The Nashville Classics
Before vintage barnwood everything, industrial chic, open kitchens, big open spaces with light, and menus that require a culinary degree to read, there was Sperry’s, Midtown Café, and The Picnic Café. They’re enduring for a reason, not the least of which is their owners and champions. Here is a look at these classics and why they’re still here, relevant and popular as ever.
Midtown Café Of Power and Lemon Artichoke Soup
The first thing you notice when you go to Midtown Café is that the host is Randy Rayburn, the owner. When was the last time the owner seated you at your table? The day we had lunch at this 30 year old landmark Randy hustled through the clamoring lunch crowd seating folks, stopping at tables to chat and answering the phone.
The other thing you notice is the crowd. Definitely a power bunch (I walked in behind Phil Bredesen)-- mostly baby bommer-age and well dressed. There are no stained barn wood tables, or metal signs. No laptops or headsets. And the only beards were on the customers. Indeed Midtown Café stands out as a refreshing beacon to a time when lunch was a social and business opportunity done over civilized food. The crowd contains a lot of regulars that have their regular tables, all of which Randy takes care of.
Speaking of the food. It’s equally as comforting and classic: Trout Almondine, Crab Cakes, and Chicken Piccata. We had blackened grouper and shrimp and grits, both a bit of a throwback to the eighties. The fish was served with rice pilaf and a medley (yes we said the word medley) of julienned vegetables. The rice and veggies were the perfect foil to the spicy moist fish. Oh yes, did we mention the Lemon and Artichoke Soup? It’s as classic as Randy.
Sperry’s Of Escargot and Bernaise
Opened by brothers Houston and Dick Thomas in 1974, this Belle Meade classic is now owned by Houston’s son, Al Thomas and wife, Trish. Located on Harding Road, it is unapologetically of the 80’s. Red print carpet and dark wood tables are the décor in the cozy dining room, with not a window to be found. Waiters (mainly male) wear white shirts and black aprons. They know how to pace a meal. No tapas style here with plates brought out “willy nilly” when the kitchen determines. At Sperry’s the diner is king. The menu consists of appetizers, soup, salad, entrees, salad and dessert. In that order. We ate there on a Wednesday night, and the place was hopping. Shrimp bisque and escargot arrived immediately after the red wine was brought in a small decanter to the table. After our appetizers were done, Alvin, our waiter, invited us to go to the salad bar.
The salad bar is true to its 80’s root as well, containing canned black olives, garbanzo beans, onions, cheese and a big bowl of lettuce, mainly iceberg. It is served with all house-made dressings. I chose the green goddess (indeed a green not found in nature) and it was perfect. The crunchy fresh salad was the perfect respite to the creamy shrimp bisque, escargot and steaks to come.
Once we finished our salads, Alvin announced he was placing our order for our steaks to be started. Steaks arrived, perfectly cooked; mine a New York Strip with Béarnaise sauce and grilled shrimp. Health be damned, once in a while a good Béarnaise sauce is just the thing.
The Picnic Café and Catering Of Chicken Salad and Southern Hospitality
On a cold day this past January, the ladies of The Picnic, the classic chicken salad and tea outpost for the Belle Meade set, were getting ready for a TV shoot with Joe Elmore of Tennessee Crossroads. While the Picnic isn’t exactly the backroads, it contains everything we love about backroad eats; hospitality, warmth, great unpretentious food and community. It’s hard to imagine anything better than the Picnic’s chicken salad, but there is, and that is the sense of community the cafe inspires.
Owner Kathy Bonnet started selling sandwiches in 1983, pedaling them door-to-door in Hillsboro Village. She found a permanent space inside the then Belle Meade Drugstore, where she would take your order, then go into the kitchen and make your sandwich. When the strip center housing the drugstore was torn down, The Picnic relocated to where they are now, behind the Mapco on Harding Pike.
Locations have changed but regulars (and new customers alike) remain devoutly loyal to The Picnic. Customers range from employees at neighboring St Thomas Hospital, to ladies that lunch, to the men’s group that meets every Wednesday (for coffee) to busy folks hustling out with carry-out bags of tea punch and pimento cheese.
Kathy knows most everyone by name, and if she doesn’t, chances are she knows your mama or sister. The all women staff hasn’t changed in over 17 years. The women buzz around with a sense of purpose and familiarity in the light breezy blue and white dining room. If you’re in a hurry you can buzz in and get chicken salad, tortilla soup, and biscuits from the to-go case. Life’s a picnic at The Picnic Café.
