Recently on the Scene's food blog Bites, writer Lesley Lassiter offered a list of "Nashville's Top Restaurants You're Forgetting to Visit." She notes that with all the new restaurants and dining hubs springing up all over Nashville, "Many of the old standbys get pushed back on the list." In fact, there's an assortment of longtime Nashville restaurants that seem to be doing fine but don't get the conversational buzz or social media mentions they probably deserve.
Lassiter also opened up the conversation to readers to fill in the details on restaurants that people still love but which have slipped into semi-obscurity. The post was a big hit on the blog, so we figured it's a topic worth exploring a little further — I have been tasked with listing some of the restaurants in town that deserve more notice than they get. Here are a few nuggets of note, culled from my own experience covering restaurants as well as comments from readers.
Yellow Porch: Gep and Katie Nelson opened this surprisingly sophisticated little cottage of culinary love across from 100 Oaks Mall back in 1999; the restaurant's then-novel herb gardens signaled its garden-fresh philosophy. Yellow Porch has cradled many a fine chef over the years; currently Corey Griffith (formerly of Mambu) runs the kitchen. "I recommend Yellow Porch to everyone," says one Bites commenter. "I've been going there for at least 15 years. It's one of my favorite consistent old-school Nashville spots."
Tin Angel: This stalwart opened on West End way back in 1993 as a companion to owner Rick Bolsom's celebrated Cakewalk Cafe (a fine-dining pioneer of the 1980s). One of Cakewalk's most prominent chefs, Deb Paquette (now of Etch), helped create Tin Angel's initial menu. The menu has evolved over the years, but staples like the Angel Burger and the Med Salad (greens topped with grilled shrimp, chickpeas, artichokes, olives, pumpkin seeds and more) are evergreen. To introduce extra variety, Tin Angel offers a rotating prix-fixe menu Monday through Wednesday nights. Commenters chimed in to endorse Tin Angel as "always great" and still "terrific as always."
Eastland Cafe: "Love. Love Love. Love," says a commenter, with enthusiasm for Eastland trumping traditional sentence syntax. A creation of Park Cafe chef-owner Willy Thomas, Eastland opened in 2006 with Hal Holden-Bache (who later left to open Lockeland Table) running the kitchen. After 11 years, Eastland still attracts East Side neighbors and cross-river pilgrims alike. "Tin Angel and Eastland are fantastic gems that better not close," another commenter states firmly.
The Mad Platter: It's amazing and gratifying that The Mad Platter is still going strong nearly 27 years after Craig and Marcia Jarvis launched it in a 19th century corner shop in Germantown. It's hard to convey how crucially this venerable spot figures in Nashville dining history and in helping to ignite Germantown's renaissance. It quietly keeps cranking out great meals below the radar. "My pick is Mad Platter," says a commenter. "The OG in Germantown, now hardly ever mentioned."
Kalamatas: Happily, Maher Fawaz's excellent Lebanese bistro Epice has gotten all kinds of positive attention since it opened in 2014. But let us not forget Kalamatas, the fresh Mediterranean cafe Fawaz and his team opened in 2003. With another location in Brentwood (the Belmont Kalamatas, its third location, is in the process of evolving into a new concept), Kalamatas is a rare spot where you can get food that's quick but also delicious and healthy, with high-quality grilled kabobs, hummus, falafel and salads.
Cori's DogHouse: Launched in 2009 in Mt. Juliet, and in 2011 off West End, Cori's distinguishes itself with specially crafted buns (New England-style, better known as a lobster-roll bun) and multifarious toppings, which can turn the base Sabrett's wiener into a tour of the hot dog specialties of every region of the U.S. (You can also get vegan sausage and veggie dogs.) "In my house, we never forget about Cori's or Eastland Cafe," one commenter contends.
Miel: The name means honey, and Miel remains just as sweet to fans of this French-Mediterranean fine-dining spot nearly eight years after it opened in a former meat shop at the edge of Sylvan Park. But Miel somehow doesn't receive the same buzz as newer joints. "I went to Miel last night with some friends, and we all agreed that we wanted to come more often — it was great, as usual," a commenter notes. "I can't figure out why I don't go there more often."
Margot Café: It's hard to describe this one as a sleeper since it's one of the most prominent restaurants in East Nashville history, and chef-owner Margot McCormack (also of Marché) is revered as a legend. But 15 years after it opened, the restaurant's name isn't on everyone's lips the way it used to be. "Margot Café is a place that I continually pass on way to other East Nashville restaurants," says one commenter. "One of these days I'll remember to make it my destination. Twelve years ago it was my favorite restaurant in East Nashville. Time to see if memory serves me correctly!"
Memory lane sounds like a worthy expedition. While the rush of new restaurants in Nashville is exhilarating, we don't want to ditch the old reliables.
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