Pancake Pantry
 Nashville, Tennessee        Date of Visit  05/17/17         http://www.thepancakepantry.com  

Steph steered us right with the bagels, she also suggested pancakes, more breakfast and here we go. A cruise through some big universities brings us to the Pancake Pantry; they must be doing something right…selling pancakes for 55 years. They serve them with either homemade hot maple syrup or cool cinnamon cream syrup, both of which arrive at the table in do it yourself containers…the goop master couldn’t ask for more…but they sent more anyways.
 

Mother Dear ordered the Pecan Pancakes, five pancakes topped with powdered sugar and pecans, served with maple-pecan syrup and butter on the side. Sounds great. Steph asked our server if she should have the Parisienne, three rolled pancakes stuffed with warm strawberry compote covered with more cooled compote, dusted with powdered sugar, and real whipped cream OR the Swedish Pancakes three thinner crepe style pancakes rolled with tangy, imported lingonberry preserves on the inside, topped with more on the outside, powdered sugar, and a lemon wedge.

In the sweetest Southern drawl, the first thick one I heard in Nashville, she responded with the best possible answer, “How’d, ya like both?” Qua?!? She said I’ll bring you two of one and one of the other. Donezo. Then my mom said…uh, how about half pecan and some Chocolate Sin the crepe style pancakes filled with chocolate ganache and topped with raspberry compote, powdered sugar, more chocolate, and fresh whipped cream. Fun, we get to try all sorts of things without ending up wasting a bunch. I ordered a more peculiar option, the Santé Fe, three stone-ground cornmeal pancakes with pieces of bacon, cheddar cheese, and roasted green chilies cooked inside. It’s served with hot picante salsa and sour cream and they recommend warm maple syrup to balance flavors.
 

You Mean We Can Mix & Match?!?!
 

So here’s the thing…they clearly make good pancakes, (thick OR thin, Ricky Bobby) what really stands out though are accouterments. First there are ridiculous amounts of all of them. The berry compotes were bright, sweet and tart. The chocolate never seemed to stop. The savory bits were made for the cornmeal cakes with smoke, salt, spice, tomato, cheese. Add a drizzle of hot sweet syrup and it’s something completely different. Then there were the pecans, oh dear, the pecans…by far all three of us favored the disks studded with and covered with the nuts. All good, pecan wonderfully memorable.

We also heeded the menu, having informed us “Our hash browns are the best around, made fresh all day. Try some!” I do what I’m told. They are actually pretty spectacular. Freakishly, fluffy and light with a delicious crispy and cracking brown roof. Add a little salt, shakes of Crawdad’s hot sauce and you have a pretty quintessential breakfast tater. The Pancake Pantry doesn’t have the fancy wow factor of Proper Bagel but brings some big bites of classic dishes with interesting options. Now when someone says you went to Nashville for bagels and pancakes…I can say…Damn Skippy. What of it?