While I fully support buying locally in Bowling Green, sometimes going out of town is required. This was the case last Saturday night, when I went to Nashville to pick up something that isn’t sold in town, and also enjoyed a meal at the Wild Iris restaurant in Brentwood.

The interior of the Wild Iris was the best transformation (in fact I’d call it more like a transmutation) of strip mall space that I’ve ever seen. From the wall full of wine racks and bottles behind the bar, to the faux finish on the walls, as well as the mesmerizing abstract art and stained glass window hangings depicting irises and other flowers – I lost track of the fact I could purchase auto insurance in the office just above me on the second floor.

And the food! Right away two appetizers caught my eye. Luckily my dining companions were on the same page with one, the Mediterranean plate, and I went off on a tangent with the other, polenta-crusted oysters.

We agreed the feta on the Mediterranean plate was the creamiest and best tasting we’d ever had. Also on the plate were roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, falafel (mashed chick peas with sesame) and baba ganoush (smoky roasted eggplant and seasonings). Served with pita wedges and yogurt sumac sauce, we quickly commenced with stacking unique Greek flavor arrangements – one at a time!

The polenta-crusted oysters were served atop a roasted sweet corn cake with julienned prosciutto and spinach chiffonade (finely cut strips) and drizzled with whole grain mustard creme. The coarse consistency of the polenta added substance and texture to the otherwise spineless oysters. The seasonings, along with the prosciutto, spinach and mustard sauce, brought something completely new to an old favorite.

The Wild Iris offers a number of salads with a variety of ingredients starting with baby greens, arugula or spinach and including, but not limited to, almonds, walnuts, wild cherries, roasted beets, gorgonzola and dates.

Speaking of dates, dates were included with the meal I ordered. Finished with an apple cider cherry gastrique (thick sauce), the grilled salmon was served with arugula pecan pesto, sweet potato hash with apples, figs and crimini mushrooms. Now, I’m aware I overuse the flavor combination card in my column here, but this is clearly a time when it cannot be overused, even by me. I tried different flavor combinations in each bite, was always pleasantly surprised, never disappointed. The texture and flavor of the figs with the pesto and salmon was my favorite – with the sweet potatoes and apples a close second.

My dining companion had the orange-scented, bone-in pork chop with mashed potatoes and jicama. Jicama is a root much like a turnip, but with more flavor. It was a one-of-a-kind dish. I won’t have to use “flavor combination” here because each bite was better on its own. The pork chop was tender and moist, yet a little on the salty side.

We went all out for dessert and ordered homemade maple ice cream, prickly pear sorbet and a dulce trifle. The trifle was a combination of two kinds of cake and fruit and was drizzled with a sweet sauce. The prickly pear sorbet was surprisingly red, and deliciously sweet. The maple ice cream was my favorite – light, different and fresh.

On Tuesday, the Wild Iris will honor its community with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Nashville Cares. The community of Bowling Green offers us all the benefits of a wonderful community as well, but if you ever need to take a trip to Nashville, the Wild Iris is worth a stop.

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

WILD IRIS

127 Franklin Road in Brentwood, Tenn. (615) 370-0871

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-

Friday for lunch; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday for dinner

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Price range: $15 to $28

Libation situation: Full bar

Smoking: No