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Daily Dish gets inspiration from every day's fare

By Mindy Tate, Editor, mtate@williamsonherald.com

Chef Sean Begin

Daily Dish Chef Sean Begin has enjoyed accolades and awards in his 20-year career in the restaurant industry, but he seems to take the greatest joy in the praise he receives from customers on his “daily dishes.”

Begin and his wife Jill took over Daily Dish in December 2007 inside the former Grassland Grille on busy Hillsboro Road in the heart of the Grassland community. The move came after the native Bostonian's success at restaurants like the Copper Kettle Cafe and Catering in Green Hills.

Daily Dish's menu is varied, from a hot bar where diners can choose from several meat choices and a wide assortment of vegetables or for those looking for something a little more specialized, Daily Dish offers an array of sandwiches and salads, with the range of a cornmeal encrusted mahi mahi sandwich to his almond encrusted goat cheese salad with fresh mango and a dried cherry vinaigrette.

“We do something fried and then go to the lighter side with something grilled,” said Begin, who “fell in love with Southern cooking” when he moved to Nashville in 1994.

“I didn't know much about grits and turnip greens,” said Begin, “but now, with grits, I think they are a fun thing and like mashed potatoes, I will do almost anything with them. Must be my Irish roots.

“We have great Southern food, but we also introduce rustic Italian, French country and maybe some Spanish influences daily and then we do grilled veggies, salads and grilled meats off the menu.

A chalkboard tells the options you may find on Daily Dish's hot bar, ranging from traditional Southern items like country fried steak or gumbo, but his Italian influences come out when you see pasta items or baked seafood or meat.

“We are literally the Daily Dish,” Begin said. “We figure out what we are doing that day and now that often complements our catering.”

While at Green Hills' Copper Kettle, Begin had the opportunity to cater for numerous dignitaries and celebrities and while at Big Guns Catering, an affiliate of Bound'ry Restaurant, he was named the 2001 Chef of the Year by the Tennessee Restaurant Association.

With 68 seats inside the restaurant and an additional 24 on a fair-weather patio, Begin was looking for a way to expand his business.

“I always knew I wanted to cater and now we are doing that full steam,” Begin said. Whether box lunches for an office or a full-scale wedding reception or dinner, Begin and his catering manager Aimee Altman aim to please.

“With us, our motto is, ‘Yes is the answer,’” Begin said. “We are always going to say yes if we have it in house.”

Those attending Saturday's “A Fashion Affair” at The Factory at Franklin will have the chance to sample the Daily Dish’s fare, as they are serving as caterer for the event, which benefits A Vintage Affair and its charities.

A Vintage Affair is a non profit 501(c)3 organization that is dedicated to raising money for Williamson County charities benefiting women and children in need. In order to fulfill the goal of helping out neighbors in need, AVA hosts various events throughout the year which include: wine, spirit & food tastings, A Fashion Affair, and Stars, Stogies & Bogies, a night golf tournament. Since its inception in 2001, AVA has contributed over three quarters of a million dollars to local non-profit organizations.

In its 10-year history, A Vintage Affair has raised approximately $750,000. The 2010 beneficiaries include the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Williamson Medical Center, Mercy Children’s Clinic, My Friends House, and the Williamson County Library Foundation.

For more information, visit www.avintageaffair.org.

Daily Dish is located at 2205 Hillsboro Road and is open Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for a Sunday brunch that features breakfast items like eggs benedict as well as Southern lunch favorites. For reservations or information on catering, call 791-1255.

Posted on: 1/28/2010

Daily Dish
2205 Hillsboro Road
791-1255
dailydishfranklin.com