The Perch

Hello readers! I believe I have been failing you in my promise of posts… But sometimes we make plans and life gets in the way! So it has for me. I enjoyed those life moments – a friend driving from Texas to visit me and such – but I am hoping to really begin a consistent pattern of blog posts. Starting…. Now.

This past weekend Blake and I celebrated our one year anniversary (of dating); we celebrated with breakfast at The Perch in Brentwood. It is now a favorite, partly due to their amaaazing mocha!

The Perch: not your average cool coffee shop – they make crepes too!

(117A Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027)

Just over a year old, The Perch offers amazing coffee that is grown on a self-sustained farm in Zimbabwe and roasted in South Carolina at Leopard Forest. I actually found this information out after my visit (I was enjoying myself too much and forgot to ask questions…), but the earthy/environmentalist/etc side of me loves this fact! Blake and I agree that their coffee cannot even be compared to Starbucks; it is so much better and cheaper. They offer a wide variety of signature drinks, but I am so picky about my mocha since many places actually burn the espresso in making it, that I had to try it. Again, it was amazing. Blake stuck to his usual black coffee, and admitted that while Starbucks is in walking distance of his office, he often drives over to The Perch because of their quality. (Not meaning to pick on Starbucks… I still like it, but it is the most recognizable coffee shop in the area).

Let’s discuss a few of their signature drinks, which I promise to try soon and report back on!

-Best Chocolate Bar, EVER: apparently a favorite, it is made with chocolate, caramel, and toffee nut.

-Black & White Winter: dark chocolate, white chocolate, and peppermint (sounds divine).

-The Winslow: espresso free with vanilla, peppermint, and chocolate.

We skipped past the muffins and pastries, which are from Provence Bakery, and ordered up two crepes. Crepe Chef Brandon Ennis works just behind the counter with a glass view, allowing you to watch him create. He has two categories of crepes to pick from: Sweet or Savory. I, of course, went for Sweet! And Blake went for Savory (which I was actually jealous of later…).

The Sweet crepes are rather basic, with the first being “sugar, butter, cinnamon”. I almost chose that one with a topping (mmm hungry now…). Blake has had it before and was a fan, but I chose the “simple jam” with apricot peach filing. He went for the Savory “egg, cheese, and mushroom”. It was oh so good. Stuffed with all three, it was a filling crepe without the grease or heaviness of most breakfast biscuits/tortillas with the same ingredients.

While mine was very sweet and good, it was not on the filling side. However, that makes it great for a snack or if you are not very hungry; something light to settle a sweet craving. They also have other toppings and fillings from fresh fruit to Nutella or peanut butter. The Savory menu is a bit more complex with choosing from veggies, to various cheeses, ham, chicken, tuna, and avocado.

We sat in the added side room, compared to their opening, there is plenty of space to sit inside or out and yet there is still the cozy small feeling. There are high tables and regular, with two cool wood bar areas in the side room that look into the main restaurant through arched windows.

The owner, John Kressaty, was a client of Blake’s and a super nice guy. Hailing from New Jersey, John is a cosmetic chemist and also owns The Skinbar, located next to The Perch, with his wife Heather who is an aesthetician. I’m hoping to try out The Skinbar soon; I have been assured that it will be amazing.

Back to The Perch, check it out. Enjoy a coffee and crepe. I’ve heard a rumor that the Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village makes crepes too, but really, if you go there, you are going for their standard and amazing fare. I’ve been and do not remember the crepes, so I say stick to the place that has a dedicated crepe chef!

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Welcome!

Welcome everyone!

Curious as to what I am welcoming you to? Well the basic idea is to start in my current hometown of Nashville and find hidden gems, or off-the-beaten-path places to share with others. This may range from a perfect picnic spot to a clothing store.

Here is how I arrived at the idea... Last Wednesday, my boyfriend and I were killing time, waiting to meet a friend to pick up my new couch from American Signature. We were in downtown Franklin, so Blake decided to take me to PD's. Having no idea as to what he was talking about, I agreed. We pulled up to a ramshackle building (photos to come later) and I was seriously laughing, wondering what he had up his sleeve this time. Situated next to the railroad tracks, PD's did not look like much more than a junk store. But as soon as we walked in the door I was blown away. It's an exquisite home decor shop with wood floors and amazing items. Some items are priced competitively, while others are a bit on the "what were they thinking" side of expensive, but it is definitely worth a look.

Visiting this place definitely falls into every corny catch phrase of "don't judge a book by its cover," but I seriously would never have thought to enter the place had he not taken me. And from that visit arose the idea to share these fun finds with others. Sure, everyone else in Franklin or the Nashville area may already know of PD's and how great it is, but what if you are visiting the area? Are you looking for a great southern find? Something out of the ordinary with unique and one-of-a-kind items? Hopefully, my blog can help you. Perhaps it will even help locals, whether it is by allowing them to actually discover something new, or to rediscover what they have forgotten about.

I do hope you enjoy it and I am always open to fresh ideas of places to visit.

Look for a posting once a week (to start with).

Cheers :)