Tennessee Slammer sandwich at My Dad’s Place. Photo by Ashton F. LeCraw.
JAY – I was over in Wilton when my stomach decided to let me know it was about that time. I knew of an Italian place nearby, but they weren’t open until early evening. Off to Google Maps I went to look at what I had flagged nearby as restaurants I still needed to try. My Dad’s Place was top of the list, being in Jay, I hadn’t really been in a convenient place to have it make it sense to go there for lunch. Now was my chance, it was a 5 min drive away.
Off we went, stomachs growling for food. My Dad’s Place is located in the center of the southbound ‘V’, where, to the left, the road goes up and, to the right, down. The sign was missing a few letters, and the building itself kind of snuck up on us, so, naturally, we drove around back and did a quick U-turn to bring us back to the front entrance on the left road. As we walked in, we were greeted with a smiling waitress, Mackenzie, who grabbed two menus and told us to sit wherever we’d like. We chose a corner half-booth that looked over the bar and across from the snow-covered porch.
There were a few locals finishing up their meals and drinks at the bar and chatting about some town news of a new carwash and IHOP coming to town. The menu was several pages of traditional bar appetizers, sandwiches, a few salads, pizzas, and burgers and a lavish array of cocktails & cocktail specials. While I was initially in the mood for the Sirloin Cobb Salad (still want it), my eyes were drawn to the Tennessee Slammer. The Slammer was a grilled cheese that came in two ways – either sweet with local Hall Farms Maple BBQ-smothered grilled chicken, cheddar, bacon, and ranch, or spicy with buffalo-coated chicken, cheddar, and blue cheese crumbles.
To be honest, I wanted them both combined. I asked Mackenzie what her favorite sandwich was, and without hesitation, she declared, “The Tennessee Slammer, hands down!” Ultimately, I settled on the Sweet Tennessee Slammer and added hot sauce to it to spice it up my way! I still had a craving for some greens, so I substituted my fries for a side salad, a decision that I regretted later. My friend ordered the Meatball Sub with homemade meatballs, freshly made sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese. He was smarter and got onion rings on the side, many of which I ate.
Tennessee Slammer sandwich.
The Slammer came on perfectly toasted, buttery, white bread. I will say, I was a bit disappointed that it did not come with a pickle spear. Nonetheless, I grabbed a half with both hands, maple barbecue sauce dripping down my fingers, and tasted my first bite. WOW. I’ve never had anything like it before. Sweet and tangy chunks of chicken stuck together with gooey cheddar between two triangles of bread. After that first bite au naturel, it was time for some kick. I lifted the top piece of bread, added Tabasco sauce everywhere, and smushed it back together. Now that was my perfect version of a Tennessee Slammer.
After forcing down two pieces of lettuce, I had three or four onion rings dipped in ketchup. They were freshly battered and fried with a nice crunch to them and not too greasy. I still yearned for a snap of a pickle spear, but by this point, I had crushed my entire sandwich and was waiting for a bite of the sub.
The Meatball Sub was your classic family-recipe Italian sub. The cheese was piping hot, somehow hotter than the meatballs themselves, so best to wait a minute before burning the roof of your mouth (but hard to wait given its amazing aroma). The meatballs were huge and tenderly fell apart in your mouth, drenched in sauce. Though personally I would have added some chili flakes to the sauce, it was a perfect accoutrement of traditional marinara to the meatballs without making the bread soggy.
I scanned the list of desserts and was thinking of getting the Skillet Chocolate Chunk Cookie a la Mode but I had just baked a full batch of toast-scone-cookies (more on those later) that were waiting for me at home so, for once, I decided to pass. You can also order online for pick-up!
Meatball Sub at My Dad’s Place.
Hours:
Mon – Wed: 11am – 8pm
Thurs – Sat: 11am – 9pm
Sun: 10am – 8pm
What’s your favorite dish on the menu? Comment below!
Ashton is a transplant from New York City, born in Atlanta, GA, and now a local of Phillips. She has her own business, Ashton Fairbanks LeCraw, where she makes hand-painted clothing and is an avid oil painter. See her artwork here, and you can follow her on Facebook & Instagram @ashtonlecraw.
Dining and Cooking