Five Years of Food in Nashville

We’ve seen a lot of changes in the 5 years we’ve been here. But as it is said, you have to know where you’ve been to know where you’re going. And when it comes to food, we always need to know where our next meal is coming from. Here are our observations and ruminations.

It’s true. When it comes to restaurants, Nashville “has arrived.” Tailor and Hathorne were both on Bon Appétit’s best new restaurant list of 2019. In 2016, after 4 nominations, Tandy Wilson earned a James Beard Award as Best Chef Southeast. Not to mention the slew of other top-notch chefs and accolades, too many to list here

Community and Connection

One thing was palpable in almost every trend, and that is our need for connection and community. The more disconnected we are, the more we yearn for a feeling of community, which has sprouted an industry channeling Mayberry and Aunt Bee. We crave a coffee shop or bar that knows our name and order.

Authenticity

Cooking that has a soul and a reason is in. At Tailor, Chef Vivek Surti is translating his Indian roots into southern cuisine. At each prix fixe dinner, he explains the origin and inspiration for each dish. At Café Rakka, owner Rakka cooks the dishes inspired by his Syrian childhood. Maneet Chauhan’s Chaatable serves up authentic Indian street food. And don’t get us started on tacos.

The Myth of Nashville Hot Chicken

It’s fun, it’s “hot,” it lends itself to hundreds of knockoffs and brand extensions (hello, Colonel). But ask any native Nashvillian over the age of 40 what hot chicken is and they’ll scratch their head. Prince’s (the original), which opened in 1945, was the only hot chicken restaurant until 1997, when Bolton’s opened. What was served by a few restaurants has exploded into a global phenomenon. Oh, the world is a sucker for a great story and… fried food with heat.  

The Rise of the Speakeasy… and the $15 Cocktail

Craft has turned to cocktails.  Our love for a good yarn and a secretive, naughty place to swig hasn’t changed since Prohibition. The Patterson House paved the way as Nashville’s original speakeasy, opening in 2009. Today, there are 19 in and around the city slinging craft cocktails, 18 of which have opened in the last 5 years.

But the craft cocktail doesn’t come cheap. Fat-washed whiskey, premium liqueurs, smoked tinctures, handmade syrups, and the talent required to mix them easily increase the price

Local is, Well… What? 

Local is not just one independent restaurant anymore. Local restaurants that were born here, such as Martin’s BBQ, Pucketts, and Frothy Monkey are now all in multiple cities (and states). There are two locations of Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen, three for Biscuit Love, and seven for Five Daughters Bakery (three outside of Tennessee). Is local limited to one town? And while Farm Burger is considered a chain with six outposts in Atlanta and one here, they still source all their meat and vegetables from local farmers. (Which Rotier’s or Brown’s Diner probably never thought of doing.) So, what is “local” is a question worth asking. 

Farms and Farmers Markets
We love our local food. No doubt the number of farms offering CSAs has increased in the past 5 years. More hyper-local farmers markets have sprung up, although not all staying around. For a complete listing, check out our 2020 CSA guide.

Supper Without Walls 

We all love an intimate dining experience and if it’s secret, all the better. Enter the “pop-up” supper club. Dining amongst a small group in an unlikely setting like someone’s home, the back room of a restaurant, or an empty warehouse all increase the intrigue and charm of a meal. You’re also likely to make new friends and experience fabulous new food. Chefs and cooks operating these businesses are passionate about what they serve and are not in it for the money. It’s frequently their night job as well. Here are some of our favorite pop-ups. Follow them on Instagram to find out about their events. 

Angel House Family Dinners    @angelhousefamilydinners
The Humble Table     @humbletable
Black Dynasty Ramen pop-up     @blackdynastyramen
In Good Company Nash     @ingoodcompanynash
Carpe Pizza     @carpe_pizza
TriLuna Wellness     @triluna_wellness

Farm-to-(your) Table

While many roll their eyes at this phrase (as all food comes from a farm somewhere), we still like it. What it doesn’t say and has come to mean is locally sourced. And that still remains a commendable yet costly endeavor—for us and restaurants. From conferences on grass-fed beef to turning your yard into an edible garden, our desire to get in touch with the earth and eat better continues. 

Getting farm fresh local produce is becoming easier each day. Stores specializing in local products, including meat and produce, are on the rise. We salute those, whether in a strip center in the middle of town or on the farm premises:

The Produce Place
Demeters Common
Oh My Chives
Hendersonville Produce
Produce Place
Turnip Truck
Nourish Marketplace
Citizen Market

Take a drive out and pick up produce, local jams, flowers, and other items from the farm itself at their charming stores:

Breeden’s Orchard
Delvin Farms
Rosie Belle Farm
Green Door Gourmet
Kindred Farms
Batey Farms
The Farm Stand at Southall

We’re Green (er)

Since 2014, Nashville has committed itself to diverting and minimizing food waste. According to Urban Green Lab, there are now 42 restaurants and hospitality groups participating in the Mayor’s Food Saver Challenge which pledges to end food waste as part of the Nashville Food Waste Initiative.

Compost Nashville (a home composting program) serves 1000 residential customers and nearly 100 businesses in the Nashville area. Since their start in 2014, they have diverted over 3.5 million pounds of compostable material from landfills; 1.5 million pounds in 2019 alone. That 1.5 million pounds is equivalent to 3,687 cars off the road and 1,424 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions out of our atmosphere. That said, most of us still don’t know what to put in the recycle or not. We can tell you one thing: no plastic bags or containers with food waste in them. Those alone contaminate entire truckloads of material, causing all of it to go to the landfill. 

5 Most Enduring Restaurants That Do It Right

City House
Rolf and Daughters
Margot Café (and sister Marche)
Arnolds
Lockeland Table

Five That Closed and We Loved

Kuchnia & Keller
Tin Angel
EiO & The Hive
JJ’s Market
Jackson’s

The New Food Court

We want local and we want it convenient. Enter food courts that are not populated with Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Panda Express but local, independent restaurants. Hunters Food Station in East Nashville has six local restaurants. The newly renovated L&L Marketplace on Charlotte Pike has Honest Coffee, 5 Daughters Bakery, and Thai Ni Yom. And maybe the last bastion of quick, The Nashville Airport has a slew of local restaurants and breweries. Look for more bodega-style places popping up such as Local Distro in Salemtown, that serve as community hubs with coffee, wine, food, and meet-ups.