Jess Rice
Avo, the highly regarded vegan restaurant that opened last year in West Nashville, is undergoing some changes, having parted ways with original chef and co-owner Jess Rice. Happily, we'll definitely be hearing more from Rice. She tells Bites she's working on starting a new venture, and in the meantime has a pop-up scheduled later this month at The Treehouse.
Meanwhile, Avo owner Susannah Herring says she wants to reassure customers that the concept won't change and Avo will remain vegan. “The menu will stand,” she tells Bites. “You'll just see more options.”
She continues, “We will add in some additional cooked items. We're going to add some warm foods, like soups and entree dishes.”
As for the kitchen staff, Herring says Avo is “promoting from within” and will have more announcements soon. “Our staff is really excited” about the upcoming additions, she says.
Rice and Herring opened Avo in June and its menu — plant-based with locally sourced ingredients and raw dishes — was an immediate hit. In a review in October, the Scene's Megan Seling praised Avo's creative, flavorful cuisine and its welcoming and unpretentious vibe. Even non-vegetarians have been singing Avo's praises. It was voted Best New Restaurant in the Scene's Best of Nashville Reader's Poll for 2015, while also snagging Best New Vegetarian Restaurant in the Writers' Choices.
One detail that has helped Avo's popularity as a convivial dining spot is that it also serves wine and cocktails; the avocado margarita is legendary.
Rice says she will continue developing recipes: She has a vegan version of the Bushwhacker cocktail up her sleeve. (Bushwhackers are hugely popular in Nashville bars; Rice's version will use coconut instead of dairy.)
After getting an art degree and working in the music business, Rice studied holistic nutrition in Bali and with noted chef Matthew Kenney at his plant-based culinary academy in California. She initially made vegan food for other restaurants on a wholesale basis before teaming up with Herring to open Avo.
“I was shocked by how much people loved it, and appreciated the flavors and textures I created,” she tells Bites.
She says Nashville folks are “on fire” to learn more about healthy, plant-based eating, and she hopes to both teach classes on the topic and eventually open another business, a full restaurant or possibly initially desserts. She says she's looked at sites in East Nashville and on the West Side, and has talked with potential partners, though she's also considering crowd-sourcing if she launches a solo venture.
For those eager for details of the Avo split, both sides have been using the neutral phrase “parting ways.”
Herring says, “Avo thanks Jess for her support and what she's brought to Avo and wish her well on her journey forward.”
Rice says she is rooting for Avo to continue its success: “A rising tide lifts all boats.”
Here are the details about Rice's pop-up at The Treehouse:
Rice’s gourmet raw food comes back to The Treehouse in East Nashville for a pop up event on Monday, Feb. 29'CADO (“cah-doh,” as in “avocado”), Jess Rice’s first pop up event after her break from Susannah Herring and Avo, will be held at The Treehouse in East Nashville on Monday, Feb. 29. The event, aptly named ‘CADO, will feature 5 freshly-prepared plant-based courses and will showcase seasonal produce grown by farmers within 100 miles of Nashville. There will be two seatings between 6-10pm and tickets are $40, alcohol not included. The AVOcado Margarita, one of Rice’s best-selling recipes, will be on the drink menu in addition to a vegan bushwacker. The entire menu will be vegan and gluten-free. 'CADO will be Rice’s first of many pop-up events between now and the launch of her new venture. Rice recently participated in a “takeover” at Treehouse on Nov. 11 and is excited to return.
For more information, visit mypoortiredliver.com and find My Poor Tired Liver, Chef Rice’s plant-based lifestyle brand, on Facebook and Instagram.
