We lost a big player on the East Nashville dining scene recently, but there’s been a slew of openings, too, and lots more on the way:
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
The last few months brought a bunch of long-awaited new drinking and dining spots in East Nashville. Among them: high-minded comfort food restaurant Fort Louise, which opened in July at 1304 McGavock Pike (the little blue house that was most recently home to Perk & Cork).
Led by local restaurateur Jessica Bower and chef Greg Biggers, the restaurant has a casual vibe and creative menu, with twists on familiar fare, like monkey bread with a beef-fat candle and fried chicken spiced with curry. Along with a full interior overhaul, the location got a big back porch addition for outdoor eating. Biggers comes our way from some high-profile fine-dining spots, including Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s namesake restaurant in Philadelphia and chef Sean Brock’s McCrady’s in Charleston, S.C.
His kitchen is humming now for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday for lunch, 5-10 p.m. for dinner; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays for lunch, 5-11 for dinner; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch and 5-11 for dinner; Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch, 5-10 for dinner. Check out the menu and more at hungrylikeafort.com.
Another July opening, all-day cafe Cafe Roze, is now serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner in their bright, pink-accented space at 1115 Porter Road.
Julia Jaksic of popular NYC spot Employees Only opened this one, and the menu focuses on approachable, but precise dishes, like savory oats with a poached egg, spice-kissed avocado and hummus toast, grilled chicken sandwiches with fontina, and lots more.
They’re open 8 a.m. to midnight, with the full menu available throughout. Head to caferoze.com for more.
Also, sisters/East Nashville natives Kathy Leslie and Sandra Austin opened Shugga Hi Bakery & Cafe in July at 1000 Dickerson Pike, offering a mix of Southern specialties and stuff for sweet teeth.
On the savory side: fish and grits and chicken and waffles and similar staples; on the sweet side: liquor-infused cakes and cupcakes, banana pudding, and more. Some of the menu meets in the middle, too, like the Shugga Hi cake waffle burger (with cake-batter buns).
The Bakery & Cafe is open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and breakfast and brunch is served all day. More at shuggahibakeryandcafe.com.
August brought a new East Nashville haunt for craft beer aficionados and meat-and-three devotees: Noble’s Kitchen & Beer Hall, at 974 Main St. Noble’s taps 60 local/regional craft beers, and offers a food menu that mixes meat-and-three staples and creative twists on comfort food.
On the staples side, homemade meatloaf, mac ’n’ cheese, and chicken-fried steak figure in; surprises come in items like their smoked turkey and duck confit sliders. Local beer gets extra love on the food menu, too — try some Yazoo Sly Rye Porter Mustard and/or Tennessee Brew Works Southern Wit Ketchup. Noble’s is open 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily; stop by noblesbeerhall.com for more.
Champions of cheese got good news in August, too, as new specialty cheese shop Follow Me Cheese opened at 1006 Fatherland St., Suite 206. This one’s another sister act, with New Yorkers-turned- Nashvillians Danielle and Casey Deak handselecting a small, but mighty mix of American cheeses, with particular love for local/regional makers. They’re open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 to 6 on Saturday, and 11 to 5 on Sunday. Explore more at followmecheese.com.
One of the more anticipated new East Nashville bars, New York-bred Attaboy, opened its doors in July at 8 McFerrin Ave. Its craft-cocktail thrust will be familiar enough to East Nashvillians, but its approach is thoroughly different: Attaboy doesn’t work with a menu; the staff leads imbibers to drink choices through a quick series of questions. Like handing your choices over to the pros? They’re open 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. all week.
July also brought the opening of pet supply shop Mutts & Meows, which is stocking food, treats, collars, and more at 935 Woodland St., Unit H. Good to know for pet parents who prefer convenience: They deliver, too. Mutts & Meows is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 10 to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Learn more at muttsandmeows.com.
East Nashville pet parents have another new doggy daycare/boarding/walking option, too: Nashville Tail Blazers, whose 8,000-square-foot facility is open now at 2407 Dickerson Pike.
Owner/longtime pet trainer Devin Komline started Tail Blazers as a dog-walking service about two years ago, and it gradually grew into a full-service provider of pet care. Along with boarding/care at the Dickerson facility (which has both indoor and outdoor play areas), Nashville Tail Blazers offers dog park play dates, dog walking visits, cat care, and more. For more, visit ntbdogs.com.
The Idea Hatchery at 1108 Woodland St. welcomed a mix of changes in recent months, including the opening of Riveter, an “unconventional fine jewelry” shop that also does custom designs and repairs. It opened its doors in July at Unit H, and hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 1 to 5 on Sunday. More at riveternashville.com.
Around Tomato Art Fest time, local fashion designer and musician Maria “Poni” Silver unveiled the first retail storefront for her “women’s contemporary streetwear” line, Black by Maria Silver, in the Idea Hatchery, at 1108 Woodland St., Unit G.
The line’s been around a while — the Fond Object cofounder and Ettes drummer launched it in 2011, and since, it’s earned lots of praise in and out of Nashville, including a Nashville Fashion Week “Rising Star Award.” The shop’s open now noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and by appointment other days of the week. Explore Silver’s designs (and shop online) at blackbymariasilver.com.
Another new East Nashville fashion stop, The List, held their grand opening in early August at 305 E. Trinity Lane. Helmed by sisters Taniesha and Stephanie Crump, The List focuses on “new and vintage clothing items and accessories that will help spark a feeling of self love to all women,” from jumpsuits and bralettes to jewelry and shoes.
Initial posted hours were noon to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 to 6 Saturday and Sunday by appointment. You can also shop The List online at iamthelist.com.
The Shoppes on Fatherland also welcomed a fashionable new name in early August: The Shine Project, at 1006 Fatherland St.
The collection of clothing, jewelry, and gifts comes with a social-good twist — items are handmade by first-generation college students, as part of founder Ashley LeMieux’s efforts to help inner-city students work toward post-secondary education.
The brand began as a nonprofit called the Shine Scholarship Project, and grew into an effort that provides employment, mentoring, and guidance, along with those scholarships. The East Nashville storefront is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and you can learn more about The Shine Project’s story and explore products at theshineproject.com.
Up in Inglewood, Nashville tattoo artist Shannon Wages opened Sage & Serpent Tattoo in August at 4120 Gallatin Pike, with fellow artists Lindsy Davis and Patricia Faulkner at her side.
Wages’ personal style tends toward neo-traditional/ realist designs, she told us, but the studio caters to an array of ink inclinations. “We’re connecting with the individual and helping to accentuate their imagination in a way that gives their body art meaning,” Wages said. “It’s all about working with clients to create one-of-a-kind pieces of art that represent them and who they are.”
The studio’s website, sageandserpent.com, is still pretty bare, but you can get a look at what Wages and Co. are doing on Instagram: @shannonwagestattoos.
CLOSINGS AND MOVES
Long-loved cocktails and dining destination Holland House Bar & Refuge surprised fans across the city in July, when founder Terrell Raley announced via Facebook that the restaurant would be closing its doors July 22.
The restaurant opened at 935 West Eastland Ave. in 2010, and over seven years, it developed a reputation as one of the neighborhood’s best places to grab a classic cocktail and a well-above-par meal.
But in his note, titled “A Heartfelt Goodbye To Holland House,” Raley noted that “a year of fruitless lease renewal negotiations” and the growth (and demands) of his Amaranth Hospitality Group led to a decision to close.
No word yet on what might be taking over Holland House’s longtime home. Keep an eye on our blog at theeastnashvillian.com; we’ll update you as soon as we know.
E-cig/e-liquid space Gizmos Vapor Shoppe closed its doors in late July, too. The business originally opened on Gallatin Pike in 2014, moving to its home at 922 Main St. in 2015.
Good Sister Bad Sister Studio and Boutique, at 914A Woodland St., was another July closure. It had been in that location just about a year, sharing beauty services and stocking jewelry, gifts, and more.
Owner/image consultant/“Makeup Ninja” Jaiya Rose said in a Facebook goodbye note that she and her team had lost their lease, “but not our spirit.” Friends and clients can keep up with her next moves at makeupninja.biz.
Local bookstore Defunct Books had a brief closure too, but quickly bounced back, and stayed here in East Nashville. In June, owner Greg Delzer packed up his first East Nashville location, at 118 S. 11th St. Come mid-July, he’d already secured a new space, reopening in the Idea Hatchery, at 1108 Woodland St., Unit A. The new location is now open noon to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. More at defunctbooks.com.
Another move to one of East Nashville’s small-business incubators: Western/retro clothing shop Ellie Monster opened in mid-July at 1006 Fatherland St., Suite 208, moving to the Shoppes on Fatherland from its former location at 1108 Gallatin. In the Ellie shop, you’ll find lots of custom clothing, like embroidered and fringed shirts, plus pre-loved boots and bolos and more. Shop there Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
The Groove didn’t move, but there were some big changes at the East Nashville record shop: The doors closed for a few days in early August, but it was just so longtime owners John Moore and Louis Charette could pass the baton over to new owners Michael Combs and Jesse Cartwright.
They’re back open and slinging records and more at 1103 Calvin Ave., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 on Sunday.
Some more hands-changing: 3rd and Church East Nashville owner Jason Boylan announced in August that his clinic was set to move into the capable hands of nurse practitioner Brenda Simmons after Aug. 31.
With the new ownership comes a new name: As of Sept. 1, 1406B McGavock Pike was set to be reborn as Riverside Village Health and Wellness. Boylan said he wanted to refocus his efforts on the original 3rd and Church Healthcare location downtown.
The Mill, which opened in February at 737 Porter Road, closed its East Nashville doors around the top of August, but it’s certainly not the end for the clothing boutique — their West Nashville location, at 812 51st Ave. N., is still going strong.
Their former space quickly got a new resident, too: Shop by Amelia Styles, which also opened in February at 729 Porter, skipped a few Shops at Porter East doors over to 737. Amelia Styles is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 to 4 on Saturday and noon to 4 on Sunday. Explore their offerings online at shopameliastyles.com.
COMING SOON
Come fall, Inglewood should have another new name in craft cocktails: The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club is in the works at 2905B Gallatin Pike, and last update we got, a September opening was the aim.
Bryan Rushton and Andrew Cook head up the club, and they’re looking to build a “locally focused, environmentally conscious operation,” with native Nashvillian Will Benedetto captaining the cocktail program. thefoxnashville.com was still pretty barren at press time, but keep an eye there for updates.
Also aiming for early fall: sushi and Japanese spot Sushi Circle, serving lunch and dinner at 914 Woodland St.
Another one in the works on the food front: Peninsula, coming to 1035 West Eastland, in new mixed-use development The Eastland.
Co-owners/spouses Craig Schoen and Yuriko Say had been cooking up an idea for a restaurant steeped in Spanish/Portuguese flavors for a decade, and found the right chef in Jake Howell, who’s worked in kitchens along the West Coast, and the right place here in Nashville.
Schoen told us we should expect a menu with “lots of game, vegetables, simple, and old-world European techniques without the pretense of some other areas of Europe. Lots of wine from the region, a Spanish-style gin and tonic menu, and, of course, an extensive cocktail program since that is the world I come from.” At press time, they were hoping to get the doors open around Labor Day. More at peninsulanashville.com.
Another one as we went to press, opening was imminent at the new East Nashville Jerry’s Artarama, at 711 Main St.
The art supply chain has locations from New York to Miami, and the Nashville-area location was most recently locked down in Antioch. With the move to East Nashville, local painters, scribblers, and other artists will have easy access to the Jerry’s trademark wide array of supplies, from paints and brushes to easels. Keep up with the latest news about the East Side location at nashville-jerrys.com.
CrossFit East Nashville is also looking at a September opening, at 400 Davidson St., Suite 410, near Music City Indoor Karting. The new gym is led by two local couples: Josh and Kiel Hunter and Caleb and Katie Gregory. Their approach: a fitness regimen based on “sustainable, well-intentioned patterns of discipline.”
Memberships will range from $155 to $199 a month, and each includes access to open gym time, classes, and more. Keep an eye on crossfiteastnashville.com for opening news.
Also on the fitness front, and aiming for a September opening: “float center and alternative therapy spa” Float Horizen, at 1012 Russell St., Suite 204.
They’ll be offering flotation therapy, salt therapy, harmonic mediation, massages, and other therapies geared toward helping with pain, anxiety, boosting creativity, and more.
The business is the brainchild of Nashville native Zane Ritter, who’s hoping to provide a “perfect way to de-stress, meditate, and recover from strenuous exercise.” Learn more at floathorizen.com.