Valentine’s Dining in Rural Williamson County

Valentine’s Day dining is always a dilemma. After delivering an elegant bouquet of roses and a box of luscious chocolate, a quiet brunch or dinner away from the city is a great mini romantic get-away for two to celebrate the annual observance of love.

There are several tasty gourmet restaurants to be found in Nolensville, Thompson’s Station and Leiper’s Fork. Leave the city and take a trip to one of these smaller towns to have a fresh and tasty Valentine’s Day meal.

1Circa

Circa
Photo: Circa Facebook

1549 Thompson Station Road West
Thompson’s Station, Tennessee
Phone: (615) 614-2079
Website: https://circagrill.com/
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Friday, 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Close to everything and away from it all is Circa Grill’s tagline, but the line describes exactly what the restaurant has to offer. Located next door to the H Clark Distillery, Circa opened in 2013 with a menu of Southern Fusion treats. Owners Robynne Napier and Jason Ritzen worked with local chef Jeff Pignato to create a menu offering the best of Southern cuisine using many local products. The building looks like an old grocery store or dry goods store made into a restaurant with a speakeasy feel. 

Circa offers small plates like Wood Grilled Watermelon and Adluh Mills Grit Soufflé. Their dinner menu offers Cajun Shrimp and Grits and a Hot Chicken Sandwich, while for Sunday Brunch they have items like Smoked Pork Breakfast Tacos and Bourbon Bacon Burgers.

Every season they concoct new cocktails made with H Clark products. Their newest creations are The Flannery and Mr. Greenleaf’s Getaway. The Flannery is a mixture of H. Clark Distillery bourbon, Pimm’s, peach nectar, fresh lime, and Angostura bitters served on the rocks, while the Getaway is a blend of H. Clark Distillery gin, Cocchi sweet vermouth, Caravella limoncello, Primaterra sparkling rose, and fresh raspberries.

A perfect place for a Valentine’s Day dinner away from town, offering gourmet dining with a back-country feel.

2The Manor House at The Grove

The Manor House at The Grove
Photo: The Grove Living Facebook

6020 Wildings Boulevard
College Grove, TN
Phone: (615) 368-3960
Website: https://groveliving.com/amenity/dining/
Hours: Sunday and Tuesday, 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Closed Monday

Diners must be the guests of members.  

The Grove is an exclusive housing area in College Grove with The Manor House as its centerpiece. It offers fine dining to members and guests. With an extensive wine cellar to enjoy with a meal, this is a true fine dining experience.

The restaurant offers fine dining in a comfortable, elegant atmosphere. A menu of rotating, seasonally-inspired cuisine includes Honey Cedar Plank Salmon and Braised Short Rib Tagliatelle Pasta. They also have lighter dishes, like Winter Crunch Salad which is a blend of Locust Basin Farms greens, Granny Smith apple, dried cranberries, candied pecans, goat cheese, and honey vinaigrette or Fig and Blue Cheese Flatbread made from Mission figs, caramelized onions, prosciutto, arugula, drizzled with balsamic glaze. Finish the evening with Cranberry Orange Cobbler served warm with gelato or decedent dark Chocolate Mousse.

31892 Leiper’s Fork

burger at 1892 restaurant
Photo: 1892 Facebook

4150 Old Hillsboro Road
Franklin, Tennessee
Phone: (615) 614-3964
Website: http://1892leipersfork.com/
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Closed Monday and Tuesday

Out in the quaint town of Leiper’s Fork lies 1892, a farm to table restaurant located in an old house, built in 1892, decorated as it would be at that time. The restaurant is perfect for a special celebration.

Owners Dylan and Jordan Morris, the owners, have created an ever-changing menu using local produce to create fine dining. The offerings are a blend of French country and Southern. The Brown Butter Halibut, which is frequently on the menu, is served with horseradish potato purre, corn, fried mint and charred lemon. A burger made from Bear Creek Farm meat is another frequent menu item. A favorite small plate is whipped pimento cheese served with hoecakes.

4Birdie’s Breakfast and Lunch Shop

Birdie's Breakfast

7180 Nolensville Road
Nolensville, Tennessee
Phone: (615) 776-3332
Website: https://www.birdiesbreakfast.com/
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

With Valentine’s Day falling on a Sunday, start the day with breakfast at Birdie’s. Wade Breaux, the owner, opened his restaurant the day Governor Lee declared a state of emergency due to the pandemic, in May of 2020. His tasty breakfast and lunch menu has kept people coming in from the start, even when it was all take-out. It hasn’t been easy, but the community has embraced him. It is well worth the time to take a sweetheart there for breakfast… or lunch.

For breakfast, they serve bowls, plates, handhelds, and frittatas. Their Shrimpin’ Grits Bowl is a favorite, as is the Boss Hog for the guy who likes a big breakfast. It has two eggs, breakfast potatoes, sausage, bacon, and a biscuit with fruit preserves. And for those who prefer something healthier, there is the Hipster Plate.

Lunch includes handhelds, which include the Shorty Melt, Nolensville Hot Chicken, and Bangin’ Chicken. The Shorty Melt is a grilled cheese with barbecued short ribs. The Nolensville Chicken is Breaux’s version of the Nashville specialty. And Bangin’ Chicken is fried chicken with Thai ginger slaw.