More than a year after my colleague William Williams reported that the six bays of a small East Nashville car wash would be converted into self-contained restaurant incubator spaces, The Wash is ready to welcome guests at a grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. After a short soft opening period, the five food businesses and one novel bar will officially introduce themselves to the neighborhood around their 1101 McKennie Ave. address with a day of live music, gift-card giveaways, pop-up vendors and a mezcal tasting.
Five stalls will contain small kitchens and ordering windows from Two Peruvian Chefs, Soy Cubano, The Poki, Tootsie Lou’s Tacos and East Side Pho. The outdoor patio offers space to eat for more than 100 patrons, including an area around a fireplace that probably won’t see wood again until later this year.
Parking is limited to a few spots designated for carryout orders, so you'll have to fend for street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. Carryout is an important part of the plan, and online ordering is available for both pickup or delivery at The Wash’s website. You can also certainly just walk up to the window, place your order and wait to hear your name.
The bar at Bay 6
You'll find a handful of seats in Bay 6, a unique little cocktail bar named ... well, Bay 6. (Like “basics,” get it?) The micro-cocktail bar is operated by Beau Gaultier, a Baton Rouge native with years of mixology experience in Louisiana and here in Nashville at spots like Pinewood Social. With six seats at the short bar and a few other tables attached to a booth along the wall, Gaultier and his staff should have no problems keeping an eye on their patrons and attending to their needs. With all of The Wash operating under a common alcohol license, you’ll also be able to carry your drinks out to the courtyard (but no further!) to enjoy with a meal from any of the other vendors.
Gaultier has designed his operation for speed and efficiency, utilizing draft systems for beer and craft cocktails along with custom premade components to prepare drinks quickly while still having time to interact with his customers. (“I wanted to keep the nerdy cocktail stuff behind the door,” he jokes.)
The menu at Bay 6 includes a short list of classic cocktails, which will be discounted during happy hour, along with custom creations that utilize unusual seasonal ingredients that excite Gaultier. Standouts include the Kindly Use, made with cachaça, chicory, coffee and a special acidified pineapple that is part of Gaultier’s efforts to create “no waste” cocktails by using every bit of his produce. The draft Baby Jessica features aged tequila and a tropical blend of banana, lime, coconut water and a splash of soda for bubbles.
The Kindly Use cocktail
Gaultier is also a fan of natural wines and orange wines, which show up as ingredients in his drinks and also by-the-glass options on his short wine list. Some of the draft lines will showcase local craft brews, and others will be available in bottles and cans.
Bay 6 has a special list of brunch cocktails for day drinking and spirit-free cocktails for dry drinking, so it should be a nice addition to the neighborhood and the food hall.
