East Nashville resident Jenny Piper thought her neighborhood was missing two things: sushi and ice cream. “That’s all I used to cross the river for,” she says. When Matt Charette added Wave Sushi to his Batter’d & Fried Seafood restaurant at Five Points last year, Piper knew exactly what her job was. This spring she opened Pied Piper Creamery, an adorable—and we don’t use that word lightly—ice cream shop in a colorful cottage next door to Beyond the Edge bar.
Piper, who worked in a Baskin-Robbins store in college, has returned to her dippin’ days in a big way. Last fall, she attended Carpigiani Frozen Dessert University in Winston-Salem, N.C., for six days, where she honed her recipes for whimsical and punny flavors such as My Cherry Amor, Minty Python, Are You There God? It’s Me Margarita, and Oatmeal Raisin in the Sun, all of which she makes by hand in the back of the store.
In the front, Pied Piper offers a used book exchange where customers can trade two of their own books for one of the store’s.
Piper even has a MySpace page for The Pied Piper, on which she recently promoted Trailer Trash Tuesday: anyone who referenced the blog got a regular-sized scoop of the candy-Oreo-fudge-vanilla blend for the price of a junior scoop. Check myspace.com/piedpipercreamery for more specials.
Pied Piper shares space in the cottage with V Floral and Gifts, a boutique owned by Amber Marvin. “It’s amazing how compatible we are: ice cream and baby shower gifts,” Piper says. A quote by Voltaire—posted among the selection of jewelry, art and novelty onesies—sums it up: “Ice cream is exquisite—a pity it isn’t illegal.” Pied Piper Creamery, located at 114 S. 11th St., is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Phone: 227-4114.
Greek squad
Yanni Panagiotakis, the serial restaurateur who founded Athens Family Restaurant on Franklin Pike, is at again, launching a new family-style eatery at the corner of Harding Place and Nolensville Pike. Panagiotakis, who most recently served as chef at The Greek Islands (now known as The Breeze), has taken over the location of a former Shoney’s at what is alleged to be the second-busiest intersection in the city. Panagiotakis and partner Harold Claude are currently in the process of transforming the site into The Olympic Flame, which will serve a Mediterranean-inspired menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner, with salads, vegetarian dishes and traditional Greek favorites such as moussaka and dolmas. Panagiotakis hopes to open The Olympic Flame in the first weeks of May. 401 Harding Place, 833-4085.
Meats and seats
Todd’s Butcher Shop, the year-old enterprise of Green Hills Meat Market alumnus Todd Lewis, is doubling in size, adding tables and chairs for in-store dining. By April 1, Lewis plans to convert the neighboring insurance company into a dining area for customers, who previously had to take their fresh deli sandwiches and go.
Lewis describes his store as a place where German butcher meets Italian deli. Todd’s prepares roast beef, salami and rotisserie-roasted turkey breast for sandwiches. A rotating selection of meats, such as meat loaf and Bell & Evans chicken, is available for dine-in or take-out meals. The shop carries organic meats and house-made kielbasa, bratwurst, andouille and Italian sausage, with package deals for bulk purchases of meat. Todd’s Butcher Shop, located at 6682 Charlotte Pike, is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
To market, to market
As the leaves unfurl and the grass starts to rise, the Farmers Market kicks off the growing season with two events to remind people where their food comes from.
Saturday, March 31, is Meet Your Farmer Day at the market. Join market veteran Troy Smiley from Smiley’s Farm in Ridgetop, along with Dana Rova of DW Farms in Pulaski, Freddie Haddox of Mamushi Nature Farm in Franklin and Paul and Robin Verson of Hill and Hollow Farm in Edmonton, Ky. Enjoy free coffee and bagels at 10 a.m. and learn more about local farms and agriculture.
On April 14, the market’s Discovery Garden opens with a day of live bluegrass music and activities. Kids can get their hands dirty transplanting vegetables into the raised beds and starting their own tomato plants to take home. Friends of the Farmers Market will host a strawberry tasting with berries from around the world. F. Scott’s chef Will Uhlhorn will prepare a recipe with fresh seasonal ingredients at 11:30 a.m. 900 Eighth Ave. N.
