One of my favorite things about summer was Sunday dinner at my grandmother’s house. She would set up the table out on the porch, and we would spend the afternoon “visiting” in the shade of the huge oak trees in her backyard, eating and sipping on sweet tea – the house wine of the South. So when I started planning a bridesmaids tea party, I thought, “What better way to celebrate than a garden party, Southern style?”

The first rule of entertaining is to keep it simple. You don’t have to have an elaborate menu and overdone décor. A comfortable place to sit and some delicious fare, and you are ready to invite the girls over!

The Setting
When you’re setting the table, use cloth napkins. I love to use my grandmother’s sweet cloth napkins whenever I can. Nothing elevates a meal quite like they do. Keep an eye out for vintage items to add to your entertainment stash. I can’t pass up a silver serving utensil or a pretty bowl; they make your table look elegant no matter what you are serving.

Thinking outside of the box when it comes to small details can really make a party special. I love finding new ways to use ordinary items. Coffee filters make perfect coasters. I used two different sized cupcake papers to decorate the straws, and a pretty ribbon completes the look. Did you have any limbs left over from spring storms? I cut mine up and used them to add height and interest to my table design.

I keep the seating in cozy, conversational clusters. Girl time is precious, and I want everyone to be able to hear the great stories shared when you get your besties together.

The Food
Play to your strengths when entertaining. Don’t fuss over the food, focus on the presentation. Mix a few made-from-scratch items with some purchased goodies, and no one will know the difference.

A Southern garden party wouldn’t seem right without pimento cheese, would it? The secret to my famous pimento cheese is an antique cheese grater from my grandmother’s kitchen. My mom gave it to me (reluctantly) because I would get so excited to come home and find pimento cheese in the refrigerator.

I don’t have an exact recipe, but here is what my mom taught me: Get a chunk of cheese from the deli about two inches thick, and grate it into a bowl. Then, just dump a jar of diced pimento in, and add Miracle Whip until it is the consistency you like. Use the cheese to make delightful butterfly sandwiches. Here’s the rest of our menu for the party:

On the Menu
Chicken Salad Melts
Pimento Cheese Butterfly Sandwiches
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Deviled Eggs
Summer Fruit Salad

End things on a sweet note. I bought cupcakes from Ivey Cake and added the ribbon flags; and I found madeleines and dipped them in dark chocolate for a finishing touch.

I always send my guests home with a memento of the party. These garden tools were the perfect favor. Every girl needs pretty tools to dig in the dirt with, dontcha think?

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QUICK BITES
by Vicki Stout

Several local favorites are introducing exciting changes and brand-new menu items. We’ve spotlighted some of our favorites for you!

J. Alexander’s Adds Artisan Pizzas

The venerable J. Alexander’s, which opened its doors in Cool Springs in 1992, is always evolving. It never reinvents itself; it just expands its boundaries. New on the horizon are artisan pizzas. And it’s safe to say, diners can pretty well forget everything they’ve ever known about pizza. These are the real deal – authentic Italian pizzas, unlike anything else around. In fact, they’re better than those I had in Italy a couple of years ago. The five divine creations featured at J.’s are in the style of southern Italy – specifically, Naples.

They’re cooked in a wood burning brick oven imported from Italy. As a matter of fact, the first press extra virgin olive oil, aged prosciutto and all the cheeses – provolone, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and gorgonzola – are imported from Italy too.

“We make the dough in-house from a 30 year-old sourdough starter. It’s aged 72 hours to allow it to rise and rest, and is kneaded to order,” says Jim Filaroski, corporate chef and director of product research and development. The crust is thin, soft and light with a heavier edge. It looks almost charred, but is not.”

All sauces are cooked in the wood-fired oven as well, after the tomatoes are fired in a clay pot and reduced to a thick sauce. Though the pizzas are baked quickly – five to seven minutes in a 550 degree oven – they sure didn’t come to be at J’s quickly.

“We spent seven months in product development,” Chef Filaroski says. “Like everything we do, we work on it until we are the best.”

The Bunganut Pig Opens New Bar Upstairs

Lookout Franklin, there’s a new upscale place to meet for drinks. The Lookout Lounge, with its handsome red walls and sophisticated feel, adds to the offerings of the quarter-century-old Bunganut Pig.

The landmark English pub continues to offer its cellar bar and live music, as well as its ground level and patio dining, but “we’ve converted the art gallery space next to the billiards room to this new natural light bar,” says Amy Goodson, who, with her husband Mark, owns the Pig. “The long marble-top bar seats eight, plus there are a couple of small tables. The windows give light and air to the space. It feels like an upscale martini bar.”

And to match that city slick feel, the space will offer daily martini specials. While the rest of the Pig opens daily at 11 a.m., the Lookout Lounge won’t begin serving until 4 p.m.

The Lounge will enjoy the same menu as the rest of the Pig. “We didn’t want guests to have to choose between a certain food upstairs or something else downstairs,” Goodson says.

Papa Boudreaux Opens Main Street Location

Papa Boudreaux, a destination Cajun eatery in Santa Fe, Tenn. since 2004, opened new doors at 328 Main Street in downtown Franklin in mid-April. The new one, like the original, offers an interior of bright happy colors and authentic dishes.

The owner, “Papa,” is a N’Awlins native, and his accent reflects it. His personality is as big as the Cajun dishes he serves. Styrofoam boxes are a standard here – many folks take at least part of their Louisiana experience home with them.

“We serve good food and plenty of it,” he says. “We throw in music and laughter, and you’ve got yourself a Cajun good time.”

While the Santa Fe location – a slip of a little place – is a dinner only restaurant, the new Franklin spot, with its 48 seats, is open for both lunch and dinner. The wait is often long in Santa Fe, but folks don’t mind so much since they bring their lawn chairs and drinks and hang around out in the parking lot until there’s a table for them. The new spot seems to be just as popular.

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