Nothing Fancy – Part 3

My mood is entirely weather-based, and today’s gloom in Nashville started my day off worse than waking up on the wrong side of the bed.  I had to take action, and luckily, Yeast Nashville bakery is on my way into work.   They have changing daily specials that always includes some sort of amazing egg casserole, soup and baked goods, but the stars of the show are their kolaches.

Never had a kolache?  Like the mighty armadillo, kolaches have made their way up to Tennessee by way of Texas and now there’s no turning back.  Although kolaches are traditionally Czech and Polish pastries, most Americans know them from the world famous Czech Stop, in West, Texas.  They can have a savory filling or are topped with sweetened cream cheese, fruit and/nuts.

Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to:

1. BUY ROOSTER BREAD NOW FOR LATER.  They always, always, always sell out before the end of the day.  What is rooster bread you ask?  Why, it is only the finest sriacha and cheese blend loaf of bread this side of the Cumberland.

2.  Start with the classics.  While (seriously) everything Yeast Nashville makes turns to gold, the kolaches really are the best.  Try the jalapeno/sausage/cheese kolache to spice up your morning.

Also, as if you needed more of an incentive, they have incredible coffee. They serve Drews Brews which is pretty much the only coffee shop coffee that doesn’t either taste burned or like cigarettes.  And it’s local. Boom.

 

 

“Nothing Fancy” Series – Part 2

The next person who tells you they eat McDonald’s all the time because, “It’s so cheap,” tell them to eat more tacos!

Tacos should be simple – small corn tortillas, filled with meat and topped with onions and cilantro.  No exceptions.  However, to determine who has the “best” tacos, one should look to the sauce in my humble opinion.  A place has a bottle of Tabasco for your tacos?  “Getthefuggouttaheya,” or of course the Southern equivalent is, “Oh honey, bless your heart.”  Give me unlabeled containers of creamy green and dark reds with visible chili peppers in it, I’ll love you forever.

I’ve described the tacos at El Tapatio (4801 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211 – next to Whitt’s BBQ) as, “So good I forgot to look at my phone,” which, in these modern times, is really saying a lot.  But the sauce, the sauce!  For $4.90 I got two spicy pork tacos, one shrimp, pickled carrots, radishes, a green sauce and a red sauce.

I have no idea what’s in the sauce, but I can tell you that it’s homemade, spicy as hell, and is better than anything else you’ll find on Nolensville Road. ¡Yo Quiero El Tapatio!

The word of the day is…

When English is lacking in a word to describe something, thank god we have German to pick up that slack.

What are some of your favorite words to describe something that has no direct English equivalent?