Happy Day to Us

Mrs. H-CC and I celebrated two blissful years of marriage on July 18, 2011.

Because we vacation with family every June and July, we made an agreement to take a weekend anniversary getaway every September. I get the joy of planning the trip and surprising her. This year we are going to [censored]!

We’re always home on the actual day of our wedding, so we celebrate by going to our favorite restaurant – Stoney River steakhouse. When I sleep I don’t see sugarplums. This is what dances through my head:

 

Since my first Stoney River experience several years ago, I’ve told anyone who will listen – and many people who wouldn’t – that it is my absolute favorite restaurant of all time. I won’t argue that you can’t find a better steak somewhere else. I admit there are proprietary spots around the country that probably offer better food, unique atmospheres and all that jazz. But to me Stoney River provides the best end-to-end meal in Nashville, or anywhere else I’ve been.

The fried bread and homemade honey cinnamon butter starts it off. The steaks are amazing. The au gratin potatoes are exceptional. The fudge cake is the best dessert I’ve ever had in a restaurant.

It’s consistent. You know what you are going to get. They always meet or exceed expectations.

It’s not stuffy. The ambiance is upscale, but not pretentious like some comparable places where you’ll spend more than $100 on dinner for two. You feel like your money is going toward the food, not the atmosphere, and it’s worth every penny.

Of course the best part of the meal is looking across the table at my beautiful bride. I wouldn’t care if we had anniversary dinner at Denny’s, as long as I can see her smile.

Happy anniversary, Soulmate. I’m the luckiest man in the world.

Honey Butter Makes It Better

I make a concerted effort to limit the amount of energy and space I devote on this blog to anything having to do with chain restaurants.  I will make some exceptions, such as the honey butter croissants from Rafferty’s. 

My mother introduced me to croissants when I was a boy with the occasional plastic-wrapped box from the grocery, and I’ve always appreciated the buttery, flaky, airy texture. It’s unlike any other bread.  Even the unauthentic canned Pillsbury variety is good. (I mean no disrespect to Pillsbury.  I love everything about Pillsbury.  In fact I plan to pay homage to their products on this blog.  They have mastered mass-produced breads and sweets.) 

MiniMe and I periodically hit Rafferty’s in our weeknight routine largely because she loves their croissants.  There is really nothing special about the croissants.  They are quite average, and are usually served at room temperature.  Any bread is best served warm in my opinion.

The thing that makes these croissants unique is the honey butter drizzle on top.  I think they call it butter, but it’s more like icing.  Even in this low-light, poor quality photo, you can see its seductive glisten…

Say what you will about the French, but they did a good thing in croissants. 

Add some honey butter/icing, and you’ve got carbs fit for a princess.

“Something amazing happens when you taste it!”

My four-year-old daughter summed it up well with that statement.

The Garlic Knots at Knead Dough Pizzeria in Hendersonville, Tenn., is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.  Period.

It’s that stick-to-your-ribs kind of bread that is filling but gets better with every bite, so you keep going until they are gone, which for us is a few short minutes.  There is a thin, golden brown layer of crust, just on top.  The “knots” label is given on account of the twisted dough that forms random sections of deliciousness, like a good homemade cinnamon roll.  No two rolls are the same shape.

The inside is dense and always warm and soft, cooked to that perfect point just beyond doughy.

The bread itself is amazing.  But then...the rolls are swimming in a pool of melted butter, garlic, sprinkled cheese and Italian herbs.  I would eat a stranger’s sweaty sock if it were covered in this nectar. 

As if the taste isn’t enough, this appetizer lists for a modest $3.50.

Bravo, Knead Dough.  Bravo.

The Staff of Life

I love bread.  How can anyone not?

Bread has been a staple for mankind throughout our existence.

Bread was what Jesus broke at the Last Supper as a symbolic gesture of His selfless act of divine grace and love.  To not love bread is sacrilegious.

Well, maybe that is not quite how God intended it, but I do think He gave us bread to enjoy.  And enjoy it I do!

If you have renounced bread as part of some carb-free diet, then please stop reading here.  You will likely be disgusted by my blog.  Maybe tempted.  Maybe both. 

Everyone else: Let’s pause for a moment to think about how many different forms of bread exist, and how many foods are based on bread.  It’s astounding.  It’s exciting.  It gives me a lot to write about.

Of course I have my personal favorites, but I can also appreciate bread’s diversity and acknowledge that people like different breads for different reasons.  I won’t neglect you.

My dream job is to travel the globe tasting bread and writing about it so other bread-lovers can have better bread experiences.  This blog is my start.