17 Cool Nashville Dishes for Hot Summer Days

It takes a certain kind of confidence to eat a cheeseburger while wearing a bikini. When I saw some hard-bodied pool-goers doing that a few weeks ago, I applauded their courage. But it gave me pause. Burgers, hot dogs, ribs, steak — why are our all go-to summer foods so hot and heavy? Don’t get me wrong: I’ll eat a hot dog any hour of any day. But if we’re talking about ideal foods for the pool or patio, refresh my ass! I want something chilly, light and rejuvenating. 

To that end, here are 17 literally cool Nashville dishes to help you beat the summer heat. (Note: Some of these restaurants frequently change their menus.)

Fennel Salad

Folk, 823 Meridian St.

Strawberry sauce and fennel sounds like a sick pairing that could only come out of the hellscape that is Chopped. But at Folk, the combination is magical. Shaved fennel is mixed with oil-cured black olives, ribbons of cheese and a strawberry sofrito. The savory, jammy sauce is sweet and tart enough to stand up to fennel for an oddly addictive dish that will leave you wanting more.

Spicy Tail of Two Tunas Roll 

Sunda New Asian, 592 12th Ave. S.

While yellowfin is definitely tuna, escolar isn’t: The so-called “white tuna” is actually snake mackerel, which sounds like a badass Disney villain. Misnomer or not, the roll is delicious, with spicy pickled jalapeño, fried shallots and spicy mayo setting off the meaty bite.

Burrata

Gertie’s Bar at The 404 Kitchen, 507 12th Ave. S.

The burrata at The 404 Kitchen is legendary because it’s perfect. Housemade buffalo-milk cheese is delicately wrapped in stretchy mozzarella and served with carrot purée, bitter greens, sharp citrus and fried quinoa. Sipping on a glass of whiskey and cutting into the creamy cheese, it’s hard to imagine a more luxurious way to stay cool.

Night Tide Oysters With Meyer Lemon Mignonette

Henrietta Red, 1200 Fourth Ave. N.

Henrietta Red’s mignonette is a palate-cleansing wakeup call. Lemon juice and zest, Champagne vinegar, green chilies and shallots make a bright, puckery dressing that’s particularly perfect on West Coast oysters like Night Tide, which are creamier and less briny than most of their East Coast counterparts. 

Meyer Lemon Napoleonka

Kuchnia & Keller, 1300 Third Ave. N.

Germantown’s Meyer lemon movement continues at Kuchnia & Keller, where — for my money — chef Katie Fair makes Nashville’s best dessert. Crispy tuile cookies are layered with cardamom cream cheese, ribbons of lemon marmalade and shortbread. Think cheesecake-meets-Key-lime-pie, but floral, light and buttery.

Egg Sandwich

Urban Cowboy Public House, 103 N. 16th St.

The menus at Urban Cowboy Public House are deceptively simple, so they always over-deliver. Listed simply as an “egg sandwich,” theirs is a riff on the salad sandwiches made famous at Japanese 7-Elevens: a soft white-bread sandwich with a filling of Kewpie Mayonnaise and farm-fresh boiled eggs, and it’s finished with nori and caviar, because why the hell not?

Shrimp Cocktail

Sperry’s Restaurant, 5109 Harding Pike

Some days an old-school, windowless bar is just what the doctor ordered, and Sperry’s practically invented that schtick. Grab a table, order a martini, and brace yourself for the behemoth shrimp cocktail. More meal than snack, the jumbo shrimp are plump, sweet and set off perfectly by extra-spicy cocktail sauce.

Dipped Cone

Bobbie’s Dairy Dip, 5301 Charlotte Ave.

Like Sperry’s, Bobbie’s is a classic Nashville spot for a reason: The place has been doing this for twice as long as I’ve been alive. Soft-serve vanilla ice cream is swirled high in a sugar cone and dipped in chocolate to form a delicate coating that yields a satisfying crunch. Add sprinkles if you must, but I recommend keeping it classic.

Dry-Aged Beef Tartare

Rolf and Daughters, 700 Taylor St.

Rolf and Daughters’ tartare is always a standout, whether it’s made with Castelvetrano olives and sunflower, or radish, farro and barley mayo. The Bear Creek Farm beef is packed with flavor because it’s high-quality and dry-aged, which concentrates the flavor and tenderizes the meat.

Hwe Dup Bap Poke Bowl

Funk Seoul Brother, 230 Franklin Road, Franklin

If you like extra wasabi on your sushi, Korean-style poke is your next frontier. Fluffy rice is topped with fresh tuna, salmon and tobiko (flying-fish roe), plus carrots and spring greens for brightness. It’s finished with kimchi, sesame and gochujang for that sweet, deep heat that will keep you coming back.

Smoked-Salmon Avocado Toast

Proper Bagel, 2011 Belmont Blvd.

Our long national nightmare is over! No, not that one. But you not longer have to choose between lox and avocado toast for breakfast. Proper Bagel stacks smashed avocados, smoked salmon and pickled onions in a salty, smoky, creamy dish where Jewish deli realness meets Instagrammability. 

Calico Scallop Crudo

Nicky’s Coal Fired, 5026 Centennial Blvd.

Similar to bay scallops, calicos come from deeper waters, so they’re brinier and firmer. At Nicky’s, they’re served with crunchy mini celery and an insane cucumber broth flavored with sea salt and tangerine lace. If they don’t make a cocktail out of this soon, I’m going to get behind the bar and do it myself. 

Whipped Feta

Butcher & Bee, 902 Main St.

If you don’t want a charcuterie board, cool cheese dishes are tough to find, but Butcher & Bee delivers. The East Side spot’s whipped feta is airy, zesty and just rich enough. It’s topped with fermented honey and cracked black pepper, a twist that gives the begging-to-be-smeared cheese a sweet, spicy sendoff.

Pretzel Gelato

Pastaria, 8 City Blvd.

So ice cream and gelato: They both start as custard, but gelato has less fat and is churned more slowly, making it denser, so the ingredients shine. Pastaria’s pretzel version is yeasty, rich and a much cooler way to get your sweet/salty fix than with a ballpark pretzel.  

Deviled Eggs With Smoked Trout

Husk, 37 Rutledge St.

Of all the varieties of Sean Brock’s grandma-shaming deviled eggs, the smoked-trout version is singular. His filling tweaks are key — using yellow mustard and bread-and-butter pickles instead of sweet relish — but it’s the trout that gives these creamy, piquant eggs their signature umami. 

Mazeman

Otaku Ramen, 1104 Division St.

Hot broth and 90-degree weather don’t mix, and so there is mazemen. The cold noodle dish comes in two varieties at Otaku: XO (spicy seafood sauce, Chinese sausage, black vinegar) or the lighter, umami-packed black sesame. The key to both is the chilled, chewy, perfectly crafted noodles. 

Chocolate Milkshake

Hugh Baby’s, 4816 Charlotte Ave.

Is it controversial to end a food list with a milkshake? Maybe, but the house-made chocolate version at Hugh Baby’s is more food than drink. The burger spot uses just enough milk to make it suckable through a straw, but the flavor is, simply, the essence of chocolate. The best part? You don’t have to leave your car to get it.