In Your Backyard

58 MARCH 2020 The south is known for many things: The accent, the slower-paced way of living, the love of college football, and most importantly…the food.

Learning the Southern Language of Food

BY ANNIE OSTEEN When visitors come to Tennessee, or better yet, to our charming Williamson County, they generally want to experience the authenticity that’s offered in many of our local sites. Whether it’s a visit to Carnton Plantation, or shopping in one of the boutique retailers on Main Street, tourists are also generally anxious to satisfy their palate with dishes that are represented well in the south. That’s where the Franklin on Foot Food Tour comes in.

Margie Thessin, owner of the Franklin on Foot tours, created The Franklin Food tour in 2012. Her noteworthy outing covers six local eateries that provide staples that perfectly display the restaurant's taste and overall foundation of the tour, southern food. Throughout the excursion, Margie provides a marvelous history of the dishes sampled and why the south still continues to adore the cuisine that it does.

If the trends tell us anything, it’s that online researching has become a staple for most us when visiting a new town for the first time and ultimately deciding on what to do with our limited-time in a new area.

Franklin on Foot has been continuously rated as one of the most memorable and worthwhile activities that a visitor can explore when staying in or around Franklin. In addition, these tours have achieved the Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor which can only be accomplished by having consistently earned superb reviews. Tripadvisor only presents this certificate to approximately 10% of total businesses on their website, as well.

A recent visitor from Texas stated on Tripadvisor “My wife and I took the food tour with Margie and had a fantastic time. Great food and even better conversation. Margie knows the Franklin food scene like no other. If you are visiting for a few days, I recommend taking the tour early in your stay so that you know of the hot spots to hit while you are in town.”

A tourist from Kentucky expressed his adoration for the Food Tour on Tripadvisor by testifying “We have taken a lot of tours around the country, and there is no company we like better than Franklin on Foot. Touring with Margie and her colleagues is like

visiting an old friend who has moved to a different city and having her show you around ‘her town.’ The food tour more than met our expectations. We made six restaurant stops as well as visiting a spice shop and a honey shop. You definitely do not need to eat before you go. Every bite we took was different and delicious. Someone from each place, often the owner, made time to talk to us about their establishment and their food. It is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in Franklin.”

Testimonials are ideal when it comes to a thriving business. Margie Thessin and her Franklin on Foot colleagues have certainly demonstrated that to be spot-on. Even local residents of Williamson County enjoy the food tours, ghost tours, civil war tours, kids’ tours, amongst many others provided by Thessin and her impressive group of historical and knowledgeable staff. That’s what’s so beautiful about Williamson County and the town of Franklin—both visitors and residents alike have the opportunity to experience the best of the best when it comes to the selection of dynamic activities and excursions that exist year-round, including the notable Franklin Food Tour. For more information on food tours, or all of the other tours available through Franklin on Foot, for to franklinonfoot.com.

ZOLO’S ITALIAN EATERY IN DOWNTOWN FRANKLIN HAS THE PERFECT INTIMATE ATMOSPHERE FOR YOUR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

FAMILY: Zolo’s Italian restaurant is a family owned and operated restaurant.

FRESH: We pride ourselves on serving only the freshest ingredients from the herbs and produce to our wide selection of seafood. Just about everything is made in house, even salad dressings. We buy from the Franklin Farmers Market and many other local produce. This dinner-only restaurant has an a la carte standing menu, plus daily specials. Drink specials are available as well. We serve by the glass or bottle or you can bring your own wine.

FRANKLIN: True members of the community, we support local efforts in all sorts of ways from non-profit organizations like A Vintage Affairto Sister Cities.

Family. Fresh. Franklin