This is what happened before we drove by and spied on my friend Luke on his date. It won’t really explain anything, though–I don’t think I can ever explain what goes on in the messed-up minds of medical students on a Saturday night. It might even scare you into not trusting doctors ever again. So I’ll just play it safe and stick with what I do know: what I ate.
I’ve never been to South Street, but the menu looked somewhat promising. It looked like a mishmash of barbecue and cajun/creole food. And while I really wanted to try their po’boys, I ordered a combo platter, which came with ribs, fried calamari, fries, hush puppies, and cole slaw, to taste a somewhat broad spectrum of what they had to offer.
The ribs were dry in the sense that they were served without sauce, but also in the literal way; the meat still clung to the bone, and took some effort to rip flesh from bone. There was an overwhelming smoky aroma emanating from the meat, but offered less flavor than I expected.
The calamari was served in the form of tiny rings and some tentacles, which made me think that I was getting the leftovers from the bottom of a large batch. I would’ve prefered larger pieces of calamari for a better calamari:batter ratio, and also a lemon wedge. This didn’t wow me either.
South Street’s hush puppies are texturally perfect, but lacking in the flavor department. They had a thin, crisp coating and a fluffy interior of dough. I think I tasted a fleck of onion, but it might’ve snuck in by mistake. It would’ve been nice if there were actually more onions in there. However, adding ketchup or cocktail sauce can solve the flavor problem.
The menu looks promising, but I have to admit that I’m a bit of a sucker for creole food. I might’ve chosen the wrong dish, and definitely the wrong sides, but next time (I know I’ll come back again because it’s only a 3 minute walk from my apartment) I’ll try their creole and cajun selections. The night wasn’t a total loss, though–South Street did serve as a good staging area for spying on Luke’s date!
South Street Restaurant 907 20th Ave SNashville, TN 37212
(615) 320-5555
