A Vegetarian in Nashville
When I travel, I like to dive wholeheartedly into the local food culture, and although I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, usually this doesn’t restrict me too much. One of my pet peeves is people who think vegetable-focused diets are limiting—I’ve found endless pleasure in exploring new plant-based dishes (and of course, the fact that I’ll eat occasional seafood is helpful). I will admit, however, that the American South presents a sure challenge when it comes to meatless meals. Here’s how I fared on my recent trip to Nashville…
“Hot chicken”—spicy fried chicken—is one of Nashville’s signature dishes, so I had to bring my group here even though I wouldn’t be partaking of the signature meal. I chose Hattie B’s over more traditional locations because of the numerous side dishes on their menu. But when I rolled up to the counter, I found myself with fewer options than I had expected. There was pork. In. Everything.
Potato salad? Bacon. Black-eyed pea salad? Ham. Collard greens? You guessed it. I ended up with pimiento mac and cheese, coleslaw, and banana pudding. The waitress took pity on me and comped a sweet tea, noting “it’s tough for vegetarians here.” True story!
So Hattie B’s wasn’t a perfect success, but my little motley crew of side dishes made for a tasty meal (especially that banana pudding)—and it’s definitely worth a trip if you’re traveling with meat-eaters.
This mecca for biscuits was a natural fit for carb-loving me. Loveless Cafe is a bit touristy and definitely requires a car, but it was a fun and affordable stop on our last day in Nashville. The biscuits were light and fluffy and the housemade peach, blackberry, and strawberry preserves are worth picking up in the restaurant’s gift shop. Loveless features lots of other meat-eater’s delights like country ham and barbecue, but if you’re a vegetarian, you’ll find plenty of options like fried green tomatoes and grits.
But seriously, don’t skip the biscuits.
I bet you didn’t expect a veghead to put a hot dog place on here, did you? This little sausage shack is worth visiting for the pun-tastic name alone, but also features veggie hot dogs with daily toppings that go far beyond relish, ketchup, and mustard. I chose a late-night snack of a veggie dog topped with mac and cheese, which pretty much blew my mind. Of course, they have real meat dogs as well for your more traditional friends.
The great thing about Nashville’s food scene is that it isn’t all heavy southern shrimp and grits. Hipster-y restaurants are popping up right and left, and say what you will about hipsters, they tend to bring in the sort of farm-to-table restaurants that are my, ahem, locally-sourced jam. I knew I wanted to check out Rolf and Daughters after perusing their eclectic menu. Stracciatella crostini with edible flowers? Agretti with currants, capers and anchovies? Octopus with avocado and hominy? Yes, please. Rolf and Daughters was the perfect place to explore some of Nashville’s more adventurous cooking, and wins extra points in my book for having a wide variety of unusual vegetable dishes.
The Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden
Again, a burger parlor might not be a seemingly obvious choice for a veggie foodie, but I’m a little bit in love with this bizarro biergarten-slash-soda-fountain in East Nashville. Their beer menu has a split personality, featuring traditional German beers as well as local Nashville brews and food-wise, I ate the best salmon burger of my life here. As a bonus, their twinkly backyard is a lovely and large place for groups if you happen to come here in warm weather.
Of course Nashville is a mecca for meat-eaters, but I left Music City stuffed and happy without tasting a bit of ham. Another meaty city conquered!
