Pork and Pizza. How could you go wrong? A review of Nashville's City House

Last night my sister and I indulged at City House. When I say “indulged” I mean we practically rolled out of the restaurant full and satisfied. It was our first time eating at City House and it was simply fabulous! City House is located in Germantown, right off of Jefferson St. From the exterior, it appears to be an old rustic brick home with a charming European style. The interior environment was lively and full of diners, all interested in eating great food and having a good time.

Menu: City House creates a special tasting menu for Sunday nights and here is a sample of some of their dishes:

To share as a starter:

Roasted Pork Belly, Blackberry Preserves, Chillies, Biscuit

Crispy Pigtails, Big Hoss Dry Rub,

H2O Melon, Calabrian Chillies, Sicilian Salt, Mint

Silver Queen Corn, Butter, GMRS, Hot Chicken Rub

Fried Chicken Livers, Hotsauce, Gorgonzola

Lacinato Kale, Ceci Dressing, Pickled Fennel + Onion

Pizzas:

Tomato, “Dukes,” Buttermilk Cheddar, Black Pepper

Peaches, Pecorino Toscano, Strutto

Eggplant, Walnuts, Garlic, Parsley, GMRS

Tomato Ragu, Swiss Chard, Montasio

Fish & Meat:

Pork Burger, Cider Slaw, Focaccia Bun

SM Chicken Thighs: Pepper Jelly, Semolino

Stuffed Zucchini, Calabrian Sausage, Tomato, Cracker Crumbs

NC Trout, Cornmeal Crust, Cucumber, Mint, Onion, Aperol

Now, let me share with you the many things we ordered last night. First, we ordered the corn that was coated in hot chicken rub. For those of you who are unfamiliar with hot chicken rub, it is a mixture of spices including cayenne pepper, among other ingredients. Traditionally, the spice concoction is rubbed on chicken and fried in lard. That is a whole other type of meal. Getting back to the corn, it was quite flavorful, but not too overpowering. My sister ate most of it because I ordered the roasted pork belly. The waiter referred to this as the belly biscuit and it was succulent, just how a prime pork belly should be. Let me take some time to describe this dish to you: Begin with a homemade southern-style biscuit. Spread some fresh blackberry preserves over it. Add some mild chilies, the generous portion of pork belly, and the biscuit’s top, and you’ve got yourself a City House belly biscuit. The sweet, salty, and hint of hot spice all complemented one another. A hungry fellow may look at this plate and decide to use his hands as if he was eating a McMuffin, but I had the decency to be proper and use my fork and knife.

Now, the pizza. I mean, pizzas, as in plural. Yes, I admit that we indulged. Or, you may be thinking, overindulged. Anyway, my sister was being particularly finicky about not wanting cheese on her pizza, so she ordered the house pie which consisted of an attractive tomato paste with a hint of cheese on top. The pizza crust was thin, like a cracker, and as she puts it, “I like this crust because it makes you feel less guilty for eating pizza in the first place.”

I have complete and total guilt for the pizza I ordered. (Well, not really. But, I did eat only fruits and vegetables today and completed an extra long workout at the gym.) I ordered the Tomato, “Dukes,” Buttermilk Cheddar, Black Pepper pizza. Simply put, it was a cheese pizza with tomato slices on top. However, my simple description does not do justice. The buttermilk cheddar literally melted in your mouth and each bite was deliciously sumptuous.

Ok, are you full yet? I hope not, because I have not even described the desserts! Between the two of us, my sister ordered the ice cream Sunday and I ordered the blackberry pie with almond gelato. We were pretty full at this point, but as my mom said, “You have to try dessert if you are going to blog about a restaurant!” That is just her little excuse to order dessert. Last night, it was our excuse. Times two. The blackberry pie was made with local blackberries and was quite savory. The ice cream Sunday was presented in a mason jar, to depict some of the country charm at City House. It also cam with blackberry sauce, in addition to chocolate sauce and peanut caramel goodness. 

   Blackberry Pie with Almond Gelato

Service: Our waiter was working very hard on such a busy Sunday night. He was attentive and accommodating to our requests. I have the feeling that he could not grasp the fact that we ordered and ate so much food. I mean, it was just that good.

General Impressions: I have to say, going out to dinner with an extremely picky vegetarian who claims that she does not eat anything with butter or olive oil is difficult; especially, at a restaurant that serves many pork, meat, and fish dishes. However, the waiter was accommodating to my sister’s pickiness and recommended the house pie, which she actually devoured almost entirely. The atmosphere, food, and overall experience was really something to write home about. I am going to bring all of my out-of-town visitors to City House so that they can sleep belly-up just like we did. 

Visit City House at  http://cityhousenashville.com/ 

Reservations are recommended. Arrive hungry. Elastic waist bands may be required.