3 East Nashville restaurants

If you’ve got cabin fever from all this winter weather, try to rove on over to East Nashville to try out one of these restaurants:

Marché  Artisan Foods:  1000 Main Street

This restaurant’s fare is based on seasonal and local choices, so it’s very likely that the dish you so loved when you visited last month is not on the menu today.  That awareness could be discomfiting, or it may inspire you to try something completely new.  You can always get croissants, omelets, or crepes (sweet or savory) for breakfast; tasty salads, soups, and sandwiches for lunch, and European-styled dinner choices.  Whatever you choose, do not get “water with lemon.”  Marché has terrific drinks: bold coffees, assorted teas, ginger beers, and Lorina (sparkling) lemonade – and that’s not even mentioning their wine list. Finally, Marché also offers products you’ll want to take home: fresh breads and locally made jams, honeys, granolas, pastries, and chocolates.  It’s worth a trip!

Sky Blue Cafe:  700 Fatherland

Sky Blue is one of those places that you can get breakfast all day.  So if it’s 2:00 in the afternoon but you want biscuits and gravy or steak and eggs, or fresh-squeezed orange juice (yay!), then you should head towards Sky Blue.  There’s a lot of ways you can really personalize your meal at Sky Blue: not only is there a dream-up-your-own-omelet, but there’s also over a dozen ways you can flavor your made-to-order coffee or cappuccino.  Finally, you’ve got to try the heavy, cheesy Armadillo just due to its name!  They also offer, upon occasion, special dinner menus.  The next one slated is for Friday, March 21, where you’ll find an Irish themed menu, complete with four courses and four beer pairings.  It’s a small venue, but it’s cozy and you’ll feel like you are helping a local business succeed – which you are.

I Dream of Weenie:  113 South 11th Street

Well, this review can be brief, because I Dream of Weenie sells, um, hot dogs.  That’s probably not much of a surprise given the restaurant’s name.  What will be a surprise is that this restaurant is housed in an old yellow VW van, and you’ll also be delighted at how the cooks here can transform a plain, boring hot dog into something you’ll enjoy and, more importantly, you will recall days and weeks later how yummy that dog was.  The Flaming Frank and the Rebel Yelp appear to be the most popular dogs, but there’s one for every taste.   Visit them on a warm, sunny day and you’ll need to claim a spot at some of the picnic tables placed outside: it’s that popular.  Meals are cheap, and if you’re still hungry, you can walk over to the ice cream shop across the street.  This dog is called the Feliz Navidog…

hotdog