IT’S WORTH THE SIDE TRIP

One of the perks of being a TV food producer is that you get to eat at some fantastic places. Once while visiting Nashville, I was encouraged to check out the Café Loveless Motel — an out-of-the way spot with the most fantastic country breakfasts sure to clog each and every artery. Country ham with eggs and red-eye gravy, pit-cooked pork barbecue and eggs, chicken and waffles, hog heaven omelets all served with your choice of grits, hashbrown casserole or home fried potatoes on the side. See what I mean? You’re doctor is going to be pissed. And every bite is worth it.

But for me, the things that have me going back whenever I’m within a 100-mile radius are their biscuits and preserves. Imagine the lightest, most buttery biscuits fresh from the oven schmeared with some peach or blackberry preserves. Then imagine eating three of them before your main course comes out. It’s not advisable, but impossible not to indulge.

Fortunately the last time I visited I ordered the country breakfast bowl which was a modest portion compared to my husbands three eggs, pancakes, bacon and toast platter that took up half the table. The breakfast bowl ONLY had pulled pork, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, gravy and another biscuit on top. I could have ordered some sausage for two dollars, but I thought it best to show some restraint.

As we waddled outside after breakfast, we had no choice but to check out their take-away store. Of course there was a cookbook and I rifled through the pages to check out their biscuit recipe. As it turns out—it’s a secret. But for eight bucks, you can buy a 2-lb bag of their biscuit mix. Just add some cold buttermilk and you’ve got biscuits for an army. But of course, don’t forget to grab some of their peach and blackberry preserves. And I’ll tell you another secret—if you can’t make it to Nashville, you can get it all online at lovelesscafe.com.