Chocolate Vanilla Trifle

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Nancy McNulty

For some reason, I only make this once a year serving at our annual Irish Christmas buffet. A favorite of my son, Miles, at the end of the evening, this is always scraped clean!

Scrumptious Chocolate Vanilla Trifle

Ingredients:  2 boxes of instant chocolate pudding mixed with 4 cups of skim milk then set aside in refrigerator. (I prefer skim – makes a lighter consistency as well as lower fat.) Crush up 25 mini Heath Bars, small tub of low-fat Cool Whip, one batch of brownies and Kahlua.

Prepare one box of brownie mix ahead of time. I HATE brownies from a mix but it is a great shortcut idea.  I prefer to make up a big batch of Barefoot Contessa’s Outrageous Brownies. I keep these on hand in the freezer during Christmas or for end of the school year parties when I have to bring a last minute dessert. They freeze beautifully.

Grab a cylinder trifle container similar to the one pictured.  Layer brownies and sprinkle with Kahlua. Continue with layer of chocolate pudding, half of the Cool Whip container, then sprinkle with crushed Heath Bars.  Repeat. Cover with Saran wrap and it can easily be made a day of time. Enjoy!

 

 

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Fresh Flowers And Fruit Make A Delightful Centerpiece

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Nancy McNulty

Centerpieces for a table don’t have to be expensive or complicated. One of my fresh and whimsical favorites was inspired by Nashville interior designer Jerome Farris from one of the many Parade of Homes’ projects on which we worked.  Jerome had mixed fresh fruit with flowers which I’ve adapted for my holiday table with cranberries and white roses.  This arrangement would also be a great idea for Valentine’s Day.

Fresh Cranberries and White Roses Flower Arrangement

This container I love to use was found at Pottery Barn several years ago. Be sure you fill your vase with the fresh fruit first, then add some water. Intersperse with fresh flowers and finish off with a bit more water if you need it for stem saturation. I love getting my roses from Costco and they seem to last a minimum of one week. This would be a lot of fun with lemons and sunflowers too!

 

 

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Inspiring Design Ideas From Nashville’s Only Southern Living Showcase Home

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Nancy McNulty

Implementing marketing and media relations for premiere home tours, there is one common question I get from reporters and friends alike. Isn’t it depressing working on perfectly gorgeous new homes? And actually, the answer is I grab inspiration and apply it to my own home. Finding it at the area’s only Southern Living Showcase Home, open through November 6 in Dorset Park, has been an easy job!

When you pack the incredible ideas of over a dozen of the Middle Tennessee’s top designers and artisans into one French Country home, you’re going find something perfect for your own home. Here are just a few of my favorite design ideas I wanted to share.

Mosaic Tile Backsplash – Currently living in a backsplash-less world, my patience is being rewarded with the inspiration I found in the fresh take seen in the showcase home’s kitchen and laundry room. The kitchen sports a sinuous mosaic tile design with Calcutta Gold marble reflecting the huge honed marble island. The laundry room has what I would describe as hint-o-sea glass in a subway tile-ish design.

Sinuous mosaic tile backsplash is an artful addition to the kitchen.

Original Art – I love using a creamy wall palette and allowing the art to reflect my mood, family life journeys and whimsy. Too many to name, the art in this home makes me SO very happy and it is really reasonably priced. So, if you haven’t taken the plunge and acquired your first piece of original art, here’s a good chance. The After Sale is Monday, November 7 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on-site. But, I’d recommend you go ahead and reserve something. Check out a lot of the art at www.facebook.com/ronyorkart.

Marabeth Quin's lovely paintings are in the Southern glam Guest Room by designer Amanda Burdge.

Although sold on Sunday, artist Beth Affolter's Nashville city scape piece has companion pieces available.

Modello Rug Design – Artisan extraordinaire Brooks Tucker has already converted my drab screen-porch deck with a harlequin rug pattern.  If you have a concrete screen porch or patio, take a look at this incredible Modello Rug finish created by the Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes team. A five-day, multi-step process has resulted in an all-weather rug for this incredible outdoor living room by designer Kristen Finney. More info, visit www.bella-tucker.com.

Warmth and charm wrap the floors of the outdoor living room with a well-sealed Modello Rug finish created by Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes.

Cabinet Flush Refrigerator/Freezer Towers – A refrigerator jutting out in a kitchen is not particularly eye-pleasing.  Castle Home’s in-house designers Caroline Weigel and Heather Looney have taken the Sub-Zero units and cleverly cabinet-flushed them flanking the units with pretty wire-mesh cabinets. Love this!

The 27" wide Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer units have two drawers each.

World-Travels Woven Into Room Tapestry – Designers Kippie Leland and Dana Goodman have really encouraged me to think strategically when traveling to find elements which can be woven into my home design. From Leland’s African masks wall-mounted on wrought iron holders and an Avignon, France light fixture to Goodman’s layered Brazilian natural rug hide, Indonesian teak root pedestal and Waterford chandelier, my next out of country trip will definitely involve some well-worth-it shipping costs.

Designer Kippie Leland in her Gentlemen's Study with African tribal masks cleverly wall-mounted.

Sumptuous Viscose Rug – Peddler Interior’s designer Jerome Farris always does something to inspire me. He first introduced me to the incredible art of Murat during the 2005 Legends Ridge Parade of Homes which inspired me to acquired a great Sienna, Italy scene-scape. This year, I’m pining for the viscose rug he has used in the showcase home’s living room. Creating tone-on-tone elegance in this magical room, Farris says this rug is an affordable substitute for the very expensive blended silk and New Zealand wool rug. Don’t miss the small Murat nude along side the fireplace wall. Murat, who sadly died last year, was a Russian-born, Brentwood artist whose work continues to gain in value. More info, www.peddlerinteriors.com.

Although the oversize, dramatic crown moulding draws your eye upward, walk barefoot on this viscose rug and you'll be hooked.

Bedroom Vestibule – Finally, something I can’t retro-fit my home with but worth sharing – the abbreviated bedroom vestibule. Seen in the doorway of upstairs bedrooms, designer Amanda Burdge, www.abhomeinteriors.com,  had hers faux striped in a shade of vintage pink and Oyster White to reflect the southern glam of her Guest Bedroom. This building element is the clever idea of showcase home builder Alan Looney, president of Castle Homes. He also uses arches throughout the showcase home design – an architectural element which has such a pleasing feel to the eye.

You'll have to come inside this French Country wonder and find your own inspiration select days through November 6.

These are just a few of my favorite things. So grab your comfortable shoes and camera and head to the Southern Living Showcase Home open in Brentwood’s Dorset Park Thursdays through Sundays until November 6. Be sure and post your favs on Nashville Southern Living Showcase Home’s Facebook page. If you can’t travel, there are a ton of other great blog entries via www.castlehomes.com.

 

 

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Shut Up! They’re Giving Away The New KitchenAid Mixer

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Nancy McNulty

One of the distinct pleasures I have is blogging for various causes and organizations around the Nashville area. So at the end of this day, when I realize another week is speeding by without me blogging for NanceSense, I’ve turned up the Neville Brothers “Brother John/Iko, Iko” and doing a little blogging for the love it.

So here’s what’s on my mind…Shut Up! The Southern Living Showcase Home is giving away KitchenAid’s newly released of the 7-qt stand mixer to the Ultimate Southern Living Cookie winning entry. Wow, the two things I love best in this world are merging with the year’s premiere home tour. I love baking, love cookies better than ice cream and love that Castle Homes, the host and builder of the Southern Living Showcase Home, is having this contest. Here are the details so get out your bestest cookie recipe and wow us all. I don’t get to enter, but, by goodness, I will be whipping up my aunt-in-law’s molasses cookie and you better send us something mouth watering cause I get to help decide our contenders!

Details from the Nashville Southern Living Showcase blog at www.castlehomes.com:

Gracious living is all about a welcoming home and scrumptious food and the Southern Living Showcase team is searching for the Ultimate Southern Living Cookie in conjunction with the upcoming Southern Living Showcase Home in Dorset Park of Brentwood being built by Castle Homes and presented by LP Building Products.

The search for the Ultimate Southern Living Cookie is being held by the Southern Living Showcase Home team with the new KitchenAid mixer as the grand prize. Get out your favorite cookie recipe and be sure it has a yummy southern flair or maybe is a little fall festive says the home’s builder, Castle Homes President Alan Looney.

The gourmet kitchen of the Southern Living Showcase Home, which opens to the public on Friday, October 21, will feature a colorful array of Williams-Sonoma products including the newly released KitchenAid Mixer, the largest, most powerful and quietest KitchenAid mixer to date. With a generous 7-qt. capacity, this machine equips home bakers with a full range of high-performance commercial features.

Shut Up! Nashville's Southern Living Showcase Home Is Giving This Away To The Ultimate Southern Living Cookie Winner

Participants can now submit their favorite recipes for consideration to info@castlehomes.com.  Be sure and mark it Ultimate Southern Living Cookie in the subject line.  Recipes can be submitted through Sunday, October 16 at midnight.

Capturing the charm and beauty of Southern Living magazine, the mid-state’s top interior designers have teamed with Castle Homes and LP Building Products in presenting the Southern Living Showcase Home with the latest ideas in home design, green innovation and new building products with Ronald McDonald House Nashville as the benefiting charity. The fully furnished home, located off Granny White Pike near Old Hickory Boulevard intersection, features two adorable kid’s rooms and is packed with clever ideas from new paint and wall treatments to kitchen and bath products as well as outdoor living and game room features. Opening weekend is Friday, October 21 and then it is open Thursdays throughSunday until November 6 from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. In advance, tickets are $10 at www.castlehomes.com or available at the gate for $14.00. Children 12 and under are free.


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Posing 101

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Nancy McNulty

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is a quote credited to Napoleon Bonaparte.  And someone taking a bad one and posting it on Facebook needs a little time with Monsieur Guillotine.
Plain and simple, I love taking and sharing candid pictures of people, but not just any old kind of photo.  A friend once labeled my photography style as the kind photographer and I think that’s what my business card would say if I did this for a living.  In my PR profession, I submit photos for various projects, but I’m not the fancy pants professional photographer with tons of lighting.  I like to take headshots and party pics.  And I do have several important rules in making my friends, family and clients look their best. So if I come off a little bossy, well you just may have spinach in your teeth, so listen up.
1.    Smile for Pete’s Sake!
A big smile takes 10 years off your age! Nothing drives me nuttier than when someone doesn’t smile.  So give us one of those sweet, toothy grins. unless you are missing a front tooth. And, don’t worry that your teeth aren’t as freakishly white as Jessica Simpson’s cause that just looks crazy.

Nashville artist and Gallery Owner Ron York could win a contest for best smile!

2.    Don’t Line Up Like A Prom Picture!
For some reason, when four people are gathered into a shot, everybody starts reverting to their high school prom poses, turning sideways.  You don’t have to perfectly line-up.  Be the one in the group that grabs a different pose. Show some sass.

My first reaction was" lovely grandma, give me a smile." She owned her pose & ended up with the prettiest pic of the day.Bethlehem Fish Fry 2011

3.    Put Down The Drink!
Didn’t your momma teach you that you don’t want to show up in print looking all liquored up? This is just a pet peeve of mine, but stash the drink, even if it is coke, and  especially if you are at an event involving a children’s charity.

Actually overheard award-winning playwright Nate Eppler say to his lovely friend, "you might want to put that cup down. It'll make your momma happy." Reason #999 we love Nate.

4.    Stop Clutching Your Purse For Dear Life!
Women with shoulder straps probably don’t even realize they are doing this. But for some reason when someone says, “can I snap your pic,” that seems to be a human response. Unless you are standing in the Paris train station, drop it girls and any of you boys traveling with a murse. (man-purse)

Before Pic. Sweet Smile But Don't Steal My Purse!

After Pic. Adorable!

5.    Grab Your Beau’s Arm.
One of my favorite techniques for frontally fortified folks is to grab your beau’s arm.  First of all, nobody needs to be spreading their arms wide and be grabbing on to each other past the age of 40. (You aren’t at a frat party, and if you are, what are you doing there -  you are over 40?!!) This goes for women and men and I love it when the girl kinda of cocks her head with a coy smile.

Who doesn't love a happy, handsome guy in a Hawaiian shirt? But when sports announcer Pete Weber's wife told him to get his arms down, she knew everybody would look even cuter! (Story shared with permission & aren't they an adorable pic. Claudia Weber, Patricia Casa Santa, Pete Weber, Chris Casa Santa)

6.    Paris Hilton Pose?
I kind of can’t decide on this one.  My gut says, if you are under 29, go for it and put your hand on your hip. It looks adorable, sassy and always makes me smile.  If you are over 40, I’m not quite so sure about it.  In the end, it is someone else’s signature pose. Why not try to find the one that suits you best.

Just a moment past 29, see her arm pose still works. You really have to decide in the moment. (And, when in doubt, see if the photographer is frowning at you.)

7.    Society Page Worthy
I’m not one to try to get in the paper but it is always fun when it happens. The first people photographed on these benefit evenings are the hosts and then the muckity mucks. If you are new to town and trying to get your name out, I’d say dress interestingly and colorfully with a big smile on your face.  I always gravitate to these types of people. And I know it sounds silly, but I love it when a couple’s outfits are color complimenting. It looks yummy to me.

Saw this couple at Chair-ish The Kids Benefit for Kids On The Block. Their striking colors continued to capture my eye all night. Looking sharp!

Wear An Adorable Hat!

8.    Facebook Tips
First of all, go into your security settings and lock your photos into “friends only” especially if you are under the age of 21. It makes me very uncomfortable for my kiddos to have their pics available to the world. Next, upload cute pics only. Tagging someone and the pic is their backside or someone scratching something is just weird. You can untag yourself from that photo immediately. This forum is becoming a world of simply regurgitating photos. Be selective and your friends will enjoy them more. And, I am very sensitive to someone hating a pic and am always glad to take it down.  Don’t be afraid to ask nicely.
9.    Frontally Fortified Females
Although I’ve alluded to this under Prom Pics and Grab Your Beau’s Arm, let’s be clear. It doesn’t look the greatest to turn sideways if you fall into this category. Stand straight-on. Cuddle up to the person next to you. Put your arm on the next person’s arm or shoulder. But don’t feel forced into being in the middle of the shot with your arms spread wide especially if you are petite. (This really goes for guys with tummies too.).

Not sure this girl carries it off, but she got the grab a guy's arm memo and the sassy head move. (Pictured NewsChannel 5's Lelan Statom with his college bud Nancy McNulty)

In the end, try to express the joy of who you are in the moment in which you are captured. We all wish we were skinnier, had a better nose or our roots recently done, etc.  Embrace and love that someone wants to take your picture! My mother in her later years wouldn’t smile and was basically very difficult to photograph.  One Thanksgiving, I had to finally break the news to her. These photos are for us not you. Word.
If you have some of your own favorite tips for capturing the best in your friends and loved ones, be sure and share them!

 

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An Emotional Roller Coaster Of A Ride: The Help

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Nancy McNulty

A poignant look into a shameful past for many, much has been deservedly written about this week’s continually number one box office hit, The Help.

Based on the book by author Kathryn Stockett, (yes, please read the book first), you won’t be disappointed with this movie adaptation. The Help is a celebration of hope and friendship that can transcend cruelty, ignorance and tragic traditions delivered by a talent-packed cast.

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important,” is the mantra of maid Aibilene Clark, played by brilliantly by Viola Davis.  Mothering well over a dozen little white children, it was a turning point in her life as a caregiver when she realizes she can make a lasting impact on her charges. She repeats this often to the neglected child of Junior Leaguer Elizabeth Leefolt. And, I don’t think there is a person around who didn’t yearn for that kind of support from someone in her formative years.

A rollercoaster ride of emotion, The Help has captured another dimension to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s helping define that period of time for new generations through the heartache, compassion and lack of compassion of its lead female characters.

One of the most shocking performances is by Cicely Tyson as the lead protagonist “Skeeter’s” childhood maid, Constantine.  Shocking because the beautiful Tyson has not been on the big screen in a mass distributed movie in quite some time and it was wonderful to see her again. I had to revisit this passage in the book to fully appreciate that movie scene.

“Constantine sat down next to me, at the kitchen table, I heard the cracking of her swollen joints. She pressed her thumb hard in the palm of my hand, something we both knew meant ‘Listen to me.’ “Every morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision.” Constantine was so close, I could see the blackness of her gums.

“You gone have to ask yourself, am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?” She kept her thumb pressed hard in my hand. I nodded that I understood. I was just smart enough to realize she meant white people. And even though I still felt miserable, and knew that I was, most likely, ugly, it was the first time she ever talked to me like I was something besides my mother’s white child. All my life I’d been told what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl. But with Constantine’s thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe.”

—Kathryn Stockett (The Help)

Everyday you have to make a decision on what you are going to believe about yourself.  I say, make your own hope and believe in yourself little girls out there who don’t have these strong women in your lives to lift you up.  No one wants for those days when African-American women were subjugated, mistreated and ill-paid.  What we do hope, for all those little girls in the world regardless of their skin color, is summed up by one of my favorite sayings. Excellent Women: May We Know Them. May We Be Them. May We Raise Them.

Now for a little trivia you’ll want to look for in the movie. Author Kathryn Stockett’s daughter plays young Skeeter, director Tate Taylor is in the restaurant scene with the New York editor, Mary Steenburgen, and Stockett herself is in the Junior League scene.

And, there is always a wonderful Nashville connection to anything significant in this world! The Help is no exception with the beautiful and talented Amye Gousset, sister of the equally talented/beautiful Franklin-ite Kandace Williams, serving as stand-in for Bryce Dallas Howard (Hilly Holbrook). Here are some fun inside pics, posted with Amye’s permission.

Octavia and Bryce with super stand-in, actress Amye Gousset

Amye and Bryce Dallas Howard (Hilly) - Love The Paneling In This Room

Amye Preparing For The Car Drive to Skeeter's Scene

Buy the book, see the movie and check out the incredible soundtrack.

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Ambiance Abundant: Bud & Alley’s Crab Cakes A Must

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Nancy McNulty

Over the years, friend after friend has proclaimed Bud & Alley’s to be over-priced and not that great. We’ve just had our second Seagrove, Florida visit of the year and it is not complete without a visit to Seaside’s oldest beach view eatery.  So let me make my case.

 

Founded by surfing buddies almost 25 years ago, Bud & Alley’s, named for a cat and dog, has ambiance abundant. We love the upstairs sun-set friendly bar and highly recommend the Peel’n Eat Shrimp and the BBQ Shrimp, served with a couple of slices of yummy Tuscan bread.  ($12 and $15 respectively)

 

We’ve been going to Bud & Alley’s for 18 years now and I can honesty say we’ve never had a bad waiter. Yesterday’s lunch was no exception. We dined indoors for lunch – it is July for Pete’s sake! Joined by three hangry family members (hungry/angry), the Sweet Potato Seaside Fries appetizer immediately squelched the hunger and the complaints. ($7 and served with a light Dijon mayo)  Charming adjacent diners said they never visited without having this appetizer and they were right. With a light, sweet breading, they tasted so fresh and yummo.

My dining companions thoroughly enjoyed the Angus Beef Burger, Grilled Mahi Mahi and a Salsalito Turkey Sandwich.  I had the soup of the day which was a Shrimp Bisque.  It was pretty awful and tasted fishy.  My daughter agreed and only two bites were taken between us.  However, who cared because the Bud & Alley’s Crab Cake stole the show. Listed as a starter, the very crabby patty was served on a bed of mixed greens with capers and candied pecans and a light lemon butter sauce.  Always in search of the yummiest crab cake, this entry won the vacation contest, trouncing second place’s “V” restaurant at Seagrove soundly. When I say crabby patty, I mean filled with sweet, succulent crab meat with barely enough breading to hold it together. I hate, hate a cakey crab cake.

 

With three waters and one diet coke consumed, our bill was $75.  I politely pointed out we hated the Shrimp Bisque to our sweet waitress with no results. Okay, this may have supported the “it’s kinda pricey” accusation.  However, some traditions are just worth it. Catch it at sunset or enjoy a well-air conditioned lunch because I highly recommend Bud & Alley’s. More info, www.budandalleys.com.

 

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From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Shabby Chic Transformation

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Nancy McNulty

Sometimes you try to re-create the familiar formality of your childhood home only to realize, it’s not really your style. I clung to this sentiment for many years, including trying to create a room worthy of the antique candelabras I inherited from my mother.   I finally gave up when I found earlier this year the most amazing dining room table, slightly distressed, at Revival (Uncommon Good) located on historic warehouse row in Chattanooga, TN.  The double pedestal table with a wrought iron flourish for a base has a white-washed distressed top. Of all the home fashion trends, I think distressed has to be my favorite because let’s be honest. My life is always a little distressed and perfectly not quite perfect.

Years ago, my parents gave me a set of cherry Queen Anne dining room chairs and I hated to get rid of the sentimental pieces. In steps decorative painting artist Brooks Tucker, www.bella-tucker.com who came up with the solution.  Brooks had previously worked his faux finish magic on my blah brown screen porch when he added a distressed, harlequin pattern making this space uber fun.

Blah Brown Screen Porch Transformed With Bella Tucker Harlequin Finish

Wife and business partner, Dana, stays on the cutting-edge of all that is new and wonderful in paint products, finishes and style.  She suggested a new product, Chalk Paint, created by Annie Sloan. This revolutionary product does not require sanding and priming before you paint the furniture. According to Dana, it distresses easily and looks great with a waxed finish. Still a little unsure, I checked out Dana’s recently re-furbished television hutch atwww.facebook.com/bellatucker using this technique. I was amazed at how their boring TV hutch was transformed.

Thinking of going toward blue with the chair finish, Dana wisely steered me toward “Paris Grey” and friend/decorator Lisha Pope helped me find a delicious blue for the seat fabric. Convinced I’d need to sell the chairs and start over, Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes transformed my ordinary chairs into shabby-chic wonders. Check them out at (www.bella-tucker.com)

Bella Tucker transformed chairs from ordinary to extraordinary with expertly applied Chalk Paint.

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Build A Custom Home, Huge Savings, Help Charity

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Nancy McNulty

Each time we head to a new city to visit, we take a tour.  I love getting a full perspective on the local landscape and we did this recently in Charleston, SC.  I am the kind of person who wants to know the city’s architectural high points.  And was my day better knowing Steven Colbert grew up in the house next to the Yacht Club? Well, yea!

As a lover of tours, home tours are so up my alley and I’ve had the chance to work on them since my first Parade of Homes project in 1998.  After doing thirteen of these events, I’ve moved on to working with builders/developers staging their own premier tours. I’ve already written on this year’s uber fantastic Southern Living Showcase Home – set for October 22—November 6 at Dorset Park, Nashville. (Check them out at www.castlehomes.com)  Now, here is some info on the 2012 Charity Tour of Homes and their “Call For Participants.”

There is an elite group of builders who have formed the Master Custom Builders Council of Tennessee. They did this to leverage their resources and pass their savings on to their clients.  They also wanted to stage their own home tour and give back more to charity. In their inaugural 2010 event, they donated well over $17,000 to local charities.

Gorgeous 2010 CTH built by Hughes-Edwards Builders

They have issued a Call For Participants for the 2012 Charity Tour of Homes being presented by Pella Windows & Doors.  In the next few weeks, pick a custom builder from their roster and you get huge home building discounts and free products, from canister lighting to Kohler commodes.  They have an over 100-page book outlining these savings which are passed on to the homeowner in monthly invoices, making it a very transparent process. And, it matters not the size or price of the home you build!

Next year, your home is part of the multi-site Charity Tour of Homes held in interesting spots all over the Nashville area.  The end result is that you get the custom home you’ve always wanted, with huge savings, and you help a worthy local charity.

Last year, there were seven stunning homes participating, including three in Belle Park at Cheekwood. I got to tour one of them yesterday and interview the homeowner Bert Dale.

Inside glimpse of a 2010 CTH house.

Single home residence at Belle Park at Cheekwood 2010 CTH. Neighborhood has a cool, Charleston vibe.

Time is such a precious commodity and I LOVE someone else’s opinion on restaurants, movies, Broadway shows, etc.  If building a home, I would really want to know what someone else thought about the process and the builder. Dale spoke very highly of his Charity Tour of Homes experience.  Was it overwhelming having the general public tour through his home?  Dale said, the CTH helped manage the whole event, save him a lot of money building and it was so rewarding for him to give back to one of his favorite charities – Family and Childrens Services.

Head to www.customhomesnashville.com to find out more about participating.  A Facebook page has just been set up for Master Custom Builders of TN and the 50th fan gets $50 in dining certificates from Sperry’s, a fine dining restaurant located in Cool Springs and Belle Meade. The FB page also has helpful tips for home maintenance and care, re-posts of interesting design blogs & stories including info on what’s cool, new and different.

 

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MacK & Kate’s Café – Area’s Newest Urban Country Dining

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Nancy McNulty

When you’ve been married to an exceptional man for 25 years, you need to find an exceptional dining experience in which to mark that milestone and MacK & Kate’s Café was just the right choice. Located on the southwest corner of Franklin Road and Moore’s Lane in Franklin, TN, we walked in on a busy Tuesday night, were met by a friendly hostess and seated randomly at Nashville Lifestyles magazine’s Most Romantic Table! (First table on the left by the window.) Our luck didn’t end there. We were treated to one of the restaurant’s namesake, MacKenzie Strawn, as our server! You’ll be seeing more of MacKenzie when HGTV’s “My First Place” Nashville edition airs this fall.

For “Starters,” I’m always in search of the perfect crabby crab cake. I hate cakey crab cakes – the ones with so much breading you aren’t really sure there’s crab inside. Served with a flavorful sweet corn relish and remoulade, these crab cakes are a good balance between cakey and crabby. They’ll only get better when the corn season is in full swing.
My dining companion wants a lot to be said about the Black Pepper Biscuits which arrived warm to our table with a side of honey butter. As you can see from the pretty Nashville Lifestyles’ pic below, they look yummy and taste the same. As a bread connoisseur, they had a delicious fresh out of the oven taste and were perfection!
We also enjoyed the onion rings – a good boy starter choice – but the house made horseradish catsup was lacking a bit of flavor to me.

Black Pepper Biscuits highlighted in Nashville Lifestyles April 2011 Restaurant Issue

For our entrees, I couldn’t decide between a small plate of seared scallops or the shrimp and grits. Being a festive occasion, I went with the creamy cheddar grits and shrimp with a Creole white wine sauce but had them hold the andouille sausage. Some would call me out for that move but they were still amazing, so there!

The cider brined pork chop was a pleaser for my mate due to a good cut of meat with a delicious spicy, chunky applesauce topping. Raised by a mother who didn’t force feed him vegetables, he talked our amazing server into a side order of macaroni to go with the home fries – good grief, such starch madness. Known for their incredible mac and cheese, this item is consistently wonderful and we’ve had it at the family’s Green Hills’s restaurant, Macke’s.

Described as an urban country menu, I’d say that also applies to the style of the décor created by an employee with a serious flair for design – Alvy Loving Holloway. The music for the restaurant was perfect as well, from light Jack Johnson to Rod Stewart. (Take note people responsible for Sopapilla’s weird playlist.) We will be heading back soon to try the fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and green tomato chow chow and definitely the turkey, brie, pear flatbread starters. Nashville area diners, put this dining option, located minutes off I-65/Moores Lane, at the top of your must-try list. If you don’t believe me, check Southern Living’s Top 7 Nashville Restaurants You Gotta Try review of the family’s restaurants. http://www.southernliving.com/travel/south-central/nashville-restaurants-00417000067856/page2.html. The Strawns have another scrumptious hit on their hands!

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