Food Friday: Silo

For our anniversary dinner, Steve wanted to take me someplace special. He knows I love food more than anything and the best gift for me would be dinner at a nice restaurant. Steve wracked his brain trying to find the perfect place. And he did. Our dinner at Silo was nothing short of wonderful. A perfect meal for a perfect evening.

 

Just look at how beautiful it is. The decor is lovely. Everything is made of wood and there is a huge basket weave pattern above the full length of the bar. I loved the darkness with the spot lights hanging low over individual tables. It made dinner seem more intimate and romantic.

Since Silo is a Farm to Fork restaurant the menu changes daily. I had looked at the menu the day before and saw pork belly as an option. I was super excited as nothing is more delicate and tasty than a fatty pork belly. But by the night of our dinner the pork belly was off the menu. I was bummed for a second before I saw all of the other delicious menu options. I think it's really hard to be disappointed at a place where everything sounds so damn good.

Since this was a special dinner we had to start with cocktails! Their bar was stocked with some of my favorite options and their drink list was pretty snazzy. I decided to order a French Lick (despite the terrible name) which contained gin,vermouth, elderflower, sparkling wine, and lemon bitters. My drink was light and just slightly sweet. I drank it pretty quickly! Steve had the Old Fashioned and it was one of the best made ones I have had in a while. (I was on an Old Fashion kick a few years back.)

Here you can see me enjoying my drink as well as showing off my glitter eyeshadow. In this light I look like some form of stripper/cheerleader/toddler-in-tiara.

We started out with the house charcuterie plate. This was one of the finest appetizers I have ever had at a restaurant. It consisted of a trio of fried pig ears in an Asian-inspired sauce, house-made bratwurst and a pork belly pate. It was accompanied with fresh bread, pickled beans and a home-made mustard. The pork belly pate was the first to go. We spread it on the bread and dolloped a bit of that sweet jam on it. It was creamy and didn't taste like any pork product I've ever had before. The bratwurst was flavorful and tasted great in the very thick mustard. Steve wasn't a fan of the pig ears but that was great for me since I love them and can never find a place that serves them (except for certain Sunday nights at City House). I carefully sipped on my cocktail while I got caveman on those pig ears and ate them with my hands. But I did it like a lady. ;-)

It appears that Steve and I are still on the quest for the best meatloaf. Ever since I ordered meatloaf at Tupelo Honey in Asheville we can't seem to get enough of it. Steve chose the meatloaf at Silo and I think that was a very good choice. It was served with mashed potatoes and the gravy was made with oyster mushrooms. The meatloaf itself was fairly traditional and very flavorful. You can taste the quality of the meat- they were allowing the meat to be the star of this dish just the way it was. The meatloaf slices had just a small caramel browning on the edges that added just the right amount of sweet. Silo has raised the bar on meatloaf in Nashville.

Is this not the most beautiful plate of shrimp & grits you have ever seen? That broth that was ladled around the outside of the grits had an amazing flavor. If they packaged that and sold it I would buy it and drink it as as a soup. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and very tender. Also, I guess I love fennel now? I don't remember liking it so much before this dish! I would order this again in a heartbeat- that is if it's still on the menu next time I go!

We were totally full after our entrees but how can you pass up dessert? We had the (brace yourself) chocolate peanut butter goo goo cluster pie. This was less like a pie and more like a GIANT BAR OF FUDGE. I took 4 bites and tapped out. It was just so rich and delicious  and way too much for me on a full stomach. Steve couldn't even quite finish it. But it tasted so good!

They now have an outside patio with a fire pit. After dinner Steve and I went outside and snuggled up by the fire on their nice outdoor furniture. It was quiet outside, we were alone, and it wasn't that cold. It was a perfect end to a very romantic dinner.

I used to think that City House was the ultimate panty-dropping restaurant to which a guy could take a girl. Now, I'm not so sure. Silo is very stiff competition.