The Bull and Thistle Take 2

Friends, food, fellowship, and fun are must haves for any girls day out...plus a little pit-stop at The Bull and Thistle! Last week a few friends and I traveled to Gainesboro, Tennessee to partake in a culinary experience like no other! My original intention and goal for the visit to Gainesboro was actually to go to my all time favorite dentist Dr. Driver for my six month dental cleaning. HA! But while in the area I knew I wanted to make a stop at one of the best restaurants around, so I extended the invitation to a few friends. Trust me...there was plenty of shops to keep them busy while I got my pearly whites polished and the small wait would be worth the awesome food! We decided to make it an all afternoon and evening affair to celebrate their birthdays! We even found a little time for pedicures and shopping :)

I like to think that the restaurateurs of this little "Celtic Irish" eatery had Proverbs 24:3-4 in mind when they had the vision for its creation. "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." The Bull and Thistle is a rare "diamond in the rough" type of place that has something for all ages along with friendly service and an awesome cozy atmosphere. It is filled with rare, beautiful, and tasty dishes. Check out my blog on my first visit to The Bull and Thistle if you haven't already read the post about why I think it is so great!

So if you have not already made the drive to this small community you must! If you locate Cookeville, Livingston, Carthage, Lafayette and Celina, Tennessee on the map the dead center is Gainesboro! If you visit be prepared to make frequent trips back!

Here is what we ate...

BLT...my friends each got this sandwich for lunch and I heard no complaints... 

Steak Sandwich...my sandwich...delicious! The fries were AWESOME!

Courtney's very chocolate dreamy dessert! 

Bananas Foster Crepes...my dessert was fantastic! It was my favorite thing that day at The Bull and Thistle :) But what girl doesn't love desserts! 

Strawberry Shortcake...Alisa was in heaven! 

The Birthday Girls and the Savage Girl! 

Now, stop reading my blog if you haven't been to eat at this restaurant yet. Make your reservation to visit The Bull and Thistle by calling (931)268-7170. Who knows I might see you there!  Keep in mind that food is not everything in life. The Savage Girl might talk a lot about yummy dishes and great places to eat but you also need to remember to "taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him" Psalm 34:8. Let me know if you have any questions about God, Family, Work, Service, or Health...basically anything in LIFE. I might not know 100% of the answers but I know a great book that does!

The Bull and Thistle

I have a passion for community and economic development work. This is one aspect of my work with the Cooperative Extension Service that is relatively new to me within the past four years. I am still learning the "ins and outs" of CED work, but I want to see communities thrive, work together on common goals, and be successful in meeting their challenges, dreams, and aspirations. I love to see communities at work improving things for the well being of their citizens. Fired up communities create jobs and expand into new markets and industries. They are willing to change and be forward thinking. I love seeing communities alive and bursting with energy and excitement. When community stakeholders, government, and local citizens see their own local potential within themselves the possibilities I believe are endless! I enjoy helping and serving in whatever capacity necessary to help play my part in the process too. What about you?

I believe here in Tompkinsville we have a lot of great things going for us right now. Change is slowly happening downtown and around the county, but it is going to take time and more investments. It is time we all get fired up about the now and the future, not the past and how it has always been done before. Dreams turn into goals which when carried out develop communities and change our future. I hope that we can locally here in Tompkinsville keep this momentum going and possibly create more of a buzz. Are you willing to help? We need your help! If it takes a village to raise a child...then it is going to take an entire county plus many others to invest in our communities future. In a few weeks there is going to be a "Community Forum" on April 18th at 6:30 p.m. If you want to help be a part of the envisioning process & hear about the possibilities of our future please make plans on attending the Community Forum on April 18th. We want you there! We need you there! My future...your future...your children's future...and our communities future depend on your input and investment in Monroe County.     

Now that I'm all fired up, let me tell you the real reason why I got all excited about community and economic development today. Yesterday I got the privilege to have a family date night with my awesome parents. My mama mentioned that the "new" restaurant finally opened in Gainesboro and I just had to go. She had been giving me updates on this "new" restaurant for the past year or so...so needless to say I was excited about going. We packed up and traveled there for dinner last night and boy were we in for a treat!    

We got the opportunity to visit a community where one family had a vision and a dream to help be a part of reviving a suffering community in order put it back on the map. This community is Gainesboro, Tennessee.  The town is now hustling and bustling with new life. One whole corner of the town square just recently went through a multi-million dollar complete remodel. Gainesboro now is the home of two newly renovated buildings with a third one on its way soon. The Vault Boutique opened its doors last year and offers ladies jewelry, apparel, fashion accessories, and home décor. The Bull and Thistle, an Celtic/Irish pub & restaurant, opened its doors a few weeks ago with a five star chef from Ireland. This restaurant is one you must go check out! (This is the reason we went to Gainesboro!) And word on the street is that a bakery is in the works for the near future.

I urge you to make the drive from wherever you live and travel to Gainesboro, Tennessee. You will not be disappointed. I would recommend you call ahead and make reservations if you plan on eating at The Bull and Thistle before making the drive though. 

Here are a few photos that I took while we visited yesterday.

The main reason we traveled to Gainesboro, TN...to eat at The Bull & Thistle! Yummy! They have an awesome chef.

 

 

They have lots of antique shops around the square in downtown Gainesboro, TN. We couldn't help but stop at a few along the way!

 

 

 

Cool signage around Gainesboro, TN.

 

 

 Mama and I at dinner! We both got ready at our own houses...and we matched without ever talking about it. LOL. Like mother...like daughter.

 

 

The cool original ceiling they restored.

 

The awesome surroundings of the newly renovated restaurant. These photos do not do the building justice!

 

 

Ploughman's Lunch. This is what mama ate...she said it was good, but not exactly what she expected. I think next time when she comes she plans on her and daddy sharing the 22 oz. T-Bone Beef Entrée Special. My mama is a planner!  

 

 

Dad was a little skeptical when his "Traditional Fish and Chips" came all wrapped up in newspaper. He really enjoyed them, but this Southern Boy never had had his fish arrive in newspaper before! We were proud to see them wrapped in a local newspaper with an ad from Celina (our hometown).

 

 

I got the Bangers and Mash...it was a perfect comfort food for the Savage Girl!  

We could not leave without trying one of their delicious sounding desserts "Steamed Chocolate Fondant Pudding with hot chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream". It was heavenly!

 

 

In closing, I hope that everyone makes a drive to Gainesboro, TN to check out what's new in their town and if you are a Monroe Countian please come to "town" and attend the Community Forum on April 18th at 6:30 p.m. at the Monroe County High School Gym. Let me know if you have any questions about either of these above mentioned topics. 

Cool link to information about this downtown renovation & community and economic development project in Gainesboro, TN.