"When meat-and-three staple Arnold’s announced it’d be closing in January of 2023, the ripple of grief throughout Nashville was felt. The good news is that, like Westley in The Princess Bride, Arnold’s was only “mostly dead,” and its revival only took about a year. The food and experience are just the same as those legendary glory days, if not better, now that our hearts have grown fonder from their momentary absence. Anything sliding toward the register on those red plastic trays is the standard to which we hold all Southern cooking. The roast beef with collard greens and mac and cheese are paramount, but the fried catfish mimics the beef in tenderness and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Whatever you do, be sure to leave with a slice of spicy chocolate pie. " - ann walczak, carlo mantuano, jackie gutierrez jones 2
