Frog & Owl Mountain Bistro

This was a delightful find. Great good in a comfortable spot. Franklin's kinda funny-shaped (nothing specific, just kinda funny-shaped), but it's worth passing through downtown. And if you're here, this is a good restaurant to visit.

I had a sandwich and salad combo for a nice, light traveling lunch. The Genoa salami panini with mozzarella and an olive tapanade was fantastic. My main surprise were the greens in the salad... They were a great mix of fresh leaves, which is a nice change from the, um, salads you often find in the mountains. Inexpensive ($7), light, but satisfying. Great service, too. They definitely focus on local food; next time I'll try the local beef...

This is probably one of the best restaurants in Franklin. They serve good food with an emphasis on local ingredients. They also have a newly-added bar area that's quite classy looking. My last visit was a Sunday afternoon and the attire was casual to post-church dressy and the entrees ranged from $7 (soup & sandwich) to $30 (steak).

We ordered a variety of items. First, the soups du jour, which were a Butternut Squash Bisque - delicious - and a Spinach Florentine - good but not as good as the Bisque - and Tuna sandwich. We also had the Hummus plate, which was actually an appetizer but quite large and served as a main dish, with a handsome amount of salad greens, veggies, pita triangles, and a couple varieties of hummus. The salmon entree was very good (and only $12), and was baked with a crispy coating and dijon sauce.

We had a pretty enjoyable lunch at the Frog & Owl while vacationing in the area. It's definitely a little more sophisticated than the average small-town joint... though I think they may actually be trying a little too hard. Very laid-back service, a pretty extensive wine list (they are also a "wine bar." Lots of very interesting stuff on the menu. I saw a few gorgeous, gigantic salads on the way to our table, but we ended up ordering pasta. My BF had the pork ragu, which was quite tasty -- like a goulash, with a little cinnamon or similar flavors, tomato, and tender shredded pork over pasta. I felt adventurous and ordered the roquefort chicken pasta, which included pears and spinach in a roquefort cream sauce. Rich, but pretty tasty. I'd recommend this place if you're in the area and looking for something slightly sophisticated. Try one of the salads.