Churrasco Sandwich and Quinoa Salad
When I first heard about the new Subculture Urban Cuisine and Cafe, I was excited at the prospect of trying out some South American specialties, since the kitchen is manned by brothers Pablo and Javier Bonacic, who moved to Nashville from Chile with their family in 2002. (Most people don't realize it, but Chile has one of the longest coastlines in the world, so the country has access to a tremendous variety of seafood.)
Something sounded familiar about the location of the cozy little cafe, near the corner of Old Hickory Boulevard and Nolensville Pike. I checked the address, 5737 Nolensville Pike, and sure enough it was the same space as that odd little meatball joint I visited a few years ago. And by "meatball joint," I'm not using Zagat-speak to describe a casual Italian spot. Jeanne's really did just serve meatballs. Judging from the comments below my original post, that restaurant fell off significantly before closing, so I was concerned there might be a jinx on the location.
But if there's any bad juju in the space, I think the hermanos Bonacic should be able to cook their way out of it, having worked together and separately in kitchens in Nashville and Colorado for more than a dozen years. They also operated a successful food truck while in Colorado Springs and have plans to possibly hit the road here in Nashville someday soon. Javier's latest Nashville gig was working in the kitchen of Deb Paquette at Etch, and Chef Deb told him that he couldn't open his new spot before she approved the menu.
The two brothers did much of the remodeling work themselves to convert the former meatball factory into an attractive little cafe, with muted tones covering the walls and industrial chic details highlighting the decor. A coffee bar features drinks made with Frothy Monkey's 12South Roast blend, and since coffee is a staple in the Chilean diet, starting with being mixed with milk in babies' bottles (really!), they take their coffee seriously at Subculture.
It's a family business, so Javier, Pablo and his wife Christina will probably take your order, make your order and clean up after you. Since the cafe is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, the brothers are constantly prepping, cooking or serving, and have to take advantage of the hours they are closed to bake the buns for their sandwiches, make the spice mixes and sauces for their dishes and pickle the vegetables that turn up in salads.
The menu did not feature the seafood I was looking for, mainly because the Bonacics haven't found dependable sources of fresh fish yet. The are looking to expand the menu in the future if business continues to grow at the rate that it has since it opened in mid-April. So right now, the menu revolves around sandwiches, empanadas and salads. Their secret weapon in the kitchen is merquén, a smoked chili/spice-mix powder that they make from a pepper that they import from Chile along with cumin, coriander and sea salt.
The salty, smoky spice shows up in the SC Burger, a generous patty topped with bacon, cheddar cheese and pickled onions and also as part of the seasoning for their run-down-your-arms juicy churrasco sandwich, made with marinated beef or chicken, a generous smear of avocado, a tangy chimichurri aioli and topped with a fried egg. In fact, they'll top just about anything on the menu at Subculture Cafe for just 75 cents, an option you should definitely consider.
Pablo's favorite sandwich on the menu is the Cubano, which he emphatically points out is not a traditional Cuban. Assembled on the flat-top grill instead of being smooshed in a panini press, this sandwich is full of porky goodness with pulled slow-braised pork, sliced pork and spicy housemade pickles. Vegetarians or gluten-free diners can opt for their Quinoa Burger topped with roasted beets and aioli, but shouldn't be put off by $9 price tag, considering that quinoa is now more expensive by the pound than beef.
The super grain also highlights the Quinoa Salad, which can be ordered as an entree or as a side dish. A generous bowl of spring mix and quinoa is topped with handfuls of pickled carrots, avocado, tomato and onions and tossed in a lemon balsamic vinaigrette. I thought I detected a little hint of clove in the salad, and asked Pablo where that might be coming from. He said, "from the cloves we add." Mr. Ace Food Writer and his developed palate strike again.
The lunch menu is available all day, including a few beers on draft or in bottles, but at 5 p.m. two new entrees are added. I didn't get to sample either, but I am definitely intrigued by the Bistec au Poivre and the Pork Belly Chicharron and want to return for dinner soon. There's no walk-in freezer at Subculture, so they pretty much use fresh ingredients for most of the things they cook, including buying organic vegetables from Cul2Vate farm, a grower located not too far away from the restaurant.
Fresh ingredients, two dedicated young chefs and a solid menu full of bold flavors make Subculture Urban Cuisine and Cafe worth the short drive down Nolensville Road to check it out. If you get the chance to try more of the menu than I did, please share what you think in the comments.
Subculture Urban Cuisine and Cafe
5737 Nolensville Pike
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
