Two Hours in Franklin and I’m in Love

FRANKLIN – Valentine’s Day often leads us to believe love requires grand gestures: reservations made weeks in advance, flowers ordered on a deadline, and crowded restaurants competing for attention.

The reality is that time together is more important than time scheduled.

And we found that all you need to be reminded of that is two hours in Franklin.

After a short one-hour drive, we started our adventure at Frothy Monkey.

An all-day café housed in a former manse, a Scottish term for the home of the minister of a Presbyterian Church, the Frothy team carries on the space’s tradition of fellowship and gathering.

Some call it a coffee shop with a stellar food program, while others describe a restaurant with an impressive coffee bar.

No matter what you call it, the Frothy team invites you to come in at any hour of the day and let them take care of you.

Inspiration comes from the European coffeehouse scene, which favors neighborhood connection over transactions.

They’re a place for great food, great conversations, and time with great people.

And, of course, phenomenal coffee.

“We’re known for coffee, and some people know us just for that,” said Ryan Pruitt, the owner of Frothy Monkey. “But we like to say come for the food, stay for the community, and there’s always coffee available.”

While the building has been renovated slightly to modernize and allow for safe food and coffee preparation, there are touches of its history everywhere you look.

There’s a chandelier as you enter with rollers from the original pocket doors that were removed to expand the entry to the dining room.

There’s original exposed brick around the fireplace.

And those pocket doors have been repurposed into tables in an upstairs gathering space, ensuring the soul of the building remained intact.

We opened with two drinks off the seasonal menu: the ‘Log Cabin’, which is a latte with smoke, maple, black walnut, and cinnamon, and the ‘Southern Roots’, which is a root beer-inspired cortato.

The seasonal drink menu comes from a competition where baristas from all the Frothy locations compete to have their creations showcased across the brand. These aren’t just recipes snatched off the internet.

With a little coffee in our veins, it was time to eat. We chose the Broadbent Omelette and the Farm Breakfast, both of which feature locally-sourced products that continue the theme of connection.

“Relationships are a huge part of what we do, and that goes all the way to our sourcing,” commented Pruitt. “The eggs we use are Kentucky Farm Fresh, which come from just across the border in Kentucky. We are their second-largest customer behind Kroger.”

The eggs were well seasoned and paired with Broadbent bacon that struck the right balance of salty and savory, cooked to that ideal middle ground between crisp and tender.

When it was time to leave, we did so reluctantly. We couldn’t place a finger on it, but for some reason our short stay had made us feel like we belonged at Frothy.

Which, it turns out, is by design.

“The brand is the experience that you have, and we want you to gather at Frothy,” said Pruitt. “We want to be the place you want to come when you’re not at home or work.

We’re at a time in history where people need interaction, need human connection, and need to feel good and, well, when we’re doing it right that’s what you get at a Frothy location.”

While it was hard to leave, Frothy also prides itself on being a pillar of a burgeoning downtown culture. So we were smiling as we turned right onto Main Street and saw the historic Franklin Theatre just ahead.

Built in 1937, the art-deco style building has stood the test of time and continues to welcome those seeking a great movie or show. The old-school smell of popcorn permeates the air as you enter the lobby, and you can feel the energy of nearly a century of audiences flocking to see the latest from Hollywood.

We didn’t stay for a film, as another icon awaited us just a block away.

The Triple Crown Bakery is like coming home to grandma’s house. Almost literally, as the bakery is housed in a historic cottage built in 1915.

And while locals told us the chicken salad sandwich was not to be missed, we were headed in for the sweets.

The selection was expansive: macaroons, cakes, cookies, croissants, cinnamon rolls, and more. It is the sort of place you dreamed about as a child and, if we’re being honest, still do as an adult.

“It was always my dream to have my own place to be my creative outlet,” said owner Alena Vaughn. “The bakery is esthetically unique, but our pastries are unlike anything around. And it’s all from scratch!”

We took a raspberry cheesecake to eat in the tea room, and a chocolate croissant and cream cheese cinnamon roll for later.

All of which were incredibly decadent, incredibly filling, and incredibly enticing to make us want to visit again.

But the star of the show may have been the Toasted Marshmallow Hot Cocoa.

Faced with a mountain of marshmallow stacked on top of a hot cup of cocoa and perfectly toasted, I broke through the marshmallow with the provided spoon to release the aroma of chocolate that landed like a warm hug for your senses.

I dipped the provided butter cookie in the cocoa and devoured it.

And then I greedily sipped my cocoa, getting marshmallow on my nose in the process and eliciting a giggle of delight from my wife. And a smile from the young ladies at the next table who were enjoying a tea party with much more composure than me.

“If I had to pick one thing to not miss, it would be our Sunday Afternoon Tea,” said Vaughn. “We hope you feel like you visited a special place you can’t wait to come back to.”

With our bellies full and smiles on our faces, we slowly wandered back to our vehicle to head to our final stop on the adventure.

The Park at Harlinsdale Farm is a 200-acre farm purchased by the city in 2004. It features a walking or running track, a dog park, a catch-and-release pond, a polo field, and all the horse culture amenities you’d expect from a place that helped build the Tennessee Walking Horse industry.

Founded in 1933 by W.W. Harlin, the farm became famous in the 1940s thanks to the stallion ‘Midnight Sun’. He won two World Grand Championships and all but four Grand Champions since 1947 trace their lineage back to him.

The Park was the perfect place to walk off the calories, spend a few minutes by ourselves, and close out a wonderful adventure with some quiet reflection.

In a season built around reservations and expectations, Franklin reminds you that the most meaningful Valentine’s Day plans are often the ones that simply leave room for time together.

Love Heals, and it’s on the Menu

NASHVILLE – Just an hour from Clarksville sits a West Nashville restaurant that offers more than just a meal.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the Café at Thistle Farms, a mural on the wall greeted us with a simple but powerful message: love heals.

It’s a theme that carries through the moment you step inside. You feel it in the warmth of the room, the way the staff welcomes you, and even in the food itself.

That’s right. You can taste it.

“When you come here, you’re tasting love,” said Donna Dozier, the café’s kitchen prep manager. “When we prep food, we make it dance. We bring the flavors together. The food we make is going inside your body, and we want you to taste the difference because of the love we pour into it.”

The Café at Thistle Farms is more than a place to eat. It’s a place with a mission: to heal, empower, and employ women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction.

Thistle Farms is a national nonprofit based in Nashville, known for its two-year residential program that supports women as they rebuild their lives. The café is an extension of that mission, creating a space where guests can fill their bellies while nourishing their souls.

It also makes for a perfect winter day trip. A place to trade biting cold for a warmth that wraps you up and welcomes you like an old friend.

“We want people to feel at home when they come here,” said executive chef Eric Owings. “To feel warmth through our service and our food. The staff here loves each other, there’s a mission rooted in love, and people can taste that and feel that whether they’re here for a full meal or just a cup of coffee.”

And we saw that love everywhere.

In the high-five shared with a cashier after she told a regular customer she had been sober for 22 months.

In the hugs exchanged between staff members and guests.

And yes, in the food.

Eight years ago, Dozier and Owings began refining a pot pie that has since become a signature dish, one people happily drive from places like Clarksville to enjoy.

“It’s got meaning for us,” Owings said. “We’ve learned how to put the pastry lining into the pan just right, so we maintain quality while making each one unique.”

The pot pie arrives with a golden, flaky crust that yields easily to a fork, releasing steam and the comforting aroma of fresh chicken and vegetables. Each bite delivers the perfect balance of crust, filling, and gravy. By the end, I found myself tearing off the last bits of crust by hand, determined not to leave a crumb behind.

I paired it with the pasta salad, made with garden rotini, fresh grape tomatoes, and just enough tartness to balance the richness of the pie.

Sarah, a self-described chicken salad connoisseur, chose the chicken salad on a croissant. Owings told us it has been a foundational menu item for more than 12 years.

Served on a towering, flaky croissant with lettuce and tomato, it strikes that rare balance where each bite delivers a bit of everything without overwhelming the palate.

We paired it with the corn pudding, which had the consistency of a well-made custard and a balance of sweet and savory that encouraged slow, appreciative bites.

We finished our meal with steaming mugs of coffee and a warm chocolate chip cookie that transported us straight back to childhood, standing impatiently at the kitchen counter waiting for the first one out of the oven.

What we tasted was not just well-executed recipes. It was the result of a place intentionally designed to restore dignity, stability, and purpose.

We saw it in the teacup chandelier hanging near the entrance, each cup donated by a volunteer or program alum, inviting guests to share a meal, a conversation, and perhaps even find a bit of healing of their own. It’s a quiet reminder that healing here is communal, layered, and built from many small acts of support.

We saw it in the shop next door, which sells candles, books, apparel, and gifts that help fund the mission and extend its impact beyond the café walls.

Most of all, we felt it in the people.

“If you want to come in, have your meal, and head out, we hope you have a great experience,” Owings said. “But if you come in curious, there’s a lot here to discover. Stop by the shop. Learn about the mission. Meet the people. We love remembering names and forming community. That’s core to who we are. And we hope you’ll join it.”

The Café at Thistle Farms is open Monday through Saturday. Come hungry, leave full, and take a little of the warmth back to Clarksville with you.