Strawn Family Restaurant

Last fall, the Strawn family moved their popular but far-flung Kingston Springs restaurant to Cool Springs' Camden Commons, at the crossroads of Moore's Lane and Franklin Road. The move from a small town's Main Street to a mixed-use "lifestyle center" is bold, but they brought with them the rustic yet elegant charm that has long defined dining at MacK and Kate's Cafe.

Cafe tables and chairs under a sheltered porch dress up the restaurant's exterior, reminding us that springtime al fresco seating is not far away. Inside, old steamer trunks stacked with plants create a path to the reception. The dining room is cozy, a study in warm browns. Natural burlap curtains soften the front windows. Wooden tables are draped in white linen with chocolate linen napkins. Ladderback chairs surround most tables, and a plush taupe banquette lines the back wall. Families can gather at the harvest table.

There's a bar, too, with country appeal, made from reclaimed barn wood, enameled washtub buckets and a zinc countertop. A section of brown-painted rail fence separates the bar from the main dining area. Monofilament bulbs, new but old-timey in feeling, suspend from the ceiling.

Familiar flavors

The Strawns also have brought back Michael Czapleski to serve as MacK and Kate's executive chef (a function he also serves at Green Hills sister restaurant Macke's).

Together with lead chef Caleb Philips, he has designed a seasonally driven menu. Like the restaurant, the menu melds upscale elements with down-home comforts.

The bold move seems to be paying off. Business was brisk on both visits, the restaurant filled with couples wining and dining and friends gathering for after-work cocktails and snacks. Regardless of the direction you choose for your MacK and Kate's experience, be sure to enjoy the extraordinary biscuits your server brings to your table. Warm, with just-baked freshness, these airy rounds are flecked with crushed black peppercorns.

Spread them with a smidge of honey butter, the right complement to the peppery bite.

Starters are portioned for sharing. The house onion rings are substantial, beer-battered cuffs that practically tumble out of the serving bowl, served with a rosy horseradish ketchup. Crunchy-tart fried green tomatoes come with sides of pimiento cheese and chow-chow, both perennial Southern favorites.

Soups are prepared daily, using of-the-moment ingredients. If that happens to be roasted cauliflower, be sure to get a cup. The lush bisque is laced with cheddar, which heightens, rather than masks, the earthy sweetness of the vegetable.

Seafood is succulent

Fruits of the sea dominate the menu, in intriguing, artful preparations. Grapefruit, mango and avocado bring vibrant color and flavor to the crab salad. The organic grilled salmon entree is served with an innovative fennel and Bing cherry-studded quinoa. Three jumbo shrimp, smoked and seared in a citrus glaze, are topped with entwined ribbons of pickled carrots and shiitake mushrooms in the grilled smoked shrimp salad. All are arranged on a bed of baby lettuces awash in orange-scented thyme vinaigrette, bright, with a hint of ginger heat.

Four seafood dishes lead the list of small plates, including the indulgent lobster mac-and-cheese. In concept and execution, however, the seared scallop trio is the star.

Colossal, these sea scallops have pork-cracklin'-crisp edges that yield firm yet fork-tender interiors. Ocean-perfumed and succulent, each is placed on a sweet potato griddlecake and drenched in sorghum-bourbon reduction. The griddlecakes repeat that crisp-edged texture, dissolving into dulcet, cinnamon-spiked softness on your tongue.

Jewel-like cubes of roasted beets are stacked and scattered across the plate. Visually, it dazzles. The griddlecakes could almost be a dessert, but the array of sweet ocean and earth notes is balanced by salt and spice. It's a memorable dish.

Entrees are meaty

Vegetarians will find few choices on the menu, but the kitchen will accommodate needs or augment recipes. The wild mushroom ravioli, enrobed in fresh spinach and shiitake mushroom cream, includes slices of grilled chicken, but it would be equally satisfying without them

Meat lovers will find classic dishes in generous portions. The blackened rib eye has a toothsome crust of salt, peppers and thyme, and a dollop of blue cheese butter melting over the meat delivers creamy pungency. Bistro-style fries and a timbale of broccoli casserole, charming and retro in its toasted breadcrumb crust, round out the entree. Be clear, though, about your desired level of doneness. Our medium-rare beef had trespassed into medium.

Mammoth in size and heft, the bone-in pork chop has a bulging, "Henry VIII feast" quality about it. Its center is slit open to make a pocket, then stuffed with gouda cheese and sage. Wrapped in prosciutto and pan-roasted, the chop is rich and hearty, presented with Parmesan risotto and sauteed green beans.

While the pork was, indeed, well prepared, we were disappointed in those accompaniments. Timing issues were part of the problem. The risotto had cooled and firmed up, eliminating that wonderful inherent creaminess. The green beans were bland, green filler. A saute of winter greens or broccoli rabe would have been a worthier and more seasonal accompaniment.

Still, these are modest complaints. The food is very good, and stellar in some instances. MacK and Kate's vibe is friendly, if no longer small-town neighborly. Service is informed and pleasant, though slow on occasion. This should even out as this talented kitchen and staff come into rhythm with the demands of the new neighborhood.

Nancy Vienneau is a chef and retired caterer with 25 years of experience. She cooks and teaches at Second Harvest and blogs about her adventures with food at http://nancyvienneau.com. Reviews are written from anonymous visits to restaurants. Negative reviews are based on two or more visits. The Tennessean pays for all meals.