IN THE NEWS: Tennessean tennessean.com critic Jim Myers lists his 13 favorite area restaurants of the moment:

Capitol Grille (231 Sixth Ave. N.)
Carolyn’s Homestyle Kitchen (330 Charlotte Ave.)
Eastland Cafe (97 Chapel Ave.)
Hanabi Japanese Restaurant (214 Ward Circle, Brentwood)
International Market (2010 Belmont Blvd.)
Margot Cafe & Bar (1017 Woodland St.)
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint (7215 Nolensville Pike, Nolensville)
Ombi (2214 Elliston Place)
Parco Cafe (207 Third Ave. N.)
Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack (123 Ewing Drive)
Sportman’s Grille (1601 21st Ave. S.)
Watermark (507 12th Ave. S.)
Woodland’s Indian Restaurant (3415 West End Ave.)

…The Tennessean’s Dana Kopp Franklin reports that Caffeine, a coffeehouse and music venue that was a key business on the Demonbreun restaurant row, has closed. No explanation is posted on the locked front door at 1516 Demonbreun St., and the phone number has been disconnected. The interior appears partly dismantled, with tables and chairs removed and a couple of lone bottles of Italian soda lingering on an abandoned counter. … The paper also profiles Patrick Martin, owner-pitmaster of Martin’s BBQ Joint, 7215 Nolensville Pike, Nolensville. … The Rage’s Will Ayers nashvillerage.com features power tables, and celebrities who love them, at Watermark (507 12th Ave. S), The Loveless Cafe (8400 Highway 100) and Midtown Cafe (102 19th Ave. S). … The Rage also samples the coolest cocktails in town at Cabana, Rumba, Saltgrass Steakhouse, South Street Smokehouse & Crab Shack, and Virago … San Antonio-based Church’s Chicken, operator and franchiser of more than 1,600 fast-food chicken restaurants in 18 countries, announced a new partnership with a business brokerage outfit that will accelerate its new store opening program through strategic franchisee-recruitment methods, CoStar.com reports. Markets targeted for growth include Jacksonville, Orlando, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Detroit, Raleigh/Durham, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Nashville. .. Nashville City Paper profiles Sri Laka native Patricia Nalini Paiva, owner and proprietor of Aurora Bakery, who says she likes to eat at Nolensville Pike neighbor Istanbul Cafe. nashvillecitypaper.com …… The Scene’s Carrington Fox reviews the new Greek eatery Olympic Flame Family Restaurant (401 Harding Place in the old Shoney’s at Harding and Nolensville). … Fox reports on the hoped-for July 7 opening of Berry Hill’s all-day breakfast joint The Pfunky Griddle (2800 Bransford Ave.) and notes the recent opening of Lot 7 in the Gulch (125 12th Ave. N), Lazzaroli Pasta in Germantown (1314 Fifth Ave. N) and Sip Cafe in East Nashville’s Riverside Village (1402 McGavock Pike next to Castrillo’s Pizza). nashvillescene.com … Nashville Foodies nashvillefoodies.blogspot.com visits Edgehill Studios Cafe (1201 Villa Place). … Nashville Restaurants nashvillerestaurants.blogspot.com stops by the Latin-Caribbean eatery Los Happy Belly’s (895 Murfreesboro Road). … Metroblogging Nashville nashville.metblogs.com reviews Brentwood’s China Hut and stops by Sip Cafe. … The Painter family is now offering Painturos, their pizza restaurant in Lebanon and Gallatin, as a regional franchise, the Nashville Business Journal reports. Tennessee is the initial focus of the franchise push, but the Painters say in a news release they expect to expand nationally. Nick Painter is a former general manager of the former Houston’s restaurant in Nashville. … The Dallas Morning News‘ dallasnews.com Larry Bleiberg writes on taking Roadfood editors Michael and Jane Stern’s recent guided dining tour of Nashville, with stops at Loveless Cafe, the original Sylvan Park diner, Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, Swett’s, Monell’s, and Henpeck Market outside Franklin.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

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