Trained in French, Irish, & British cuisine
“The best of Dublin and London awaits you in Gainesboro”
Bull & Thistle – Gainesboro, TN
By Don Napier
We all love new restaurants, and I am very happy to bring to you news of my recent trip to the Bull & Thistle, a Celtic Pub and Eatery, located in the tiny hamlet of Gainesboro, Tennessee, at 102 South Main Street.
Gainesboro, with a population of less than 1,000, is the county seat of Jackson County. It is named for surveyor, and War of 1812 army officer, Edmund Pendleton Gaines. It was a popular destination for long hunters as early as the 1770’s.
The Bull & Thistle is located on the lower side of the courthouse square, and celebrates its Celtic heritage with its atmosphere, furnishings and food, prepared by notable Irish chef, Barry O’Connor providing the best of Irish, UK, European and Mediterranean cuisine.
The building retains some of its original architectural elements including a stamped tin ceiling from the 1920’s, brick on some of the walls, and the original hardwood floor in many areas. Seating was very comfortable, and just as we were leaving, the band was tuning up to start playing live music (Celtic and Bluegrass) at 9 p.m.
We had a very knowledgeable waiter, “Mikey,” who was a real help with the somewhat foreign menu, filled with descriptions unknown to most, unless your travels took you to Great Britain on a regular basis. Our party consisted of my wife Natalie, daughter Lyndi and two friends from Celina, Jayne and Kevin Donaldson. Kevin was the editor of one of my newspapers many years ago, as well as working for our resort magazine Crossville Life for a couple years.
After studying the menu for a while, we ordered a “Cheese Board.” It offered a sampler of four artisanal cheeses that hailed from Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain and the U.S. including mild and sharp versions. It was served on a heavy wooden cutting board with toasted crusty bread and two samples of their fruit compote. We all thoroughly enjoyed this appetizer, eating every bite except for the Bleu Cheese.
When it came time to order our entrees, we decided we would all order something different so we could “sample” from each other, to really get a good feel for the food. The atmosphere was very nice. It was not too loud, even though there were several patrons there.
Lyndi ordered a Traditional Cottage Pie Cob. It had Prime mince beef, carrots, leeks, celery, onions and thyme cooked in a rich gravy, topped with creamy mashed potato, leeks and cheddar cheese in a fresh cob bread loaf. Her entree came with a side. She chose Colcannon, a Traditional Irish dish which included a creamy blend of potatoes, cabbage and bacon. Cost: $17.99.
Natalie ordered Baked Pasta. It was a roast fennel, lemon and ricotta cheese penne bake, served with parmesan cheese crust and French baguette. No sides came with this entree. Cost: $18.99.
Jayne ordered Pan-Fried Spicy Crab Cakes, served with a citrus salad and Bull & Thistle chunky chips (which were a major hit by the entire crowd.) They were big, about 3/4 inch square and 5-6 inches long French fries. Cost: $22.99.
Kevin ordered Salmon, Mussel and Clam Linguine which included a large filet of steamed darne of salmon with mussels, clams, resting on a bed of linguine flavoured with dill and cream sauce. Cost: $23.99
I can testify that all these entrees were well received by our party, all first-timers to this restaurant. The pricing was also fair and very comparable to other good restaurants. When asked, everyone said they would in-deed, order these entrees again. Cutlery, something I place a high value on, was also very classy.
As for my entree, you could say I ventured out into the deep water, ordering the highest priced entree on the menu, a Char-grilled, Cajun-blackened 22 oz. T-bone steak, resting on a bed of sauteed baby potatoes, served with a red chili and garlic butter. It came with two sides, so I chose; Fried green tomatoes (4 slices) and Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. All was served on a large wooden cutting board. Cost: $29.99.
Everything about my steak was perfect. It was closer to a Porterhouse than a T-Bone, with a big filet on the bone. It was cooked “exactly” as I ordered, medium rare. It was an inch and a half thick, and fork tender. Maybe it was luck, but it was the best-tasting steak I ever had in a restaurant! The garlic butter was the perfect compliment. It was huge, so I cut pieces off and shared with everyone at my table, and I still couldn’t eat it all. Had I been home, I would have been tempted to “gnaw the bone.” Instead, that privilege went to Mr. Whiskers, our chihuahua who is not much bigger than the bone
I drank coffee, which came in a man-sized mug that I wanted to take home. My steak had a garnish on it that was really tasty. It was fried parsnip peels. I will have to agree with the sentence on the menu under the T-Bone description. “It was more than a steak — it was an event!”
It was a hard choice for me, as I was tempted to order the Pan-seared 8 oz. filet, rolled in peppercorn, rock salt and herb crust, glazed with a wild mushroom and herb bernaise sauce, for a couple dollars less.
I was also tempted by “Bubble & Squeak,” a dish I often heard about from Clarissa and Jennifer, the “Two Fat Ladies” on Food Network. As a matter of fact, all I know about UK food came from this show, which was produced by the BBC. I did recognize many dishes and terms on the menu that reminded me of that show. Gratin of Crab, West Cork Style, Guinness Soda Bread, Roast Brochette of goat’s cheese, Fish & Chips, etc.
One thing I must share is how quickly our meal was ready. I was expecting a long wait. A fairly new restaurant, a complicated menu, etc. It would have been normal for our orders to require 40 minutes to prepare. It was in a snap. We all noticed it. We really could not believe they were bringing our food so fast. I know we were enjoying our visit with our old friends, but it was quick, I would guess 25 minutes.
We “made the scene” so to speak with the intention of experiencing it all, so we also ordered two desserts. The Napier family shared a slice of New York Baked Cheesecake with honey and fig cassis. The Donaldsons ordered a traditional bread and butter pudding served with a home-made egg custard.
We had read a few negative comments from unhappy diners on some of web reviews from people complaining about the prices. I don’t share those views. I thought the pricing was very fair. You can’t go to Olive Garden and expect the menu to be from Steak & Shake. We had a very nice appetizer, tea and coffee, and desserts. If you take those away and just look at the entree prices, I thought they were very fair. Average lunch prices are $10 and the average dinner price is $20.
Your next question might be, “why” is this outstanding restaurant located in Gainesboro?
The owner, Diana Mandli, moved to Tennessee from Florida seven years ago and decided to settle in Gainesboro, which is located on Cordell Hull Reservoir. They purchased some local real estate which included two empty buildings on the square, sitting side-by-side. The smaller of the two is home to “The Vault,” an eclectic boutique with a bank vault for a dressing room.
The Bull & Thistle was created to be “like” eateries they had seen in their travels to Europe. It is housed in an old building which formerly was home to a department store. The Mandli’s have spent a lot of money remodeling the location, especially the front, which includes a very nice outside veranda. Diana designed every aspect of the restaurant.
Chef de cuisine Barry J. O’Connor has over 25 years of experience as a chef in Ireland, the UK, and Europe. Chef Barry has extensive formal training in French, Irish and British cuisine, and worked for many years in several highly prestigious restaurants in London. During the course of his career as a chef and restaurateur, he successfully established and maintained five restaurant/pub premises that were awarded accolades for the highest quality of culinary offerings and service. His keystone restaurant, the Victoria Cross Crow’s Nest, was awarded in the Top Five Pubs of the Year for four years running. The Crow’s Nest received Pub of the Year in Ireland for 1999.
Chef Barry brings his years of expertise and training to The Bull & Thistle, where he has developed a superb menu based on the best of Irish, UK, European and Mediterranean cuisine. Focusing on a “field to fork” approach to menu planning, his menu makes extensive use of free-range meats, wild fish, and locally-grown, seasonal produce. Chef Barry and The Bull & Thistle have brought the best of Dublin and London to the Upper Cumberlands!
If you go
If you are unfamiliar with Gainesboro, it is located exactly 60 minutes from Crossville via I-40 West to the Baxter-Gainesboro exit, which is the next exit west of Burgess Falls Road (Cookeville). A very simple trip, there is only one turn (right) as you exit from Interstate 40: Take exit 280 North onto TN-56. Follow TN 56 for approximately 16 miles. Turn left at traffic light onto E. Hull Ave. (TN-53). Take third left onto South Main We’re on the left.
Special Reservations
Reservations are not required, but are recommended on Friday and Saturday nights. Reservations are limited to 8 guests per party unless special arrangements are made with the General Manager at the time of making the reservation. They are open every day except Monday, for lunch and dinner. Phone: (931) 268-7170.
