Today's Takeout Pick: Red Perch

Much of the restaurant industry has had to rapidly change its business model due to COVID-19, and we’re highlighting the Nashville places that are attempting to stay open. Each day we will give you a critic’s pick for a restaurant and a dish, as well as a running list of restaurants still open that you can support. Today: Red Perch.

Limbo is a weird idea. The concept is originally Catholic (because of course it is), but if it’s been a few years since you took Religion 101, the gist is that limbo is where all the unlucky sinners who died before Christ's coming go — for eternity. That's a reductive explanation, but that’s what Wikipedia’s for. And I gotta say, in my humble opinion, that’s a harsh sentence.

Like, how is it your fault when you were born? Whatever — we don’t have time to get into Catholicism today. From there, the idea of limbo evolved, and now it means, “an uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution.” If that doesn’t sound familiar, please send me some of whatever you’re smoking.

We’re all living in the middle ground right now, and that’s especially true of Nashville restaurant owners. When they pivoted to takeout back in March, we were all on lockdown, so deciding where to order food was all we had. Now, as we move into phase three on Monday, most restaurants are still doing takeout while also trying to figure out if it’s worth it to open their doors for a fast-casual, masked, half-capacity, possibly empty hybrid version of whatever they’d normally do. At the same time, people are getting more comfortable going to the grocery store to get food to cook at home, but they’re still not ready to venture out to eat-in restaurants. It makes sense, but it’s taking a toll. Restaurants from Arnold’s to Rolf and Daughters to Riddim N Spice are struggling, many now more than ever. So if you can, please continue to #CarryOutAndCarryOn. We’re not even close to the other side of this thing. And now, the fun stuff!

Red Perch

The Arcade restaurants are a prime example of limbo. Downtown is all but empty, which makes it nearly impossible for restaurants that rely on office workers and lunch crowds to stay afloat. One way to remedy that: remember that lunch can be takeout! Red Perch is available curbside and on Postmates and GrubHub (as are a bunch of other places you probably miss by only looking after 5 p.m.). Folk chef Philip Krajeck namechecked Red Perch as the best-kept dining secret in town, and as someone who’s written about them a stalker-y amount, I’d have to agree. Here are my go-tos:

Fish & Chips

Duh. It's a fish & chips shop, and it won an award to prove it in the Scene’s 2019 Best of Nashville issue. If you’re not convinced by that, this is what it looks like:

Today's Takeout Pick: Red Perch — Photo: Eric England

If you're still not convinced, let me re-throw a gauntlet I’ve already thrown many times: I’d back Australian fine-dining chef Cameron Payne’s fried fish against any in London. The fish is golden-brown and crispy, and comes with a mess of seasoned fries and zingy tartar sauce. I live 15 minutes from the shop, and when I got it delivered yesterday for lunch, it was as crunchy as it would’ve been onsite. That’s impressive. Last night, I ate my second piece out of the fridge cold: still crunchy. That’s not impressive; it’s insane.

Lumpia

When I tried these for the first time last week, I was both thrilled and furious. I was thrilled because these tiny Filipino egg rolls (pork, shrimp, Chinese celery, water chestnuts) are deep-fried deliciousness, whether you pick them up piping hot or fry them at home later. I was furious because, had I tasted them earlier, I would have been ordering them daily. (There’s a reason they’re one of our Top 20 Takeout Picks.)

Poke

On the healthier end, you’ve got poke. Always on the menu is ahi tuna in Hawaiian sauce with edamame, pickled cucumber and rice; some days you’ll find a bonus version like spicy avocado with edamame. All are as fresh and bright as they sound, and their roots are bona fide: Red Perch co-owner Nicole (and wife of Cam) is Hawaiian, so there’s no fucking around in this department.

Grilled Tiger Shrimp

As we said in Cheap Eats back in October, these big, juicy shrimp come swimming in nuoc cham, a Vietnamese fish-sauce dressing that’s essentially a Molotov cocktail of umami, citrus and spice. Add fried onions, Thai basil, sliced chiles, fresh lime and green onions, and it pings all your taste buds — salty, sweet, sour, spicy and umami.

When we printed that, the price for this dish was $6.95. Mid-pandemic, it’s a whopping $7.50 — the same price as a half pound of plain, peeled shrimp from Kroger. So you know where your next shrimp fix should come from.

Sandos

On the shrimp note, if you’re jonesing for something fried-n-foldable, the tacos are enormous and epic, and the banh mi (beer-battered shrimp, pickled carrots, Asian chili) is a wise bet. But these days I find myself drawn to the “burger.” It’s basically a high-falutin’ cousin of a Filet-O-Fish (which Payne has also made, and which I’d like to petition to have permanently put on the menu). This classy version is simple — breaded cod, tomato, red onion, arugula, Sriracha mayo — and ideal for days you want fish and chips but can’t afford to faceplant immediately after lunch.

My final sando entry is the Fish Gyro, which I eat as two dishes because I am a filthy deconstructivist. Grilled cod, purple cabbage, homemade tabouli, tzatziki, and hummus come splayed out all over a pillowy pita. I eat all the stuff on top first and then have my hummus-y pita for dessert, but that’s neither required or sanctioned by its maker. While all of the ingredients are technically good for you, trust me when I say this guy is a thick-n-healthy beast. So basically the Russell Crowe of lunch.

Order it

You can order online for takeaway Monday-Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or via Postmates or GrubHub for delivery. Be sure to follow them on Instagram for special events. You’ll often find them at spots like Walden’s doing paella pop-ups (they used to own a paella spot in Honolulu), or offering a socially-distant pickup for Aloha plates: a truly embarrassing amount of food that includes chicken katsu, beef teriyaki, kalua pork, Hawaiian pineapple mac salad (THE BEST) and rice. Mahalo.

Below is a list of Nashville restaurants (with links) remaining open for takeout and delivery during the COVID-19 shutdown. While some may have had existing relationships with delivery providers, most of this list are offering the service for the first time. Most offer curbside pickup, but check when you order. As this list is a moving target, please leave any changes, suggestions or omissions in the comments.

Ashley Brantley

Red Perch

Fish & Chips

Lumpia

Poke

Grilled Tiger Shrimp

Sandos

Order it

Places with takeout or delivery as of Friday, June 19

Ashley Brantley

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