Food…Food… Food Everywhere

What can you say about a small town? A small town in Middle Tennessee that has an eclectic array of shops, individuals, and landmarks. This small town however, is situated right smack in what I call the “The Great Coffee-capades”. As a lover of all things coffee related, I often find myself searching for the next big cup of the dark bean. When you think of Dickson Tennessee, I’m not sure what someone would really think of, but I doubt it’s a small grind hole in the wall business that seems so out of place that you would imagine you went back in time to the good ole’ days.

Yet, here, in small town Dickson, Middle TN, Amanda and Darren created something so peculiar, that I was instantly transfixed on the atmosphere. When you walk into the coffee shop, there is an instant moviesque vibe coming from the ceiling through soft coffee shop hits. Then you smell the fresh roast and grind of the beans. It is such an overwhelming sensation that your mind is instantly drawn to the counter where atop it sits and very well used Wega Espresso machine. If you didn’t know, Wega, is my favorite machine for the brown liquid of life.

As you sidle up to the bar you catch a glimpse of the menu, and you’re just in awe that you have so little, yet so robust, of a selection of coffees and teas. What’s even more, is I instantly realized that my lack of love for Starbucks pays in dividends. Having been here once before I realize that the young lady behind the bar is not Amanda, the first miracle worker I met when I came here the first time. This young lady, Kailey, is all smiles and warm greetings, I almost wondered if I was a VIP trekking in from the snow bound cliffs of the Himalayan Mountain Range. I am honestly captivated that someone has such a swell greeting of a stranger, in this world that is consistently full of hatred.

I look at the Menu, dumbfounded that I really have no idea what I want. I can not take the old simple drip coffee route, that is not indicative of someone trying to enjoy a breakfast drink in order to complete a mundane task. Yet, here I am, glued to the menu board in great question to what it is I feel will allow a superhero boost in energy and creativeness. THERE!!!!!! My eyes call upon an oldie, but very much still a goody.

Nestled just a mere eleven items down the list is the vaunted Macchiato Latte, yelling for help, expressing it’s desire to be the next sacrifice, the next deity of caffeine to energize the life into my foggy mind while starting the NASCAR race of blood pumping through my veins. Normally, I receive just a basic latte from somewhere, but NOOOOOOO!, today, my mind is wiped clean of all negative thoughts and my heart races, as I realize I am going to see my first foam design on the top cloud layer of goodness that begins to beckon my ravishing taste buds.

While focused merely on the notion that I need caffeine, my stomach reaches the decision making sector of my brain in the hopes to convince me that I need something other than java. So, to appease the growling and grumbling boss of the moment, I drag my eyes up a brick pilar where there sits an obscure yet well known item : THE FOOD MENU. In my haste to devour the sustenance of awakening, I chose to overlook the nagging little needy demon within my system. So, I grab the menu, beginning to hunt the right food as though I am stalking my last meal in the dry lands of the African Safari.

Although I know I can read, I find my eyes stop at the very first item on the cursed list of life sustaining mana. My favorite food, Avocado Toast. Who would have thought I would ever desire to consume something you couldn’t force down my gullet with a trebuchet and the entire Roman Empire pushing my jaws wider, yet, here we are. Who knew….

Let me explain this toast to you. The bread is fresh and feels, as I am consuming it, as though it was made for me specifically. After trying to not lick the bread like a famished canine, I wrap my lips gently around the corner, and softly close my teeth together in order to rip a small sliver off as though I am a bear just waking up hibernation. The avocado spread, made in house, captivates my sense of smell and my sense of taste. I find myself flashing back to the first slice of pizza I remember. Knowing that now, I will never find another suitor to dance alongside my taste buds that bring perfect harmony.

There is a little spice to the spread, however, the Feta crumbles attack me so fast that I feel as though the Athenians have begun the march to my stomach, like Leonidas himself is leading the charge to intermingle the flavors within the acidic confines of my stomach. Ladies and gentlemen, I now see without confusion, how the Spartans won. They brought with them Feta Crumbles, with microgreens. As if this large piece of covenant toast was not inviting enough, Kailey cut the piece in half and made my mind think I had found Atlantis in Dickson, Tennessee.

When I ordered the toast I was struck with a confusing question. Chips or Fruit? My dear Divine Java Overseer Kailey, what do you mean chips or fruit? Of course fruit is always the answer. Chips are the antithesis of such exuberant rations. Rations that would satiate the GODS on Olympus. So….when my toast arrives, atop the tray sits a beautiful old world goblet of clear glass, bloated full with fresh fruits. Fruits like apples, orange slices, berries, grapes, and my favorite, Strawberries.

To you, society, I offer this insight into a hole in the wall coffee shop, in Dickson, TN. Middle of nowhere. Off the trodden path of life, next to the civil war train tracks, sits an oasis of warmth, kindness, simple-yet consummate menu of great eats and drinks. If you have a moment to spare, stop in, enjoy the ground bean of energy, and satiate your growing hunger with an in house treat.