Jamie "Tye" D.'s Profile

The tacos are local, but they are not crazy. They fill the void from fast food to darn right delicious.

The staff are very laid back and do their best to meet your needs in a quick manner. That's pretty awesome.

The food varies from awesomely creative to a bit over salty. While on a recent visit, I ordered the fish tacos. These are your standard variety where the fish is breaded. Then, I overheard and employee on the phone ordering fish sticks. I guess that deflated my opinion a bit. I haven't asked for grilled fish, but will try that on my next visit.

The black beans and rice always come out fresh and hot. However, many have agreed they are a bit over salty. No they don't talk bad to me when I ask them questions; they just seem to have more of a Tex-Mex flavor.

The Local Taco has a nice selection of craft salsas and decent cheese dip. I would attribute the cheese more of a blend between traditional Mexican white cheese and thicker Monterrey Jack.

I like that each day they have two creative taco selections that are not on the menu. Follow them on Facebook to track these - http://www.facebook.co....

They have a great beer selection (many microbrewery beers) and make some killer margaritas. They also have very small bar if you decide to go alone and hang.

The seating outside is awesome. They an enclosed area (in the winter) that has a very well covered heating system. In the summer, the patio is open air and a great place to relax and enjoy the foot traffic.

The food here is not poor. However, it does lend to a bit over salted and less Mexican than American. The Local Taco is a nice place to have in town. Very casual and enjoyable. Don't be crazy; give The Local Taco a try.

Let me preface this by saying that Fontanini Italian Beef is the basis (besides mom's Italian beef) from which I judge all equals. Portillo's is like fine dining compared to Al's. Well, when you take away one of the lines in the equal sign, you get a minus. Minus is how I rate this place.

The staff, while I know they need jobs too, were all 16-18 olds who were talking very inappropriately and flirting when I walked in. The enthusiasm level was around my sole (that is referring to my shoe on the floor...low..low..low).

The sandwich wasn't good. The flavor was strange. I can't quite describe it. The grease that soaked into the bun was funky. There was no au jus and they forgot the cheese on the sandwich.

I guess when you walk into a place at lunch and no one is in there, which should be taken as a clue.  Sorry....just not up to the standards of a Fontanini Italian Beef or mom's (love you mom)!

This is a seesaw review. I feel like I am sitting on a fence of sorts.

Here are the pluses of Amerigo:
1. Service: The service here can be equated to fine dining.
2. Wine list and unique drafts; They have an impressive wine list and feature drafts that are not available in your average Nashville establishment.
3. Seating (lots of it and private dining rooms): I really like the private rooms and nooks where you can enjoy your privacy.
4. Presentation and ambiance: Very warm and welcoming atmosphere. The music is just right so that it drowns out those around you but you do not have to yell to be heard. Very clean and classy.
5. Appetizers: We had the cheese fritters (OMG - think of a meatball sized cheesy fried goodness) and mussels (cooked well, lots of broth and bread).

Here is a negative:
1. Food (entree)

Let me explain. Coming from a very Italian family, I have certain standards for dishes. And, as a connoisseur of good food and wine, I have to say the previous is disappointing.

I had the PASTA DI MARE fresh fish, scallops, mussels and shrimp with
caramelized onions, mixed vegetables and Gemelli pasta in a light seafood broth.

The seafood was fantastically cooked. I was very satisfied with the perfect tenderness of all four items. However, the pasta was overcooked (rather soft and falling apart, the vegetables were still crunchy - a weird combo with the soft pasta - and there was virtually no broth. I understand it says light. But, Pasta Di Mare specifically relates to seafood in broth. It was even difficult to wet a single piece of bread. I did read the reviews on this prior to arriving but wanted to formulate my own opinion.

Overall, I will give Amerigo another try. I would like to give this review 3.5 stars and will update this review upon my next visit. I feel that other menu items will be more satisfying and plus they have pizza. Which, I have to try!

Nicholson's has been my cleaner of choice since moving to Nashville over two years ago. They have the best customer service, cleaning and alterations in East Nashville.

Upon walking in, you are always greeted promptly and with a sense of true welcoming. They turn around your items in one day. 1 day! Yup, if you bring your items in in the morning, they can have them ready the next day. So, if you are wondering why they charge a little more (minus a star) than most places. This is just part of the reason.

I tend to like to get my clothes fitted. Since the standard American has grown on average in size; I find that most things that I buy need a little fitting. They will quickly bring you in the back, let you try on your item, and make the appropriate marking for the tailor. Because of the shear volume of items they handle, it does take about a week to get items back. I usually pay around $15-$20 of pants alterations.

I have been taking items here often for several years. I have never had an item lost or damaged. And, they are always well taken care of and pressed perfect. Nicholson's provides 5 star service and 5 star services. That deserves a high-5!

The Historic Baker Hotel is one of the nicest small town hotels I have ever stayed in. We planned in advance to secure a block of rooms and had the easiest experience in doing so. The sales staff here is just great! When you ask for privacy in your booking, they honor that with not saying a word to anyone that asks for your information. That is professionalism!

The staff here are overly polite and courteous. Quite surprising because everyone seemed so young. They made sure that all of our needs were met before we even left the lobby for our room.

The Baker has five floors of rooms that have nice blend of history with a draping of relevance. The decor is warm and inviting. The bedding and accompanying bathroom items where soft and not overly bleached.

The four-post bed, giant armoire, walk-in closet, couch, desk and bed tables were all very nice, clean, elegant and gave us all the amenities a room could provide. The giant king bed was could-like and provided just the right comfort for a wonderful experience. The door to the room liked like and old vault door. And, there were the old US Mail drive-thru style chutes in the hallway (from when it used to be a retirement home).

We happened to have secure the hot tub room on the 5th floor facing Southwest. I cannot say how wonderful it was to be relaxing in the tub while your hair freezes and the local night patrons laugh and chat as they bounce around downtown St. Charles (which has excellent spots for dinner and drinks). There was also a sitting area on the deck with the hot tub.

The parking is a bit inconvenient by being about a block away. But, when the hotel is located right on the river downtown, your parking options become instantly limited in a small town.

I can't say enough good things about the Hotel Baker. The price is a bit on the high side but you get what you pay for. And, at the Hotel Baker, that is one of the nicest rooms and experiences you could possible have in a small town elegant and historic hotel.

So, you may know by now that I am a pie fanatic. Yep, I will stalk a pie in an alley if its the bomb!

Having quite the za tour this round during the holidays, I have to say that Palermo's stands out of the 6 different pies I had from different restaurants.

The crust is cooked to perfection. This is your average hand-tossed style. Not overly thick to overfill you and not so thin that the ingredients fall off the slice. Just right.

The knockout punch to your taste buds come from the cheese on this pie. This pie had complete coverage. The ingredients were fresh and plentiful. Also, the sauce has a nice sweet taste to it that brings you back for more. The trick with many sweet sauces is that Americans' love their sugar. Sprinkle a little in the sauce and you'll be defending your stock with dough rollers!

There are a ton of pizza places in this area. It can be quite flooding in the cranium to pick the right one. If it is worth anything; I suggest you stop reading pizza reviews and order your pie from Palermo's.

Let me preface this by saying we were on the road and randomly picked this spot. So, our expectations were food and fast.

We sat in the bar area (at the bar specifically). The service here could not have been faster or more professional. For that, I give the spot five stars.

The food here is OK at best. They definitely don't refrain on the salt. Mmmmm, salt lick! We had a taco salad and tacos with rice and beans. Not that the ingredients weren't fresh; I just was a bit overwhelmed by the premanufactured taste of everything.

We did enjoy one Margarita with and extra shot ($1 special). It did look like they must have taken some premium liquors off the shelf for the special. It seem about 2/3 full.

The atmosphere is fun and a bit crazy. Fish hanging from the ceiling (artistic fish that is) and Chihuahua heads on all sorts of crazy beings. They also sell their lot of play-off-of-other-brands t-shirts. These are realy fun if you are into that sort of thing.

Although our expectations were met, I just didn't feel satiated with the chow. Overall, they experience was good, but the food lacked uniqueness.

This location is quite the people watcher spot. You get the blend of Vandy students, local movers and shakers, music row dial turners and business folk. The service here is spot on for accurate and friendly.

I like the seating areas. There are tables inside and out and couches near the fireplace. There are also bar style seats. The place is clean and inviting. Parking is plentiful.

This is one of the better Starbucks locations in Nashville.

Having been with the leaching corporate banks my whole life; I made the conscious decision to vote with my money by choosing to bank exclusively with Southeast Financial Credit Union.

Since getting two vehicle loans, a checking and banking account, I have found that Southeast Financial Credit Union provides seamless processes and efficient problem solving.

Yes, it is a little work to update your accounts a new institution. The effort is worth the time.

They gave me simple interest on my loans. They have no ATM fees and no account fees. They have on-line banking and excellent customer service to solve any concern.

I will NEVER go back to a bank that is not primarily concerned with the community or their customers. Everyone here is very personable and helpful. I'm hooked!

So, I came here on a recent Sunday for brunch with a very BFF. We found it strange that there were only one other table seated when we walked in. I am glad we shrugged it off.

Arnold Myint is the executive chef and has created some Aaamzing dishes. We shared the savory Spanish muffins (baked fresh) and some of the best tasting thick sweet potato and spice soup I have ever tasted. I wish I could remember the exact blend. It literally made my taste buds get up and dance.

My friend had a the sides Adobo Spiced Sweet Potato Hash and Roasted Tomato. I had the Pumpkin Bread French Toast. The bread was made in house and came studded with caramelized pumpkin seeds. Whoa! Talk about creating a memorable mouth watering!

We also had a few $5 mimosas.

The service was OK. I hope that because it was slow that affected that part of the experience. Not bad; just not outstanding.

Honestly, when I go to brunch, I like there to be a buzz around me. I like to feel that I am part of some hungover ready to sleep the day away vibe. There just wasn't anyone here but us when we left.

I would love to give this another try in the evening on a weekend to see if the buzz exists. Overall, the food gets five stars but everything else balances this out to three.