Bill LaViolette of Shotgun Willie’s put his faith in East Nashville barbecue lovers. They came through.
-- Photo By Mayter ScottThe makers. Some of them have brick and mortars and set hours. Others migrate from farmers market to farmers market. And a few rely solely on social media, notably Instagram, to announce their location of the day and hours.
Often these new pioneers of Nashville’s food scene operate with just one person or may bring in a few helpers for busy days and hours. The person writing an Instagram post is usually the same one cooking the food and doing the dishes.
“The hunger with them is real because it’s just them,” says culinary observer Delia Jo Ramsey. “They have so much on their plates. They’re having to cook the food, advertise the food. It’s a grind to set up at the farmers market.”
And while the cost of a sandwich or pizza may seem slightly more expensive for diners used to mass-produced foods, the makers are dedicated to using the highest quality ingredients and laboriously time-tested recipes. Is the perfectly made smash burger or a tortilla prepared with imported corn from Mexico worth it? Of course, it is.
The following are just some of the makers offering insanely delicious food in Nashville right now.
• Alebrije: The menu is inspired by the legendary Mexican street food and includes homemade tortillas, inventive tacos and a spectacular churro hot from the fryer. 918 Woodland Street (in front of Honeytree Meadery). Hours: Monday and Thursday/Friday 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday Noon-11 p.m.; Sunday Noon-9 p.m.
• Bad Luck Burger Club: Possibly the best smash burger in Nashville with melty American cheese and a mustard-forward special sauce. Follow the boys on Instagram at @badluckburger club for their schedule.
• Bill’s Sandwich Palace: A rotating menu of super-stuffed sandwiches featuring inventive ingredients. If you’re really brave, order the Mystery Sandwich. You won’t know what it is until you get it. 311 N. 16th St. Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Crieve Hall Bagel Co.: Housemade sourdough bagels with ultra-creamy schmears and specials that include the phenomenal cinnamon bun. 4825 Trousdale Dr. Hours: Monday and Wednesday: 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Thursday-Sunday: 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Closed Tuesday.
• Egg Drip: Irresistible Korean-inspired silky egg sandwiches on buttered and toasted Japanese milk bread with inventive toppings and sauces. Follow them on Instagram at @theeggdrip for their schedule.
• Fatbelly Pretzel Bakery & Deli: The soft handmade pretzels are legendary and the sandwiches are locked and loaded up. Don’t miss the breakfast sandwich that features brown-sugar bacon, cheesy eggs and a whole hash brown. 921 Gallatin Avenue. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Flour and Forge: Artisan pizzas with housemade crusts baked in an authentic wood-burning pizza oven right on what may be Nashville’s most massive food truck. Follow them on Instagram at @flourandforge on Instagram for their schedule.
• Fryce Cream: Fries and ice cream. Those are the choices so they’d better be good and they are. The fries are delightfully crispy and come with a variety of sauces. The ice cream is soft serve made in-house. Feel like a five-year-old again and dip those fries into the soft serve. Salty and sweet is the perfect combination. 2905 12th Avenue S. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday Noon-9 p.m.; Sunday Noon-7 p.m.
• Honeytree Meadery: Get quality small-batch meads produced by environmentally sustainable processes. The dedication is real – the owners also keep their own bees for the product. 918 Woodland St. Tasting Room Hours: Monday-Thursday 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday Noon-11 p.m.; Sunday Noon-10 p.m.
• Kisser: This Japanese-inspired restaurant is named after the neighborhood cafes in Japan where people gather to hang out and eat. The menu’s emphasis is on smoking and grilling, featuring such items as yellowtail collar marinated in sake, ramen carbonara, a chicken katsu sandwich on milk bread and miso crème brûlée. 747 Douglas Avenue. Hours: Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Maiz De La Vida: Hyper authentic Mexican featuring homemade corn tortillas, tacos, sopes, quesabirria, chilaquiles and moles. 3101 Clarksville Pike. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Cocorico: Authentic French baguettes, sandwiches, quiches, desserts and accompaniments. Follow them on Instagram at cocorico.nash for their schedule.
• Mijo Gordito: The menu may be either Mexican- or Thai/Lao-inspired based on the owners’ country of origin and can change at the drop of a hat. 1006 Fatherland St. Follow them at @mijogordito on Instagram for the current menu and hours.
• Perfectly Cordial: Artisan maker of nonalcoholic cocktail mixes. Available at oneSHOP, 3 City Avenue. Hours: Thursday-Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Shotgun Willie’s BBQ: Texas-style premium smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork and sausage plus sides, bourbon banana pudding and Texas sheet cake. 4000 Gallatin Pike. Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. or until sold out.
• Soy Cubano: Authentic Cuban food including ham croquesta, Cuban sandwiches, frita burgers and quava/cream cheese pastries. 1101 McKennie Avenue. Hours: Monday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Tuesday-Saturday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
• S.S. Gai: Super crispy Thai fried and smoked chicken with sticky rice, fresh herbs and vegetables, and sauces for dipping. 1101 McKennie Avenue. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
• The Salty Cubana: Miami-inspired Latin American food including empanadas, Cuban puff pastries, croquettes, South American cheese bread and Venezuelan cheese sticks. Follow them on Instagram at @thesaltycubana for the schedule and ordering instructions.