Heralded by many for adding a touch of elegance and gourmet to the Murfreesboro culinary landscape, Primrose Table offers some very creative ingredient combinations, alongside meat and potatoes and more accessible burgers, in its Memorial Boulevard restaurant space.

Billed as family-friendly fine dining, patrons can opt for an indulgent multi-course splurge with wine, or a classic cheeseburger.

Primrose Table does not have an overwhelmingly huge menu, but the restaurant’s two-page menu contains quite a variety, and some uncommon items and ingredients.

The Korean BBQ-stuffed potato skins emit a wonderful, complex aroma as the server places them on the table—four potato halves loaded with kimchi, slaw, roasted pork, peppers, cheese, Marmite and sweet pepper aioli.

There are lots of tasty flavors, and colors, going on in this dish, and with the hearty potato, one could make a meal off of this.

Primrose Table owner and chef Jason Matheson said he wanted to do something different when creating this item, which he served for years on his food truck, but have something “that ate like a taco.”

“The Korean BBQ potato skins are just to die for. It’s very obvious that the dishes here were perfected over time,” Primrose Table patron Christi Binkley said.

Also listed in the starters section of the menu, but quite a substantial dish in itself, are the lamb chops.

The meat on these small but tender chops is excellent on its own, but “Get a bite of lamb with the eggplant,” as the server suggests, as well as the accompanying yogurt and pistachio for a knock-out flavor of Mediterranean-inspired deliciousness.

Perhaps pair this item with a salad for a very satisfying meal.

The cornbread panzanella salad delivers a sweet, apple-y taste along with cooked greens, as small pieces of apples blend with roasted brussels sprouts, braised cabbage and cranberries, along with big puffy pieces of toasted cornbread as a crouton.

Matheson, who grew up in the Priest Lake neighborhood between Murfreesboro and Nashville, has amassed a great deal of experience in fine restaurants throughout his career thus far. He has worked in the kitchens of 101st Airborne Restaurant, New Orleans Manor, Watermark and Marsh House in Nashville, and has served as the executive chef at a few golf courses.

While he is proud to welcome customers to his Murfreesboro establishment, he seems to feel most at home in the back of the house, working in the heat of the kitchen. Matheson says that since the restaurant opened in October 2019 he has personally cooked every steak and every burger coming off the grill.

His line-caught gulf grouper is quite special and incredible, another wonderful combination of flavors. A base of a wild mushroom and Parmesan risotto holds the fish as swirls of a Meyer lemon gastrique adorn the side of the dish. This represents the high art of cooking and plating, not often seen in Murfreesboro establishments, where the dish closer resembles a painting or a symphony rather than an assembly line sandwich. At $32 for this plate, most would consider it a special-occasion luxury, but many consumers appreciate having this type of dining option in Murfreesboro.

Many also appreciate that Primrose Table is very welcoming to youngsters and emphasizes family, while still allowing the adults to enjoy a special, high-class meal. Another local diner, Stu, complimented the pork chop and apple butter, which comes with roasted potatoes and coconut creamed kale, after a recent meal.

“The chop is bone-in and thick cut. It was flame grilled and had nice grill markings, lightly seasoned [and] letting the pork be the star flavor. The apple butter was a perfect compliment to the meat, and I definitely suggest eating those two together. The kitchen cooks the chop to medium unless you specify otherwise. If you have some kind of weird fear about undercooked pork, I suggest you order something else. Do not order this beyond medium, or it will be dry and tough,” he said. “The potatoes were tender and super-garlicky. They were fantastic. As for the kale, I’m not a fan of kale usually. It’s bitter and earthy in a way that isn’t appealing to me. However, this kale was excellent. The coconut cream added and slight sweetness and the two flavors mixed together had flavor profiles similar to Thai dishes.”

Many enjoy the opportunity to have a very affordable burger in a nice, modern industrial fine-dining setting, in addition to the higher-dollar items. The burgers and starters offer great value, and some say those carne asada fries, topped with steak, pickled carrots and jalapeños, slaw, cheese and salsa, are delicious.

“Everything was extremely flavorful,” Mary Margaret Williams said. “I highly recommend the carne asada fries—completely drool-worthy.”

Another customer, Daina Glisson, said “The pear salad was delicious and the chicken was the best I ever had.”

Primrose Table offers some killer kids meals, quite generous and delicious for $7, including a fantastic quarter-pound burger, hand-cut fries and a delicious cookie.

Marian Wright said that all in her group “were extremely impressed by the entire experience! The Korean Pork potato skins were very good. I was impressed with my chicken entrée and the kale was delicious (not something I say often).”

Oh, and homemade butter—a light and creamy, soft, whipped butter accompanies breads from Murfreesboro’s own Simply Pure Sweets.

Although the global pandemic has drastically affected the way businesses must operate, Primrose Table does currently offer pickup service as of early April 2020, and Matheson says that once operations can return to normal he plans to hold some more wine or bourbon dinners and other social events, and institute a Sunday brunch, possibly with wife Nevada’s flower truck available out front for these brunches.

Prior to this disruption, reservations were recommended for weekend dining.

“This is going to be my go-to. This place is legit. Food was crazy good. Atmosphere was perfect. Service was impeccable,” said Jonathan Harmon following a visit. “The lamb chops appetizer was great, the ribeye was perfect. Even the kids’ mac and cheese was stupid-good.

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The Dish
Primrose Table
1650 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro
Tues.–Thurs.: 4–9 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 4–10 p.m.
615-900-5790
Bacon Swiss burger with one side: $11; Roast chicken breast with Woodford Reserve cream sauce: $19; Fish & Chips $15; Korean BBQ Stuffed Potato Skins $12; Pork chop with spiced apple butter, roasted potatoes and coconut creamed kale: $29; 16-ounce ribeye with roasted potatoes and coconut creamed kale: $38
primrosetable.com

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In case you are unfamiliar with some of the ingredients used, bring your dictionary to Primrose Table.

Labna – A thick, strained, sour yogurt served with the lamb chops.
Beemster – A cheese named for a region in The Netherlands, produced in part by hand-stirring the curd; served with the poached pear salad.
Chimichurri – A sauce commonly made from herbs, oil, garlic, vinegar and pepper; served on the slaw and on the lamb chops.
Gastrique – Caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar; a Meyer lemon gastrique accompanies the grouper.
Marmite – A yeast extract byproduct of beer brewing.
Pomodoro – Literally, tomato. Or a pasta with a light tomato sauce.
Gruyere – A hard, yellow Swiss cheese; served on the bacon Swiss burger.

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