Restaurants in Hendersonville

Sleek light fixtures dangle from Kohana Japanese Restaurant's ceiling and subtly illuminate a tidily minimal fleet of indigo and white chairs, booths abutting wavy-lined wall paneling, and plates featuring eats carefully crafted and presented by the chefs. Sharply dressed in the only two colors that can be worn together, black and white, servers march out with precisely sliced sections of signature dishes such as the Phoenix specialty roll, which combines spicy tuna, snow crab, and avocado with a multifaceted dressing. Non-sushi selections, such as crunchy shrimp tempura and baked salmon with eel sauce, also pair well with Kohana's selection of wine, beer, and sake.

At Woody’s Steak House, chefs roast prime rib for four hours, carve the succulent cuts to order, and ladle them with house au jus. The sumptuous entree is one of the reasons Woody’s Steak House has remained a neighborhood bastion for more than 40 years. Other entrees reflect a similar attention to detail, from the aged-in-house filet mignon to the pecan-smoked ribs. Meaty morsels pair with an ample wine list and, on Wednesdays, the soft melodies of piano music and murmured reminders to chew 27 times before swallowing.

White plates designed to hold five separate pockets of food adorn the glossy tables at Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant, where diners can sample dishes such as rich lamb stew, Ethiopian-style steak tartare with herbed butter and chili powder, and beets simmered with garlic and ginger. Pieces of injera flatbread sop up savory sauces, and sips of rich Ethiopian coffee or imported beer wash back each bite.

The pan-Asian stylings of Fulin's Asian Cuisine Chef Lin have earned the eatery a place on the 2010 Best of Citysearch list. Votes from diners also helped land the shop Toast of Music City Awards’ Best Chinese title for three years running.

In the kitchen, breaded shrimp sizzles in the fryer as chefs stir bowls of sweet-and-spicy general tso's sauce. The sunset red of smoked salmon stands out against the lighter rose color of spicy tuna tucked inside cylindrical maki rolls. Behind the bar, bartenders craft cocktails, the ice jingling festively like a knight trying to figure out which pocket his keys are in.

Fifty-year-old performance footage imparts a flickering glow over a single brave waitress, who alights a miniature version of the Grand Ole Opry's circular stage to sing a classic country ballad. Opry Backstage Grill seeks to capture the spirit of the storied country venue in every aspect, from its memorabilia-speckled interior to recipes culled from the traditions and musicians that have graced the mecca's illustrious wings. Local, sustainable meats sizzle over smoky Tennessee hickory to craft barbecue plates anointed in one of three house-made sauces, while Southern-inspired morsels of catfish, shrimp and grits, and fried green tomatoes fill mouths with more nostalgia than a postcard from their estranged baby teeth.

Stepping inside The Pizza Machine & Co. always feels a little bit like stepping into a carnival. Staffers hand-toss discs of dough high into the air like jugglers, a pizza-themed chandelier mimics the feeling of a fun house, and an in-house buggy touted as the world’s first pizza-delivery vehicle acts as an intriguing sideshow. Though the sights might draw customers in, the shop, like any good carnival, has to keep them coming back. That’s where the restaurant’s chefs come in, creating hand-tossed pizzas and Italian cuisine in both classic forms and zany reinventions. Take their signature 40-inch pizza, for instance, which dons an unlimited combination of toppings to feed several dozen people. Their standard-sized pizzas often mimic the flavors of classic dishes, as with such fan favorites as the bruschetta, the hero, and the taco pizza. They also pair their pies with appetizers and desserts such as cheesy breadsticks, crab-stuffed mushrooms, and s’mores pizzas to create a meal as flavorful as a Willy Wonka employee’s severance package.