Nashville Food Friday: Rolf and Daughters

I feel like a terrible food blogger. Rolf and Daughters had been on my must-go list for what felt like an eternity but I just finally made my way around to it last week. This is totally 100% my fault due to poor planning and begging for last minute reservations. But my last minute perseverance finally paid off last week with a table for two at a reasonable dinner hour!

Located in Germantown, Rolf and Daughters is charming and beautiful. They have a romantic outside patio lit by fairy string lights. Inside, it's dark and filled with lovely handcrafted wood pieces. The ceiling was even covered in wood planks. For a small place, they do seem to be able to fit a good amount of diners at once. I did think that the noise level was a bit loud, so it might not be a great place to take your parents (if they're the type who love to complain about noise) or someone who is hard of hearing.

Of course we started off with cocktails! I chose the colony collapse which consisted of bourbon, honey liquor, and spiced cherry bitters. This was a stiff drink, just the way I like it. I love a cocktail that doesn't mask the alcoholic nature of the beverage, but enhances it. Steve chose the Spiker and Sponge which was rye, peach shrub, IPA beer, honey, lemon and bitters. To both of us, this drink was just a tad too tart and bitter for our palettes.

For our appetizer I picked the chicken liver pate with green tomato jam and cacao. There are few things I love more than bird livers, so I always pick the pate if it's offered. This dish was absolutely perfect; I couldn't get over how much I loved it! Jewish mamas everywhere might weep, because this isn't your traditional chicken liver. The green tomato jam was really sweet and nicely balanced out the inherent bitterness of the cocoa. I know the idea of chocolate and liver sounds gross, but trust me, this dish is spot-on.

Their menu is designed around sharing. There are pasta, entree, and side options that are served in large bowls with proportions for two. Steve and I decided to order one pasta, one protein, and one side and make a meal of it. For the pasta I picked the squid ink canestri made with shrimp, squid, pancetta and chili. It had been a long while since I saw squid ink pasta on the menu so I jumped at the chance. The pasta was al dente and the squid ink added a delicate salt flavor. The seafood added another layer of fish flavor which made this dish utterly amazing. I would be hard pressed to go back to Rolf and Daughters and not order this again!

For our protein we went with the trout with heirloom beans and cucumber. The fish itself was tender and not the tiniest bit overcooked, but it was a tad too salty for my palette. And I know I must be sensitive to salt, because Steve thought the salt content was perfect. My favorite part had to be the pickled cucumbers that were hiding under the trout, adding a bright fresh flavor to complement the fish.

For the side we chose fingerling potatoes with chili mayo. The potatoes were the cutest! Little bite size morsels with a crispy skin. But honestly, it was the chili mayo that made this dish. It added a layer of subtle spice and creaminess that coated the potatoes and left you craving more.

I have a sweet tooth and when it came time to choose a dessert, I couldn't, so we opted for two. Since Steve had never had one, we went with the bomboloni with vanilla cream and a side of chocolate sauce for dipping. They came out nice and hot and the dark chocolate sauce wasn't overly sweet like many tend to be. For our second dessert we chose the Olive and Sinclair chocolate tart with caramel and bourbon barrel nibs. While I didn't recognize the nibs, the tart was dark, rich and lovely. My favorite part was the sprinkling of rock salt on top adding that salty crunch that accompanies dark chocolate so well.

I totally get the hype; Rolf and Daughters is a positively wonderful restaurant pumping out creative and solid food in a lovely romantic location. I doubt anyone would be disappointed with a dinner there. Just make your reservation in advance so you don't get caught in the lurch like me!