This is another place that I ended up at by accident. My mother was in town visiting this weekend, and after a (long) day of registering at Bed Bath & Beyond (I couldn’t convince my mother or fiancee that registering at Best Buy was a good idea), we set out in search of a place to eat. We settled on South Street b/c we were all wearing jeans and were looking for something local, casual, and good. unfortunately (or fortunately as it turned out), South Street had about an hour wait when we arrived. We were all hungry at this point so while we wondered over to Bound’ry, two doors down. Bound’ry and South Street are owned by the same folks, but Bound’ry is a nicer, fancier, more upscale place with a nicer menu. The atmosphere is great as it feels like a classy restaurant, but with just enough casual to make everyone comfortable. The patio in front features tables with charcoal fire pits in the middle to keep guests warm as they enjoy a bottle of wine or a full meal on a chilly winter night. While we sat inside the dining room, rumor has it that the upstairs bar features a section actually constructed of a slab of ice- the better to keep your drink cold. We missed the bar on this trip and will have to return to investigate this unique feature.

We were seated immediately, with  no wait. Surprising for 8pm on a late February Saturday night, but we were happy! The menu was rather appealing, featuring steaks, chops, and seafood. Our server recommended the bone in, 22oz Riebye, and even though I wasn’t in the mood for steak, it was all I could do to resist the urge to order it anyway. Bound’ry has a large wine, beer and cocktail menu, and the three of us started out with martinis- Stoli Dirty for me, Cosmo for the lady, and some type of a Gin and lime concoction for my mother. All three were delicious, and came with a refill chilling in a bowl of ice water- my kind of martini, and just the way to start a review off on the right foot.

After taking plenty of time to look over the menu we settled on our items. Mother went with a pear salad and a few sides for her meal, Britney ordered the “Mississippi Surf and Turf”, an interesting combination of pulled pork shoulder, jalapeño biscuits, lightly breaded snapper, and crab and shrimp jambalaya. I couldn’t resist the sound of New Zealand Rack of Lamb with mashed potatoes and wilted spinach. Shortly before dinner arrived, we were treated to a basket full of a variety of bread, from jalapeño corn muffins to dinner rolls. And then, dinner arrived. The rack of lamb (pictured) looked amazing, and the flavor did not disappoint.

While the rack itself was a little on the small side (I could have definitely enjoyed more of this delicious meat for $31), the presentation and flavor were wonderful. The lamb was cooked with a light breadcrumb (and maybe parmesan) crust. It was delicious, and the mashed potatoes were a table favorite. I also enjoyed the sauteed spinach, cooked with golden raisins. I ordered the lamb medium-rare, and it was cooked perfectly, very tender, juicy, and flavorful. Mom’s pear salad was also a big hit- it arrived in a somewhat “deconstructed” presentation, but the spinach, pear, blue cheese, and light dressing were wonderful together, topped with just a little red onion and pecans. Britney’s “Mississippi Surf and Turf” took first place in the naming category, and was a close second (to the lamb) in the flavor department. The “surf” was definitely the captain of this ship as the jambalaya was fantastic with large pieces of shrimp and crab, and the snapper also looked great. The pork was nothing to write home about on its own, but it offered a good contrast to the seafood on the plate, and made for an interesting variety of flavors.

This was a rare occurrence, but I actually had to convince my mother to order dessert. We settled on the Maple Cheesecake (with 3 spoons) and a Bonjo Java Ethiopian Sidoma coffee press for two. The coffee was strong but good, and the cheesecake arrived looking nothing like I expected! It was a deconstructed cheesecake served in a  ramekin with whipped cram on top and the crust on the side almost like a biscotti in maple syrup. However, it tasted like a cheesecake, but with a slightly less firm consistency, but it was very good- not the best cheesecake or dessert I’ve ever had, but still a very nice finish to a delicious meal.

Over all, I give 4 stars and would definitely return (I’d like to sit by a fire pit or at the ice bar). The service was great from start to finish, and the manager even came by our table to check on us. The food and drinks were all deliciously prepared and beautifully presented. The atmosphere was classy and nice, but still causal enough to feel comfortable. You could come with friends or family wearing jeans, or bring a business guest for a nice dinner. The flexibility is something nice about Nashville in general. I was not able to give 5 stars because, while the food was really good, it just didn’t quite have the “pop” or robustness or uniqueness of flavors to earn the fifth star. Still, highly recommended, just don’t expect it to be easy on the wallet.