A Late Sunday Lunch...



Every once in a while, Mary Ann and I catch an episode of Guy Fieri's TV show, "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives."  And more than once we've said, "We ought to try one of those places.  I wonder if there are any close to home."  Well, on Sunday, Mary Ann said, "There's a Greek restaurant in Nashville that was featured on that Food Network show.  What would you think about doing a Sunday excursion?"  Never one to back down from a challenge, I of course said yes.  So after a few minutes of preparation, off we headed for Music City, about 135 miles away.

The object of our quest was the Athens Family Restaurant at 2526 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37204.  It was featured on Fieri's show entitled "Burgers and More."  The object of his feature was described on the Website as "in Nashville, Tennessee, a Greek restaurant serving a bacon burger with a twist - it's made with lamb."

We programmed the address into the GPS and off we went.  It was a simple, straightforward route and we found the restaurant without a hitch.  It's a small but attractive place on a busy city street.

The interior was pleasantly decorated in the mediterranean blue and white that is often used in Greek restaurants, emulating the Greek flag.  Our waitress was pleasant and helpful.  Mary Ann ordered a Rueben sandwich (one of her favorites) while I opted for the bacon trimmed lamb burger signature item.

We were not disappointed in general.  The featured items were exceptional.  Mary Ann said her sandwich was moist and the home-smoked brisket of corned beef was very flavorful.  Likewise my burger was well prepared, juicy, laden with swiss cheese, and wrapped in a belt of hickory smoked bacon.  The bun was oversized to handle the size of the hand-formed lamb patty.

The french fries disappointed.  They were dry and cold, as if they had been prepared well in advance.  They had a sprinkling of feta cheese, but that couldn't salvage them.  After we had finished our meals, our server returned and suggested dessert.  At first we declined, but she informed us that the caramel cheesecake dessert (described in the menu as "caramel cream") was a treat worth waiting for.  We accepted her suggestion.  It turned out to be the highlight of the meal!

The Caramel Cream Cheesecake Dessert

We drove up to the Riverview Park after our late lunch to look for the Red Grooms' Tennessee Foxtrot Carousel, but apparently it has been closed.  It was described in one of the on-line tourist guides as, "The joys of childhood come alive in this working carousel created by internationally renowned artist Red Grooms. Grooms carved the 36 riding figures, each representing a famous Tennessean from past and present.

Included are the likes of Andrew Jackson, country music star Kitty Wells, and Tennessee pioneer Davy Crockett. This one-of-a-kind carousel showcases the contributions of famous folks to Nashville's evolution and is a joy to view and ride."  I was disappointed that we were unable to find it, although by this time, our thermometer was indicating an outside temperature of 98 degrees.

We decided to proceed towards Franklin, after which we took the liesurely route down highway 431 to Fayetteville and home.  It was a really delightful day.