East Nashville Eats

There have been some tasty developments in East Nashville as of late:

Calypso Cafe — Yes, the awesome Calypso finally has crossed the border, er, river. I’m excited about their new location attracting downtown business folk to the Eastside for lunch.

MadDonna’s — After months of preparation, MadDonna’s opened last week. Paul and I visited last night. I thought it was on the good side of average. My hamburger was pretty good, but both it and the calamari appetizer were bland for my tastes. Paul liked the calamari and really enjoyed his entree, the Coconut Thai Salmon. We ate in the main dining room, although we took a peek at the outside dining area and the upstairs bar (very chic). This is a great addition to the ‘hood. The grand opening will be April 28th.

Coming Soon:
The Veggie Cafe — The long-awaited Veggie Cafe opens tomorrow! I am so excited that this place is about to open, especially since it’s within walking distance of my house. I tried a smoothie and veggie wrap from these ladies at the Tomato Art Fest, and it was a delicious meal. Plus, they gave ice to my dog, so they’ve earned a place in my heart forever. I look forward to trying some of their vegetarian soul food; I’ve heard the meatless meatloaf is great.
UPDATE 3/14/07: Just stopped by Veggie Cafe, and they are still undergoing health inspections. They hope to be open by tonight, or perhaps tomorrow.

Mitchell’s Delicatessen — This place opens March 22nd in Riverside Village. The deli will offer a variety of sandwiches, meats, cheeses, a salad bar, and prepared food (the latter from Chef Julia of Family Wash fame). It will be open for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner.

Mike’s Ice Cream/Sip — Mike Duguay of Mike’s Ice Cream Fountain is taking over Sip this month and adding his ice cream to the shop’s offerings. But don’t worry, Sip fans — reportedly there are few changes planned other than the addition of ice cream. Duguay also plans to move the manufacturing aspect of his business to Riverside Village later this year.

Pied Piper Creamery EXPANDED — And speaking of ice cream, Pied Piper is expanding to take over the space recently vacated by V Floral & Gift. Owner Jenny Piper tells me her shop will soon be offering sandwiches and perhaps a hot food item each day.

One thing we won’t be seeing soon is an Asian fusion restaurant. Riverside Village developer Dan Heller reports that plans for the new restaurant are on hold after Metro Water demanded a $42,000 connection fee from the prospective restaurant owner.

I have to admit, when I first heard this story I wondered if it was referring to an inexperienced business owner who had found himself in over his head (I know something about that!). Turns out, the man behind the plan for the new restaurant is Matt Charette, owner of Beyond the Edge and Batter’d & Fried. Yeah, he knows a little something about running restaurants, and I’m sad that the exorbitant water fees are prohibiting him from investing further in the community. I really, really hope this restaurant happens.

For more info about the crazy water connection fees, check out this recent article from the Tennessean.

One last note — Castrillo’s has been sold. The recipes will stay the same, but the new owner decided to scale back operations a bit. The pizza place will revert to delivery and carry-out only, although pizza lovers will be welcome to dine in the courtyard of Riverside Village.