Blonde Voyage's Featured Favorites | July 2023
When I think I’ve experienced some of the most oppressive heat in the history of Nashville, the universe says, “Hold my beer,” and cranks it up about ten degrees. Quite frankly, even if I had a shaded pool right in my backyard, there’s no amount of money you could pay me to leave the comfort of my air conditioning. With that said, all of these favorites can be enjoyed indoors in the comfort of a little A/C.
“Little Ribbons” bolognese
iggy’s
609 Merritt Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
ICYMI, the Poli brothers Ryan, and Matt are back in Nashville with their newly opened restaurant, iggy’s. Perhaps you know this dynamic duo from their tenure at the Catbird Seat (2016-2018), or maybe you had a chance to experience Ryan’s overhaul of the food and beverage program at the Bobby Hotel. Before putting down roots in Nashville, Ryan worked in some of the best kitchens in the world, including French Laundry and Noma, so I’d say Nashville is fortunate to have him. Like any good food enthusiast, I immediately made my way to iggy’s within a week of opening. With the number of Italian restaurants in Nashville, I wondered if it would live up to the pre-opening hype. No, I didn’t have a reservation, but learn from my mistake and make sure you grab one on Tock HERE and request to sit at the chef’s counter. It’s sure to be a lively and entertaining vantage point.
My partner in dine and I brought our a-game appetite, ordered two smaller plates, and built our own pasta flight ordering four different pastas. Of all our dishes, the “Little Ribbons” Bolognese was by far the standout of the evening and something I’d order on repeat. To put it in perspective, we ordered the Agnolotti ( no, it wasn’t topped with shaved black truffles ), Maine Crab Tortellini, and the Bucatini alla carbonara (my second favorite, if I had to choose). Even though Bolognese seems like an incredibly simple dish, these flavors were incredible, and the little ribbons of pasta were perfection. I wanted to love the Maine Crab Tortellini, but it arrived lukewarm, and no, that wasn’t because my camera ate first. Quite frankly, if I am going to pay almost $5.00/tortellini, I need it to be perfect.
I look forward to revisiting iggy’s in the upcoming weeks with a proper seat at the chef’s counter so I can take it all in
BLT
St.Vito Focacceria
605 Mansion Street
Nashville, TN 37203
Since it’s peak tomato season, I have made it my mission to sample as many BLT sandwiches around the city. After all, not all BLTs are created equal. My first stop was at St. Vito Focacceria, which recently opened in the Gulch. Before I lose you, finding parking was relatively easy. While St. Vito’s is known for their Sfincione-style pizza, they have quite an assortment of sandwiches, salads, and snacks on their menu. When they posted their BLT, I instantly started drooling and knew that nothing was getting in the way of getting that BLT. Heirloom tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and applewood smoked bacon served on St. Vito’s Sardinian sourdough is quite possibly my new love language. It was larger than life, juicy, messy, and sheer perfection. Before you go, this gem is only available at lunch, so plan accordingly. It’s definitely one not to be missed.
Bobota & Dakos
Krasi
48 Gloucester Street
Boston MA 02115
I had the pleasure of spending a few days exploring Boston last month, and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed some incredible Italian food in the North End and spent some days exploring their food halls and markets. In fact, I may have stumbled up on one of the best Reubens ever at Beantown Pastrami, but the standout meal of the trip was dinner at Krasi. While I intended to do a lobster roll crawl through Boston, I stumbled upon Krasi while researching restaurants and wanted to check it out. Mezze and wine really speak to a girl. As I do, I logged on to OpenTable to secure a reservation, and they had nothing. I thought, "Are they closed for a private event?" Maybe I input the wrong date?" No, they are just that good. Reservations open 60 days in advance, and they are snatched up immediately. I texted the restaurant, and the restaurant gods smiled upon me as they had two seats left at the bar. We arrived promptly at 5:00 only to find out that our good fortune continued with a prime table in the front of the restaurant. Once we were seated, we began to order all the things. Every single dish was a standout, and if I could have brought some of them back to Nashville, I would have done so, but in the meantime, these photos must suffice until I return to Boston. I'm a tomato girl through and through, so when I spotted Dakos on the menu, I knew I'd order it. Dakos is comprised of marinated tomatoes, carob paximadia, and anthotyro cheese. Y'all, I would have licked the bowl if I weren't at a restaurant. The flavors were bright and fresh, and the cheese added a layer of complexity that, simply put, blew my mind. We enjoyed this dish with a side of Bobota, a charred corn bread served with whipped honey butter. While we were eating all the things, we had the pleasure of meeting Chef Val (2023 James Beard Best Chef Northeast Finalist) and chatting with him about his love of food and Boston. Talk about a perfect dining experience.
If you plan a trip to Boston, make sure you snag a reservation at Krasi. By far one of the best restaurants in the city- hands down!
The crazyshake
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer - Nashville
140 3rd Ave North, Nashville, TN 37201
Lately, my sweet tooth cravings have been cured with Jeni's Ice Cream. I've been particularly obsessed with the recent collaboration with Pop-Tarts. The frosted brown sugar cinnamon took me back to my youth. When I polished off my last pint, I called several local scoop shops to replenish my supply. Much to my dismay, EVERY SINGLE SCOOP SHOP WAS SOLD OUT. What's a girl to do? Rather than moping around, I decided to head downtown to Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer and indulge in one of their Crazyshakes. I had the chance to sample one of these during their grand opening, so I couldn't wait to dive in face first. If you've never had a Crazyshake, you are in for quite the treat. Imagine half milkshake, half dessert, and 100% over the top. Some may call it gluttonous, but I'd prefer efficient. During their preview, I had a chance to sample the Cookies' N Cream Supreme and knew it would be a winner, but I wanted something with a cinnamon sugar vibe, and of course, Black Tap delivered. I ordered the Cinnamon Bun Shake, which comes with a cream cheese frosted rim, crushed cinnamon toast crunch topped with a cinnamon roll, whipped cream & cinnamon sugar glaze. Hello Diabetes, but in all seriousness, it hit the spot. If you are in downtown Nashville, I recommend swinging by and checking out Black Tap. They have great burgers, and their milkshakes will definitely make you weak in the knees.
Until Next Time!