Wine Down Main to serve a variety of bold flavors
By Adam Webb for the Williamson Herald
This year’s Wine Down Main Street wine tasting event will feature a variety of foods including, Indian, Italian, grilled cheese and Hawaiian dishes.
The 15th annual event hosts a plethora of wines and food for patrons to enjoy with proceeds benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of Middle Tennessee.
Denise Carothers, the Williamson County Area Director for Boys and Girls Club and event organizer for Wine Down Main, said that more restaurants from the greater Nashville area are participating in the occasion this year.
“We have a lot more new restaurants, and this is the first year that we have this many coming in from Nashville,” Carothers said. “Usually it’s a challenge to get those restaurants to drive out here, but we have quite a few exciting flavors entering the mix.”
Carothers said event coordinators wanted a diverse variety of food for all palates to celebrate Wine Down Main’s 15th year in operation.
“We like to have different types of cuisine, Carothers said. “We’re going to have Indian and Italian and some dessert for the people with a sweet tooth. It adds more variety so if someone doesn’t like a particular type of cuisine, there’s going to be something that they are sure to enjoy.”
One of the restaurants participating from Nashville is chef Maneet Chauhan’s Chauhan Ale and Masala House, specializing in modern Indian cuisine fused with a Southern flair, located at 123 12th Ave. N.
Chauhan’s love for food stretches back to her childhood in India.
“My parents joke that I was born with a ladle in my hand,” Chauhan said. “After having dinner at home, I would go to my neighbor’s places and tell them my mom hadn’t made me anything to eat and ask if I could have dinner with them.
“And of course the parents were mortified, but it was very fascinating to see them cook, because it was cooked with ingredients that I had never seen in my house.”
Chauhan was a judge on the Food Network show Chopped and is ready to share her blend of Indian and Southern food to the Franklin community. Expect to see her lamb and red bean chili served with Indian flat bread chips.
Unconventional American food can also be sampled at Wine Down Main courtesy of L& L Hawaiian Grill.
“For those who haven’t been able to come out to the restaurant, it’s a good way get out in the community and introduce Hawaiian cuisine to those who have never had it before,” said Franklin location manager Fred Amano.
L & L will be bringing their traditional dishes served with white rice and macaroni salad as well as their barbecue chicken. They’ll also offer chicken cocktail, which is breaded then served with cocktail sauce.
For more traditional American fare, Tom and Chee, an eatery that specializes in tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, will be offering up their unique twist on comforting cheesy favorites.
With more than 30 kinds of sandwiches, including their signature grilled cheese donut, Tom and Chee will offer their classic grilled cheese sandwich as well as a barbecue bacon sandwich along with their signature tomato soup and a another soup of choice. Ray Patel, manager of Tom and Chee, said the restaurant has worked with the Boys and Girls Club before and is happy to be participating in the event.
“When we first opened, we had a soft opening and donated our first day’s sales to the Boys and Girls club,” Patel said.
Patel claims the fresh ingredients are what separate Tom and Chee from other sandwich locations.
“All of our soups are made from scratch and all of our meats are roasted in house, seasonings are made in house, and it’s fresh,” Patel said.
Dan’s Gourmet Mac & Cheese will also be serving up their spin on a cheesy classic dish with their artisan pasta. Office manager Kaitlyn Bowen said that after their first stint at Wine Down Main last year, the staff is eager to come back.
“After starting out in the Franklin Farmer’s Market as part of our early beginnings, we are really looking forward to being back in the Franklin community at the Wine Down event,” Bowen said.
For those with a sweet tooth, Papa C’s Pies located in Franklin will offer a variety of their baked goodies at their booth located on the square in downtown Franklin. Co-founder of the bakery Chad Collier hopes that the event will inspire guests for Thanksgiving.
“Everybody’s always happy with pie, and this is a way to let them know who we are and give them ideas for their upcoming Thanksgiving meal,” Collier said. “Chocolate fudge is our most exciting pie, people seem to flip out over that, and it was voted best pie in Nashville as well. It also pairs nicely with wine.”
Collier says attendees will have the chance to sample Papa C’s chocolate fudge and pecan pie at the event.
Wine Down Main Street will be Saturday Nov. 7 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $85 for general admission, $125 for VIP and $200 for premium VIP tickets and are on sale now.
