Vegan dishes feature a special sort of culinary creativity, and especially tricky amid all the meat substitutes is the attempt to create a vegan version of seafood. In the lively bustle of Hunters Station in East Nashville, Deep Sea Vegan brings locals and visitors flavors from under the sea, minus the meat. The vegan pop-up is open for business every other weekend — on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. Get there early, because they sell out.
Front and center on the menu is the signature Deep Sea Fish Sandwich. With its fish substitute — made with delicious hearts of palm — and its flavor combinations, it’s a customer favorite that’s unique and fresh. The hearts of palm are coated in a Southern cornbread batter and deep-fried to perfection. Topped with pickles, candied jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes and the signature Deep Sea Sauce, the sandwich is spicy, creamy and tangy, with a surprisingly fishy flavor. The pop-up’s chantilly potatoes are served on the side — a plant-based-cheesy mashed-potato dish with its own kick.
After such a flavorful, spicy lunch, Deep Sea’s key lime pie — a dessert that’s typically hard to come by for vegans — is a delectable option to cool your palate. With a walnut crust, creamy base, whipped topping and fresh lime zest, the pie is bold and delicious. Luckily for all of us, Deep Sea Vegan is open this weekend.
