We spend a lot of pixels promoting other companies’ events here, so I’m going to shine a light on some things that the staff of the Scene's events department has been hard at work on. Trust me when I say you want to know about these upcoming events!
First off is the return of Nashville Scene Taco Week, running from Monday, Dec. 8, through Sunday, Dec. 14. The fun starts on Monday night, when from 5:30 until 8 p.m. Otto’s Bar hosts the big opening party at 4210 Charlotte Ave. There will be drink specials, tequila samples courtesy of G4 and Palomo Mezcal, a photo booth and, of course, tacos! The party is free to attend, and no RSVP is required.
Nearly 40 restaurants and bars have signed up to participate in Taco Week and compete for the title of Top Taqueria. They’ll be offering $6 taco specials all week, but as always, we advise getting there early — some spots may run out of food at times, because the demand for these tasty deals is always high.
We also recommend you download the Taco Week app so you can earn points toward prizes, map out your taco tour and vote for your favorites. Make sure to post your finds on the socials with the tag #SceneTacoWeek25 and please try to overtip and/or purchase some extra food and drink to help out with these loss leaders for participating restaurants.
We’re not supposed to play favorites here on the editorial side, but there are definitely a few submissions that have caught my eye. First and foremost is the collaboration featuring Shane Nasby at his two locations of Cledis Burgers, where he has invited Pablo Bonacic of the gone-but-not-forgotten Subculture Cafe to bring back his legendary Hot Chicken Taco for the week. Judging by the buzz among Facebook hot chicken groups, that one will be an early betting favorite.
But I wouldn’t sleep on the Japanese/Peruvian fusion Nikkei taco from Limo. First off, it would be gross to sleep on a taco, and secondly, the wonton-meets-ceviche taco looks pretty outrageous. I also like that these special Taco/Burger/Pizza/Hot Chicken weeks that the Scene puts on often help me discover places I’d never heard of previously. This week, I’ll be seeking out the Nashville location of Don Miguel Juicery + Rustic Kitchen at 300 James Robertson Parkway. They’ll be using a Santa Maria-style grill to create Tri Tip Steak Tacos topped with pico de gallo, creamy avocado and a chipotle sauce that’s got me pretty fired up to try.
After you have your fill of tacos and vote for a winner, it will be time to look ahead to the next edition of the Music City Food & Wine Festival, returning to Centennial Park April 24 through 26. We’ll have lots more to share about the event as the date approaches, but you can read all about it and get the jump on buying tickets at the festival website. These events will sell out, so I’d mark your calendar and grab your tickets as soon as you can!
