Skinny Menu
A new year means a new list of resolutions for many people across Middle Tennessee—and topping that list is often aspirations to maintain a healthier diet.
To help determined individuals accomplish those goals, Puckett’s Boat House in downtown Franklin will roll out a “Skinny Menu” this week that touts steamed mahi mahi, blackened ahi tuna salad and more. All lunch and dinner dishes on the menu will fall under 400 calories.
“Puckett’s Boat House is a family-friendly and community-centered restaurant, and we want to respect all diners: those looking for a treat, and ones who want light dishes,” said Claire Marshall Crowell, director of operations for the Puckett’s family of restaurants. “The cool thing is that this new menu doesn’t take away from what you’ve come to expect at the Boat House. We’re blown away at what our chef [Carlos Garcia] has come up with on this menu.”
Other items on the Skinny Menu include an eggplant lettuce wrap with grilled eggplant, squash, zucchini, carrots, peppers and broccoli, and a salmon wrap with fresh tomato and basil pesto served in a pita shell.
Crowell says that the Boat House team didn’t forget dessert: a gluten free chocolate mousse pie that replaces a traditional flour crust with one comprised of pecans and dates, and is lightly sweetened with agave nectar.
In addition to the list of light options, the family-owned restaurant on East Main Street unveiled inexpensive options for diners with celiac disease and wheat allergies.
The Puckett’s Boat House gluten-free offerings include signature Cajun dishes such as the mojo wings tossed in a choice of hot, mild or honey jalapeño sauce, a hand-cut Sanibel salmon fillet and grilled grouper. Other items that were already incorporated into the menu include the BBQ shrimp and grits, as well as a variety of the specialty salads.
Those with celiac can also enjoy many of the eatery’s side items, including rice pilaf, creamed spinach, chipotle-cheese grits, sautéed vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes, coleslaw and more. According to the Mayo Clinic, celiac disease is 4.5 times more likely to occur today than in the 1950s. Crowell says the restaurant has noticed a climb in the number of diners requesting wheat-free dishes.
“The number of people with this food allergy seems to be on the rise, and every day guests ask our servers if we can accommodate them,” Crowell said. ““Having a close friend who is gluten intolerant, I know how hard it is to eat out in the area.
“We hope these dedicated options will allow us to form new relationships with those who have struggled to eat out in the past.”
Puckett’s Boat House is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. To learn more, go to www.puckettsboathouse.com.
About Puckett’s Boat House
Puckett’s Boat House aims to stay true to local flavor while delivering an atmosphere that makes you nostalgic for family vacations and good times. The grill and oyster bar menu offers by-the-shore dishes reminiscent of the Gulf coast and the Big Easy, plus Southern staples that draw from the Marshall family’s Mississippi Delta and Memphis roots.
Enjoy Puckett’s trademark Southern fare and reputation for a live music venue—both with a Boat House twist. To learn more, go to www.puckettsboathouse.com.
