Repas Road Trip... Nashville

 June promised to be a busy one, and hasn't disappointed. Meals and travel have been mixed with weddings and family celebrations, but it's time to slow down and send some love down south where a  short while back we spent the week doing a series of French country meals in Nashville. Not sure what to expect, either from markets, the burgeoning artisan producers, or the people, we came out very content for having made the trek from the west coast. The air was thick , the days heat increasing during our stay, yet always we found it welcoming, smiles offered easily in that gentle southern way.
 A challenge when going into a new town is the "where". As in where the hell do you buy anything around here? After arriving at 5:30 a.m. early in the week, we found ourselves in the central Nashville Farmers Market by about 7:30. While we would expand our scope around the city, the love and quality we found at Smiley's Farm, Barnes Produce, and the others made it easy to return daily. Warm crusty loaves of sour dough pulled each weekend morning from the wood fired oven, stacked along the counter at Bella Nashville, were an excellent find there as well. Normally known for their quality Napolitano pizza, the bread goes quickly. Emma was always kind to save enough for our needs.
 Fine craft was on display at Porter Road Butcher, where Jim and crew made it easy to find the quality and cuts we wanted. Doing it right with whole animals, and old school slow-it-down-and-listen service. The fact that the best cheese vendor in town(The Bloomy Rind) actually shares the same space made it a regular stop also. Kathleen patiently heard out our wants, and married us up to some pretty damn good local producers, of which there are many emerging from the area.
 Cooking for others has never stopped us from feeding ourselves, and strolling the neighborhood of our German Town digs provided some very good options, whether it was cocktails and coppa di testa under the strung lights on the terrace at Rolf and Daughters or tearing into wood fired gulf octopus bar side at City House. Yeah, barbecue figured prominently in the mix, from Edley's in the 12 South district to Martin's out in... Well, damn far out in the country, lets just say. Ate too much at both places, and don't feel bad about it at all! Perhaps the best "feed" we put on while there came via friend Hazem, who snagged us our first night in, taking us over to East Nashville and Lockland Table. In an otherwise quiet residential area of stately elegant homes sits this outpost, where we ate long and we ate well. From corn fritters, chicken paté and roasted bone marrow to trout and hanger steak frîtes, we had many reasons to not order the cheese plate nor the re-worked Bananas Foster. But... We did, all of which contributed to the "waddle" to our walk out to the car.

 Cooking on the road can be challenging, but the kitchen time was made better and our meals flowed more smoothly in large part to the hosts who accepted us into their homes. To all of you(Nancy, Mary, Paris, Kate, and, of course, the Bloomfields) our thanks, for the graciousness of your welcome, eagerness to the process, and good vibes. None of this would have happened, had it not been for the insistence of my sister Susan, who doggedly aligned the stars to make it happen. All without us choking each other, a test to the delicate balance that is family.
 Unveiling the French countryside for guests is our distinct pleasure. When back stateside, however, we're always willing to bring some of that magic with us to what ever local might want to share a table. Doing them in the San Francisco Bay Area is a given, and when we can spread the love to such places as Nashville, it just gets that much better.

Chez Gautier Cooking School: http://www.chez-gauteir.com