Boxwood Bistro chef, Tim Place, got his first cooking job by knocking on a door in his native South Louisiana. He applied for a job at a 4-star restaurant in Baton Rouge without any real experience, and as they’d lost a cook the night before, they hired him. Place stayed for two years, then made the jump to New York and the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, where he studied the classical French cookery that provides the foundation of his culinary knowledge.
From there, Place took positions across the Southeast, including the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, the Marriott in Panama City, Fla., and back in Baton Rouge, where he started his own food line. When he sold that, he and his wife moved to Tennessee, nearer to her family. Place spent time at the Legends Club and with his own catering company, before taking the job as chef at Franklin’s Boxwood Bistro about eight months ago.
The menu these days reflects his training, with classical French influences combining with the fusion cuisine of South Florida for the eclectic specials he offers nightly. The regular menu, he says, tends to be more mainstream, reflecting the observed customers’ tastes over the past year. The specials, meanwhile, let Place flex his creative muscles, and they’ve proven popular among the guests, suggesting that eventually some of them may make their way into the regular rotation. He’s delighted to be working with the Boxwood Bistro owners, Peggy and John Franks, whom he says give him free rein to be creative and innovative.
When asked to identify the popular dishes on the menu, Place is quick to point out the favorites are seafood heavy (with seafood coming from right next door at Gulf Pride at The Factory). Low country-style shrimp and grits, seared scallops and fresh ahi tuna all make a big impact. Of course, given that every dish is made in-house from fresh ingredients, it’s no surprise the food is good. The Boxwood Salad is the lunch favorite—a mix of fresh greens, asparagus, kiwi, fresh berries, avocado, sunflower seeds and pecans, with grilled chicken, paired with a poppyseed dressing.
“I’m really excited that our menu is doing so well,” says Place. “Around here, it’s a chicken eatin’, meat-and-potatoes area, so I’m happy about the seafood aspects succeeding—and we pair them with familiar ingredients.” He adds, “This is simple, good food. People like that.”
Boxwood Bistro entices guests as well with Wednesday night wine tastings (hors d’oeuvres by Place), half-price wine on Thursday nights and live music on the deck on Fridays and Saturdays, weather allowing. If you haven’t made to the trip to Franklin for Boxwood Bistro yet, in the words of chef Tim Place, “Get on down here!” Since the restaurant also offers full-service catering for all types of parties both in and off site, it’s also a grand place to explore for the holidays.
For your holiday needs, Boxwood Bistro offers Cajun deep-fried turkeys as well as complete Thanksgiving meals, including whole roasted turkeys, roasted turkey breasts and traditional sides. For more information, call (615) 791-9411. All orders must be placed by the Monday prior to Thanksgiving.
Corn and Black Bean Salsa
1 medium onion
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/3 cup Peach schnapps (optional)
diced mango (optional)
Stir the above ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until well blended (sugar should dissolve).
Then add:
2 cups black beans (cooked until soft in seasoned water, or canned beans drained and rinsed well, season with salt and pepper)
1 cup roasted corn kernels (place frozen kernels on a greased flat baking pan and bake in an oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes).
1 cup diced Roma tomatoes
Stir until blended. Let sit for a couple of hours before serving.
Fall Salad
8 cups mesclun greens
2 firm, ripe Bartlett pears, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
3/4 cup vinaigrette (recipe follows)
4 ounces Roquefort cheese, chilled and crumbled
1 cup spiced pecans (recipe follows)
freshly ground pepper
Combine the mesclun, pears, grapes and onion in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss the mix. Divide evenly among six plates. Top with cheese and pecans, and season to taste with pepper.
Vinaigrette
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 small shallots, minced
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, shallots, lemon juice, salt, pepper and mustard in a medium bowl, and set aside until ready to use.
Spiced Pecans
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 cup pecan halves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the brown sugar, olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and cumin in a bowl and mix well. Add the pecans and toss completely to coat. Spoon the pecans onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring after six minutes. Cool on baking sheet.
Boxwood Bistro
615-791-9411
boxwoodbistro.com
230 Franklin Road, Bldg. 1, Franklin, Tennessee 37064