The Catbird Seat Experience
I have hesitated summarizing my feelings formally because I’m scared I won’t do justice to the experience. But if I don’t share now I won’t ever.
First, I have uploaded all of my photos from the night on Flickr. I have detailed descriptions (as best as I could provide) of the food and beverage pairings. I’m not going to walk through the night here so I suggest checking out the 28 photo set.
I would love to answer any questions. Ask away.
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I was in a meeting in a coworkers office and noticed his The Catbird Seat menu on the wall. I was able to keep from gushing before I questioned him about it at the end of the meeting. When I expressed that I wouldn’t find myself there anytime soon because Beth isn’t as adventurous as I, he explained that a coworker of ours also wanted to go and had a girlfriend with similar culinary tastes as Beth. That moment turned into a few weeks of waiting and planning to get a date that would work for us and two other coworkers we recruited.
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I choose the house beverage pairings along with the food. I debated this choice because I have never enjoyed wine. When faced with the decision I gave in to prevent any regrets I may have. It was the right choice and I highly recommend it. I enjoyed every glass and loved hearing about where they came from. I would have like to see a cocktail or beer served.
Which brings me to the biggest takeaway from the night: It was a very casual experience.
I can think of a few restaurant experiences I have been to, spending half the money I did at TCS, that made me feel twice as uncomfortable. (Busting out my phone to Google a term and learning it is a cheese is depressing.) The entire staff was friendly and not patronizing. We met every chef through the night as they brought over their dishes to us. All of them were very open to questions (How did you aerate the foie gras? How do you make bourbon balls? How accommodating are you with dietary restrictions?) that my geeky colleagues and I had for them. (FYI: They are extremely accommodating. They pride themselves in serving the “same dish” to anyone no matter their wishes. Vegan & vegetarian aren’t even a challenge.)
And the food wasn’t pretentious either! I’m still surprised I was familiar with every ingredient they quoted. I know they were doing some molecular gastronomy in there (i.e. bourbon balls) but they didn’t explain this to us. We were the ones asking about what was being sous-vide. It was so welcoming to be served a dish and not hearing ingredients and techniques dropped like famous names.
The hype and price isn’t because of fancy ingredients. It’s the people, the techniques, and the experience. They are what make it worth your time to visit. Go.
What many fine dining establishments shun and consider off-limits — engaging directly with chefs, dietary restrictions, boisterous chat — the Catbird Seat embraces. And rather than being typically tucked away, the kitchen here is out in the open and cradled by a bar where people eat, drink, and watch every culinary move.
The Catbird Seat. Tomorrow.
That is all.
Beth gave me the green light to procure tickets to see Mumford & Sons at The Ryman. :-)
Dear Tyler,
Why have you went so long without a Yazoo Dos Perros? I appreciate the variety in brews you strive for but they never match up to our favorite. Please remember this during future purchases.
Love,
Your Tum Tum
Sh!t Nashville People DON’T Say.
My work day ended with a coworker’s banjo.
Nashville Skyline
I’m proud of my Nashville Skyline blog for the following reasons.
- I have kept it going with one photo every day for 730ish days. Some of my favorite compilation blogs petered out quickly or would share their content in spurts.
- It currently has 357 followers and gains a few each week.
- Seeing reblogs of people love the same city I do makes me happy.
This concludes my post written at the level of a third-grade student.
Dollywood & Gaylord Entertainment will be building a “114-acre family entertainment zone” across Briley Parkway. “The park will provide a mix of high energy water activities for the summer season and designated snow activities for winter play.”
Please don’t call this an amusement park or the return of Opryland.
I received an email from the Nashville Farmer’s Market announcing a pig butchering on-farm experience this Sunday. We’re heading home this weekend otherwise my butt would be there.
Register here. Nashville Scene announced last year’s class.
NPR: New Recycling Company Springs From Old Mattresses
Here is the national NPR article I mentioned two weeks ago when I recommended Spring Back.
2012 Bicycle Commute Count
1
100 Noms
I have recorded 98 unique restaurants I have eaten at or from in 2011. I’m hoping to reach 100 by Saturday night. After picking up a pork shoulder from Porter Road Butcher this afternoon I’m thinking about Nuvo Burrito, #99. But what should be #100?
If you happen to give a shit then suggest something that isn’t on this list. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t give a shit if I was reading this about someone else. ;-)
Nashville Mattress Recycling
Yesterday I donated Nolan’s old mattress at Spring Back Recycling, “a non-profit that exists to break down mattresses and build up lives.” I had intended to trash it at a Metro convenience center but when I searched for the address I found a WPLN transcript (NPR) describing Spring Back’s goals of “small business training for formerly incarcerated men and women” and protecting the environment. It was a very easy decision to recycle the mattress instead of disposing of it.
I drove out to Trevecca and found this building with a sign along the road. All the doors were shut and not transparent as most business are. The small door on the right was clearing marked with “54”, the business address. I gave it a big knock and received no answer. Then I stepped in to a lobby and saw an office, break room, and shop area in the back. I retreated, read the sign on the road, and decided to go back in.
I found Ron Harness in the shop building a platform with 2”x4”. Mattresses were everywhere so I should have been given a sign when I asked him if this is where I can recycle a mattress.
Ron was a pleasure to talk to. He explained how every part of the mattress is separated, baled, and sold. There is even a group taking the metal springs and making art from them. He showed me a spring with the top third of a wine bottle sitting in it. It will be filled with wax to create a candle but people are buying them as is.
It costs $10 for each mattress you recycle which I consider to be well worth my money.
Ron was interested where I heard about their company. I didn’t know the source of the article I had read but he described the same one and said that it will be going national on NPR in January. He asked I spread the word and I promised I would blog about my experience.
Local. Helping previously incarcerated, as well as homeless, men & women. Keeping mattresses out of landfills. Spring Back is a company I want to see succeed. Please consider them when you have a mattress you no longer want.
