay Country Bar-B-Que Board with ribs, pulled pork, brisket links, mac and cheese, baked beans, corn, slaw and cornbread.
I had Ma’s Meatloaf, a house-made beef-and-bison meatloaf with Ole Red barbecue sauce, cheddar smashed potatoes, house-made onion straws and Southern-glazed Brussels sprouts. I like my meatloaf with more of a tangy tomato sauce, but the BBQ wasn't bad.
Grade: B
Folk is a cool restaurant in Nashville with lovely high ceilings, exposer brick walls and an elevated Italian menu.
The menu changes frequently - weekly, I believe. But, at the time, Bri and I ordered some snacks to share.
Bri opted for a fennel salad, which was piled high with the crunchy stuff, as well as apples and herbs. Maybe a bit much on the fennel, but nice and light and fresh.
I went for a beet and whipped goat cheese salad, which was a delicious balance between tangy/funky and sweet/fruity. A lovely evening at a swanky spot with a great friend.
Grade: A
The Mockingbird is a modern diner in Nashville that comes from the same hospitality group as Chauhan Ale & Masala House and Tansuo.
It serves up "global fare and delicious fun," and is "led by the talented culinary duo of Executive Chef / Partner Brian Riggenbach [winner of Season 14 of 'Chopped'] and front-of-house extraordinaire / Partner Mikey Corona. Inspired by the restaurant's namesake, Brian has created The Mockingbird's menu to mimic its surroundings, offering comfort food favorites influenced by the many global elements that make up American culture and cuisine. He has crafted the menu so that no two dishes are alike, pulling inspiration from the country's melting pot of cultural diversity to create a truly exciting menu of varied flavors. The restaurant plays with a special sense of whimsy that is evoked in Brian's menu. Playful in nature, each dish at The Mockingbird is a nod to the experience that Brian and Mikey want their diners to have."
Bri and I opted for just dessert at The Mockingbird. I went for "Bowls Deep," which had dulce de leche & chocolate pot de creme with cake crumbles and peans. Bri ordered the "Butter Believe It" with butter cake, pie crumbles and strawberries.
While I liked mine, the pot de creme was a more bitter chocolate. I loved all the goodies on top and mixed those around to try a bit of this and a bit of that.
Bri won this round with here with the cake because the strawberry flavor was fresh, there was more texture, and it was just sweeter - like me.
Grade: B
Tansuo in Nashville, Tennessee, is another concept from Maneet Chauhan that features modern riffs on Chinese classics & dim sum. Maneet is a Food Network chef who has appeared on everything from Chopped and Tournament of Champions to Iron Chef and Guy's Grocery Games.
When my friend Bri and I visited Tansuo, it was dark and moody and felt a bit exclusive. We sat at a big half circle table and order some appetizers for the table: chili oil dumplings with ground pork, black vinegar, chili oil and sichuan peppercorns and shrimp rangoons with szechuan cream cheese and mango chili sauce.
"Meaning 'to explore' in Cantonese, Tansuo is an exploration of contemporary Chinese cuisine reminiscent of China's night markets and traditional street fare. The menu features dishes using humble ingredients presented in an extraordinary way such as Foie Sui Man, Taiwanese Seared Ahi, General Tso's Chicken, and Singapore Noodles."
The dumplings had some more heat to them, but that silky smooth texture and slight numbing had me keep coming back for more. I loved the sweet, sour, spiciness. So tasty. The shrimp rangoons were good in theory, but. the execution was hard to live up to the delicious crab rangoon in my mind. Still, really tasty snacks that got our appetite ready for the next stop.
Grade: A
Chauhan Ale & Masala House in Nashville is owned by Chef Maneet Chauhan, who is one of my favorite. Food Network personalities. So, I was really excited to actually be able to try food from her restaurant.
"Chauhan Ale & Masala House is devoted to creating a unique dining experience in Nashville, Tennessee's bustling food scene. Co-owner and Executive Chef Maneet Chauhan's Indian roots, zest for travel and affection for Southern cuisine have beautifully collided to offer a menu featuring globally influenced Indian cuisine that highlights aspects of the culinary scene not only in Mumbai or New Delhi, but Nashville as well, perfectly combining Indian fare with traditional Southern dishes. Chauhan Ale & Masala House also boasts an exceptional beverage program with a worldwide selection of wine and spirits, cocktails that excite the palate, and an array of beers including Mantra Artisan Ales, carefully crafted to pair seamlessly with the food offerings created by Chef Maneet.
Opened in November 2014, Chauhan Ale & Masala House has quickly become a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike and is a recognized leader in the industry. The restaurant has collected numerous accolades including Best New Restaurant, Best Lunch Spot, Where to Eat Brunch, Best Cocktails, and more from reputable outlets such as USA Today, The Huffington Post, Food Network, Travel + Leisure, Delta Sky, Playboy, Garden & Gun, The Tennessean, Nashville Scene, Eater Nashville, Zagat and Open Table, amongst many others."
The space is lovely, with some Indian touches and colors that make it feel very inviting.
Bri and I shared a few small bites, as this was just the beginning of our food tour. But the menu featured tons of tempting options, like braised pork shank, saag mac & cheese, and gulab jamun cheesecake.
We went with hot chicken pakoras, which had a house blend spice mix, crispy chicken, and ghost pepper sauce. And yes, it was spicy. Like, so spicy that I only had a few bites. I liked the crunch and the depth of flavor. I love the mash-up of Nashville flavors with Indian spices, though.
Bri's choice, thankfully, was less of a spice bomb: tandoori chicken poutine. Tandoori chicken, makhani sauce, cheese curds, masala fries.
Much cooler on the palate. The fries aren't the super crispy guys that I enjoy, but they're thicker, potato-y and soft, which allows them to soak up those punchy flavors.
This was a fun experience because I've seen Maneet on TV so many times. The food was good, the experience was lovely, and I'm happy to have marked it off my bucket list.
Grade: A
Joyland: Quality Comfort Food - "A fun new concept by Chef Sean Brock designed to spread JOY" A new project by Chef Sean Brock bringing JOY to East Nashville, TN through delicious food.
There doesn't need to be much more said to convince me to try out this Nasvhille, Tennessee, restaurant. I love Sean Brock, and there's a weird, high-end twist on fast food? I'm here for it.
It's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it's pretty cool. Red, blue and yellow stripes decorate the place, and the menu features burgers, fried chicken, biscuits, shakes and fries.
I ordered a few things: A crustburger, which is a super-duper thin crust as a bun and a smash burger inside with onion, American cheese and a side of fancy sauce. I mean. My mouth is watering just typing that.
I also ordered one JoyBurger Deluxe, which is Bear Creek Private Label Beef with Joy Sauce, pickles, onions and American cheese. More of a classic burger with quality ingredients - made fast.
I couldn't NOT get a chocolate milkshake to wash it all down with.
Delicious? Yes. Fun? Yes. Quirky? Yes.
Grade: A
One of my best friends lived in Nashville until recently, so I've been fortunate to visit the city a few times.
My last trip was short, but it was still packed full of food adventures - like Dozen Bakery.
We believe that putting the best into something yields the greatest result. We believe in QUALITY, so we choose to support vendors, farmers and artisans who believe in supporting the local community and who consistently deliver us the finest, freshest ingredients available. We value EDUCATION, teaching skills and encouraging curiosity about processes, ingredients and food. And we APPRECIATE our place in the tradition of bakers and craftspeople who work with their hands, recognizing that we work in a larger community of people seeking to support sustainable business practices. We value our work, ourselves and those we work alongside, as we strive for perfection while putting our unique selves into everything we make and do, day after day. Dozen Bakery was never intended to make it this long. Originally, it was started as a holiday cookie pop-up business that would exist for the last three months of 2009. Thanks to strong word-of-mouth popularity, some good press, and building a great team, Dozen continues to this day. We now have a bakery in Wedgewood-Houston, and sell to other local businesses and restaurants.
I ordered the radish tartine here, along with cucumber gazpacho and a little pastry.
To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. And, I wasn't excited by the flavor of the cucumber-gazpacho. It just didn't do much for me - not enough flavor or balance for me.
But the radish tartine was one of those meals I look back on fondly. It's essentially a thick piece of crusty bread topped with herby whipped feta, herb salad and some pickled radishes that just blew my mind. It's really simple in concept, but every single element delivered. And, it was absolutely gorgeous. I've not yet tried to recreate this, but I do think about it often when I'm in the mood for something fresh and light, yet filling. It was tough for the pastry to compete with that - but I love ending on a sweet note so it was appreciated, as well.
Grade: A
During COVID, desperate times call for desperate measures. And since I can't travel far for food... food is traveling for me.
Or, maybe one of my very best friends came to visit me from Nashville and brought me a pizza (and cinnamon roll!) from Slim & Husky's, which has been recognized as having some of the best pizza in Nashville - and all of Tennessee. Not only are they home to delicious artisan pizza (and cinnamon rolls!) - but they are also very active in the underserved communities and dole out scholarships, too.
So, fair warning that this isn't fresh from the restaurant, so obviously there's going to be a little lost here. But, if this is THIS tasty a few hours after it was made - that's saying something. I ordered the "Got 5 on It," which is the classic red sauce, house cheese blend and fresh mozzarella. The pizzas are like oblong so they're a nice, hefty personal pizza - if you're ambitious like me. The crust is a little thicker than New York-style and the sauce is well-seasoned. And, you can't beat fresh mozzarella.
Cinnamon rolls are typically not my go-to, but these are not just any rolls. I went with a blueberry lemon and WOW. I mean, it's the perfect combo of that kinda heavy pastry with light fruity flavors. Delish.
Grade: A
A juice is always perfect for a roadtrip. So, we stopped at Franklin Juice Co. to get our fix.
Franklin Juice Co. has acai bowls, juices, kits and cleanses and more.
"Since our inception in 2014, we have been resolute in our commitment to sourcing the highest quality certified organic produce for our cold-pressed juices and açaà bowls.
With every juice & açaà bowl you purchase, you are helping us support the hard-working organic farmers who refuse to spray our fruits and veggies with toxic chemicals.
Together, we are changing American agriculture, protecting our environment, and creating a sustainable and healthy model of eating and drinking for our future generations!" -Brett Henry, Founder of the Franklin Juice Co.
I went with a small "Rio" smoothie, which has strawberries, blueberries, mango, banana and apple juice. Yummy!
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