With our recent trip to Land Between the Lakes, we’ve already had a chance to tell you about some good BBQ we had at Knoth’s, so we thought we’d also let you in on another hidden gem not too far from Nashville.  Patti’s 1880 settlement is a restaurant/roadside attraction/kitsch emporium/little piece of Americana hidden in Grand River’s, KY.  When I say full of kitsch, I mean decorated like your crazy aunt’s house, but in a good way.

Patti’s has become well known for their comfort food staples and likes to add a little uniqueness to some of their dishes.  The bread is cooked in a terra cotta pot and comes with honey butter and on the night we visited, strawberry butter, I believe.  The bread is light, fluffy, and hot, and is a neat start to your meal.

Salads also feature a nice touch here, with a hot bacon dressing that creates a really unique flavor when you get a bit of bacon dressed spinach and one of the mandarin orange slices on your fork at the same time.

Patti’s claim to fame is the myriad of pork options they serve, from pork chops to pork loin prepared in all sorts of ways.  One of the top sellers is the 2-inch pork chop.  I’ll say it again, a 2-inch thick pork chop, like the thing you would see Emeril come up with and wonder if those really exist.  I don’t know about you, but I guess I’ve just been beaten into submission to expect a 1/2 inch thick pork chops from the grocery store.  Anyway, given that these mastodon chops are rather hard to come by in everyday life, I had to give them a try.  The seasoning is tangy but not spicy, and is doused with a savory au jus that got soaked up by the loaded baked potato.  Overall, it’s basically like a steak, and I’d maybe compare the texture profile to that of a ribeye or flank steak, with enough heft to make you work, but more than enough meaty flavor to make up for it.

Sarah decided to try the pork loin wrapped with bacon and topped with fried apples.  The pork loin was tender and the apples were perfectly spiced.

Pies are a thing of wonder at Patti’s, with no less than 3-inches of meringue.  One of our pet peeves with meringue is when preparers try to mess with an already good thing.  In this case, Patti’s gets it right with a chocolately filling that tasted like a chocolate fudge and simple, substantial meringue that was light, fluffy, and slightly sweet.

Patti’s is definitely a stop you should make when visiting the area, but be sure to get reservations ahead of time, as Patti’s seems to be ground zero for families visiting the area out on their “big dinner out night”.   We definitely enjoyed our stop, and certainly didn’t leave hungry, although Patti’s will leave your wallet a little lighter than you might expect.