The Best of 500 Bites on the 500th Post

Here are the best of the best of 500 bites that I have shared with you over the last four years. I am honored and full of gratitude to get the encouragement to continue blogging here.

I started blogging to get out of Nashville, because frankly we didn’t have a great food scene like we do now, and I felt landlocked and out of my element. Four years later, I’ve come full circle. Instead of blogging to get out of Nashville, I am now doing a lot of blogging about Nashville. It seems that this creative city has grown by leaps and bounds when it comes to food. I’m thrilled to share any food news here, whether it’s a new restaurant, a new farmer’s market or a new event or food product.

Blogging takes on a life of its own. It moves with the passion of its author and it moves with the evolvement of its readers. It’s an exciting time and I have a new website I’m getting ready to launch that evolved from Spinach Tiger. It’s not anything I could have predicted I would do four years ago, when all I wanted was a recipe which led to a blog and here I am 500 posts later.

Just for fun and to celebrate the big 500, I’ve listed my 10 most popular posts according to google. The first three are in the number one spot, if you google with the right words. I have a partner in this, my husband who has been a major support and, why wouldn’t he be? He gets to eat all this food. He has picked his top ten, I picked my faves and then together we picked our best bites from the restaurants I have written about.

Here are the best of the best of 500 posts

My 10 Most Popular Posts according to Google Analytics

1. Get healthy with Two Green Smoothies Using Kale & Spinach
2. Top your pasta with My Grandmother’s Italian Tomato Sauce
3. Celebrate birthdays with Best Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
4. Perfect your cake with Two Perfect Recipes for Cream Cheese Frosting
5. Nashville has influenced me with My Best Homemade Fluffy Southern Biscuit
6. A Southern specialty, Old Fashioned Coconut Cake
7. Make sangria with  Strawberry Simple Syrup
8. My most surprising high traffic post, Lemon Honey Salad Dressing with Micro Greens
9. My Red to Remember post, Red Velvet Cake in a Jar
10. The dish my friends make most, Pork Chops with Apples & Onions

Mr. Spinach Tiger’s Favorite Bites

1. From the man who never liked sweet potatoes, Roasted Sweet Potato Lasagna   and Four Cheese Sweet Potato Lasagna
2. From the man who never liked beets, Red and Golden Beet Crostini with Goat Cheese and Honey
3. This was for a special party, Honey Goat Cheese Crostini with Tomato Orange Basil Salsa and Crispy Prosciutto
4. We made this five times, Hazelnut Crusted Ahi Tuna in Anchovy Olive Sauce
5. My favorite too, Sweet Potato Biscuits 
6. His favorite scallop and pasta dish, Scallops with Orange Vodka Shallot Sauce
7. He never stops talking about, Chocolate Cupcakes with Salty Caramel Frosting and Peanuts
8. He begs me to make this, Bolognese Sauce
9. This brought us both back to a Tuscany pizza place,  “Are You Sure We’re Not in Italy?” Thin Crust Pizza
10. His favorite and in the top ten google favorites, My Best Homemade Fluffy Southern Biscuits for My Southern Husband

My Personal Favorite Bites

1. It’s simple and it’s elegant, Hand Rolled Tarragon Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms
2. Blackberries are my favorite fruit, so Blackberry Cupcakes
3. I ate all the jars myself, which is rare, Chocolate Cake in a Jar with Bourbon Ganache and Sea Salt
4. It’s earthy and so Italian, Mock Porchetta with Fennel and Root Vegetables
5. We make these again and again, Kale Apple Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Tuscan Kale Salad
6. One of many one hour chickens, but wow, One Hour Roast Chicken with Figs, Shallots,  Mustard Roasted Potatoes
7. Unusual Italian, Crepes with Proscuitto Tomato  & Mozzarella
8. I cannot get enough of this appetizer, Meatballs with Savory Blueberry & Pear Compote
9. I have made at least 10 times, Chez Panisse Almond Tart
10. One of many brussels sprouts recipes and we love, Brussels Sprouts with Apples & Cashews

 

Kids Choice (The Twins Favorites over the last Four Years they have actually helped to make)

Over the past 500 posts, I’ve had two sous chefs who started cooking before they reached two and are quite skilled for boys not quite six years old. They have brought me the most joy in the kitchen, more than I could ever imagine. These are things they ask for the most.

1. Pasta without sauce but slowly starting to like spaghetti and meatballs. 
2. The Green Drink. Not only do they ask for this everyday, so does the little girl next door.
3. Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes. These were made special for their 5th birthday and probably many birthdays to come.
4. Chicken Noodle Soup, the second most requested lunch.
5. Sugar Cookies only if there are sprinkles.
6. This is one they made, rolled the dough and everything. Apple Berry Pie
7. Their very favorite pie is Apple Pie
8. The best chocolate chip cookie ever and the cookie dough is just as good.
9. What kid could resist Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy
10. They eat Berry Pie Bites by the dozen.

Our Favorite Bites from Restaurants I’ve Written About and I Couldn’t Keep it to Ten

1. Beef Short Rib Bourguignon with Polenta from Table 3 in Nashville.
2. Caesar Salad from weekend Pop Up restaurant,  Mangia. Really, I think it’s the best Casear I’ve had and the Arugula salad there is awesome too.
3. Roasted Marble Potatoes with Sherry Cream and Whole Grain Mustard, Holland House, East Nashville This went with a delicious trout.
4. Vanilla Almond Wedding Cake Cupcake from Sweet Stash at Nashville Farmer’s Market.
5. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken and Black Eyed Peas at Hattie B’s
6. Grass-Fed Beef Carpaccio at 360 Bistro
7. Bread Gnocchi, Spring Herbs, Ricotta, Lemon, Olive Oil at City House in Nashville Pizza with House Made Belly Ham, Mozzarella, Grana Padano, Oregano, Chillies at City House 
8. From Virago, the Katana, lobster tempura, bell pepper, jalapeño, and avocado topped with tuna, shrimp, fresh salmon and scallop tartare with ginger-orange sauce.
9. Kale Salad and Cheeseburger at the Tavern, Nashville
10. Cheeseburger at the National in downtown Nashville, and you can order them at 1:00 a.m.
11. Blackberry Cobbler from Mack & Kates, Franklin
12. Coconut Cake from M in Nashville (I thought I made great coconut cake until that first bite at M)
13. Beet and Bacon Pizza from Bella Nashville Pizza, Nashville Farmer’s Market
14. The Grouper Sandwich at the Fish Store in Toronto.
15. Pac Mule at the Silly Goose
16. Hot Chicken on a Biscuit from Biscuit Love Truck
17. Oysters at the Southern
18. Grilled Havarti Cheese with Pear and Spinach from Chapman’s Pie Truck
19. Mason Jar Filled with Crab and Butter at M in Columbus, Ohio
20. Fish Tacos at Riff’s Fine Food Truck

 Best Cocktails

1. Blackberry Lemon Old Fashioned at Holland House
2. Strawberry Margarita at Zumi Japanese Kitchen
3. Old Fashioned at Silo
4. Wasabi Martini at Virago
5. Blood Orange Martini at Watermark
6. House wine at Table 3 (amazing for the price)
7. Basil Bonsai at McConnell House (from Bartender of Cork and Cow)

This was not an easy list to compile. I know I missed many worthy bites and favorites, but I had to narrow it down. I’m looking forward to the next 500.