Lulu
A restaurant’s closing isn’t an actual death, of course, yet many of them we mourn. Most of us end up short of candlelight vigils and rending of garments, but we often post loving social media tributes and engage in long discussions about the departed. Some losses are mourned more deeply than others. Will we ever truly get over 2015, the year The Silly Goose went away?
We now say R.I.P. to those dishes that left us in 2018. (Why have you forsaken me, Family Wash pot pie? WHY?) To make ourselves feel better in our grief, we did a little digging into what is being resurrected, either by the chefs of those closed restaurants or in the real estate that housed them, or both. Pay your respects to 2018’s Restaurants in Memoriam below.
Atmalogy, 2012-2018
What we miss: This cozy co-working space/cafe across from the Vanderbilt University campus on West End was a favorite of students, yogis and others; it was known for its cheap event space and laid-back vibe.
What lives on: What was a coffee shop is now a travel-guide group. Atmalogy Travels is leading adventures and retreats with a mindfulness bent. Next up is an excursion to Tulum, Mexico, in January.
Bajo Sexto Taco Lounge, 2016-2018
What we miss: The Sylvan Park outpost of downtown taco spot Bajo Sexto had a low-key patio for drinking and taco-ing, with a surprisingly secluded vibe given its location on busy Charlotte Avenue.
What lives on: The Bajo Sexto inside the Country Music Hall of Fame is still open, and it’s a good place for an affordable quick bite downtown. Hardy Ross paid $1.55 million for the Charlotte property, and signage indicates that The Twilight Tavern Lounge will open soon — but so far we haven’t seen an opportunity for a drink.
Bobby’s Idle Hour, 1978-2019
What we’ll miss: A listening-room-style dive bar with singer-songwriters in a neighborhood that ought to have more affordable, authentic music experiences.
What lives on: The Music Row institution got notice that it is losing its lease and needs to be out by January 2019; the bar and its neighbors are being knocked down to build an office tower. Alternate locations have been bandied about, but for now the swan song is imminent. Go have a listen and a beer.
Café Bosna, 2008-2018
What we miss: This Hermitage cafe was an oasis of Eastern European delicacies such as cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers.
What lives on: Sevala Kulovic is considering her next steps, conceding that she was exhausted from running a restaurant and wants to spend some time with her grandson. But cooking classes and private chef services — with her same great recipes — are likely in the future.
Caviar & Bananas, 2017-2018; 2018- ?
What we miss(ed): The best takeout salads in Midtown, if not the city.
What lives on: Everything! It’s back! Caviar & Bananas closed in June and reopened in November. Everything feels the same, except now there are more registers, making it easier to check out.
The Dog of Nashville, 2008-2017
What we miss: A quick veggie dog before heading to the Belcourt for a flick.
What lives on: Donut + Dog opened in the old space, and even though purists don’t love the way the new spot spells “doughnut,” almost everyone appreciates that you can get both a hot dog and D+D’s brioche-based doughnuts at the same time.
The Family Wash, 2002-2018
What we miss: The friendly atmosphere. The fact that you could hang out and eat and listen to music, or not. The expanded space after the 2015 move from Porter Road. Running into our East Nashville neighbors. The breakfast-lunch-dinner operating hours. We already mentioned the pot pie.
What lives on: Former Wash chef John Stephenson opened Hathorne on Charlotte this month. While the vibe is completely different (upscale, no live music), you can still expect the Wash’s pancakes (which were Stephenson’s grandmother’s recipe) and oatmeal on the weekend brunch menu.
EiO & the Hive
EiO & the Hive, 2017-2018
What we miss: Vegetarian- and vegan-friendly food that didn’t taste like cardboard; a community vibe that was bigger than the restaurant itself; the cheery Charlotte Avenue decor and neon signage. EiO, which stood for Everything Is Organic, closed earlier this month.
What lives on: The social media post that announced the closing teased: “Our goal is that you’ll be seeing the EiO brand resurface in Nashville sooner than later.” We’re waiting!
Gerst Haus, 1955-2018
What we miss: For more than six decades, Gerst Haus was Nashville’s go-to for sauerbraten and kielbasa. In a previous lifetime, Gerst Haus also was a hangout for local journalists.
What lives on: The Chandler brothers, who owned Gerst House as well as Sportsman’s Grille (see below), still own a Gerst Haus in Indiana. The property at 301 Woodland St. is listed as under contract and is prime for development, given its proximity to Nissan Stadium.
J&J’s Market and Cafe, 1974-2018
What we’ll miss: A no-frills decent coffeehouse and convenience market amid the construction and chaos that is Midtown.
What lives on: Vanderbilt bought the property (and the once-nearby Noshville deli, which closed in 2015) to construct student housing, which is scheduled to open in 2021.
Jackson’s Bar & Bistro, 2000-2018
What we miss: The dog-friendly, brunch-friendly, hangover-friendly patio at this Hillsboro Village hangout.
What lives on: Construction and development is ongoing in Hillsboro Village. There is a Jackson’s in Homewood, Ala., (outside Birmingham) if you really can’t live without those cookie-dough egg rolls.
Jake’s Bakes, 2013-2018
What we miss: That delicious, buttery warm-cookie recipe.
What lives on: Jake’s was acquired by Austin, Texas-based Tiff’s Treats in February. The new company is in expansion mode. In addition to the old Jake’s on Elliston Place, it has a store near 12th and Porter, and opened its third in Brentwood earlier this month. With the expansion comes a larger delivery radius too, albeit with a different recipe than what Jake’s used to deliver.
Kuchnia & Keller, 2017-2018
What we miss: Beer cheese, paprikas and pickles, served with craft cocktails. But 2018 wasn’t a good year for Central and Eastern European food in Music City (see also: Café Bosna and Gerst Haus); Aaron Clemins’ place stayed open eight short months.
What lives on: The Germantown space has already been reopened as Tandy Wilson’s casual, family-friendly Mop/Broom Mess Hall.
Little Donkey Mexican Restaurant, 2015-2018
What we miss: The Alabama-based chain of Mexican eateries closed its Germantown outpost in October, leaving the neighborhood with one dog-friendly patio with affordable eats.
What lives on: Other restaurants in the adjacent Germantown Market space include NoBaked Cookie Dough, I Love Juice Bar and Vui’s Vietnamese Kitchen.
Loving Pie Company, 2012-2017
What we miss: Technically this sweet Berry Hill shop closed late last year, but its absence was felt this year. The vegetarian pot pie was a good problem-solver for when vegetarians and carnivores dined together. And obviously, pie. All the pie.
What lives on: The Nashville Jam Co. moved from Old Hickory Lake to this cozy spot, where they’re serving breakfast and lunch, including meat-and-three and lots of biscuits with jam.
Lulu, 2017-2018
What we miss: Miranda Whitcomb Pontes’ Lulu was open less than a year, but the Germantown eatery had a loyal following thanks to a menu that was vegetarian- and gluten-free-friendly and affordable. Not to mention that all-day soft-serve ice cream machine.
What lives on: Sylvan Park’s Neighbors opened a second outpost of its neighborhood bar in the Jefferson Street location.
Omni Hut, 1960-2018
What we miss: A corner of Smyrna was transformed into a Polynesian paradise for almost six decades thanks to the Walls-Balahkani family. The tropical attitude under the distinctive roof was a guaranteed departure from run-of-the-mill nights out.
What lives on: Despite a barrage of social media requests, the family says there are no plans to release a cookbook or recipes. The Omni Hut teriyaki sauce is available on occasion at Jr’s Foodland in Murfreesboro, and plans may be afoot to expand sales of bottled sauces.
Paradise Park Trailer Resort, 2007-2018
What we miss: Tater tots, a decent veggie burger on Lower Broadway, hand-cut chicken tenders and the whole cheeky trailer-park vibe brought to us by Strategic Hospitality. It was bright lights, big city back when Lower Broad was a different kind of destination than it is today.
What lives on: Strategic is transforming 411 Broadway into the Downtown Sporting Club, a venue with a hotel, ax-throwing and a restaurant. While the new menu won’t have any of those Paradise Park menu faves, look for Paradise Park pop-ups around the city in 2019.
The Pie Wagon, 1922-2018; 2018-?
What we miss(ed): In April, what was one of Nashville’s oldest restaurants (a 96-year tenure) closed its doors. We immediately missed the classic meat-and-three and the nostalgia.
What lives on: In August, The Pie Wagon reopened on Division Street thanks to new owners. This should go without saying, but if you lamented the restaurant’s absence, you better get yourself to Midtown and support its rebirth.
Pied Piper Eatery, 2008-2018
What we miss: The community gathering place that was Becky Piper’s Riverside Drive restaurant. Even after Piper passed away, locals flocked there for classic Southern breakfast, lunch and dinner.
What lives on: Piper’s sister still runs the popular Pied Piper Creamery in East Nashville’s Five Points neighborhood. Inglewood welcomed the opening of Babo Korean Bar earlier this month in the old Pied Piper Eatery space. Babo is co-owned by the folks behind Five Points watering hole Duke’s.
Prima, 2015-2018
What we miss: The upscale eatery in the Gulch had an impressive wine list and great service. Plus foie gras home fries.
What lives on: Chef Andrew Little was at Prima during its last months, and he delivers the same attention to detail and care for local ingredients at his 12South farmhouse restaurant Josephine.
Provence Breads & Café, 1996-2018
What we miss: The quick convenience of bread and sandwiches at the airport, the Nashville Public Library downtown and at the flagship in Hillsboro Village. Provence also baked bread for many (many) other restaurants in town, so its abrupt closure was felt citywide.
What lives on: New tenants (and/or buyers) are still undisclosed at the shuttered Provence locations. But if you walk across Sixth Avenue from the old library cafe doors, you’ll find the new D’Andrews Bakery & Cafe, not to mention its more-than-satisfying selection of croissants, sandwiches and baked goods.
Salt & Vine, 2016-2018
What we miss: The casual, sunny elegance of the Charlotte Avenue eatery and adjacent bottle shop. The green curry mussels. The radish toast. Happy hour with the aforementioned radish toast.
What lives on: Chef Maneet Chauhan has already transformed the physical space: It’s hardly recognizable as the whimsical, colorful backdrop for Chaatable, her new Indian street-food restaurant. Meanwhile, former Salt & Vine owner (and local restaurant PR maven) Hannah Schneider is at work opening Kettner Coffee Supply in East Nashville, next to The Bookshop. The coffeehouse will have a completely different concept from Salt & Vine; it’ll be the kind of place you can grab a speedy cup of joe on the way to office. But Schneider promises the same great coffee blends that were on the menu at Salt & Vine and, yes, some variety of radish toast.
Sloco
Sloco, 2011-2018
What we miss: Jeremy Barlow (a Vanderbilt psychology grad who went on to the Culinary Institute of America) ran restaurants in Nashville for a couple decades before closing Sloco in 12South in May. (His Hillsboro Village restaurant Tayst was the go-to foodie spot when Nashville was just beginning to be a foodie town.) Sloco brought his fine-dining sensibility to the humble sandwich.
What lives on: Barlow’s legacy — he paved the way for our current thriving restaurant scene, and strongly advocated for a more eco-friendly food system. Follow him on Instagram (@slocosammies) for some pop-up opportunities to buy holiday cookies and more.
Sprinkles Cupcakes, 2015-2018
What we miss: Amusing our out-of-town guests by telling them there was a place to get a cupcake from an ATM.
What lives on: The fact that we can amuse our out-of-town guests by telling them that there used to be a place to get a cupcake from an ATM.
Sportsman’s Grille, 1991-2018
What we miss: An unpretentious steakhouse and bar near the Vanderbilt campus that served as a Hillsboro Village stalwart for two-plus decades. Plus, who can turn down a $6 cheeseburger?
What lives on: The property was sold to Vanderbilt University for $2.35 million. But there are two other Sportsman’s Grilles: one in Belle Meade and another in Cool Springs
