Hendersonville's Top 5 Non Franchised Restaurants!

Before I declare the top non-franchise restaurants in Hendersonville, TN, I should probably include disclaimers.

Disclaimer #1: I am not a professional food or restaurant critic. My only qualifications are that I enjoy a good meal and I have 63 years of eating experience.

Disclaimer #2: I don't even eat out that much. My dining habits are much like the Italians. I visit the grocery store everyday and cook fresh and simply at home. Most eating out occurs at the lunch time meal.

Disclaimer #3: When I go out to eat it is usually to get a meal that I would not cook at home. At home I eat a healthy diet but, I'm a Southern man and fried foods are in my DNA. While I don't fry at home, from time to time I need to lubricate the genes of my Southern heritage with a deep fried non healthy dish.

Disclaimer #4: I am not related to any of the owners in the picks for Top 5 restaurants or the honorable mentions. And I have not been offered cash, food or other valuables for my recommendations. However I am not beyond accepting a meal, discount, or other gift if they feel so moved.

Now that we have covered the disclaimers can I get a drum roll?....

TOP FIVE:

#5 - Dickey's Hickory Pit, 1622 Stop 30 Rd: First of all Dickey's is officially a bar and not a restaurant, so you can take your gun to lunch. Dickey's should have a historical marker since it was one of only 2 bars that was grandfathered to serve beer when Hendersonville was orignially incorporated as a dry city. The Bar B Q is good, but they are best known for Hot Chicken on Friday at lunch only. Now hot chicken is a misnomer. It should be called spicy fried chicken since it is often served less than hot and is not really spicy hot like say Price's Chicken in Nashville.

#4 - Ruby's Kitchen, 75A New Shackle Island Rd: If you are from another region of the country you may not be familiar with the term meat and three restaurant. To explain, it's Southern comfort food that may have been served to your great granddaddy by his wife down on the farm at lunch time. Ruby's menu changes daily, but if you go there be sure to save room for dessert.

#3 - The China Wok, 247 West Main at Walton Ferry Rd: There are a few tables at the China Wok because it is primarily a take out restaurant. They have about 129 dishes that have been posted on the wall for many years. All dishes are prepared on the spot with the sauce of your choice. No food in thoughs here, just good food individually prepared.

# 2 - September's Cafe the Streets of Indian Lake: September's Cafe was started in a dismal strip center where it was transformed into a charming bistro by September Norman. She moved the business and it is now the jewel of The Streets of Indian Lake Center. September's is the best spot for elegant dining in Hendersonville. The creative dishes and excellent wine selection are crowd pleaser, but I usually cannot get past the dinner salad selections which are the best in the greater Nashville area.

# 1 - Cafe Rakka, 71 New Shackle Island Rd: Cafe Rakka is located in the previous location of September's Cafe, so you know it started off with some good karma. This family owned restaurant features great Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes based on old family recipes. The hummus bar with various toppings is a great start, and I have tried every main course and never been disappointed.

I appreciate the hard work and difficult uphill battle to start a successful independent restaurant. Here are a few runners up that definitely make the grade:

#1 - Steamboat Bills: Best fried catfish, oysters, shrimp and crawfish around.

#2 - Blue Goose: Great breakfast - try the Kitchen's Omelet and a good meat and 3 lunch.

#3 - Barefoot Charlies: Beach food served up in a great setting. Love the chicken nachos.

#4 - Cafe La Crumbs: Great chicken salad sandwiches and salads.

#5 - El Rodeo: Very good Tex Mex dishes.

#6 - Knead Dough Pizza: Hand tossed New York Style Pizza

#7 - Center Point and Whitts Bar B Q: We Southerners love our smoked pork and both serve good hickory smoked

Bar B Q.

BON APPETIT!

Snow Days A Southern Holiday

It is such a cliche' but so true that the world has become a smaller place. You see it on a drive by fast food row how local and national cuisines have spread to all ends of the earth. You can now get Le Big Mac on the Champs-Elysees or a Starbucks triple skinny cappuccino in China's Forbidden City.

What were once regional cultural differences have been exposed and adopted around the world. In doing so our lives have been enriched, but our unique regional cultural differences have been diluted.

As a Realtor I do not need a demographer to tell me that populations are moving south. Thanks to the invasion of the "blue plates" (slang for our northern neighbors who all have blue car tags) Nashville has become a NHL city. I like Hockey although I don't know a hat trick from icing. It still does not offer the same thrill as the opening of SEC football season, but I don't put hockey down.

While I appreciate what my friends who settled here from lands north of the Mason Dixon line have contributed to the local culture, I do have one complaint... their complete misunderstanding and ridicule of the uniquely Southern Holiday known as Snow Days.

Now I know what my Yankee friends say about southerners. We don't know how to drive in the white stuff, we don't even have snow blowers and other snow removal equipment, we wipe out grocery stores, and close schools with a mere forecast of a few flakes. Well these things may be true, but you miss the point! A Snow Day is a Southern Holiday, and it's time to understand this tradition, celebrate, and enjoy it.

Let me explain the holiday...

First get ready, by which I mean get a 2 week supply of food and include all the goodies you swore off with your New Years resolutions. My Northern friends don't snicker when Publix and Kroger come to life at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Food is important to the celebration of all Holidays especially Snow Days.

Second, a Snow Day is a time to stay home and be unproductive guilt free. You can call your boss and say you can't make it in even if you live 2 blocks away. It's not a lie, it's just part of a myth of the holiday like Santa Clause and Easter Bunnies. Your boss will understand.

And third, celebrate! Nothing is more beautiful in the winter than a blanket of snow, so relax, eat, find a make shift sled and rejoice with your family. Transplanted Snow Buds chill out and by the way....

Happy Snow Days!

I Got A New Listing And It's A Real Cream Puff!

I got a new listing and I was searching for the perfect words to describe it in a real estate ad. So I did what many Realtors do. I picked up "Buy A Home" a real estate publication and I plagiarized all my favorite ads. So here goes.

Owner Says Sell!

This charming unique historic home with a beautiful lake view could be a real cream puff with a little TLC. The home features a great floor plan and a comfortable front porch. This 1/2 acre mini farm has immediate possession and is the lowest price per sq. ft. in the neighborhood. This property is loaded with character, call today it won't last long.

Well I may be accused by my fellow Realtors of giving away the secrets of our industry, but as a public service I will try to show how to interpret the real meaning of a real estate ad. So let's break it down starting with the title "Owner Says Sell." This may be my favorite real estate ad line. It speaks the truth and says nothing! If the property is listed and advertised the buyer just might be assured the seller says sell it!

The first sentence of the ad has imaging that would make a poet jealous.

"Charming unique historic home." Charming and unique are the perfect words for describing the ugliest girl in class.

"Historic" Realtor speech for old and decrepid.

"Lake View," climb the cell tower behind the house... if it's winter and the leaves are off the trees you may be able to see a lake. You can also substitute walk to the lake for this clause. Needs a little TLC simply put means bring the bulldozers.

The second line "great floor plan with comfortable front porch.

"Great floor plans it's got all the rooms you would expect (family, kitchen, bedrooms, etc.)

"Comfortable front porch." Comfortable like the shoes you wore out and threw in the trash.

The third and fourth lines as explained below.

"Mini farm" If it's not a condo it could be a mini farm.

"At the lowest price per sq. ft in the neighborhood." The lowest dollar per square foot means that the Realtor used tax record data which was 40% higher than the real square footage.

"The property is cozy." Isn't cozy a cozy sounding word.

"Loaded with character." Describes the ugliest boy in the class.

"It won't last long." Listing will expire in two weeks.

Well that breaks down just one ad to show the true meanings behind the language of a Real Estate ad. You may also want to reread my previous blog "It Makes Sense If You Really Don't Think About It." for further insight about buzz words, facts and their relationship to the truth.

I may write an entire dictionary of Realtor ad terms one day but for now happy house hunting...

Getting Drunk And Throwing Up!

Have you ever gotten drunk and thrown up? I didn't think you had. But I must confess it has happened to me a few times .


The first two times if happened I was a student at U.T. In my defense Playboy Magazine had voted U.T. Knoxville the number one party school in the nation, and I felt an obligation to uphold the schools reputation and traditions. I'm kind of responsible about things like that!


Two other times were on trips to New Orleans. I love the Big Easy; it's architecture, history, music, food and the spirit of "Laissez Le Bon Temps Roulet." Can I be forgiven if I got caught up in the spirit of the culture?


Then there were 2 or 3 times partying with friends. No excuses here. You are having a great time; your getting better looking and more humorous with every cocktail and then.... you are holding on to the bed while laying down. You make a serpentine path to the bathroom where you kneel at the alter of the porcelain bowl and well... you know the rest of the story.


Well during the 2nd term of the Bush Administration the banks threw down on a big party. Admit it... we all had a great time.


The public was getting dizzy on the soaring real estate values. Realtors got the big buzz selling large homes to customers that could not afford them. Mortgage bankers got knocked out loaded on commissions, and wall street traders just went crazy out of their minds selling junk AAA rated paper around the world. Unfortunately regulations peaked early and passed out in the corner oblivious to the party going on around them. And of coarse the banks that hosted the party were high on profits, bonuses, and stock dividends.


If you party too hard you are going to get sick and the banks were wasted. Some died, and some of the biggest and strongest were in the ICU on life support. Still in 2010 most are still looking puny. Banks take my advice and throw up the bad loans and foreclosed inventory. I promise it feels bad when it happens, but you will start improving immediately.


An article in "The Residential Specialist" http://www.crs.com/ "In The Shadow" concludes that banks have no incentive to unload their foreclosed inventory because of a recent change in federal accounting rules. This allows banks to hold foreclosed properties at valuations from 3 to 4 years ago. Losses are not taken until the sale of the foreclosed property takes place. There are also 7 million home owners behind on their mortgages. Bank held properties and bad mortagage loans that have not been dealt with have created a shadow inventory. This shadow inventory continues to increase supply and suppress prices and continues stalling a recovery in the real estate market.


It's time to deal with the back log of foreclosures and bad loans. Get them up, get them out. Then maybe we can then see values improving and return to a stable real estate market.