Nashville: Brisket + Pimento Cheese. Yes!

Anytime you open a new restaurant, it's important to immediately impress the first diners. Edley's Bar-B-Que only recently swung open their doors the week of Thanksgiving — in the trendy 12South neighborhood of Nashville, an area both hungry for and critically knowledgeable of good barbecue. Over countless beers, partners Will Newman and Bret Tuck scribbled down the vision of a joint that would combine the "meat and three" tradition of Nashville with the barbecue heritage of Newman's native Birmingham, AL. The game plan seems to be working out quite well.

Since the restaurant is still brand new, their menu remains in flux. But one dish has remained constant. The Tuck Special is a sandwich made of smoked brisket, blessed with a beautiful purple smoke ring, topped with house-made pimento cheese, a poached egg and a nice quantity of both red and white barbecue sauces. Although it's a new crowd-pleaser in 12South, it's been a favorite in the Tuck family for a long time.

Bret got his passion for cooking from his mom, Lynn Tuck Powers, who created the spicy pimento cheese recipe that is crucial in the Special. The spread is made from five types of cheeses, as well as habaneros and jalapeños for a little kick. Bret has been making it for years and continued to tweak the recipe until he got it perfect.

One morning while Edley's was still under construction, Bret was working on the menu and saw that the workers around him were hungry for some breakfast. He had just smoked a brisket and made a batch of his homemade pimento cheese. Since it was early, he added a poached egg and boom—the hungry crew was fed. Soon after, they wanted more and before Tuck knew it, Edley's signature special sandwich was born. If you find yourself drawn in by the aromas of Edley's smoker as you amble down 12th Avenue in Nashville, be sure to ask for it by name.

Edley's Bar-B-Que, 2706 12th Ave South, Nashville, TN, 37204 615-953-2951


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