Thompsons Kitchen...Southern (Roots) Toots, Global (Flavor) Failure
Dined at Thompson's tonight, Fairview's answer to fine dining. As a Nashville and Williamson county native (yes, there are actually some of us still around), I grew up visiting family friends in Fairview and eventually married one. Fairview holds a special place in my heart, and as much as the landscape has changed and evolved over the years, it still possesses the quiet charm and salt-of-the-earth people it always has. With the arrival of big box retailers, fast food restaurants, and Californians, Fairview has experienced rising property taxes, soaring per acre prices and disappearing undeveloped land. Still, it's managed to hang onto its unassuming charm through all of this growth.
Then two interlopers breeze into town. Per the website, the owner/chef and his wife are well-traveled, thought Fairview needed an elevated dining establishment, and thought they were just the ones to bring it to them. Well, that's all fine and dandy, save for a couple of issues:
1) The only thing harder than the most uncomfortable chairs I've maybe ever sat in at a restaurant was finding a menu item that sounded good. The menu is somehow both cumbersome and underwhelming at once. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees and even a kids' menu are among the offerings but they're just trying too dang hard. While traveling the world, they learned phrases such as "elevated" and "outside the box," which is fantastic, but you don't have to elevate every single thing. It's ok for a burger to just be a burger. And for goodness sake, ketchup doesn't need to be doctored. It's ketchup. Just let it do its thing.
2) If you're going to have a bunch of fancy pants items on the menu, expect that patrons will likely request accommodations and be willing to acquiesce to the reasonable requests. If I don't want pimento cheese on my burger, please don't roll your eyes when I ask for it to be left off and maybe have some normal toppings available. A member of our party asked what came on the burger. The server replied, "pickles, comeback sauce, bacon jam, and pimento cheese." My friend asked if she could get tomato and lettuce. She was told no and requested just pickles, but when her burger was delivered (well after the rest of our party received their food), it was slathered in whatever "comeback sauce" is. Because they assigned our server to other tables during our party of 14's meal, his visits were more spread out than they should have been for a party of our size. Drinks ran low and after having waited too long for her sandwich to come out initially, there was no time or use in sending it back once she did get it. Also, they may have traveled the world, collecting recipes and studying technique, but if they're going to have something called "smash burger" on the menu, I'd suggest taking a trip to Steak n' Shake to learn how a smash burger should really look and taste.
3) For $15, we ordered the "whipped feta" appetizer. A bowl arrived with a small scoop of whipped feta, a spoonful of cranberry jelly dolloped on top, and, per the menu, some "microgreens" which were really just garnish doing what garnish does: getting in the way. This was served with four slices of grilled sourdough bread that had spent a little too long on the grill and then suffered a heavy-handed olive oil application. It tasted like what I would imagine licking the grill cleaning brush would taste like.
4) The pricing was probably the most palatable element of the evening with one exception. Their daily specials included an item that seemed wildly out of place and even more outlandishly priced. Their take on Steak Frites - a 16-oz Cowgirl Steak, House Made Sweet Potato Fries, Kenny's Smoked Bleu Cheese Compound Butter and Horseradish cream - was priced at $70. Seventy! That is 232% higher than the next most expensive menu item. For steak and fries....the crowd-pleasing menu staple, traditionally priced around $25 to match its "aww, shucks" "everyman" persona. If I wanted to pay $70 for a steak dinner, you'd better believe it wouldn't be at this establishment. Nashville boasts some of the best steakhouses this side of the Mason/Dixon. Hard pass.
5) I haven't heard the word "no" so much since a middle school dance I chaperoned. Several in our party made requests - lettuce and tomato on a burger, leaving an unwanted sauce off, a candle for a birthday dessert they brought out, request to substitute a side - and each was met with a firm, unyielding declination.
Summary: It's refreshing that it's not another Mexican restaurant or fast food joint. So definitely A for effort. The atmosphere is adequate. They accept reservations, which is nice. But nothing I put in my mouth wowed me or made me want more - tonight or ever again. And the service just tipped the experience as there was an underlying current of "I'm bothered" hiding just under the forced smile.
Grade: C- read more