Saturday, February 5, 2011

Cha Chah




With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, Nate and I have been sifting through Nashville's plethora of dining choices to find the perfect place to have a date night. Even though we've already been there twice, I can't help but think that Cha Chah, on Belmont Boulevard, would be perfect.

Anyone who is a fan of Bravo's Top Chef will likely remember Arnold Myint, the Nashville chef who appeared on the D.C. version last year. He got booted off pretty early on in the season, returning to his hometown to concentrate on one of the three restaurants that he owns here. Cha Chah has quickly emerged as a favorite of mine.

The last time we were there, we wanted to take complete advantage of the fact that we had a babysitter (aka Grandma), so we sat back, ordered wine (Martin Codax, from Spain), feasted on a huge array of tapas (my fave: Papas Bravas with Aioli), and indulged in one of the best desserts I've ever had.

It wasn't fancy, it wasn't contrived. Just a rich, delicious, unique take on the campfire staple: the s'more.

The chocolate was served in a cute little teapot with a consistency that was not quite a liquid and not quite a solid, maybe a bit like the Mexican "Abuelita." Our server demonstrated how to eat the dessert by pouring the chocolate mixture over a brûléed marshmallow. There was also a homemade shortcake that you could dip into the chocolate. At any rate, I have literally been daydreaming about this dessert since the last time we went, so I just might have to put on some high heels and head that way with my dapper Valentine's date.


UPDATE: Nate made a reservation! Yay!



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