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An East Nashville Query (Guest Blog by Author Nick Valentino)

Nov 12th, 2009
by J. Kirk.
1 comment

Editor’s Note: Here at the East Nashville Blog we all consider ourselves patrons of the arts, and even more so when they’re local. So when East Nashville writer Nick Valentino asked if he could write a guest post, we were happy to say yes.

Greetings Fellow East Nashvillians,

My name is Nick Valentino and I want to thank the East Nashville Blog for letting me come here today and guest blog.

The reason for my visit is that I’m on a thirty day blog tour in support of my first published novel, a Steampunk story called Thomas Riley published by Echelon Press. (Today is day eighteen of the tour.)

If you don’t know what the Steampunk genre is, I like to describe it as a Patterson House-styled drink. Chill 1 part Jules Verne, mix with two parts Indiana Jones, add a mixer of H.G. Wells, and for flavor twist in a little Frankenstein. So if you’re into science fiction, alternative history or mad scientists with steam powered inventions, keep reading.

Wanted-poster

Here’s a little more about Thomas Riley:

For more than twenty years West Canvia and Lemuria have been at war. From the safety of his laboratory, weapons designer Thomas Riley has cleverly and proudly empowered the West Canvian forces. But when a risky alchemy experiment goes horribly wrong, Thomas and his wily assistant Cynthia Bassett are thrust onto the front lines of battle and forced into shaky alliances with murderous sky pirates in a deadly race to kidnap the only man who can undo the damage: the mad genius behind Lemuria’s cunning armaments.

As for me, I’ve lived in Nashville my entire life but I’m relatively new to East Nashville. When you make a move like I did, the places you visit regularly change. Instead of going to Fido or Starbucks to write, I don’t know what good places to write in the East are. So, let me know what you think the best places to write in East Nashville are. If you’re not a writer, where do you see people writing? Hm, it would almost be a good category for “Best of Nashville”.

ThomasRileyCoverT5

You can find out more about Nick’s book at http://sirthomasriley.com. Signed copies are available for purchase at http://thomasriley.bigcartel.com/ or http://www.echelonpress.com.

Posted in: Arts, Writers.
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The Magical Mystery Show On WRVU

Oct 16th, 2009
by J. Kirk.
No comments yet

East Nashvillians, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about a little radio program called the Magical Mystery Show. If you still have a record player and a collection of vinyl, if you’re an insomniac, if you’ve ever wanted to hear Lou Reed* call in and request one of his own songs – this is the show for you!

MMSP10001

DJ Rad Dude and T-Wheels take their listeners on a weekly themed musical romp through the wee hours of Saturday, discographizing a theme, a scene, a genre, or an important musical period while the workaday world sleeps. Check out their blog, and if you’re up late tonight tune in to 91.1 FM WRVU to catch some tunes.

* - may not be actual Lou Reed

Posted in: Music.
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Five Points Still Doesn’t Get The Drift Of Barbecue

Oct 14th, 2009
by Bobby Shamwell.
1 comment

Editor’s Note: What you’re looking at here is almost as much a review of all the East Nashville spots owned by Matt Charette as it is a look at his newest place, Drifters. But Bob’s review of Drifters depends pretty heavily on a familiarity with those other businesses, so I’ve left the whole thing intact. – JK

drifters

My EastNashvilleBlog.com foodie colleagues and I recently sampled the fare at Matt Charette’s newest Five Points eatery, Drifters BBQ. Before I get into my review of Drifters, let’s take a quick glance at all of the other Charette-owned East Nashville establishments.

Beyond The Edge: This sports-themed restaurant has absolutely the dumbest theme going in East Nashville. Its logo is of a rock climber rappelling a distorted martini glass. The theme matches poorly with its pub fare food – burgers, fries, pizza, quesadillas, and various sandwiches, most of which you can tell just gets microwaved.

Beyond The Edge does thrive as a drinking establishment with good alcohol variety and popular drink specials. This is the only reason to go. They should ditch the “extreme sports” schtick and simply call themselves The Place That Doesn’t Call Last Call Early. They should also stop trying to feed us.

Battered n’ Fried: The Battered n’ Fried portion is decked out with Boston-themed kitsch. Before the Red Sox won their “miraculous” World Series those several years ago, it was rare to see anything Sox around the South. Afterwards (and continuing still), all of the “fans” have come out of the woodwork. Nothing is more annoying than being surrounded by the bandwagon when you just don’t care, and B n’ F’s Boston fetishism is no exception. Another corny theme from Charette.

Food-wise, seafood lovers like myself will definitely try this place once. While B n’ F can sometimes satisfy a rare craving, frying absolutely everything on the menu gets old quickly. There’s not much variety, and southerners already deep fry everything anyway – which makes the Boston theme even more confusing. East Nashvillians who want a good pan-seared or baked piece of fish will get no help from Battered n’ Fried.

Wave Sushi Bar: Sharing the building with Battered n’ Fried is Five Points’ only other seafood option, Wave Sushi. I have to say that the rolls I’ve had from Wave are quite good. The taste has consistency; the problem is the portions you get for the price. There are endless sushi options in Nashville that are just as good, more filling, and much better-priced. Wave Sushi Bar is like eating appetizers for dinner. The appetizer bill is well over fifty bucks, making you wish you had stayed home and rolled your own.

Watanabe: In Riverside village is Watanabe, Charette’s second sushi zone and possibly his tastiest restaurant. Watanabe has Wave prices, but more variety, better portions, and better atmosphere. (It helps when you’re not eating sushi beneath Boston newspaper clippings.) I dropped a lot of money there on my birthday, but I had a good time and felt it was worth it. Mmmmm, sea urchin.

With Drifters BBQ, Charette has added another finger to his gradually-forming stranglehold over East Nashville, but can he up the already limited, and boring, food ante? Riverside Village’s Watanabe is delicious, but despite East Nashville’s reinvention of tattooed, bohemian yuppification a lot of people around here simply can’t afford to eat at places like that all the time. Can Drifters make its mark in Nashville’s barbecue world? This review is going to split hairs, but when it comes to southerners rating their beloved BBQ, that’s just how it’s gotta be. Continue reading →

Posted in: Food.
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You Say Tomato, We Say Fun: Tomato Art Festival Recap

Aug 10th, 2009
by J. Kirk.
No comments yet
Historic East End, home of the Tomato Arts Festival

Historic East End, home of the Tomato Arts Festival

Folks from all over Nashville flocked to East End on Saturday for the Tomato Art Festival, one of the biggest parties of the year on this side of the Cumberland. That’s no surprise given that it’s been voted Best Festival in the Nashville Scene Readers’ Poll two years running. After a pre-festival gathering with some local artist friends, we walked down to Five Points to take in all things Tomato.

We caught some of Tommy Keenum's crooning when we arrived.

We caught some of Tommy Keenum's crooning when we arrived.

Music played on three separate stages scattered around the Five Points area for most of the day. The August sun was brutal on one of the hottest days of the year to date, so we give credit to all the performers who put in their time providing free entertainment for the thousands of people in attendance. Last year an estimated 12,000 people showed up, and it wouldn’t surprise us at all to find out that this year’s number was even larger.

The festival is billed as “costume friendly,” and there was plenty of evidence to support it. From adults decked out in red costumes to kids (and dogs!) with their hair dyed red, yellow, and green, enthusiasm for the day’s theme was on prominent display.

costumedcouple

tomatoking

tomatodog

Did we mention that Saturday was hot? Luckily there were plenty of chances to cool down, from the local Five Points businesses who threw open their air-conditioned interiors to the public, to the vendors selling refreshments, to the fine folks at Love Thy Pet who provided a pool for everyone’s dogs to find some relief.

'Dog Days' indeed.

'Dog Days' indeed.

And what would an arts festival be without some art? All the local galleries invited the public to come in and sample some of the local fare, including Art & Invention Gallery and its Tomato Art Show. There was also a silent auction of pieces out at the Art Institute’s booth, which featured the piece below.

She may hate tomatoes, but Nashville loves them.

She may hate tomatoes, but Nashville loves them.

We thoroughly enjoyed our two hours at the festival, and the rest of the crowd seemed to be having a great time, too. Like some friends that we ran into in a shady spot as we headed out, though, we wondered why the festival has to be scheduled for the hottest time of the year. Is it to make sure that we stay as red as the tomatoes for the next week or so? There are already so many ways the festival will stay with us – we could probably do without this one.

Posted in: Around East Nashville.
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Get Your Eastside Taco Fix!

Jul 25th, 2009
by J. Kirk.
1 comment

East Nashville taco lovers, your list of local options just got a little longer – and if you’re on the western side of Gallatin Road, the new option just might jump to the top of your list.

The Holland House brings tacos west of Gallatin Road

The Holland House brings tacos west of Gallatin Road

Terrell Raley has been serving up gourmet tacos in the Holland House Smokery cart on the corner of Eastland Avenue and McFerrin Avenue for the past week. We stopped in yesterday for a quick bite and for about $8 got a delicious late afternoon meal that kept our minds off dinner for a while: a chimichurri pork taco, a pulled chicken and mushroom taco, a side of curried potatoes and squash, and a salad made from black beans and local corn. The menu will change every week (brisket is one the way for the week of July 27th!), but the hours will stay the same: Monday through Friday, 11AM-2PM and 4PM-7PM, and Saturdays from 11AM-2PM.

Besides serving up delicious tacos, Raley also showed us around the inside of the building that he’s turning into The Holland House Saloon. There’s a lot of space inside the old store, and by November it should be open for business with affordable food and cocktails and an intimate atmosphere that should prove a hit in the Maxwell Heights neighborhood.

For menu updates, specials, and other news, follow The Holland House on Twitter here.

Posted in: Around East Nashville, Food.
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Next Big Nashville 2009 Accepting Band Submissions Through Next Week

Jul 8th, 2009
by J. Kirk.
No comments yet

Next Big Nashville 2009, Music City’s own four-day music festival and conference, doesn’t roll around until the second week in October. But if you’re a Nashville artist looking to get in on the action, now is the time to apply.

Even if you’re not a big shot you’ve got a chance – artists ranging from unsigned singer-songwriters to major label acts have performed at Next Big Nashville in its first three years. And given that the number of artists on the schedule ballooned from 33 to 200 in two short years, your chances of getting in this year are better than they’ve ever been.

Interested in playing for the Next Big Nashville crowds? You’ll want to visit this website, fill out the form, and send in two songs and the $10 entry fee. NBN’s cutoff for submissions from bands and solo artists is 1:00 p.m. CDT on July 13th, so now is the time to apply. The folks in charge will let you know within a month if you’ve been accepted for this year’s festival.

Still on the fence? Last year’s Next Big Nashville drew 15,000 music fans to more than a dozen Music City venues. If the fledgling festival’s track record so far is anything to judge by, this year’s iteration should be even bigger. For a look at some footage of last year’s event, take a gander at this video.

Next Big Nashville Promo from Next BIG Nashville on Vimeo.

If you’re an East Nashville artist who’s going to play at NBN, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at comments@eastnashvilleblog.com.

Posted in: Music.
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Spicehead Paradise: Nashville’s Third Annual Hot Chicken Festival Recap

Jul 7th, 2009
by Bobby Shamwell.
1 comment

Ahhhhh. Another East Nashville Fourth of July, where endless pops of fireworks begin two days before and continue for at least another week. I ask other friends (westies and southies) if people continue to play with explosives after America’s special day. Usually the answer is “no.” I guess we just have more fun over here in Maxwell Heights. Go play with your sparklers, tea sippers!

This isn’t really what I wanted to talk about. You see, the other EastNashvilleBlog.com food writers (J. Kirk and M. Lavigne) are lame-o types who left town during East Nashville’s Fourth of July debauchery. So now I (Bobby) must play the foodie role in describing my experience at the Third Annual Hot Chicken Festival at East Park.

Hot Chicken!

Hot Chicken!

Continue reading →

Posted in: Food.
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A Drunkard’s Brunch: Mitchell’s Deli

Jun 29th, 2009
by M. LaVigne.
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On Sundays I don’t often feel like venturing out into the world before noon. By then, finding sustenance is a priority. There are plenty of places in East Nashville for brunch, and if I haven’t visited most of them by now, I’m sure I will. This week I checked out Mitchell’s Deli at 1402 McGavock Pike.

Dave serves up sandwiches at Mitchells Deli

Dave serves up sandwiches at Mitchell's Deli

I have to admit the decision was strongly influenced by tales about the proportions of their bacon. I was not disappointed. At Mitchell’s the bacon is cut thick. For 75 cents you get a triple-thick slice off the hot bar that is so intensely flavored that one or two slices is more than enough.   All of the other items offered on the hot bar were sold by the pound, making it a great option for getting only as much as you want at a fair price. The homemade sausage was good and I definitely will have to give their gravy a try next time. We also sampled some of their home fries, which were a mixture of regular and sweet potatoes seasoned with just enough salt and pepper to accentuate the sweet and starchy combination. The biscuits and the eggs were passable at best, but I’m extremely picky about biscuits and there isn’t much that can be expected from scrambled eggs off of a steam table.

While I was there I also had to sample something from their deli counter because it seems a bit ridiculous to go to a deli and not try their sandwiches.  I love bagels with lox to the point that I crave it once a week, so when I see it on a menu, I can’t resist putting it to the test. Served closed style, this sandwich was pretty traditional: cream cheese, red onions, capers, and tomatoes. I suspect their lox was actually smoked salmon, but it was quality, so I’m okay with that. The bagel was crusty and fairly dense; I don’t know why anybody would want it any other way. I wasn’t specific about my order, but being a full service shop, I’m sure they can customize.

The rest of the deli offerings looked appetizing and included roast lamb, sopressata, and mortadella, a wide variety of cheeses, and fresh breads. I think I even saw some olives. Overall, Mitchell’s isn’t the kind of place that makes a big show, but given the quality of food and the laid back atmosphere, which includes outdoor seating, they’ve established a strong foothold as East Nashville’s deli.

Check out the Mitchell’s Deli Myspace page here. Follow Mitchell’s deli on Twitter here.

Posted in: Food.
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FOOD INC. Opens at Belcourt This Weekend

Jun 25th, 2009
by J. Kirk.
No comments yet

We’re hoping to get a look at FOOD, INC., the new documentary about the food industry that’s playing at Belcourt tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s the trailer for the film:

Read about the film in the Tennessean’s article from today. Visit the Belcourt’s website here, or follow them on Twitter here.

Posted in: Films, Food.
Tagged: · ·

Fresh Baked Tradition: Sweet 16th Bakery

Jun 22nd, 2009
by M. LaVigne.
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Few foods compare with the comfort of fresh baked goods with their warm smells wafting from the ovens, the visceral experience of going to the bakery, peering into the cases and having to decide between a variety of texture and flavor combinations. For me, the experience sparks fond childhood memories of visiting my grandparents when they would often take me to the local bakery in their town. Granted, as an eight year-old, my selections often consisted of doughnuts, but still, those experiences ingrained in me the notion of the bakery as a communal institution.

Sweet treats to eat at Sweet 16th

Sweet treats to eat at Sweet 16th

Offering a wide variety of treats and savory items, Sweet 16th bakery in East Nashville is continuing that tradition. At Sweet 16th, the goods are baked fresh daily and the variety of choices is excellent. On our first visit, we selected lemon, vanilla and currant scones and a large piece of chocolate and beer bread pudding and neither failed to satisfy. The scones were near perfect, light and crumbly, yet dense enough to hold and eat without making an enormous mess at the table. The flavors blended well, slightly tart with the mellow aftertaste of vanilla which was not overpowering.

The bread pudding tasted as good as it sounds, if not better. Dense, rich, and weighing in at nearly a pound for one piece, this is definitely an item to share. The hedonistic and often overlooked combination of beer and chocolate provide this delectable with its characteristic flavors. Though I imagine they’d be reticent to reveal trade secrets at Sweet 16th, I tasted both milk and dark chocolate flavors mingled with the malt of a stout brew. I must admit here that I am allergic to chocolate and only make an exception for Mole Poblano. I believe I now have two exceptions. Sure to please both the chocolate lover and the beer aficionado, the chocolate and beer bread pudding is a winner.

Located at 311 N. 16th Street, be sure to make Sweet 16th a regular stop on your East Nashville ramblings. Their menu changes regularly, including daily soups, so there are always new options. (I also picked up a vichyssoise for lunch while I was there, which was great on such a hot day.)  Sweet 16th also accepts call ahead orders so consider them for special events; though, if you are considering a sampling of their menu for Sunday brunch, you may want to visit them on Saturday as they are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Posted in: Food.
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