I had been meaning to revisit Husk and take Alice for brunch, and I was finally able to schedule it. Our summer/early fall was a bit hectic and I had previously eaten dinner at Husk with a friend. Delicious, as its reputation insists, but I was a bit apprehensive about taking Alice there. In spite of 1) her recent habit of getting out of her seat halfway through meals, 2) her new occasional habit of loudly telling me “NOOO, MOMMY”, and 3) a new practice of freely helping herself to other people’s plates, I decided I would give it a go. REALLY. I was uncharacteristically optimistic about it, thinking, “Sure, she’ll be fine – Alice is awesome…”
Now, I know that some people read this blog, and they have certain thoughts. Thoughts like “Man, everything seems great in Aliceland – she’s SUCH a good/cute/well-behaved/smart little girl”. You might even be a little jealous, wishing that Alice would throw a fit or really embarrass the hell out of me in public. You’d probably then scoff and say something like, “She’d never post that”, or “Alice is tooo perfect for that :::rolling eyes:::”.
Well, jelly people, today is your day – Alice was a total jerk at our Husk brunch review. Seriously, If I were on a date, I would have left. If pretending she was someone else’s kid were an option – I would have. She managed to display every loathsome toddler characteristic she had developed thus far… and she tried out a couple of new ones. On a scale of 1 to a total toddler terror 10, she was like an 8. Which was a new ceiling for us. You’ve heard me talk about BKC – or Bad Kid Cover? Alice was the Bad Kid Cover on this day. I garnered some sympathetic looks from moms and some sharp looks from 20-somethings having brunch (Lay off me, you little cow – I was you five years ago).
Ok, I’ll take it from the top!
The restaurant is really pretty – tucked off the 2nd/4th Avenue exit at 37 Rutledge Drive. A little white house nestled in the middle of green grass and gardens. No valet, but there is a parking lot, but it’s pretty limited, so street parking will be your best shot. Having said that, there is a 90% chance you will park in the lot or in front of the building. If not, you could be looking at a block’s walk. Just something to keep in mind if you have multiple kiddos in tow.
I should have known Alice was going to be a troublemaker… she insisted on the pink cowgirl boots and was throwing attitude all over the place. Check out her stance. Seriously.
The inside is really something – I cannot get over the colors. Between that purple wall, the white contrasts and the artwork, I really think it’s one of the prettier spaces in town. Alice and I are reaaaal suckers for color. As soon as you walk into the foyer/reception, this room is on your left. Purple + chandelier + hardwoods + fireplace!! It’s like they know me. Alice noticed the light immediately and said “tinkle, tinkle, tinkle”, since she’s allowed to put her hands in a crystal chandelier at my Mom’s house.
Husk’s menu is local and – well, I’m just going to reprint all the badass culinary things on their website – my opinion won’t do it justice:
Located in Rutledge Hill—just a few blocks south of Historic Broadway, in the heart of Downtown Nashville—is the newest outpost of the Neighborhood Dining Group and James Beard Award-winning Chef Sean Brock’s renowned restaurant, Husk. Led by Brock, the kitchen reinterprets the bounty of the surrounding area, exploring an ingredient-driven cuisine that begins in the rediscovery of heirloom products and redefines what it means to cook and eat in Nashville.
At Husk, there are some rules about what can go on the plate. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door,” says Brock. The resulting cuisine is not about rediscovering Southern cooking, but rather exploring the reality of Southern food. Seed-saving, heirloom husbandry, in-house pickling and charcuterie programs by the culinary team are the basis of Husk’s cuisine.
Yep – it’s delicious. We met Kate, our soon-to-be cousin, who has been with us on other BEN reviews, for a 10:00 Sunday brunch. The menu here changes daily. That’s right – DAILY. You can find a sampling of past menus here: http://www.husknashville.com/food/menu/
In the reception area, the local board is displayed – for meats, poultry, fruits, rice, eggs, cheeses, and other offerings. Again, local resources when possible, but always Southern-sourced. You know exactly where your food came from – eat local, y’all!
We were greeted promptly, and after a exactly one minute, we were shown to our table. I barely had time to snap a couple of pictures before we were escorted to our table in the main dining room. It. Is. BEAUTIFUL. Modern, classic and colorful, but somehow also distinctly Southern. Maybe it’s all the white trim and chandeliers. Alice gazed around, taking a break from her inexplicable pouting. Kate had never been to Husk, and she was as impressed as Alice 🙂
Our table looked out over a flower/herb garden, in full bloom…
The tables are set beautifully (love the handblown green water glasses) and the menus are classic – I had heard great things about the burger (which I confirmed with a later visit – it’s my belief that it’s the best burger in town), but I had heard rumors of a rotating French Toast dish that would blow your mind. I was not disappointed…
Divided into “Firsts” and “Brunch”, we could tell it was going to be a hard decision to make. Do you have pickier eaters? They tend to have a few dishes that are riffs on classics – the burger, the French Toast, a plate of veggies. There is certainly more adventurous fare, but if your kid likes the basics, there are options for them – don’t be discouraged. I hope your kid behaves better than mine, though. Alice had decided to touch everything. She insisted on taking everyone’s paper menu, the drink menu, and the silverware and putting them all in front of her. Any attempts to halt this behavior were met with mild howling and attempts at yanking back whatever I tried to remove from her gnarled little paws.
After I was rebuffed a couple of times, the second more loudly than the first, I started to get a bit pissed. I removed the silverware and menus from her grasp, causing some low-level moaning and a couple of tears. Poor Kate was trying to hold a conversation about her upcoming wedding plans while Alice sniffed beside her. It was a bit distracting for us, but her behavior hadn’t reached a level where it was affecting other patrons (THIS IS WHERE I DRAW THE LINE). Did I mention that Kate is a nurse? While she’s probably used to putting up with a lot more, I would like for her to AT LEAST semi-enjoy her Sunday brunch trip. Here she is trying to placate/gently correct/entertain Alice – she’s a pro.
We checked out the menu and made a first-course decision, along with drinks. Coffee x 2, juice and water all-around with an order of Ricotta Fritters, Peach Jam, Lemon & White Lily Biscuits with Black Pepper and Sausage Gravy. I was really interested in the fritters, and Alice loves all things peach. I knew biscuits and gravy were going to be a hit, since they are a BabyEatsNashville staple. We just ordered two main courses, one for me and one for Kate, since Alice was getting one of the biscuits with gravy to herself and I knew she would also sample a bit of mine, as is our custom. Kate went for the Husk Cheeseburger (BEST) with Fried Potato Wedges – I went for the French Toast with Grilled Peaches, Peanut Butter, Maple and Chantilly Cream. Peaches and PB? You KNOW we’re going to check this out!
Here is a note on the cuisine, again, from the Husk website:
Diners at Husk view an open, collaborative kitchen, where chefs freely interact with their guests, and personally deliver food to tables, but the work begins well before a pan begins to heat. Brock and Chef de Cuisine Brian Baxter exhaustively research Southern food—its history and provenance—and in the process reconstitute flavors and ingredients lost to time. They grow much of their own produce on the restaurant’s garden, and concentrate on heirloom grains and vegetables that once flourished in the region, but were lost to 20th-century industrial agriculture. Then they take what is fresh and available today, or even this hour, and transform it into an evolving menu. Seasonal bounty comes in waves, however, and what they can’t use immediately is preserved, pickled, smoked, and saved.
The menu flourishes with Lowcountry ingredients, like Local Benne Seed, or Sesame, which flavors a Benne and Honey Lacquered Duck with Pickled Blueberries and Chanterelles and Crispy Pork Collar gets paired with Cornbread Purée and Greasy Beans. Other innovative examples include Sassafras Glazed Pork Ribs with Pickled Peaches and Rev Taylor Butter Beans; House Cured Country Ham Tasting with Acorn Griddle Cakes; and Rabbit-Pimento Loaf with Husk Mustard, Pickles and Rice Bread.
Beverages arrived and we chatted while we waited for Round #1 to plate up.
The juice glasses are pretty – I love that they look like little flower vases. Alice was purposely putting her glass on the very edge of the table, teetering it 1/3 off the table and trying to sip it hands-free. I saw this, and let it happen a couple of times, since she did it successfully and typically is pretty nimble. Then, I stopped it, which prompted another little fit of elevated cries… “MAH JOOOOCE…MOMMEEEE!”. Damn it, kid! Give Mom a break, would ya!
I was saved by fritters and biscuits. The plates – or wood slices, as it were – were placed on the table and she forgot about her JOOOOCE for a bit.
(FYI, her fingernails aren’t always dirty – she went through a phase where she was coloring them with a Sharpie. Sigh – this must have been one of those times.)
They also brought these light, fluffy, sesame-seeded rolls to the table with whipped sweet butter. Lots of carbs, lots of awesome.
We got most of the way through the first course before the main plates arrived – I think the server could sense that Alice was somewhat borderline and he was as sweet and accommodating as he could be. I checked out the dining room – there were two other tables with small children. Alice was the BKC of the group, for sure.
THERE WERE FROSTED FLAKES ON MY FRENCH TOAST! It was really a nice touch – a crispy crunch and a pop of super sweetness. This dish is not for people who have to worry about their sugar content. That being said, it was really top-notch. Sweet, creamy, tart, crunchy and a bit salty from the peanut butter – it was so much to taste, but all of the right things to taste. I will be returning for this dish again, and it was so PRETTY! Clouds of Chantilly Cream, dollops of warm peaches. I quickly recognized that I was at risk of losing most of this dish… these are some of Alice’s favorite things too.
The burger looked delicious, with an abundance of melted cheese and crispy bacon, and Alice immediately took notice of the potato wedges. She is big into French Fries, or “Fench Fies”, as it sounds like when she says it. She basically just asks over and over again for Fench Fies until you give it to her, or she distracts you long enough to take one off your plate. I’m not kidding. I captured it on camera… and Kate is being so accommodating…
In these pictures, she looks cute, but she’s actually being snooty and not listening. Big pet peeve of Mommy’s… we’ve all got to listen.
At this point, I felt the grabbing, fussing, the table-rearranging, the bratty faces, and the whining were all getting well out of hand. I grabbed her little hands and had her look at me while I calmly, but very firmly explained that she needed to use her proper table manners like we ALWAYS do. Also, that she needed to only eat off her plate – if Mommy or Kate wanted to share with her, they would place some pieces on her plate for her to eat.
LOST HER DAMN MIND.
There aren’t pictures of this – I was actively parenting, sorry – but I’ll give you the rundown. Alice’s face crumples in slow motion, while simultaneously emitting a keening noise that begins quietly and builds to a near-shriek. People around us are most certainly being affected, and their calm brunch-glow is being harshed. That nice float from the two Bloody Marys, sir? Gone! Hear my kid do her best impression of a tornado alarm! I give this situation about eight seconds of “Alice… Alice… it’s not a big deal, you just have to eat off your own plate… ALICE, IT’S OK… shit” before I scoop her up and head to the bathroom for a little chat. I carry her, wailing and flailing, into the nicely-decorated powder room and explain to her again that 1) we’re not going to steal food, 2) be a brat, 3) be loud, in this place again. DOYOUUNDERSTANDME, ALICE?!? She nodded tearfully and we hugged before going back to the table. I got a sympathetic smile or two and Alice waved at people on the way back to the table. Those people probably think I beat her while in the lavatory…
When we got back, plates were cleared and we had dessert menus. As if we hadn’t had enough sugar, I checked it out. It gave Alice some time to “read” the menu, calm down and relax a bit.
Crema coffee, tasty variations on dessert staples, and an impressive drink/bar list…
We settled on the O&S (Olive + Sinclair) Chocolate Pie with Peanut Butter Ice Cream and Brown Butter Caramel with a coffee refresh. Alice was being a little petulant still, but was vastly improved over her previously exhibited behavior.
I let her sit in my lap until the dessert came to the table – we were getting close to nap time, so I softened a bit to her crisis.
Then, the pie arrived!! Yeah, pie! Next time, I’m going to try the Campfire Cobbler, but when we ordered, I asked what would be the fastest – we were on borrowed time with the babe – and he suggested the pie instead. The pie was an excellent suggestion.
I have ordered this dessert again since this brunch – it’s really good. The body is a thick, dark chocolate heavier mousse, the peanut butter ice cream is creamy and a bit salty and the ribbon on top? It was like a brown butter gummy strip. Interesting and tasty. Alice ate half of the gummy and a few bites of the pie, but I was able to get in there and sample all of the flavors.
The check came – they were keeping a wary and helpful eye on us – and we paid and left. When we stood, the table next to us said Alice was very pretty, and despite her hard time, was rather well-behaved. I appreciated this, and I think sometimes I am a bit hard on her, but I not only want her to be respectful and proper, but I also don’t want her to negatively affect others who want to enjoy their time. Encouragement is always nice to hear!
Alice would recommend Husk to families, friends or groups – as long as you don’t throw fits. The décor is unique, classic and pretty. I have heard that brunch and lunch are easier to reserve than dinner – and are more casual as well. With kiddos, I’d check out the brunch options. Do not miss the French Toast and I hope your kid is better than mine was 😉
http://www.husknashville.com/
37 Rutledge St. Nashville, TN, 37210 – 615.256.6565
LUNCH: 11 am – 2 pm Monday – Friday
BRUNCH: 10 am – 2 pm Saturday & Sunday
DINNER: 5 – 10 pm Sunday – Thursday; 5 – 11 pm Friday & Saturday
It’s 4th of July, and they were open and ready to serve – I called ahead to confirm! Nestled in a Belle Meade strip mall, Le Peep waits for you to be enticed by delicious, fresh-squeezed orange juice and fluffy biscuits. The parking is ample, since it shares a large lot with several other businesses – but be advised, it can get a bit crowded during peak times, and I’ve waited for up to 20m for a table for 2. At 7:45ish – we had the place almost to ourselves!
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