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| Pancake Pantry |
There are pancake houses, and then there are Pancake Houses! You know what I mean. Pancake Pantry, located west of downtown Nashville and adjacent to Vanderbilt University, is without a doubt one of the best we have found. It holds a place in the rankings with Walker Brothers in Chicago, has a wider offering than The Original Pancake House in the Midwest, and is adventurous like the old IHOP when they were housed in A-frame structures with blue roofs back in the day. Pancake Pantry began in 1961 and some things about it don't feel like they have changed all that much.
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| The Retro Menu |
It was the end of our stay in Nashville and we wanted to leave on a high note. Monday mornings are hard enough to face, so a visit to Pancake Pantry would be our eye opener. Eric and I had been there several times over the past two decades with a most memorable (and sad) morning there the day after Princess Di was killed. The other four in our group were newbies so this was going to be a big A.M. sendoff for them.
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| Banana Bread Pancakes |
Although one can order just about any side as accompaniment, pancakes are the main attraction. I'm always torn as to what to order. My choice that day was the Banana Bread Pancakes made from a batter filled with pecans and topped off with more of them. Add to that their homemade Cinnamon Cream Syrup and I was in pancake
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| Blueberry Pancakes |
heaven. Martha chose the Blueberry Filled Pancakes served with a Maine blueberry compote and a dusting of powdered sugar (it tops a lot of different pancakes). If fresh picked blueberries are your thing, then this is your dish. Stan had his favorite Silver-Dollars made with buttermilk. It's the miniature size that's the attraction for him.
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| Caribbean Pancakes |
Dale went with the Caribbean Pancakes that were topped with sliced bananas, pecans, shredded coconut and dusted with powdered sugar. She enjoyed them thoroughly and so did some others when she shared.
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| Santa Fe Pancakes |
Eric and Lori decided to go with the Santa Fe Pancakes whose recipe was shared with Pancake Pantry from the Village Smithy Restaurant in California. They looked almost like mini frittatas filled with bacon, cheddar cheese and roasted green chilies. He liked them, but he didn't love them as the stone-ground cornmeal batter was a bit dry and fell apart easily. Unfortunately, that's the way that batter fries up. On past visits I've enjoyed the Georgia Peach Pancakes (the compote filling is made at just the right time) and the Swiss Chocolate Chip for which I still cannot find any finer ones and really don't expect to do so. Top them all off with great coffee and Southern hospitality service and that's what makes Pancake Pantry such a return magnet for us.
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