Nashville Eats: MONELL’S

08Sep07

The family on my mother’s side never was all that large, and attrition has brought the numbers down to a scant handful, even including children of cousins. Small wonder that having a pair show up in town over the Labor Day weekend was enough to occasion jubilation.

However much I love them, it wasn’t enough to make me cook Sunday dinner. Not in this weather.

So, what do you do when you absolutely need to have a family meal, and you either can’t or won’t cook? You go to Monell’s.

Imagine an idealized country grandmother’s dining room. The table is long, the ladderback chairs are close together, and there is barely room for all the food. The only thing missing is someone standing over your shoulder convincing you to stuff in that third helping.  If your party isn’t enough to fill a table, and it probably won’t be, you will be joined with another group or two–just pretend they’re second cousins some removes and ask them to pass the sweet tea.

There’s a lot of passing at those tables.  Everything goes to the left first time around.  By the time seven or eight vegetables have gone by, you’ll have gotten the hang of it.  The meats will be along in a minute or two.  And not only is there a huge amount of food–it is good. It is well-seasoned in the southern way, but not overly salted or greasy.  The fried chicken might not be as moist as it could be, but the flavor doesn’t suffer.

Desert tends to be more of an afterthought, just in case you can actually eat something more.  In the past they have served things that might have come from restaurant supply.  This time, it was a bowl of something rather unappetising-looking that, when it passed by turned out to have the most delectable scent of strawberry shortcake.  Had to have just one taste.

Monell’s is not a place for a quiet conversation over dinner.  The place can be downright noisy, and with the long tables, you can wind up some distance from the person you’re trying to have a word with.  Still, it’s fun.

My cousin’s husband said it was the best meal out he had ever had.

Filed under: Food, Nashville, eating out, thoughts   |  2 Comments
Tags: family style