After nearly a year, EiO and The Hive officially opened on Charlotte Pike in West Nashville on June 1. I’ve stopped in for lunch a couple of times now, so this is both a first bite and a second bite.
First things first, this is along a busy portion of Charlotte, right at the corner of Morrow Road. Ten years ago, it was still fairly quiet — a mix of old-school restaurants like Wendell Smith’s, Bobbie’s Dairy Dip and Sir Pizza, and fast-food chains. But in the past five years, new restaurants have popped up all along Charlotte and into both Sylvan Park and The Nations. Because of the popularity of the area, parking in the new restaurant's lot can be a challenge. But get creative if you can’t find a spot. There’s a shopping center across Morrow Road and available parking along side streets as well. The effort will be rewarded with some great food.
The second thing to know is that like many other new restaurants, the service is "fast-casual." By now, you probably know the drill: You order from a menu and pay up front and take a number to your table. After you're seated, servers bring your food and drinks. (Side note: I still haven't figured out the tipping protocol for these types of restaurants; tipping up front seems counter to the purpose of tipping.)
The restaurant and its focus on local, organic and “healthful comfort foods” comes from restaurateur Jennifer Masley. “EiO” stands for “everything is organic” (organic ingredients are used whenever possible) and is also a play on the traditional ditty about Old McDonald. The Hive refers to both the importance of bees in our food system and Masley’s objective to form a community in and around the restaurant (which also includes a small market of prepared foods packaged to go). Inside, there are small tables as well as sofas and community dining tables. The kitchen is also open to the dining area so diners can see what’s going on. Outside is a patio with view of Charlotte Avenue, which is buzzy with both car and pedestrian traffic.
The menu got a big boost from former Top Chef contestant and veteran of several popular Chicago and Nashville restaurants, Dale Levitski. He’s taken Masley’s ideas and turned them into some great food. It’s worth noting, too, that the menu is peppered with recognizable names of local products such as Short Mountain tempeh, Sam Tucker's Village Provisions bread, High Garden teas, Bells Bend beef, and vegetables from a nearby garden tended by the restaurant. Along with organic foods, the restaurant strives to serve locally sourced and sustainable foods.
On my first visit, I started with the Toast of the Day, which was topped with mashed avocado, pear, radish, olive oil and cilantro cream. What seemed like an odd combination of ingredients worked really well together. I followed up with a grain bowl: a base of the “Ginger Lemongrass Trinity” (bulghur, millet and farro) topped with sauteed mushrooms (shiitake and oyster), house-made ricotta cheese, greens, small chunks of turnip, and sherry vinaigrette. The only thing it lacked, I thought, was something with a different texture, though I could have opted to add tempeh. On my second visit, I got the tomato panzanella, a salad of tomatoes, purslane, and Thai basil grown in the restaurant's garden along with peaches and vegan bread.
One of my friends had the same grain base, but topped it with roasted vegetables and garlic shrimp, which she liked quite a bit. We both enjoyed side dishes of grilled asparagus with a citrus vinaigrette and Thai peanut slaw, which was fantastic. Another friend ordered the Chicken Carver sandwich, which was a fairly large portion of rotisserie chicken pulled off the bone and served on a sandwich roll. The potato salad side was a nontraditional salad of small medallions of potatoes roasted and dressed with a light oil and combined with cucumbers and sliced okra. Because of the focus on local and seasonal ingredients, most of these dishes will vary slightly from week to week.
The restaurant also serves a substantial breakfast menu as well as a creative brunch menu on the weekends. Larger entrees are also available for lunch and dinner in addition to the salads, broths, bowls, and sandwiches. The beverage menu includes several fresh juices, smoothies, and shots as well as a selection of bottled craft sodas and a selection of locally made High Garden teas, kombucha and jun (kombucha fermented with honey instead of sugar). The jun I had with my lunch was fantastic. It’s a fizzy and filling beverage that’s good for your gut. For a different kind of boost, there’s coffee from Muletown Coffee. For something a little harder, there are wines, beers, spirits, and cocktails.
The menu also includes a kid’s menu as well as nontraditional desserts made with healthier ingredients such as fruit and dairy-free ice cream.
5304 Charlotte Ave.
Breakfast: 7 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday
Brunch: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Lunch and dinner: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
