How Much Did We Love BA Grub Crawl? Let Us Count the Ways
Good old-fashioned Southern hospitality has a stellar rep for a reason, and the folks in Nashville—with help from theNashville Convention & Visitors Corp—welcomed us again with open arms. Bon Appétit rolled into the heart of Tennessee to explore the 12 South and Germantown ‘hoods at the annual #BAgrubcrawl. We arrived hungry, thirsty, and ready for one hell of a party! From fried chicken sliders (thanks to a recipe from the owner’s grandmother), grilled shrimp and grits, tater tot nachos (yes, you heard correctly), a meatopian feast and more cocktails than you could count, this year’s crawl was a surefire hit. Though we miss you already, Music City—we’re going to re-live all the fun and dream about the food and drinks via the following photos.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty1/14Shake Things up and Snap That
Delicious cocktails were a big hit during the crawl and pretty enough to make an appearance on Instagram and Snapchat (Hello, #BAGrubCrawl). The crew at Josephine mixed up the ‘Pocket Change’ with vodka, lemon, passion fruit, and bitters—literally the perfect drink for a hot summer day.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty2/14This Isn’t Your Average Shrimp on the Barbie
This year’s day crawl kicked off at Urban Grub in Nashville’s 12 South neighborhood. Chef Edgar Pendley whipped up an epic spread that featured roasted whole lamb with biscuits, these incredible (and can we say, huge) prawns, and grilled shrimp with roasted Roma tomato, caramelized onion, and scallion grits. Add with andouille sausage and housemade charcuterie and we’d say that’s quite the good start.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty3/14Bubbles and Fried Chicken? Yes, Please
When you hear that The Flipside owner Jason Sheer’s grandmother’s recipe for chicken is THAT good it’s topped 21 different ways, you stand up and pay attention. Guests were treated to Jack’s Best Chicken Sliders three ways—including this Thai-inspired version, ‘The Phuket’, made with peanut butter, Sriracha and Thai basil slaw. Cocktails got a bubbly touch with the Bellini 2403, topped with Torresella Prosecco.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty4/14Behold Your New Favorite Nachos
The Flipside wasn’t playing around with their epic take on a bar food favorite. Can we hear you say ‘Tater Tot Nachos’? Yes. Crunchy potato-y deliciousness topped with melted cheese, bacon, avocado, jalapenos, tomatoes and green onion. Certainly a winner!
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty5/14Let's up the Spice Level
The next spot on the day crawl was Lebanese bistro, Epice. With traditional flavors and spices front and center, owner Maher Fawaz served guests a spread of dishes like Sayadeya a spiced fish with caramelized onions and vermicelli rice. Also on the feast list was a lentil and rice pilaf dish called Mujadara, and the sweet treat Roz bi-Haleeb, an orange blossom infused rice pudding.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty6/14Almost Too Pretty to Eat
Another seriously delicious and Insta-worthy dish, this time from Executive Chef Andrew Little at Josephine in 12 South. The vegetable salad plate with edible flowers was chock-full of produce and ingredients from No. 9 Farms, including scrapple croutons, cured egg yolk, and fresh lavender. While eating this seasonal dish, guests were entertained by the music of Craig Duncan.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty7/14Shaking Things up for the Night Crawl
Festivities for the Night Crawl kicked off at former Bon Appétit Best New Restaurant, Rolf and Daughters in Germantown. Chef Philip Krajeck embraces local and seasonal food, and guests got to nibble on light and bright dishes like Radish, Trout Tonatto & Rye, Tomato & Farmer Cheese Sandwiches, House Coppa & Green Tomato, Chicken Wings & Crispy Grains, and Frittelle with Citrus and Bottarga. All good things should come with a cocktail, and this one was even named after us. The Buono Appetito was stirred up with Campari, Cocchi Americano, Grapefruit & Lemon—cheers to that!
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty8/14If You Didn't ‘Gram It, Did It Happen?
When the spread looks this good, it’s a crime not to grab a pic, right? BA Deputy Editor Andrew Knowlton knows that Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs are basically picture perfect—so he snapped a sneaky shot before the party started. The guests at 5th & Taylor in Germantown also got to nosh on Beef Tartare and Hot Chicken Skin Biscuits.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty9/14We’re With The King
We’ve got friends in high places! Thanks to Butch Spyridon at the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, crawlers were surprised with these Elvis Moon Pies. Not sure about all those layers of goodness inside said Moon Pie? Imagine biting into peanut butter bacon brittle, fresh banana & banana pastry cream, homemade graham cracker crust, and meringue all wrapped up in a perfect chocolate crust.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty10/14A Boost at the Parlor
Sometimes you need a little pick me up, and so the caffeine boost at Barista Parlor was perfect. They serve the highest quality beans from forward-thinking and environmentally responsible farms, so this Single Origin Coffee paired with Askinosie 72% Mababu, Tanzania Dark Chocolate was a bite and sip to enjoy and feel good about.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty11/14Bring on the Biscuits and Brioche
The Barista Parlor brought us more than just delectable coffee, hot chocolate and Torresella Wines—they served up some awesome takes on breakfast sammies. The Road Runner was filled with Willow Farm eggs, garlic paprika jack cheese, sriracha aioli on toasted brioche, and the Strawberry Super Bee had the perfect combo of Porter Road Butcher sausage and homemade strawberry jam sandwiched in a homemade butter biscuit.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty12/14All of the Meats, Please
The last stop on the night crawl was Chef Levon Wallace’s Cochon Butcher. The butcher shop and sandwich counter—specializing in housemade meats, terrines and sausages—served up a meatopian feast to guests while they listened to music from Erik Blue. We’re talking Smoked Boudin, Smoked Deer Sausage, Roasted Jalapeño Sausage, Toulouse Sausage, Duck Pastrami Sliders, and Cracklin’s with Steen’s Cane Syrup. Yes, please.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty13/14Ain't No Party Like a Bell Tower Party
And that’s a wrap! Our Day and Night Crawl crew gathered at The Bell Tower for an awesome end to the day full of eating and drinking. But of course, there was more where that came from. We sipped on cocktails and vino from Torresella Wines and devoured more delicious bites from Biscuit Love, Butcher & Bee, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Goo Goo Clusters, Little Octopus, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, and The Southern Steak & Oyster. All good food and drinks should have a soundtrack, and The Gabe Dixon Band got the party well and truly pumping with their tunes during the night.
Phillip Fryman/Southern Fatty14/14Did Someone Say ‘Whole Hog’?
Just in case you thought we slowed things down on the food front at the night’s after party—here’s the whole hog from Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint. The pig-picking-perfection was served up with slaw, Jack’s Creek and a slice of good ol’ white bread.
If you’re still hungry (hey, we’re not judging), you can check out more pics from the festivities via #BAGrubCrawl on Instagram and Twitter. Until next time...
