On the way to Cumberland University's second home football game (we love small college football), we decided to stop at Painturo's in Lebanon, Tennessee for lunch. Instead of ordering cheese sticks, we ordered pinwheels. Pinwheels are rolled pizza dough filled with a three-cheese blend of Parmesan, Mozzarella and maybe cheddar cheese. They had a crispy exterior with a cheesy, soft doughy inside.

I couldn't resist a close-up! They were just as good as they looked.

The pizza is of the thin-crust variety, but not quite like New York's thin-style crust. It didn't have any charred bits on the bottom, but remained crisp throughout, and the cheese was broiled to a nice topping. Overall, the sauce was tangy, but the crust was what stood out on the pizza.

The Tuscan Vinaigrette salad was wonderful. It featured grilled chicken, black and green olives, Roma tomatoes and pepperoncini on a bed of fresh romaine lettuce. The salad was topped with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning and was accompanied by a very thick Italian dressing. The Italian seasoning really enhances the flavor of the salad. It is such a simple thing to add, but something I never thought about. I may try adding it at home to my salads.

Overall, we had a great experience at Painturo's.

Painturo's

522 West Main Street

Lebanon, TN 37087

The writers of Nashville Fork are fans and supporters of locally owned Middle Tennessee restaurants and love searching out places most people just drive right by. Whether it's Middle Eastern, meat-and-three, or new southern cuisine, hopefully we'll give you some ideas when others think their only option is a chain restaurant. Our writers work in and enjoy exploring Wilson County and love to find great places to try in the area. We also hope you'll join us as we write about our travels, which often involve some good eating as well. We have found that eating well on vacation isn't as hard as it sometimes seems. You can read our blog at www.nashvillefork.com and follow us on Twitter.