by Serenity Joy Miller, Foodie
Middle Tennessee’s meat & three restaurants complement the winter months perfectly with delicious home cooked comfort food, and Cool Café is no exception.
The dining room is spacious, and the layout welcomes guests to enjoy their scrumptious food with family and friends. With a cozy, laid back atmosphere, there is no pressure to eat and leave quickly. I’ve dined in the restaurant many times and have never felt rushed.
On a chilly Monday night, I was craving warm comfort food, so I decided to pick up a meat & three meal from Cool Café and bring it home. I had reviewed the menu online before arriving, which turned out to be very helpful in deciding what I wanted to eat, because everything looked great. I ordered meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, a roll, and blueberry cobbler for dessert.
Normally, I use salt and pepper on my food after trying it, but this time the food tasted just right without any additional seasoning. The meat loaf was moist, flavorful, and topped with a tangy tomato sauce. The noodles in the macaroni and cheese were cooked perfectly. They were firm but not hard, and the creamy, melted cheese was dispersed evenly throughout the dish. The savory gravy blended well with the smooth mashed potatoes, the fried okra was crispy and palatable, and the fluffy, warm roll rounded out the meal nicely. The fresh blueberry cobbler was flawless with just the right amount of sweetness. Next time, I’ll try it heated up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Once again, the portion sizes were large, and I was able to eat two full meals from the one I bought. Living alone, I thoroughly enjoy leftovers, because they give me a guilt-free excuse to finish a meal I’ve already purchased and not cook another meal for one.
I will definitely return to Cool Café for their other delicious entrees, veggies, hot and cold sides, and desserts, including Hot Chicken, Ham & Scalloped Potato Casserole, Baked Lemon Chicken, Fried Catfish, Fried Corn, Creamed Spinach, Red Beans & Rice, Lima Beans, Broccoli Salad, Cole Slaw, Chicken Salad, Lemon Basil Pasta, Banana Pudding, and alternating Fruit Cobblers.
Cool Café is located at the corner of Mack Hatcher and Hillsboro Road in the shopping center with La Hacienda and Corner Wine & Spirits. Visit them in person at 1110 Hillsboro Road, Suite B200 in Franklin, TN and online at www.coolcafefranklin.com to peruse their daily and catering menus.
