It wasn’t that long ago that finding a bagel sandwich in Nashville was a little bit of a scavenger hunt. And finding one on the East Side would have awarded you some extra points. Now Nashville is undergoing a bagel renaissance, and we all win the prize. Crieve Hall Bagel Co. has plans to expand to Inglewood, and Mr. Aaron’s Bagels, previously available for pickup only, has a dine-in roof over its head in Inglewood.
Made-to-order bagel sandwiches such as the Italian — made with King Salumi Genoa, Calabrese salamis and Frippers Pepperoni — are just some of the offerings from the new-and-improved Mr. Aaron’s Goods. The retail spot also features a mini bodega of its fresh pastas and sauces, plus olive oils, cheeses and other grocery goods for sale. All of it operates inside TKO, Inglewood’s dinner-only Chinese restaurant.
For a while, there were three businesses operating under the TKO roof — the restaurant, Bill’s Sandwich Palace and Mr. Aaron’s Goods. When Bill’s Sandwich Palace moved into the old Sweet 16 space, that gave Mr. Aaron’s the room to expand beyond the pickup-only model.
The new offerings in the old space include a new breakfast and lunch menu and the expanded bodega. Mr. Aaron’s Goods is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon. (The restaurant will be closed on major holidays that fall on Sunday, such as Easter this weekend.) The menu includes bagels and schmears and breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches. Grab a cup of drip coffee, made from Mr. Aaron’s own beans, Hachi Machi (roasted locally by Drew’s Brews). Have a seat at the counter or a table and don’t forget to treat yourself to post-sandwich sweets, such as soft lemon sugar sandwich cookies, from River & Wood Bakery.
“We’re so grateful to Ryan [Bernhardt] at TKO for letting us work out of his space,” says owner Aaron Distler.
Mr. Aaron’s Goods will continue to sell fresh wholesale pasta to area restaurants, including Margot, Cafe Roze, International Market, The Catbird Seat and, of course, TKO. Mr. Aaron’s Goods and TKO are located at 4204 Gallatin Pike.
