{Go there}: Hog and Hominy.

I'm going to be honest. I delayed trying out Hog and Hominy (the new-er restaurant from the owners of Andrew Michael Kitchen) because I'm not really a foodie. I'm a pretty picky eater and in reading their menu, I didn't think there was much there I could eat.

And yet everyone who went there clamored about it, down even to my students who couldn't get over the peanut butter pie (more on that later...). I had to figure out what I was missing and be in this "in", "hip" crowd going to H&H.

The opportunity presented itself in the form of a goodbye dinner. One of my friends got a fab job and is moving to Nashville (and she requested it be called a "see you later" dinner). We asked her what was still on her list of places to try and she mentioned H&H. So off we went!

H&H is on Brookhaven Circle - a booming little area of good restaurants tucked off Poplar near Mendenhall. The exterior is like a little home (like most of the restaurants in this area, they are situated in homes changed into restaurants) but the inside is very open and urban industrial chic, which is a huge contrast to Andrew Michael Kitchen, which is like eating at your fancy grandmother's house.

The menu is broken into small plates, pizzas, and farmers. The small plates could be little meals or appetizers, or you could have that and share a pizza. The farmers are sides.

Our table was right by the kitchen, which is open to the restaurant:

I liked their choice of tile/grout (same as our kitchen).

They have a fancy drink menu - here's what the future Nashvillian (Nashville-ite?) got:

There were lots of people engaging in post-work bar action. Seemed like a very happening scene.

We ordered three different pizzas and promised to share slices. Anjelica got the Red Eye, which has come highly recommended by several people. It has a fried egg in the center, which you are to smear over the pizza before eating.

I got the Quattro Formaggio, which has four cheeses (obviously), roasted garlic, and a cream sauce. It was for real the best pizza I've ever eaten in my life (OK maybe a tie with the vodka pie at Aldo's).

Sarah got the Sunshine State, which has arugula pesto and bacon.

All three were ridiculously delicious but if I went back (and I will), I'd get the quattro formaggio again.

Now back to that peanut butter pie. Since we were in celebration mode, we went for dessert. I got the peanut butter pie, as did Anjelica, and Sarah got the "Carol's Delightful Smile," which was a chocolate pie. Now it isn't that the delightful smile wasn't good (it was) but the peanut butter pie was just that much better. Like.. favorite dessert status. It has fresh banana as a layer on the bottom (I don't even like bananas and I liked it) and the peanut butter filling is light and fluffy. There are crushed butterfingers on the top.

Another note - the service was first class. Our waiter knew the menu, had great timing, was very polite and funny without being overbearing, and just was generally pleasant. After going to some restaurants lately that lacked in the service area, this was refreshing and a reminder of how a waiter should be. Way to go!

I will definitely return to Hog and Hominy and you should too - they have a great patio and even bocce courts (see, so hip). Parking is a little of an issue (we parked in a salon's parking lot since they were closed for the night) and I hear it can get crowded but I promise it's worth it - even GQ thinks so. They named H&H one of the 12 best restaurants of 2013.

In pizza and peanut butter pie,