Extra Crunchies on this Extra Great Day With Dennis

On December 1st, Dennis started asking me what I wanted for Christmas. I never know what to say to that question... I'm perfectly content with all I have but I told him I like experiences. Like take me to a movie or to lunch or dinner or something. :) One of the best gifts I ever received was from my friend Deane Hartzell when we worked together for Centri-Kid/Crosspoint Camps at LifeWay. He gave me a 2 liter bottle of my favorite soda with blockbuster coupons, my favorite candy and a couple bags of microwave popcorn. It was movie night for me and my friends. To me, that was a perfect gift - an experience I'll never forget.

So Dennis remembered that I LOVE Long John Silver's. I made Emily, Dennis and our friend Sam stop there for lunch on the way to Atlanta once. It was awesome. I ordered the "Monster Platter" with giant pieces of fish. When my order was ready they yelled "Monster Platter" real loud over the microphone. It was a hoot -- like -- hey look at the tubby guy! He got the Monster Platter!!!!

I love Long John Silver's not only because it is super tasty, but because my mom loved it and we would go every time we'd go through Rolla, Missouri. It was one of the ones that looked like a boat and I was always so excited to come aboard. :)

Here is the card Dennis put in my stocking. He even went on the internet and found the logo to draw it for me. I really love it - especially the coupon terms on the back.

So we drove to Antioch today to the KFC/LJS combo place. I had the Fish and More (Just like my mom always ordered except without the malt vinegar) and Dennis had the Fish and Shrimp. I mistakenly told him his came with hush puppies and it did not, so I had to share. It was tough. :) But since he paid, it was okay. :) Here's a picture of our lovely Christmas lunch today. :)

As you can tell by the photo, I love sauces - and I think it is hereditary. :)

Today I thought about my awesome son and the thoughtful gift he made/gave me. I also thought about my mom and when I walked by a table with a lady eating her fish with malt vinegar, I could have sworn she was there with us.

So, this New Year's Eve, let me do what I do every time I leave Long John Silvers - ring the bell - cause they did well. :)

coffee with an assassin and lunch with my wife (not related)

This morning, Dennis got the opportunity to translate for the first time here in the states - using his Russian to help a pastor from Moscow communicate with some folks from one of our favorite churches - The Village Chapel. Since I wasn't really invited but didn't want Dennis charging forth into Hillsboro Village on his own, I rode with him in his car, introduced him to the folks (since I'm his agent) :) and set off to find coffee and to read a book.

Those of you who know me well know that I don't read much. Never have. The last books I read before The DaVinci Code a couple of years ago were the Hot and Cold Summer and the Cold and Hot Winter - two Scholastic Teen Reader books I read in 6th grade. If my teachers are reading this, sorry -- I totally used Cliff's notes to pass AP Lit. :) (And they really worked!)

So since I'm a marketer's dream, one morning I saw Daniel Silva on the Today Show talking about his new book. It seemed interesting so I went down to my favorite bookstore - Mysteries and More in Lenox Village. (If you haven't been there you should go. Greg and Mary are are so sweet and many of the books are used and not very expensive... and, they buy them back so you can pick out another and read it next. Fun, right?) So I turned off the tv and trotted down to M&M and asked Mary about this Silva guy. She told me about all of his books and showed me that there were a bunch in the series about Gabriel Allon - like the one that just came out! So I read the new one first, then went back to the beginning and am reading through all of them. (I got the first two and when I'm done with this one, I'll go sell 'em back and get the next two. :) If I've learned one thing in the recession - it's frugal can be fun!)

I've loved all of Dan Brown's books ever since I read the DaVinci Code in 1 day -- mainly because they're page-turners and have short chapters. I like to make lists and check things off - so short chapters help me feel like I'm getting somewhere. Silva meets these qualifications, too, and I've enjoyed the last one he's written and the first of this series - now on to number 2.

P.S. I tried to read John Grisham - and they're okay - but I gave up because the names he picks are super cheesy. I would be reading by the pool in Hawaii and say - Emily, really. Seriously? This character's name is so cheesy. Dan Brown would never do that! And that one! Oh, John Grisham - you're no Dan Brown. Emily would just smile and look at me like I'm crazy because Grisham is amazing and go back to her book...

And... I digress. :) So I spent my morning catching up with Gabriel Allon and sipping a Gingerbread Latte. I wanted to go to Fido - but it is closed for repairs. Sadness. :) But Starbucks was tasty and I just know I was sitting by famous people. They were in a country band and they were interviewing a new bus driver... I heard the entire interview (poor chap probably won't get the job) and stared at the folks about 3 times - one of them was famous. In a band. In which band, I'll never know - so sadly - neither will you... :)

When I picked up Dennis and got back to the house, Dennis got a call that they desperately needed him at Blue Coast Burrito - where he is the master of fish tacos. So, instead of having lunch together as planned, he ran off to the fryer and I surprised Emily with a mid-day date at Caney Fork Fish Camp Nashville. :) (Not really sure if there are others, but this one clearly says Nashville.) :) When we usually meet for mid-day lunch dates we eat at Opryland where Emily works. Today there were so many cheerleaders there conventioning that we had to eat off property - which was okay - but the food at Opryland is much tastier. Rusty's is the best for lunch and if you haven't been to the Old Hickory Steakhouse, you gotta go. I mean now. It's super tasty and if you go in a thunderstorm like we did and eat on the patio, you can watch it storm in the atrium and stay totally dry. :)

Okay, onto Caney Fork...

So I promise to try to tip you off to the coolest, hippest, most happening eateries in Nashville and the places we visit, but today I wanted to highlight the best part of our Caney Fork experience. My lunch was pretty good - standard chicken tenders. :) I'm on vacation I can eat what I want. :) Emily had some broiled catfish which was also ok. But when we sat down they brought four corn fritters with powdered sugar. That's what you see above. It's like a little baby funnel cake with a nugget of corn in the middle. :) Tasty. And did I mention they're free? And I did say there were four, and here sits one lonely fritter. It was too cute to eat so we took a picture. And ate it. :) We'll always have the picture of little fritter...

So - not that I recommend you drive all the way out to Opryland to eat a corn fritter and leave... But if the hotel is full and the mall traffic is ruff, pull over for a fritter. :)

Best Food In Nashville (at home!) Mustard-Crusted Salmon

Tonight, as most every night, Emily made a gourmet meal for Dennis and me. Tonight was mustard-crusted salmon with garlic roasted spaghetti squash and ginger-garlic snow peas. (With some multi-grain bread I toasted. My contribution was tasty as well.) :) The salmon was from Publix - sockeye salmon. It's not our favorite salmon as it has a tendency to be dry and flaky, but the mustard crust with ground mustard, chardonnay, fresh thyme and rosemary was super tasty.

Every Sunday, Emily makes our menu for the week and it puts most restaurants to shame. This week we've had ham and gruyere paninis, the mustard-crusted salmon, and we'll be having fresh pasta and as usual, Family Mexican night at El Sombrero. It's a family tradition that we all love. :) We're not sure what New Year's Eve will bring as we don't think we want to brave Nashville's first NYE "Bash on Broadway" -- we get tired at 9 and hate to be out in the cold. Even the free hand and feet warmers for the first 2,500 party goers may not be enough to entice us to brave the elements to watch the giant guitar drop. What are you doing for New Years?

Stay tuned for more tasty tidbits and tales from the Merrymans!

The Launch of My Foodie Blog :)

Many friends who follow my status updates on Facebook tell me that they love hearing about all our tasty travels and places around Nashville that Emily and I love to visit. My friend Jason encouraged me to start a blog - he even named it (so if it goes big-time - I'll have to pay him.) :)

So coming soon... pictures, reviews and great places to eat, drink and be merry(man). :)