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
Yellow Brix was the closest restaurant when I made a pitstop in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The aptly named yellow brick house offers soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and chargrilled cuts of meat.
I ordered the steak tacos with rice and beans. And I can see why this type of food is popular in locations where it is super hot. It was refreshing and filling without being super heavy because as soon as I stepped outside, I was sweating. Fresh veggies, thick cuts of steak - all tasty. I would've preferred a different cheese, and the beans were pretty bland. Still, a solid lunch.
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
"Caliche’s is your hometown favorite for sweet treats and even sweeter memories! It all began as a humble drive-in at a renovated burger joint on Valley Drive in Las Cruces, NM ... The name 'Caliche' is a Spanish term describing a layer of calcium carbonate formed in the soils of semi-arid regions commonly referred to as 'natural cement. It is commonplace to hear Midwestern frozen custard joints refer to their blended frozen custard treats as 'Concretes.' With a little creative thinking and respect for our community’s culture, the new name for our business was born: Caliche’s Frozen Custard."
I was driving through this town on my way to visit my bestie, Kaitee, so I had to indulge in some of the local fare. I went with the "Sandbox," which was vanilla frozen custard blended with Oreos®, topped with hot fudge and a gummy worm. Kinda like the "dirt" themed desserts you might see. I'm not quite sure how I could give ice cream any less than an A. It's a sweet indulgence; the fudge just added a new layer of deliciousness. Just so good.
Grade: A
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