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Blondie’s: Franklin Street eatery booming in the heart of downtown

By Christine Anne Piesyk | August 27, 2007 |

Whether you want a bit of handmade honey and nut cream cheese on your breakfast bagel or a slice of delectable carrot cake for a midday dessert, a little downtown eatery called Blondie’s is the place to go. Sandwiches and coffees are their specialties.

When thinking deli sandwiches, one often thinks of “Dagwood’s,” those heaping stacks of fillings scrunched between slices of bread. Blondie’s, while serving ample sandwiches, does it with a lighter hand, a delicate touch that is nonetheless filling and satisfying.

Apart from its wonderful food, Blondie’s has a little something extra to offer its patrons: a chance to sit outdoors in a small atrium, a terraced garden spot with cafe tables, plants and a bit of shade, shelter from the summer sun. It’s not big, but it’s enough. It almost classifies itself as one of Clarksville’s best kept secrets.

Inside this year-old dining spot, you’ll find brick walls, high ceilings with dark overhead beams, soft lighting and a ceiling fan pushing comfortable cool air down, and comfortable seating with some tables overlooking Franklin Street and others neatly spaced along the narrow hall that leads to the outdoor patio.

Posters and pictures abound: vintage movie stars, a bit of Norman Rockwell, and a print of that famous World War II era “kiss” photograph celebrating the end of war. There’s a wonderful painting of the bistro itself (pictured above right), done in brick red tones that captures the essence of Blondie’s interior.

As for the menu, we’ll start with breakfast. And bagels. Served plain with butter, with sweet strawberry jelly, plain cream cheese of a flavored cream cheese: honey and nut (which melts in your mouth in a subtle sweetness), summery cucumber dill, and a strawberry cream cheese that almost qualifies as dessert.

Then there are the cinnamon rolls. Fragrant. And blueberry muffins. Or Danish with raspberry or cream cheese.

Breakfast sandwiches are popular fare, and come with fillings of sausage, ham or bacon — each with cheese, served on a bagel or fresh, flaky, buttery croissant.

Lunch is a selection of sandwiches served on your choice of San Francisco style sourdough, a delicate wheatberry, a hearty rye or a tomato-basil wrap. As for fillings, one might opt for ham and cheddar, turkey and swiss, sliced chicken with mozzarella, roast beef and swiss, of a veggie special with cucumbers, swiss cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Blondie’s Club Sandwich melds ham, turkey, bacon, mozzarella, honey mustard, lettuce and tomato into a mouthwatering sandwich that requires nothing but a hearty appetite.

A Grilled Blondie is sliced ham and turkey with swiss, with a dab of pesto butter sauce served on a delectable Panini bread. Okay, I’m hungry again.

Lighter fare includes a salad with turkey, tomatoes, onions, grated mozzarella, craisins and pecans on a bed of lettuce (raspberry vinaigrette or Italian vinaigrette are the dressings of choice). A side salad can be ordered to accompany any sandwich.

Blondie’s also serves a homemade soup of the day at $2.95 a bowl.

If you need a respite from downtown shopping, come in, take a seat and head to the desert section of the menu, but be prepared for some tough decisions: the carrot cake is mouthwatering, the chocolate cake and homemade (still warm from the oven) cookies melt on your tongue, and the scones are crisp and tasty. Milk shakes are thick enough to be considered dessert.

Coffee, a specialty item here, takes up an entire page on the menu, beginning with the coffee of the day. Then, Expresso. Cafe au Lait. Lattes (flavored or not). Breve. Mocha. And a range of flavoring syrups that include Amaretto, Hazelnut, Kahlua, Caramel or Vanilla Creme (sugar free, believe it or not) , French Vanilla, Marshmallow, English Toffee, White Chocolate … so many coffees, so little time. A selection of juices and bottled water is also available.
All items are available as carry-out orders and can be ordered ahead by calling 931-645-9725 or by faxing your order to 931-645-4472. While that may be convenient, it’s much more fun to drift over there, take a seat, savor the menu and the aromas, and dine inside, or on the patio.

Blondie’s, located at 135 Franklin Street, is open Monday through Friday from 7-5 and Saturday from 8-5.

Photos by Debbie Boen

About Christine Anne Piesyk

With 40 years behind me (Huh? What? How did that happen?) as a journalist, feature writer, investigative reporter, editor, and film/theater/arts critic, I brought my liberal New England activism to Tennessee several years ago. having completed a midlife undergraduate degree in community organizing and women's studies, and an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts. I am currently an MFA student at Goddard College. I served on Future Search Commissions for two colleges and an issue-specific commission for the City of Northampton, MA, and did minor undergraduate work in studies in urban planning and community development. I am a community volunteer and a member of FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties. I am a certified storm spotter. In my spare time (define spare time please?) I am a voracious reader, obsessive movie buff, classical music junkie; I also and design and make sci-fi/fantasy and renaissance costumes. I have an unquenchable interest in just about everything. I see life as an ongoing opportunity for learning and adventure, with the best things still to come. All posts by Christine Anne Piesyk as presented on Clarksville Online are copyright ©2006, 2007 to the author.

Email: womanspeak@yahoo.com

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Business
Topics: Blondie\\\'s, Business, Economy, Food

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