Once Upon A Time In France — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

Realizing I was 50 and had never tried escargots, I set out to find the highest-rated French restaurant in Nashville for when I visit a friend there. What happened next will probably sound more like a religious testimonial. For that first meal, I got the escargots as the appetizer which were swimming in a delicious garlic butter. Its texture reminded me of sauteed mushrooms.For the entree I was curious to try the Confit de Canard (duck confit) that has been cooked slowly in its own fat and takes on a deep rich flavor with very tender meat.It is without a doubt the best-tasting duck preparation I've ever eaten. My friend got the Truites aux amandes (almond trout) and highly recommended it. Both of us got the creme brulée which is probably the best I've ever tasted. We came back wildly enthusiastic we had found Once Upon A Time.

For my second visit, i wanted to try more than one appetizer to experience more authentic French cuisine. I have never tried Steak Tartare before so I wanted to experience it. It is a complex taste sensation unlike eating a steak or hamburger. You actually appreciate the rich flavor of beef more presented in the tartare form. I also wanted to try the foie gras about which I had to wrestle with some ethical issues beforehand due to the controversial practice of gavage or force-feeding of ducks or geese to fatten them up before slaughter. What allayed my trepidation was seeing Youtube clips showing how gavage is done at foie gras farms and the birds didn't look stressed or agitated or in pain. I had recently bought some store bought duck paté. Liver is high in iron, and paté has a metallic taste which borders on off-putting. This is why patê is served with things like cheese, chutney, and cornichons to sort of mask the metallic flavor. The foie gras I got at Once Upon a Time tasted nothing like ordinary paté. It was a burst of umami flavor that has a buttery texture that melts in your mouth and no metallic flavor at all. It truly was one of the best tasting things I've ever put in my mouth. It's not inexpensive but that is to be expected given that more labor is involved in the production of foie gras. For the entree I wanted to try classic beef bourguignon. The red wine the beef is cooked in imparts a rich, savory flavor to the meat. This too was a taste sensation that was nothing like ordinary beef stew that hasn't been braised in red wine.

I have become thoroughly obsessed with French cooking now. I actually have bought "Larousse Gastronomique" and Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". I can't wait to visit Nashville again so I can take another trip to Once Upon a Time in France. I doff my hat to co-owner Melvil Arnt, his dad and head chef Laurent Champonnois, and his other family members and friends who make up the staff. The atmosphere is noisy but the vibes are upbeat and joyous. Even though people are drinking a lot there, it would be hard to imagine a fight breaking out. You feel a buzz coming out of that place. I'd also like to wish Mel the best of luck with his new wine bars Authentique...

"If you've been to France, chances are, you haven't been here."

AB on Marseille

I haven't been to Marseille. Nor Lyon. I haven't been to France at all. And, until tonight, I hadn't been to Once Upon a Time in France over in East. Why? Good question. I guess, maybe, I prefer to know I'll have a seat when I arrive. Perhaps, the few, but often highlighted, not-so-positive reviews from other diners made my subconscious reluctant to try my luck. Whatever the case, I'm elated that Foodies of Nashville voted OUATIF as the winner for February's #SendSamSomewhere! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

If you've happened to peruse my fb profile, you'll see the words "not a food critic" in my bio. That is 100% intentional. I don't have it in me to to tell someone, anyone, what they should, or worse, shouldn't, eat. I don't know of a more subjective topic in human history than that of what one finds favorable on the palate. Tastes are as varied as a menu at The Cheesecake Factory, and I am beyond sure that even there, everyone can find something they like. So when I began to plan our evening in France, I decided to block out the noise, ignore the haters, and go in with a fresh, clean slate. No agenda, no preconceptions. Just the intention to have a great meal in great company.

We arrived basically right at open, which is 4:30p. There were maybe three other parties when we walked in, and immediately I felt relief knowing we'd be seated without a wait. Although, I already had plans B, C, and D queued up in case of a wait. Upon entering the building, we were greeted by Chef Laurent Champonnois who first offered us two seats at the bar but was happy to accommodate our request for a table. A few moments of casual banter was quite the welcome and we shared a laugh over our similar hair styles. Side note, I would happily sit at the bar in the future. The seats are backed and I do love the opportunity to converse with bartenders on occasion.

Once seated, we were quickly attended to by Keren who would prove to be phenomenal the entire evening. She made great recommendations as far as coursing and seemed pleased that we at least had an idea of what we wanted to experience. As I've said before, I'm far from a professional, and I'm definitely not a critic in the traditional sense, but I know what I like and I know what's considerably "appropriate". I was proud that, at the very least, we didn't seem to offend our French friends with our requests.

As it was our first time, and as I'm often inclined to do, we ended up ordering most of the menu. There are still a few things that I'd like to try and there will undoubtedly be seasonal offerings that will beckon us. That said, even with the menu as is, I will be back soon; at the very least as a frequent diner. May even become a regular! Who knew France was only 20 minutes from the house? I can't wait to return. Vive la France! 🇫🇷🍴...

Update: Just like clockwork, the owner responds in his usual way to anyone who dares give this place a bad review: defensive and upset. It’s Almost comical at this point. Anyhow, I definitely wanted to live this place but the food is just not up to par.

Second attempt at trying this place out hoping the first time was an off night. I literally have no idea what everyone else is reviewing or if they know what good food is. I ordered the escargots both visits hoping they’d be better the second time around. Not at all. There’s an amazing garlic smell but then there’s no flavor. The snails did not taste fresh. I order escargot anywhere they’re offered, that’s how much I enjoy them. The garlic butter flavor explosion is the best part. These were so bad we ended up leaving 3 behind. No questions from the server about why. I believe they hire anyone who speaks French with no training as to how to be a great server. The first time I dined here a couple years back, I had the steak frites. Also a favorite dish of mine and I’ve had it so many times I can’t count. Both in France and in NY, Miami, etc. The steak was so grisly I had to shamefully remove chunks from my mouth. This time around I went with the trout. We ordered bread and butter but it never came. We ordered fries for the table. The fries arrived undercooked and cold. Not slightly cool, but cold. The trout was room temperature. No lie. Absolutely awful. We sent the fries back with a kind explanation. They were returned piping hot but so over-salted that we ended up leaving most of them. We would’ve liked a second glass of wine but it was never offered. I really wanted to give this place a second shot with the hopes that improvements had been made. But no. It’s so embarrassingly awful. I understand that people are taken in by the charm of the decor. Yes, it’s lovely. But this is a restaurant. And the food is simply awful. As we were leaving we overheard another patron arguing with the manager about his lack of accommodations over a bad appetizer. The manager was rude and inflexible. This says it all. They are surviving only because of the unsophisticated palate of Nashvillians. I think as locals start learning the difference between good and bad global cuisine, they’ll have to improve or be driven out. Until then, these odd 5 star reviews will keep...