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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Marche Artisan Foods in East Nashville


For brunch today we decided to try Marche Artisan Foods in East Nashville. I only drive past this restaurant everyday and say to myself, “I should eat there”. It’s modern/Martha Stewart Country meets a place I normally can’t afford. We walked in for Saturday brunch around 1pm to a full restaurant. We only waited for about 5 minutes for a table. I felt special as the group a few minutes behind us was told 40 minutes. I wanted to say “na na na na” but I kept it inaudible.


As we waited we peeked (gawked and drooled) at the homemade breads and desserts. Mental note: I will be having one of each. The menu is a changing menu which for the safe orderer you are forced to try something new. Don’t be scared, its good for you.

The alcoholic choices were tempting but I decided on the Pomegranate Lemonade ($2.50) (fresh squeezed lemons).

It didn’t have a strong flavor but more on the light and refreshing side.

After perusing the menu I decided on the Quiche, the apple smoked bacon, roasted corn and goat cheese quiche. Oh my, you had me at apple bacon! Alas, it was sold out so with a suggestion from the waitress I decided on the Potato and Parmesan Frisco with Fried egg and Arugula Salad.





I died a little inside as I let the flavor of roasted corn and goat cheese leave my taste buds, but how can you go wrong with potato and parmesan. My friend ordered the Vegetable Curry with Green Tomatoes, Potato, Chickpeas and Basmati Rice. Our Entrees were $8 and $9.

























The restaurant was full and quite loud. At times I could barely hear the conversation I was having but clearly could hear the table next to me. A group of 20 somethings overly excited to shout to the whole restaurant their experience at the Bonnaroo Festival. You sweated a lot, partied alot…got it. When their food arrived I noticed they each ordered something different and between our table and theirs was all the entrees on the menu. Briefly I wished I’d ordered the Croissant French Toast but I shook it away realizing why I didn’t order it in the first place.
1. I wanted dessert
2. It’s too “Me”.
I need to travel the flavor highway and explore the new.

I could smell my food arriving before it got to my table…I love that! The portions were “appropriate”. Though I’m not on board with America stuffing themselves into oblivion, I do like a full plate. True, I normally finish it no matter what the size and always have room for dessert, but sometimes I like a little take home portion option. It makes me feel like I got my money’s worth, even if it was well worth the price to begin with. Let’s be honest people…would you hunt for and buy all the ingredients and work in the kitchen for an hour when you can be served perfection and pay $10.

My food was delish, home cooking fused with fresh crunchy amazing. I would have never normally gone for something with a fried egg. Honestly I thought maybe it would have fried egg in it like they do with fried rice at a Chinese Restaurant but no…it was in fact a whole fried egg underneath the potato concoction. My Arugula salad looked to be an array of spinach with a sheen, but it tasted fantastic with a whole lot of flavor going on. I kept wondering where the flavor was coming from. It was an easter egg hunt, as if a leaf of spinach was hiding a chunk of cheese or bacon surprise and eventually I’d find it. I gobbled it up like a fat chicken. I stuck my forth in my friends food for the sake of the blog and it was delish as well. It was very Thai and the taste was very familiar, perhaps a soup I once had. Since both our plates were licked clean we opted for dessert as well.

I ordered the Cornmeal Blueberry Bunt Cake with Lemon icing ($4) and my friend the Flourless Pistachio Lime Meringue double cookie with a White Chocolate center ($1.75).

Both could be on my “I’ll eat that everyday, thank you” list. The Bunt cake was really moist. The ‘cake’ part was sweet like a good honey cornbread but the blueberries and lemon icing made it sweet like a cake.



The pistachio cookie could almost force me to cheat on my main sweety, the chocolate chip cookie. In a way it reminded me of a super moist oatmeal cookie. It took me to very high highs with it’s flavor of perfection. My mouth is watering just reliving the moment.



























I left the restaurant full but not in an uncomfortable way. I was wearing a dress though and not pants. I will be back to try more on the menu.

2 comments:

  1. I tried a new place the other day, too... Cuppies and Joe is a super cute, super yummy cupcake/coffee shop on 23rd. You should try it out if you are in OKC visiting!

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  2. omg! That sounds divine, I will try it when I visit. =)

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