VOL. 39 | NO. 6 | Friday, February 6, 2015
Owners, regulars explain how restaurants sustain decades of popularity
A few years ago, Tandy Wilson, chef and owner of City House, offered this tip about earning his respect as a diner: Don’t tell me you’re a foodie, he said, tell me you’re a “regular.”
When a restaurant’s been around for a decade or eight, that’s usually a pretty good indication that the food is palatable. We’ve rounded up some of the best dishes to try at Nashville’s longest standing dining establishments, and, of course, it’s impossible to pick just one thing. Feel free to recommend your own favorites in the on-line comments.
Romance means something different for everyone, but most people can agree that if there is low lighting, soft music, a charming companion and something delicious to eat, you’ve already got the makings of one outstanding evening.
REALTY CHECK
For the past two years, developers, property owners and Realtors alike have been treated to what some call the best real estate market in the country. Sellers are realizing astronomical returns on their investments as they shed properties that they have been strapped with for years.
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE – National signing day is in the books, and Tennessee football coach Butch Jones and his staff can relax and savor another top-tier recruiting class.
VANDERBILT SPORTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said relationships helped keep together his first full signing class with players who saw all the growing pains the Commodores went through during his first season.
NEWSMAKERS
AT&T has selected industry veteran Kristi Turner to oversee operations in Tennessee, Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Turner will guide sales and operations for more than 1,400 employees, 71 AT&T-owned retail locations, 415 national retail partners and 131 authorized retailers across both states.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
With new, more powerful turbo engines, the 2015.5 Volvo S60 is a distinctive, European premium sedan that’s nimble, quick and has a surprisingly comfortable driver seat for 6-footers.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Think there was only one big game on Super Bowl Sunday? A typical NFL game has only 11 minutes of actual “game action” compared to 63 minutes of commercials, according to The Wall Street Journal. With 30 seconds of commercial airtime going for $4.5 million this year, it is clear that Super Bowl advertising is serious business, making for an equally interesting off-the-field game unfolding when the clock stops.
CAREER CORNER
Have you ever experienced a problem at your job where you were truly in the right? A co-worker or boss did something to you that was either against the law or just ethically wrong. Maybe your boss has a temper, or perhaps you’re being discriminated against in some way.
I SWEAR
“[If] you’re not living on the edge, you’re probably taking up too much room.” This lyric, from a 1998 folk song bearing David Roth’s byline, appears earlier in H. Jackson Brown, Jr.’s 1993 book, “Live and Learn and Pass It On.”
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
We’re finally in our new home, and we hope this is the last move we’ll ever have to make.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Grand Ole Opry will kick off its Tuesday night Opry performances on Feb. 17.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick says he believes a proposal to create a school voucher program in Tennessee may pass this legislative session.
STATEWIDE
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A judge ruled Wednesday that several trucking companies can proceed with claims they were cheated by a truck-stop company owned by Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Sport utility vehicles are unstoppable — and automakers hope to cash in on the boom with some updated models coming to this year's Chicago Auto Show.
DETROIT (AP) — Tesla Motors ended 2014 on a sour note, with production hiccups and a bungled launch in China, but the electric car maker is confident it can significantly grow sales this year as it launches a new SUV.
TECHNOLOGY
NEW YORK (AP) — The next phishing email you get could be from your boss.
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is giving more options to decide what happens to users' accounts after they die.
NEW YORK (AP) — Expedia is buying rival online travel site Orbitz for approximately $1.33 billion, adding to the stable of brands it has snapped up recently in order to extend its reach and keep pace in the fiercely competitive travel-booking industry.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose this week yet remained near historically low levels.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped last week, though it is still at relatively low levels pointing to healthy hiring.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. retail sales fell sharply last month as gas prices plummeted and auto sales slowed. But excluding those volatile categories, Americans stepped up their spending a bit.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose Thursday as technology and energy stocks notched gains.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The inflight tantrum dubbed "nut rage" culminated Thursday in a one year prison sentence for Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-ah, a humiliating rebuke that only partially quelled public outrage at the excesses of South Korea's business elite.
FONTANA, Calif. (AP) — Investigators wearing bulletproof vests sit in unmarked cars outside a Southern California recycling center, swapping license plate details over two-way radio before dawn.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A 21-year-old ghost haunts President Barack Obama and his allies as he presses Congress for enhanced powers to make trade deals with Japan and other nations.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-controlled Congress cleared a bill Wednesday to construct the Keystone XL oil pipeline, setting up a confrontation with President Barack Obama, who has threatened to veto the measure.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The presidents of Tennessee's 13 community colleges are showing their support for the state's academic standards.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A freshman Tennessee lawmaker wants to make the Bible the "official state book."
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Department of Human Resources has sent an email to all state employees about a voluntary buyout program.
NASHVILLE (AP) - For Black History Month, the Tennessee State Library and Archives is making available online a new collection that traces the history of school desegregation.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — As Kayla White slowed her SUV behind two other cars to exit a suburban Detroit freeway on Veterans Day, it was rammed from behind by a Cadillac STS. Her red 2003 Jeep Liberty bounced off a Nissan in front of it, rolled onto its side and exploded in flames.
LONDON (AP) — Britain has begun testing driverless cars in four cities, launching the first official trials ahead of a series of planned rule reviews to accommodate the new technology.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ahead of a Sunday deadline, consumers are stepping up to enroll for 2015 coverage under President Barack Obama's health care law, administration officials said Wednesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional investigators have designated veterans' health care as a "high risk" budget issue that threatens big costs to taxpayers unless longstanding problems are addressed.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed effectively flat in quiet trading Wednesday as investors waited to see what the outcome would be of an emergency meeting between Greece and the rest of the eurozone to discuss the country's finances.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressured by Congress, the IRS said Wednesday it is changing its policies and apologizing for seizing banks accounts from otherwise law-abiding business owners simply because they structured bank transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Greece's new government is confronting its eurozone creditors head on at an emergency meeting Wednesday, where Athens will seek to ease its bailout conditions in the face of strong resistance from its partners.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) — Target has agreed to pay nearly $4 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Northern California prosecutors that alleged the retailer charged higher prices than advertised, prosecutors said Tuesday.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A majority of Tennessee's school superintendents want to see a review process of the state's Common Core academic standards fully unfold before lawmakers try to change the standards.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee says he has no plans to run for president.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam says he's committed to making Tennessee the fastest-improving state in the nation in terms of teacher pay and that his budget will reflect that commitment.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Five things to know about Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam's $33.3 billion budget proposal:
MIDSTATE
MURFREESBORO (AP) — The challenges of reporting on the Ferguson, Missouri, shooting death case and the sometimes-violent protests in its aftermath will be the topic of a panel discussion at Middle Tennessee State University on Tuesday.
TECHNOLOGY
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Ever since the Internet blossomed in the 1990s, cybersecurity was built on the idea that computers could be protected by a digital quarantine. Now, as hackers routinely overwhelm such defenses, experts say cybersecurity is beyond due an overhaul.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cheaper, better robots will replace human workers in the world's factories at a faster pace over the next decade, pushing labor costs down 16 percent, a report Tuesday said.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — A General Motors stockholder representing four investment funds has told the company he'll seek a seat on its board at the annual meeting this summer and will push for an $8 billion stock buyback to take place next year.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil is on a wild ride, and there is little agreement on where it's headed.
NEW YORK (AP) — A mix of positive earnings and corporate news boosted stocks on Tuesday. Signs that Greece might be willing to broker a deal with its creditors also gave the market a lift.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Net income for U.S. farmers is expected to fall by nearly 32 percent this year because of low crop prices and increasing expenses, placing many farmers in an unprofitable situation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of available jobs posted by U.S. employers rose in December to the highest level in 14 years, a sign recent strong job gains will likely continue.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale businesses increased their stockpiles in December at the slowest pace in 17 months, and sales were weak for a fifth month.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam says the budget he will present during his State of the State address seeks to improve salaries for Tennessee's teachers.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam will deliver his annual State of the State address to the Tennessee Legislature on Monday evening.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The executive committee of the state Republican Party has turned back an effort to hold closed primaries in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Butler Snow is continuing to expand its Nashville office with the addition of 13 attorneys to its commercial litigation practice.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Hermitage is offering special free programs each Saturday in February in honor of Black History Month.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joe B. Mauldin, a bass player for Buddy Holly and The Crickets, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 74.
AUTO INDUSTRY
TOKYO (AP) — Nissan raised its earnings forecast for the fiscal year after reporting a nearly 21 percent jump in quarterly profit as a cheap yen amplified strong overseas sales.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Automakers are cramming cars with wireless technology, but they have failed to adequately protect those features against the real possibility that hackers could take control of vehicles or steal personal data, a member of the U.S. Senate is asserting.
HEALTH CARE
Those seemingly harmless medical forms everyone fills out before seeing a doctor can lead to identity theft if they get into the wrong hands.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are closing lower on weak Chinese trade data and more worries about Greece's finances.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix began selling its Internet video service in Cuba Monday in what appears to be a largely symbolic move driven by the recent loosening of U.S. restrictions on doing business with the communist-run island.
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average price of a regular gallon of gas jumped 13 cents in the past two weeks to $2.20, ending a sustained drop.
NEW YORK (AP) — About $355 million distributed last week to investors cheated in Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme means over half of allowable claims have been paid in full, the trustee recovering money for investors announced Monday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The job market remains a frustrating place for America's 9 million unemployed — perhaps more so as hiring has accelerated along with job postings.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' views of President Barack Obama have improved slightly in the past two months, and opinions are more positive about the direction of the country and the health of the economy, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam says Tennessee needs to "do something" about its tax on gasoline, but that he won't be in a position to make a proposal until next year.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee Chief Senate Clerk Russell Humphrey has spent about $9,000 in taxpayer money to travel to conferences in other states over the last seven months.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Six of the seven Republican senators who voted to kill Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans are enrolled in the state government health plan.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Actor Vince Vaughn's comedy festival that debuted in Nashville is returning for a second year in April.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Nashville attorney has been nominated for a federal judgeship in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Denial of public records, excessive fees to find out what the government is doing, violations of open meetings law and long delays in getting information are some of the problems open records advocates find in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A new poll by Middle Tennessee State University shows overwhelming support for Gov. Bill Haslam's program to make community college and technical schools free for upcoming graduates.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The state's largest teachers union has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state's use of standardized test scores to evaluate teachers.
TECHNOLOGY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators on Friday called on federal regulators to investigate Verizon Wireless, the country's biggest mobile provider, for secretly inserting unique tracking codes into the Web traffic of its some 100 million customers.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — From food safety to tobacco regulation and politically charged drug approvals, Margaret Hamburg reset the course of the embattled Food and Drug Administration.
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Facebook and LinkedIn want to boost dwindling numbers of women studying engineering and computer science with a collaborative initiative announced Friday that they hope will eventually fill thousands of lucrative Silicon Valley jobs long dominated by men.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week, resuming their downward trend of this year after rising slightly last week. Rates are near historically low levels.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a vigorous 257,000 jobs in January, and wages jumped by the most in six years — evidence that the job market is accelerating closer to full health.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are ending slightly lower but they're still closing out a strong week.
TOKYO (AP) — College-educated and gainfully employed 36-year-old Eriko Sekiguchi should be a sought-after friend or date, planning nights on the town and faraway resort vacations. But she works in Japan, a nation where workaholic habits die hard.
NEW YORK (AP) — Sprint's latest plan for luring new subscribers is to occupy the remains of RadioShack.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional stalemate over funding for the Homeland Security Department deepened Thursday as Senate Democrats blocked action on the bill for a third straight day to protest Republican language on immigration.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday condemned those who seek to use religion as a rationale for carrying out violence around the world. "No god condones terror," he said.