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Perry's Steakhouse and Grille
5028 Aspen Grove Dr., Franklin, 615-721-7781, perryssteakhouse.com
What to order: Mini Martini Trio, $15; Tempura Fried Lobster Tail, $24.50; Perry’s Famous Pork Chop, $44; 6 oz. Chateaubriand, $46.50
A grand and celebratory restaurant, Perry’s Steakhouse and Grille came from humble beginnings: a family butcher shop and deli in Houston, Texas, opened in 1979. Seven years later, Chris Perry convinced his father to add tables to the place. By 1993, Chris achieved his big dream—a fine dining restaurant highlighting the premier cuts of meat and attentive service that his family business had become known for. Over the years, his vision has grown: to date, there are twenty locations spread across Texas and throughout the nation. And now Perry’s Steakhouse and Grille commands a view of middle Tennessee’s rolling hills in the McEwen Northside development of Cool Springs.
It’s an impressive Texas-sized site, in contemporary design. The 11,000 square foot building houses an expansive bar, a main dining room with view of the kitchen, four private dining spaces, and indoor/outdoor dining terraces. Modern chandeliers of chain and globes swirl overhead, while pinpoint lighting illuminates the white linen draped tables, creating intimacy. Thick-padded leather chairs provide added comfort. Perry’s boasts a strong cocktail program, and we recommend starting your experience in Bar 79 with a martini flight and some luscious bites. These mini martini trios change on a monthly basis; each 2.5-ounce pour gives you the chance to explore the creativity and tastes. Herbal notes add dimension to thyme lemon drop, a stir of Ketel One vodka, elderflower liqueur, lemon and thyme. Habanero sugar rims the glass of the smoky rita, lending a balanced sweet and fiery punch to the quaff. Peachy glen is a silken sip, melding ten-year aged Glenmorangie scotch and Belvedere vodka with lemon juice and stone fruit purees.
Try the lobster tempura — lightly battered chunks of lobster tail come arranged in the shell, accompanied by tangy miso butter for dunking. Other delectable fried bites include cherry pepper calamari and Perry’s signature asparagus spears, topped with jumbo lump crabmeat. We also appreciate the seafood-stuffed mushroom caps, pooled in rosa sauce. It’s a delicious appetizer that’s a throwback to the ’80s — in a good way. Director of Private Dining and Guest Relations Laura Olivas says, “That’s one of Perry’s unique features — we tap into nostalgia. You’ll experience it in some of our dishes that are classic yet given the Perry’s twist. You’ll also pick up on it in the music we play over the sound system. You’ll hear something familiar and it makes you happy.”
In traditional steakhouse fashion, the menu comprises a la carte USDA prime steaks and their over-the-top embellishments (Alaskan king crab, bacon-wrapped scallops) along with signature entrees, fresh seafood (you may build your own seafood tower), shareable sides, and extravagant desserts. Perry’s remains true to its roots—their expertise in selecting, butchering, and preparing steaks and chops is evident in your first meltaway bite of rib eye or filet. And, their tableside service, another old school fine dining hallmark, cannot help but make the meal memorable.Chateaubriand, the prized center cut of beef tenderloin, is one such dish presented and carved tableside. Further elevating the experience, the trio of perfectly seared slices is served with a trio of house sauces: classic béarnaise, peppercorn reduction, and truffle-Merlot demiglace. From filets to strips to great tomahawk ribeyes, steaks rule. But the most popular is Perry’s Famous Pork Chop. Its fame is well-earned. It starts with a two-pound, three-to-four rib loin chop that, in butcher’s terms, measures seven-fingers tall. The behemoth chop goes through a painstaking five-day process: dry-rubbed and cured, then slow-roasted over pecan wood. Right before service, it is bronzed with a blowtorch and topped with herb butter and a slice of lime. Your eyes will widen as your server carves the chop into “the eyelash” — the succulent cap of the eye of the loin, the loin itself and the ribs.
You are encouraged to grab a rib — they provide a fingerbowl and plenty of napkins. The meat is phenomenal: combining sweet, savory and smoky notes with a hint of heat. Founder Chris Perry notes that the recipe has been a work in progress for over three decades. Word: they’ve also developed some great recipes for the inevitable leftovers.It’s worth mentioning that in putting together the wine program, they’ve worked with California vintners to create proprietary house wines: Perry’s own Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Big Red Blend. One challenge was to find the right wine to accompany that famous pork chop, which resulted in Perry’s Reserve Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied, with lush fruit notes of cherry and strawberry, it’s the right match for the meat.More fun dinner theater: Perry’s offers three desserts, prepared tableside. For the Nutty D’Angelo, your server makes a flambéed pecan-caramel sauce right before your eyes. A shot of brandy, a flick of the skillet, the sauce ignites in a dramatic flash. Wow! The brandied caramel is poured over a scoop of vanilla cream coated in almond white chocolate, nestled in dark chocolate ganache. To be sure, a meal at Perry’s lives up to its slogan: “Rare and Well-Done.”