Sunday night started one such adventure with my sister M. We were driving from Texas to Nashville and rather hungry. For people making this trek in the future if you are hungry before you hit Little Rock... stop and eat! Because between Little Rock and Memphis there is nothing but immense black (well if its dark) nothingness, shotty cell service, and a few fast food places... most of which are closed after 9pm. Needless to say by the time we hit Memphis I was threatening cannibalism and crankiness was setting in. However finding somewhere that is open and not scary in an unfamiliar town at 11:00pm on a Sunday night can be a slight challenge. Memphis PD to the rescue! I spotted a police car in a gas station parking lot and a clever idea struck me.... what are cops known for? Their knack for finding the best places to eat! After a quick inquiry we were pointed in the direction of Westy's.
Open and serving food until 3am... the sign said. And it can't be too bad right? The cop suggested it... he knew we were 2 girls alone... requesting a safe but good place to get some food.... right? Well upon first glance... I seriously doubted Mr. Officer's suggestion. Westy's is in a slightly run down neighborhood in a slightly run down building. Picnic tables with umbrellas are all around the front door and inside Christmas lights adorn the ceiling. The menu is actually quite extensive, offering everything from fried pickles to creole dishes to homemade tamales (what? in Memphis?) I pulled the old trick of asking what's the best thing on the menu. Immediately the friendly waitress (who I am pretty sure was missing some of her teeth) pointed me to the homemade creole... that I'd already been eyeing... and the chicken sandwiches. In the end M opted for the pulled chicken sandwich and I chose a cup of shrimp creole and some fried zucchini. Let me just say.... Delicious. Just the touch of kick... large pieces of shrimp and absolute yumminess. M's tater tots were good and her chicken sandwich lived up to the expectations. All the while we felt safe an secure because two cops were sharing a neighboring table... well ok until they jumped in their car and sped off to a call. The food hit the spot... it was delicious... and quick. And honestly if I lived in Memphis I would be a frequent customer... and I can say if I'm ever driving through again and hungry I know exactly where I am stopping.
After finally making it to Nashville and catching a few hours of sleep I was up and hungry again. On my own I decided to check out a little place down the road from my sister's apartment in a shopping center. I asked the pharmacist a few doors down about Tee's Fireside Cafe. "Its good but a little pricey" was the response but my other options were fast food or subs, neither of which sounded appetizing. Pricey is an understatement... and my experience made me wish I had gone with fast food. Walking in the place just kind of came off as not put together. It looked like they were trying to achieve a bistro feel with the typical "bistro-esque" pictures on the wall and dark tables. A sign told you seat yourself... and I realized later you are also supposed to grab your own menu (strange). As I sat down I gave the room another glance and started looking at the menu. Ok $9.00 for a turkey sandwich? This must be some serious sandwich. There was also a soup of the day listed and soup and sandwich combo. When the waitress approached I asked her what the soup was. (Note: there were 3 ways to order soups... two combos and alone). Her reply "We don't have soup today". What? Why would you offer something on the menu and not have it even available? I ordered a glass of tea and a turkey club. Now... don't get me wrong I have nothing against plastic cups... as in solo cups... but when I am paying $9.00 for a sandwich in a sit down being waited on establishment I'd like a glass. Maybe that makes me a snob, but you should go with the ambiance you are trying to create. I know I'm crazy. Really though, what could I expect "The Price is Right" was blaring on a tv somewhere behind me overwhelming the entire restaurant. When my sandwich came I was half expecting it to be on a plastic plate, and while it wasn't my potato salad was served in a styrofoam to-go dish. The one redeeming quality of my sandwich... there was a ton of turkey on it. The bread was listed as homemade so naturally I was thinking big thick slices, but no they were thin... too thin for so much turkey. What about the potato salad you ask? I'm Southern. I love good potato salad... this was not good potato salad. New red potatoes in a mayo base with hard boiled egg, no seasoning, and a ton of green onions chopped up on top. The only flavor was the green onions and while I love them that is not what potato salad should taste like. Other little things through out my lunch further persuaded me that this is not somewhere I would be suggesting to anyone coming to or already in Nashville. A gentleman at the next table came in about 30 minutes before close and was rushed to order for he and his wife. When his wife arrived 10 minutes later the closed sign had already been turned on even though they didn't close for another 20 minutes. She stood outside confused for a moment and once she was seated the waitress explained there had been a large party earlier that day and they needed to clean up so they closed. A simple "oh you have to get it ready for dinner tonight?" was followed with a reply of "no we aren't open for dinner". My question was... then why do you need to put up the closed sign that early? Clearly not good business practices. Later that night when experiencing a delicious dinner (which I'll tell about later) I told my sister and her boyfriend about my lunch.. Their reply... "well they won't stay in business long". Let me just say... I have to agree.
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