The Yellow Porch in Berry Hill

It's the beginning of spring and the famed herb garden in front of The Yellow Porch restaurant, at 734 Thompson Lane, showed off a colorful display of Little Mother-In-Laws (well, that's what we call pansies in Swiss German).

In any case, this eatery, according to my husband, could have been taken straight from East Nashville. If you like Yuppie-business chic with an extended wine menu and a distinct bar, you're at the right place.

The ambiance is definitely artsy. Along the black, red and yellow walls we were able to enjoy modern art displays for sale. I love artsy.

But I like "light" or legere artsy. Overall, the restaurant lighting was rather dark for my taste  - and it was only 5:30 p.m. when we got there. Plus, the tables were a little crowded. As I said, we were early, so patrons were just starting to come in. I can imagine by the time this eatery is packed, it's rather noisy. However, there was a nice porch. I just didn't want to enjoy the nice afternoon watching gas-guzzlers racing up and down Thompson Lane.



Moroccan Spiced Salmon



The menu was a rather nice surprise. You can order an entree for $18 (the range was about $15-$27). Hubby chose the Marinate Chicken Breast with Linguini Pasta Pie, Spinach and Shaved Fennel - the herbs and Cacciatore sauce made the meal. He started with a house salad and the following comment for my blog, "It's the kind of place where you ask for a house salad and are not given a choice of dressing. It comes automatically with a vinaigrette."

He really liked the Lignuini Pasta Pie, which he said reminded him of a quiche (disclosure: we both are rather partial to a good quiche).

Now to my choice. I went with the Moroccan Spiced Salmon.

I love coconut and the Coconut Ginger Basamati Rice really hit the spot. The salmon was delicious, but the most outstanding feature of my meal definitely was the Shiitake Crab Ponzu Broth.

In my capacity as a Henauer Non-Connoisseuse, I am officially granting the Yellow Porch the Gold Metal of the Non-Connoisseuse Blog for the Shiitake Crab Ponzu Broth. Congratulations!

Doggy Bag Revue

Stanley is a highly sophisticated dog. He holds a doctorate degree in Tasteology and has an IQ of 25. His eclectic taste buds ("taste butts" for his many doggie followers) hold a reputation beyond the Tackett family yard.

While he is often victimized for his outstanding evaluations and sharp tongue, he knows how to manipulate his way into the hearts of all visitors and thus, regularly snaps the best bites directly from the table.

Here are his comments:

The selfish brood of masters did not bring me much of a doggie bag. I only managed to get a taste of the Gold-metalled sauce, which was truly worth the taste. It was easy on the tongue, smooth to the tooth and rolled down my throat like a waltz.

Five wags for the Shiitake Crab Ponzu Broth.

Istanbul Restaurant - A New Favorite!

On our way home from Gojo, I turned south on Nolensville Road. As usual, we were traveling in two cars going in different directions, so I had to immediately text Ricky after passing Istanbul Restaurant. It was determined that next week, we would try out that place in Woodbine.

The exact address of the Istanbul Restaurant is 2631 Nolensville Road, between I-440 and Thompson Lane.

We went early in the evening (or late afternoon) and were the only patrons in the place. The ambience is probably not what you're looking for when you have a first date, but it is great for a business luncheon, family dinner and a get together with a bunch of friends.

The menu is vast, featuring all your heart desires on Turkish cuisine - at least from a Swiss American perspective. Plus, if one of your friends is avert to trying out something new, he or she can go with a regular old burger or cheeseburger with fries or a salad.

For the non-connoisseurs amongst us, Turkish restaurants are the place to be for meat lovers! Istanbul Restaurant, I must add, is considerate enough to offer a Veggie Platter.

Let's get to the meat though!
Being the chef in the family, Ricky is a combo-kind-of-guy, which allows him to taste different meats.
The Big Combo with Soup for $12.99 gave him five different meats: chicken breast tender, kofta, beef shish kabob, gyro and some doner served with basmati rice and either cucumber of taboulleh salad.

I went with the Istanbuhl Special for $11.99, which included a beef shish, chicken shish and shrimp shish and was also served with basmati rice and either cucumber or taboulleh salad. The price range for the food you get is unbeatable.

We both started out with lentil soup and falafel. One absolute must is the yoghurt sauce. I've tasted yoghurt sauce at another Turkish restaurant, which was not comparable to the one that Istanbul Restaurant had to offer.

As the headline of this blog tells you - we were excited. The service was beyond fabulous, and I've found blog entries and comments on other sites that confirm that only the service tops the food. When we left, our server filled two to-go drinks for us and gave me two baklava. At no extra cost.


Doggy Bag Revue

Barkley is our youngest and biggest dog. He is an easy-go-lucky pup of two years who runs you over if you don't watch out. His tail is constantly wagging and wipes kids out of our yard. Of course, none of it is intentional.

Here is what Barkley wants to share about Istanbul's doggy bag.

Falfala is like bread. I don't like bread. I like meat. The meat was OK. Yoghurt sauce stinks. I like a simple beef bone and to run like the wind.

Two wags for Istanbul Restaurant's doggy bag from Barkley (five wags for the meat).

Gojo Ethiopian Cafe and Restaurant

It was Saturday late afternoon, and the plan was clear. First we'll go to the Dog and Cat Shoppe on Bransford Avenue, then we'll go over to the Russian to pick up my beloved German bread and then we'll eat Ethiopian (no, it's not an empty plate - if you feel bad about that joke and want to make up for it, check out the link to the United Nation's World Food Programme or WFP where you can help feed hungry children).

If you haven't been at the Cat Shoppe, please go. It's a must-see, cute little shop filled with all things cats like and you like about cats in addition to kittens you can adopt right from the store. Be aware though, the smell of the cat litter could ruin your appetite. That's why we - my husband Ricky and I - decided to check out the Curious Heart Emporium, at 2832 Bransford Ave. Niiiiice and fuuuun! Call it an eclectic gift shop. In any case, it hit the spot, and my hubby was so nice to get me a sloppy, brown hat (I promise, you'd like it if you saw it on me -mostly because it covers half of my face).

I'll write about the Russian grocery store on Thompson Lane another time.

Let's go straight to Gojo now.
I carry this tiny little notebook with me now so that I can jot down a few things to remember. Gojo is at 415 Thompson Lane, close to Nolensville Road. It is located in an unobtrusive, little shack of a building. The ambience, we judged at a sober 5 (out of 10 points, with one being the worst and 10 the highest). But the food, we definitely gave a high ranking.

We ordered Yesga Sambussa for an appetizer. "It's a pastry shell filled with ground beef, onion, jalapeno, herbs, and spices, then pan fried and served hot," according to Gojo's Website. The picture on the Website is much nicer than what actually came on our plate. The four shells were just placed on a simple table without any decorations or garnishing. But, we liked them, and that's the important thing.

Then we ordered the main dish. Well, if you know me, you understand that I am not a gourmet chef or even a food critic. I eat what is placed in front of me. Plus, I don't really have the experience to distinguish between different table manners in other countries, even though I'm a foreigner.

In any case, Gojo's food is served in a tray-like plate on top of a rolled out flat bread that looks like suede and feels like velvet. What you do is take a roll of the bread, break it in pieces with you hand and then wrap the dish in the bread. Yes, you heard me correctly, you eat by hand (which will limit whom you will take to dinner at Gojo's, I'm sure).

The average price per dish is $10-$12. I tried the Beef Tips after being warned if I go with the Awaze Tibs I may not be able to handle the hotness of the dish. The beef was done well - a little too well, but the spices were excellent. I can only recommend it and would give it an eight out of ten.

Ricky picked the lamb."Tender pieces of lamb simmered in mild sauce and seasoned with fresh ginger, garlic and tumeric." I have this thing about lamb (at least let that animal grow up before you eat it) and didn't taste it. But Ricky said it was excellent and he would order it again.

He drank iced tea. Be aware, the sweet tea is spicy. It's unusual, but worth trying.

Gojo is predestined for an out of town dinner party you want to entertain. Since the dishes are presented in one plate, it's easy to try each other's entrees and share. We definitely decided to return for the lunch buffet, which is $8.99 and is offered Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. By the way, the service was extremely friendly and accommodated us immediately when we asked to change tables.

Doggy Bag Revue

You may not know yet, but we have a pack of rescued dogs at home. They are definitely more gourmet than I am, and thus, deserve a say about the doggy bag food I bring home.

This one here is Tyson, the Wise (or "Wisdomful" as he likes to call himself). Here is Tyson's Doggy Bag Revue:

The beef is really on the leathery side, but the spices are good. The lamb is bettah. I definitely liked the lamb bones. I probably am going to order myself a New Zealand lamb to raise. We have proper space and they don't live long anyway.

Four and a half wags for Gojo (out of five).