This cozy upscale eatery sits off the town square and parking is available on the street with no meters. The outside does give it a rather small, if not inviting appearance, however upon entering you will see that it is larger than its external appearance projects.
There is a full bar and plenty of seating. If you do not wish to sit in the bar area, there is a dining area separated from the bar by a wall.
We were greeted almost immediately and was given the option to sit at the bar or away from it and my wife chose to sit away from the bar. Our server, Andy, was prompt and very courteous, offering us wine and cocktail menus. I chose the cocktail menu and saw a nice selection of cocktails to choose from. We did not look at the wine menu so I cannot attest to its contents, but would assume based on everything else it would be good as well.
Our only disappointment of the night occurred when I ordered a Dark n' Stormy and our server came back to inform us that the bar did not have any of the ginger syrup needed. However, there were plenty of other enticing cocktails to choose from so no harm. Since my requested cocktail was not possible, and was on the menu, my next selection was discounted to the Dark n' Stormy's price. Unexpected and unnecessary, I do realize these things happen from time to time, but was pleasantly surprised to see this level of service.
I chose the Ellis Island instead and it was quite delicious and my wife's Espresso Cocktail was to her liking.
The artichoke dip and bread sticks were our appetizer. The bread sticks were not the types used at the Olive Gardens but was cut bread strips that were toasted and they had just the right amount of crunchiness and warmth to go with the very creamy and delicious dip. A very warming and welcome start to our meal.
Bread slices, olive oil and balsamic vinegar was also brought out. The bread was room temperature and very soft and had a very pleasant taste. I have been used to other Italian restaurants serving their table bread warm, but this was a very good presentation and went well with dinner.
My wife ordered the Champagne Chicken and I ordered the Goat Cheese and Tomato Gocce. The gocce can have chicken or shrimp added to it and I chose chicken, which I think I married well with the sauce and drops. I took a bite of my wife's chicken and the vegetables that came with it and the chicken was succulent, the sauce nice and creamy and the vegetables tender and tasty.
While her chicken was good, I really liked the gocce and was very pleased with my selection. The goat cheese and tomato was delicious and the drops were perfectly cooked. Combined with the sauce and chicken this was a delicious and comforting meal.
While I have to be careful with the consumption of pasta that late at night so that it does not sit heavy, this was not an issue. The portion sizes were spot on for the appetizer and entree. This is not portion sizes like you would get at chain restaurants. Think slightly smaller and more conservative, concentrating on quality and taste. That being said, for my wife anything above a half order of anything is too large. Until we came to desert.
I wasn't really planning on a desert. After the Ellis Island I decided to switch gears and have the Simpson Sour cocktail. Very delicious. A smooth sour drink that almost made me wish I had ordered it first. Very well done indeed. That was to finish my meal. My wife, however, had spotted the bread pudding and as you can surmise, we ordered it.
My wife and I normally shy away from a bread pudding with chocolate. Even with a well-done bourbon sauce the chocolate can be overpowering. We do normally prefer bread pudding without it. However, the chocolate complimented this bread pudding. It was not poured all over, but was streamed across in wonderful lines. This allowed us to taste the bread pudding with the bourbon sauce without the chocolate and then taste it all together. And the portion was more than enough for two people to share.
Fine service and food made our decision to stopover and dine in Franklin the right one. The appetizer and entrées arrived at our table in a timely manner and at the right temperature. Cocktails were also timely and at the right temperature. No watery drinks here. The establishment and dinnerware was clean, the décor warm and relaxing and the staff courteous, prompt and observant.
I would recommend the Brickyard Café to anyone who is seeking a cozy place to take your spouse, fiancé, girlfriend or boyfriend. Anyone who is traveling and seeking an upscale eatery instead of one of the myriad number of chains along the way. And in general, anyone who is looking for fine dining.
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