Nashville Eats: The Picnic

 Welcome to the refined South, ladies, welcome.

That's what you think when you walk into the Picnic Cafe at the far end of the parking lot of the Hill shopping center in the Belle Meade neighborhood of Nashville. Blue and white china plates on the walls add to the... dare I say...almost-old-lady-English-tea-room vibe I get as I look around. But, no, not quite. 

Decor at the Picnic, Nashville, TN

The Picnic is an order at the register and we'll bring it to you establishment, but the table setup is much fancier than you would expect at such a place. You feel inclined to gossip for an afternoon at some of the sunny tables near the windows, or on the patio outside.

Tables at The Picnic, Nashville, TN

Before arriving I'd been told to try the chicken salad and the special The Picnic punch. Chicken salad. Delicious. Picnic punch. Sweet, but not too sweet. I had to go back for refills. I also tried the pimento cheese sandwich, which was also quite delicious. It was the first time I'd tried pimento cheese, but I can definitely say that if all pimento cheese tasted like this, I'd eat it all the time.

Chicken salad sandwich and pimento cheese sandwich at The Picnic, Nashville

Overall, I'd give The Picnic an 8/10 on the bangin' scale, for a combination of food (Please sir, I wahnt some more?), ambiance (because china plates, matching tablecloths,  paper doilies are where it's at!), and experience (OMG this exists!).