Breakfast tacos at Ladybird in 12South
When it was announced earlier this summer that Ladybird Taco was the first official tenant in a new building at the intersection of Riverside Drive and McGavock Pike, people took notice. It wasn’t just that folks really like Ladybird’s breakfast tacos over in 12South. (They do.) There’s also been a lot of angst in recent years about what might happen in Riverside Village — and to the small collection of businesses there in Inglewood on the East Side — when the long-debated new-construction building opens at that intersection.
Ladybird, which plans to open its doors early 2024, is one of several new restaurants in the area, adding to an already-thriving collection of current spots. While online forums might suggest otherwise, the neighborhood is a collaborative community gathering place. Ladybird and others hope they’re helping to solidify Riverside Village’s sense of community, with a different energy than culinary hubs in other neighborhoods.
Ladybird was founded by Gabe Scott, a session musician married to a woman from Texas. In 2020 Scott was preparing to open Ladybird in 12South, in part so his wife could find the breakfast tacos she loved and missed from Texas. The pandemic delayed their plans and forced them to open initially as takeout only. Quickly folks gravitated there for the all-day breakfast tacos, salads and coffee from local favorite Crema. The team started looking for a second location and brought in a co-owner and CEO, Brooks Veazey, who joined in June 2021. Together they opened Ladybird in Birmingham, Ala., in February of this year, while still looking for a second Nashville location.
Exterior of Ladybird in Riverside Village
When they started considering the Riverside Village spot, they invited 20 or so East Siders to Scott’s house to ask them what they thought about Ladybird. Many said they liked the idea of the restaurant, which serves bacon and eggs, brisket and chicken and has vegetarian and gluten-free options, but not the idea of crossing the river. But when they signed the lease for the corner spot on Riverside Drive, the team didn’t know that Mommy’s Tacos was about to open right across the street, Veazey says. While, yes, both Ladybird and Mommy’s sell tacos, neither party is concerned about duplication. In fact, they think they can help each other.
“I hope a lot of people eat Mommy’s Tacos too,” Veazey says in a Zoom interview — during which both he and Scott are eating Ladybird tacos. “I plan to eat a lot of Mommy’s Tacos.”
Ladybird’s focus is on the earlier part of the day, while Mommy’s is a late-afternoon and dinner spot. And their tacos recipes couldn’t be more different. Plus, the owners of Mommy’s have plans for their corner that are bigger than their current lineup of super-cheesy tacos and quesadillas.
Mommy’s Tacos opened earlier this year in the gravel lot that used to be home to a furniture store. The bright-green taco truck features an illustration of three dogs (belonging to co-owner Chris Weber). Weber, who also owns Earnest Bar & Hideaway in Wedgewood-Houston, and Mommy’s co-owner Taylor Zamora serve tacos with cheese fried on the outside of the corn tortilla, filled with braised meats and vegetarian options. The process “really opens up the flavors,” according to Weber.
Mommy’s Tacos in Riverside village
Zamora and Weber opened Mommy’s in a truck that Weber had intended to use to sell food at festivals before the pandemic hit. But Mommy’s is just one part of what they are calling Food Truck Forest. They’re not ready to go public with all the details, but a second permanent food truck with salads and healthier eats is in the works. In July they reconfigured the layout to allow for the second truck and more tables. (As well as for more dogs. Mommy’s makes special chips as a treat for dogs who stop by. “When it is busy on the weekends almost every table has a dog,” Zamora says.) There’s now room for a small stage, which will soon be lit by LED trees. Food Truck Forest already hosts trivia nights, poetry readings, comedy and low-key (i.e., not loud) live music. Zamora hopes to bring back some of the spontaneity Fond Object was known for. For several years, Fond Object — a neighborhood record and vintage shop, music venue and community hangout — operated from a now-bulldozed building at the corner of Riverside Drive and McGavock Pike. And local residents were quite … well, fond of it.
In addition to Ladybird and Food Truck Forest, Sabell’s is coming to the brightly painted bungalow at 1301 McGavock Pike. Stephanie Sabelli and her husband Matt Sabelli are opening the spot, which will serve Mediterranean small plates, beer, wine, spirits and a selection of zero-proof cocktails. The space will also have a dog-friendly patio. Stephanie has worked in the neighborhood for years, including at the popular Mitchell Deli and the late Rudie’s Seafood and Sausage. The owners of Mitchell Deli are the landlords at Sabell’s.
The trio joins lou, Bite-a-Bit Thai Sushi, Mitchell Deli (in its second location on the street), Dose Coffee, Castrillo’s Pizza (the OG of the area, opened in 2001) and Village Pub and Beer Garden. In addition to the restaurants, the area is home to an independent pharmacy, an aesthetician, a gas station and other businesses. Thursday through Sunday, one of Amelia’s Flowers’ trucks sits in the parking lot in front of Dose, building bouquets for customers.
Zamora estimates that 80 percent of Mommy’s Tacos’ business is from the neighborhood, with many customers walking or riding bikes. (The No. 4 WeGo bus serves the intersection too.) And it’s the neighborhood vibe that has him most excited, partly because he lives in the neighborhood himself.
Tacos at Mommy’s Tacos
Riverside Village tenants have a history of working collaboratively. When Mitchell first opened (at the time it was in the space where Bite-a-Bit is now), Sip Café was established next door. (Sip has since moved to Gallatin Pike.) In those days, Mitchell didn’t sell coffee, so customers would still buy at Sip, and they were welcome to drink their coffee in the deli. Today, Mitchell sells drip coffee — but if you want an espresso, head down the block to Dose. Village Pub is now helping Mommy’s Tacos by sharing electrical outlets until the Food Truck Forest power pole connection is complete, Zamora says (with Zamora and Weber paying their share, of course). Lou, the most upscale of the Riverside Village restaurants, hosts regular bake-sale fundraisers for different causes, pulling in chefs from around the city.
Of course, there have been some disappointing closures in the area too. Yellow & Lavender, the popular queer-owned vegan bakery, shuttered its doors in Riverside Village last month. Lines for its last weekend went around the block. In the past, the area has been home to a bagel shop, a piano store, a used bookstore and a grocery, plus meat-and-three Bailey & Cato, Rudie’s and a former location of Old Made Good (now also on Gallatin Pike).
For Inglewood residents, the intersection has long been a heated topic of discussion. In 2018, efforts to develop the block — and save the house that was the former home of the Bailey & Cato — were introduced. A plan included a new space for Fond Object, plus a vintage motorcycle shop and a wood-fired pizza restaurant, as well as more than 30 apartments. Some neighbors were concerned about the usual — traffic and parking — and after debate, plans were withdrawn. This was the second such proposal for that site. Current zoning allowed the building to be razed and another to be rebuilt without community input. So that’s what happened, albeit with a few other proposals in there and a pandemic slowing things down.
In the intervening years, some have lamented the opposition to the proposals, arguing that it didn’t stop development — just those particular developments. And as Nashville has continued to grow, some opinions on density are evolving. Other than Ladybird, future tenants in the space at 2300-2310 Riverside Drive are unknown.
For those who remain concerned about what else will open in that new development, perhaps the best perspective comes from something Fond Object co-founder Jem Cohen posted on Instagram back in 2019:
Development, gentrification, and change is a part of living in a growing city, so everyone needs to accept that and work for positive growth. Don’t just sit at home complaining on Facebook, get up and do something positive and creative for your community and neighborhood. Start a local business, support local businesses, attend community meetings, and get involved with local politics. You can make positive change happen, I’ve seen it first hand, and it’s truly incredible what a community can do when it comes together to effect change.
