Metro Pulse/Restaruant Rover/Green Hills Grille

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Green Hills Grille
4429 Kingston Pike
558-0091

by Ally Carte

Some buildings just have an aura of doom. Any seed set in this trampled earth will fail to germinate, through no fault of its planter. Doom defies all reason—it just is.

A couple of restaurant spaces out Bearden way have that inexplicable gray pallor about them. One, the big brick behemoth that formerly housed the Blackhorse Pub and Grill, the Half Shell, Kiva Grill and The Mill, has defied any conventional wisdom about location. The plaza in which it is housed has spawned and supported a number of good eateries, such as the new Kalamata Kitchen Taverna and China Noodle, plus the traffic to and fro The Fresh Market alone should engender success. Yet this building can't seem to hold a tenant.

Some successful restaurateurs from Nashville think they can be the guys to break this building's curse. They've made a great start of it—the rehab of this building alone should be enough to make it unrecognizable to the wraith-of-failed-eateries past who has haunted the place. Gone are the imposing brick walls and windowless near-dark. Rather than the feel of a dank, enormous cave, the new interior is light, airy, and, dare I say, classy.

Of course, the location's newfound upscale attitude—hell, there's even valet parking—comes at a price. Impressive floral arrangements and natural woods are not cheap and the Green Hills Grille's prices reflect the change in venue. Which isn't to say that the cost of the food isn't mirrored in its quality, just that the idea of having to fork over an additional $3.25 for a salad with your double-digit entree is a bit galling. But perhaps this is a sign of die-hard Knoxville provincialism, and diners in Nashville wouldn't even flinch at the notion.

Regardless, the two side salads that I sampled (say that 10 times fast) were pretty good. The "standard" version, for lack of a better term, featured tender, buttery Bibb lettuce lightly tossed in a tangy Asian-inspired soy sesame dressing that was simultaneously pungent and sweet. The caesar is a wonderful example of the form, hearty chunks of romaine topped with both shavings and shreds of parmesan and Asiago cheeses dancing in a rich, lemony dressing. While either choice would be a great way to start your meal, my only complaint was the crouton quality. Rather than freshly fried bread chunks, these made do with stale cubes with that fresh-from-a-box taste.

On the sandwich scene, the tortilla club ($7.95) was a winner. Grilled chicken nestled alongside Jack and Cheddar, a rich guacamole, pico de gallo (a salsa-like sauce with tomatoes and corn), and bacon, wrapped in a giant tortilla. Served on the side was a fiery chipoltle mayo that also made a fine sauce for the Grille's crisp and tender thin-cut fries. The servings, both for this and for entrees, are generous; the tortilla club made a filling lunch the next day as well.

The entrees offer more hearty fare. Perfect for a cold Sunday afternoon was the portobello meatloaf ($10.95). A slab of well-seasoned ground meat rested atop a mound of creamy mashed spuds, draped in a velvety demi-glaze. If that weren't enough, on top of that were slices of sautéed mushrooms, the now-soft and palatable cloves of garlic they were sautéed with, pearl onions, and carrots. It's quite a feast and twice as good as Ma Carte could have concocted. Also delish were the fork-tender baby back ribs ($15.25), served with a not-cloyingly sweet barbecue sauce.

The desserts—if you should manage to save some room—are spectacular. In addition to creme brulée and Key lime pie, the Grille offers Heath bar pie ($4.95), an ice cream concoction with almonds, toffee candies, and hot fudge that is worth splurging on calorie-wise. There is also a full bar, should the idea of an after-dinner cordial tickle your fancy.

Besides the consistently good dishes, the real stand-out of Green Hills is its customer service—which, at times, can be a bit overwhelming, especially in these early days when every manager and her mother seems to be checking your satisfaction with each bite. But their dedication to keeping diners happy seems to go beyond mere lip service. After a minor problem with our order of ribs—one slab arrived rather chilled—apologies were made, that meal was comped, and a gratis dessert was offered. It was a nice gesture and one well beyond what we'd expected.

Hopefully, all of these selling points will be enough to break the curse on the doomed building. Despite the price, which, for me, places it into the special-event category, the high-quality food, service, and atmosphere of this smallish chain import would be a shame to lose.