From our connections on Facebook, Jack and I have heard nothing but good things about the food and service at The Readyville Mill in neighboring Cannon County, so when our good buddy, Brad, invited us to meet him for brunch there on Sunday, we wasted no time in saying, "Yes!"
The original mill was built in 1812 on the banks of the Stones River by town founder, Charles Ready, and was purchased by his daughter and her husband shortly after his death in 1859, only a few years before the mill was burned to the ground during the Civil War.
After the war, the mill was rebuilt and continued grinding corn and wheat for the next century. Over the years, the mill had a number of ownership changes, but continued to be operational until 1978 when it was closed despite having gained designation on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1973.
Jack actually remembers going to the mill as a child with his family and his mother purchasing bags of corn meal there.
The mill and surrounding structures sat empty and quiet until 2006 when the mill was purchased by its current owners, the Bradys, who began an extensive, three-year renovation and restoration to bring the Readyville Mill back to its former glory and more.
In 2009, it reopened as not only a functional grist mill but also a restaurant and event venue for social occasions like weddings and parties and has been gaining fans and patrons since then.
When we arrived at the hostess desk, we were asked if we had reservations, which we didn't. After being informed of a forty-five minute wait for seating, we were invited to explore the property and enjoy ourselves, which was easy and enjoyable on a beautiful, autumn day.
The grounds are lovely in a natural, unforced way. Structure and form are provided by a handsome limestone hill to the east side and the Stones River to the west. The displays of ancient machinery and other rusted treasure are organic and unforced. It's a beautiful place.
Once seated in the open, comfortable space of the dining room, service was prompt, friendly, and surprisingly unrushed, considering the burgeoning crowd accumulating outside.
The menu includes selections for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, but all three of us stuck to the breakfast menu, because that's what all of our friends told us to do, and peer pressure is a real thing.
Omelets are also a real thing, and this was a real omelet - three eggs with the cheese of my choice (Swiss) and mighty chunks of ham. Breakfast entrees come with two sides, and my choices were grits with smoked Gouda cheese and a short stack of "cinnamon swirl pancakes," which might seriously be my very favorite pancakes ever. I left omelet and grits on my plate, because the servings were so generous, but I made those pancakes freaking disappear - they were indescribably delicious, and I will eat them again. Soon.
The price of a meal is comparable to chains like Cracker Barrel and IHOP, but the quality of both food and experience is echelons higher and rank among the top of what Jack and I have eaten out in the past year.
Go there.
