NASHVILLE, TN
If you could possess one superpower, do you know what it would be?
I do. Teleportation. No doubt. And on nearly every workday, when I’m deciding whether or not to grab lunch at Whole Foods for the umpteenth time or the Chinese food place on the corner that has served us non-vegan “vegan” food more than once, I would instead instantly beam myself back to Graze for their incredible Cranberry, Tofu & Apple sandwich. It’s out of this world. 👽
Cranberry, Tofu & Apple: Seasoned tofu, cashew cheese, cranberry relish, sprouts, mixed greens, red onions, and granny smith apples—all served on toasted sourdough loaf
I highly recommend Graze. For the food, for the drinks, and for its casual and cozy atmosphere. Take one of your omnivorous friends by for dinner and I promise you, they won’t have the slightest clue that what they’re eating is completely free of meat and dairy.
My mom loved her meal as much as I did. She ordered the Loaded Potatoes (featured image): oven fries, cashew cheese, seitan chorizo, guacamole, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, green onions, and cilantro. She raved about it all dinner long, but I was too involved with my sandwich to pay her exclamations much attention. Fellow foodies know—the really good dishes will have you lost in mouthwatering bliss.
Everything on the Graze menu sounds amazing, like the Chickpea Bay Cakes: veggie crab cakes made with chickpeas, tofu, cashews, and hijiki seaweed, and served on arugula with horseradish aioli and cocktail sauce; and the Caesar Wrap: wilted kale, tempeh bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, quinoa, carrots, and Caesar dressing. And you should see their Broccoli and Cashew Cheese—yum!
I haven’t even touched on the fresh juice, smoothie, and brunch menus! Taking me back to happy childhood memories is their Little Foot juice, an antioxidant-packed blend of kale, apple, lemon, ginger, cucumber, and pineapple; and Fern Gully: grapefruit, basil, apple, lemon, and spinach.
Brunch is served seven days a week: 10 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday, and 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
1888 Eastland Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206
For more deliciously kind vegan food in Nashville, check out The Southern V and Avo!
EXPLORING THE CITY
Music City vibrates with carefree energy. You can find live music any night of the week.
We arrived on a Friday. After having an early dinner, settling into our Mount Juliet Airbnb, and taking a quick power nap, we wrapped ourselves in our warmest clothes and headed to Broadway. Temps in the mid-thirties weren’t gonna keep us from enjoying some live country music!
The street is lined on either side with bar after bar, no cover. Just good music and cold beer. My kind of place. I think we lucked out—the first spot we chose had what must have been the best band on Honky Tonk Highway that night. Performing mostly covers, what made them so special was the woman on the fiddle. Phenomenal! It was a new and wonderful experience, and I’m so happy to have shared it with my mom, someone who loves music as much as I do.
Also on the strip are a few quaint stores and restaurants. We wandered into Ernest Tubb Record Shop which has been open at 417 Broadway for 70 years! But instead of vinyl, it’s mostly filled with CDs now.
Ernest Tubb Record Shop – 417 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Nashville, I will be back!