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Located in the space that formerly housed Boscos Restaurant and Brewing Company, Tupelo Honey is a welcome addition to the dining scene near Cool Springs Galleria. Open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, the 12th outpost of this chain has positioned itself as a comfortable place to eat and drinkespecially with its wide array of craft beers on tap, an approachable wine list, and creative seasonal cocktails.
The original Tupelo Honey, in Asheville, North Carolina, was a pioneer in the elevated Southern food movement, and many of executive chef Brian Sonoskus' scratch-made dishes are on the menu at the Cool Springs location. Sonoskus has always been dedicated to sourcing his ingredients from independent regional farms whenever possible, and that commitment shines through on the menu in the form of fresh produce and thoughtfully sourced proteins.
For lunch, there are salads, sandwiches, and small plates like fried green tomatoes, Appalachian egg rolls stuffed with pulled pork, and the restaurant's signature honey chipotle chicken wings. If you'd like something more filling, go for the meatloaf made from a loose grind of beef and bacon topped with rosemary tomato shallot gravy.
Most of the lunch entrees also appear on the dinner menu, but a selection of chef specialties raise the cuisine to an even loftier perch. The Tupelo shrimp and grits are legendary and accented with a spicy roasted red pepper sauce. There is also a 'Shoo Mercy” iterationnamed after the exclamation uttered by a patron upon first tasting the dishthat adds caramelized onions, mushrooms, spinach, bacon, and even more shrimp to the standard version. Another favorite is the Smoky Mountain duck confit, a duck leg slow-roasted in its own fat for hours until it is fall-off-the-bone tender and then served over a salad of black-eyed peas, roasted turnips, and a light pepper vinegar, which cuts through the luscious fattiness of the confit.
This sort of balance and attention to detail is apparent throughout the menu at Tupelo Honey as well as in the beverage program, service, and decor. The convivial space is decorated with rustic wood, metal accents, and plenty of whimsical artwork (some commissioned by locals); a large outdoor patio should prove to be popular once it eventually warms back up. As the chain continues to expand, it seems like they have mastered the model of fresh Southern food made from scratch.
2000 Meridian Blvd., Ste. 110, Franklin, 615-224-2600; tupelohoneycafe.com