The times they are a ’changin’ in Nashville as several beloved restaurants who were quick to shut their doors at the very beginning of this pandemic crisis have reopened their operations for carryout and delivery to the hungry patrons of the city. In preparation for the anticipated permission to open dining rooms for at least limited capacity for diners, these restaurants have begun to rehire furloughed staff and open up their kitchens again, and Nashvillians are very happy about it.
Among the erstwhile chefs who have recently returned to the kitchen is Margot McCormack, who has started up a new “MarTOGO” program at her Margot Cafe & Bar in East Nashville. Surviving the double hit of the early March tornado that tore through her Five Points neighborhood in addition to COVID-19, McCormack has welcomed big crowds to her parking lot to pick up multi-course dinners plus desserts and cocktails to-go placed in their trunks by helpful staff. Additionally, Margot Cafe also offers expertly prepared dressings, stocks, sauces and other kitchen staples to make cooking at home easier and even more delicious.
Another restaurant that has been dearly missed is City House, where chef Tandy Wilson has begun to sell a pizza-centric menu of dinners and family meals out of his historic building in Germantown. If you’re feeling a little down, there’s not much that an order of City House’s famous Cookie Plates can’t fix!
Nicky’s Coal Fired has also returned to cooking pizzas, although not from their massive coal oven because that is a pretty labor intensive process to manage for carryout-only service. Instead, owners Tony and Caroline Galzin have developed a new recipe for take-and-bake Sicilian-style pies that come in aluminum foil pans ready to pop in your oven at home for a quick and delicious treat. Among the toppings available are some of chef Galzin’s fantastic charcuterie options including a remarkable Italian Sausage. If patrons don’t want to fire up their own ovens, Nicky’s also sells a complete Sunday Dinner with a menu of salads, main courses and pasta that changes weekly.
Karl and Sarah Worley have also started slinging pies again at their Hillsboro Village pizzeria, ‘za. Offering both takeout and delivery options, ‘za has been a welcome addition to neighborhood dining options along with their three locations of Biscuit Love which have also recently reopened after being shut for a while to offer a menu of their favorite biscuit sandwiches along with a selection of farm-fresh pantry items from some of the Worleys’ favorite purveyors.
Just in time for Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday, Redheaded Stranger has started serving up their fantastic Southwestern specialty tacos out of their East Nashville location, although these are certainly not your run-of-the-mill Mexican joint tacos. Perfectly portable, these innovative stuffed tortillas can be picked up curbside for a mix-and-match dinner chosen from a list that includes smoked brisket or pulled pork or chef Bryan Lee Weaver’s famous Hatch green chile cheeseburger. Add a side of braised pork in green chile sauce for a decadent and delicious dinner.
More and more restaurants in Nashville are starting to reopen, so we’ll do our best to keep you updated on the latest and greatest.
