Smoke Cantina (The Homegrown Kitchen, LLC) — Restaurant in Franklin

This establishment had a cozy, but higher end, intimate feel. It’s a smaller space, so I would recommend reservations to ensure you can get a table. If you’ve reviewed the menu at this point, you will know that the dishes are on the pricier side. We were able to get parked nearby easily, at the back of the restaurant in the public parking spots. There’s two entrances to the building, front and side; enter in from the side.

The staff was friendly, the vibes were great, the food was great, and overall my friends and I had an excellent experience. My number one tip: go with a group of friends or family and share the food! You will get to try a little bit of everything without feeling tired of one flavor or dish, and it will provide the ultimate experience.

We ordered as much food as we though we could eat; three entrees and 3 tapas (and brought our own wine). We tried the two fish specials and the fried pierogis as our entrees, then the friend green tomatoes, jumbo shrimp (blackened Cajun style), and the tamale cake tapas. By far the tamale cake tapas was my favorite because the flavor profiles of each component were executed perfectly. There were different textures in each bite as well as savory and sweet flavors too. The fried green tomato tapas was good, but didn’t wow me. The flavor of this dish wasn’t comparable to everything else we ordered. The Cajun shrimp was good, stand alone as the flavor was good and with the orange horsey dipping sauce. The grouper had a Cajun seasoning and it was good but it was very over cooked, a tad chewy and had lots of bones in it. It wasn’t a favorite and while we collectively finished all of the dishes, this one we did not. The fried pierogis were great, both in flavor of the pierogis and the toppings. The other fish dish we got was good, very buttery soft tasting with the yuzu sauce on top. There were two dishes that came with a coleslaw side of sorts and I could have did without that. No one really ate it. The max and cheese side we got with one of the meals was good, but I will always prefer my homemade Mac and cheese to anything else I could order. We wanted to get a side of Brussels sprouts but they were opt so we opted for broccolini, which ended up not being broccolini buy regular broccoli. By the end of the dinner I was satiated, but not overly full, as three of us shared 3 entrees and 3 tapas.

I’d recommend trying the tamale cake hands down for anyone visiting, and I look forward to ordering that again! I loved other dishes too, but this one stood out to me the most. I’d also recommend starting with a tapas to share before your entrees as all portions were on the smaller side. I loved the ability to share 6 items off the menu because there were a few things I wouldn’t have wanted to eat only as a meal for myself and loved the option for variety!

I...

What is a cook and what is a chef?

A cook replicates with skill and an exacting desire for perfection the recipes given him or her by a chef.

A chef creates recipes by guiding the pleasant flavors of ingredients into the correct order, truly exhibiting their potential to be something unique with lasting impression.

The shrimp bathed in their butter sauce. The stuffed mushrooms whose aroma is second only to the cascading flavors which ignite the pallet. The ricotta dip, so simple in design, and yet perfectly placed in any meal to clean ones pallet allowing for every fragrant morsel to be consumed with the full and intended effect. The crab cakes who give even the staunchest of land dwellers a taste of the oceans power. The Shrimp and Grits whose basic name mislead you into a false sense of comfort. And yet from first hesitant taste to last plate licking moment your entire existence is questioned as never again will you be able to seek comfort food without desiring that which you had here.

The two young men who created and assembled these dishes both claimed to be cooks. But this is not true.

One is a cook, ensuring that every dish is prepared perfectly, ensuring the very memory of flavor is undeniable and ever repeatable.

The other is a chef, designing and creating a pure and unadulterated experience with ingredients and passion perfectly molded together for the ultimate experience of savory passion.

You may think that I exaggerate. But even the staunchest of Atheists would be forced to engage with the concept of intelligent design after tasting such an excellently assembled...

Everything was spectacular! We were enticed to visit when we saw Smoke Cantina's beautifully curated menu. We were visiting Franklin for an autumn adventure from Pittsburgh, and we were dazzled by the beautiful design of the restaurant, spectacular service, and the memorable meal!

We were warmly greater by Carley, who provided excellent service and recommendations through our entire experience!

The Smoked Old Fashioned was perfectly crafted and balanced. The French Onion Soup was delightfully rich and warming, and we loved the fresh creamy Caesar Salad. Both of our meals were perfection, full of flavor and beautifully plated. I was impressed by the Five Spice Pekin Duck with sweet potato puree and lo mein, and my husband was so pleased with the Prime Handcut Boneless Ribeye which was seasoned and salmuera basted, along with garlic herb butter and creamy garlic chimi sauce.

We had the fortune of meeting Dani the owner, her pride in the community was shining through as she shared about the various festivals of Franklin and how it is such a special place! This all translates into why the restaurant experience was so wonderful - it is obvious that everything down to the details is driven by a high level of passion and care!

An Affogato and Banana's Foster Creme Brulee meyer rum custard with carmelized banana and salted caramel drizzle were the perfect ending to the meal!

The photograph showing the restaurant interior was taken when we first arrived at 4pm, and by 5pm the restaurant was full because this is the place to be in Franklin! We are looking forward...