Explore East Nashville's food, drink and retail | Nashville Shopping

Gallatin Pike in East Nashville is probably not the first area that comes to mind when conversation turns to great shopping destinations ? unless you?re in the market for hair extensions.

But if you?re looking for well-curated clothing, art, home furnishings, unique gift items and some of the best one-of-a-kind accessories in town, then you need to spend a day treasure-hunting in this part of town.

From artisanal foods to vintage clothing to repurposed items transformed into art, ?local, local, local? is key in this burgeoning retail spot. Every store I visited along Gallatin Pike adheres to this fresh mantra.

Filled with artisanal items, jewelry and more, the Hey Rooster General Store?s interior space is a modern twist on the country store. / Shelley Mays / The Tennessean / Click photo for slideshow

Yes, it is the wild, wild west of shopping as retailers cozy up with said Hair Worlds and other decidedly non-shopping center neighbors. But a day spent perusing the shops and eating at some of the best restaurants in Nashville will make you glad you stepped outside of your shopping comfort zone.

I?ve mapped out a day of shopping and dining (with help from Tennessean food writer Jennifer Justus), so get ready to explore, shop and enjoy.

Old Made Good (OMG)

3701B Gallatin Pike, Nashville; 615-432-2882; www.oldmadegood.com

Tapped by Lucky and Elle magazines, who named OMG one of the best vintage stores in America, this retailer is like an ever-changing art exhibit mixed with fashion finds and wrapped up with a big bow ? in short, a shopping present waiting to be unwrapped.

?Everything in here, with the exception of a line of socks, we make, find or buy. That is the most important thing to us,? says co-owner Kate Mills, who along with Ashley Sheehan makes up the design team that has OMG on the hot list for vintage and repurposed decor, art and apparel.

?We can get perfectly great stuff from an estate sale, but most things we repurpose. We do fearless furniture. Add a neon leg on something, or paint an antique wardrobe a bright yellow, but leave one leg walnut. We want to honor the true antiquity of the items,? Mills says.

The merchandise ? mid-century modern furniture, including a Lucite and brass bar cart that had me drooling, locally made candles, handcrafted jewelry and vintage clothing ? is displayed with such a deft touch I almost didn?t want to move anything. Each vignette looks perfect.

But Mills says nothing ever stays the same in the shop.

?We are constantly moving things. Changing things up. The store won?t look like this next week,? Mills says.

One thing that will stay the same is the famous glitter floor.

?When we moved into this space early this year, we wanted to do something different with the floor,? Mills says.

More than 100 pounds of glitter later, the DIY store owners had cleaned out all the gold glitter in Nashville.

Mills says people still come from all over to see the floor. But once they see the treasures the store offers, they come back for the shopping.

Hey Rooster General Store

1106 Gallatin Ave., Nashville; 615-712-7680; www.instagram.com/heyroostergal

Growing up, Courtney Webb remembers her grandfather greeting her with the phrase ?hey, rooster? instead of ?good morning.? When Webb moved back home to Tennessee after a stint in Brooklyn, N.Y., she decided to open a store using the cheerful greeting.

?I had a small store in New York, but I lost my lease and decided to move home. Almost everything in my store now are things that my friends in Brooklyn create,? says Webb, who also uses her background in architecture to design jewelry that she dubs ?textured and modern.?

Webb, who also sold her jewelry at the famed Brooklyn Flea, widely regarded as one of the best flea markets in the United States, met other artisans while showcasing her art. She now sells their products in her store, giving her merchandise mix a one-of-a-kind appeal.

?Many of the items I sell aren?t available here. I love sharing my friends from New York with my new friends in Nashville,? Webb says.

Like a general store, the merchandise mix ranges from foodstuffs ? all products made by hand or in small batches ? to art, jewelry, home goods and a smattering of toiletry items.

?I do tweak the merchandise mix for every season. I am getting grilling items in now and products like small-batch mayonnaise flavored with black garlic, white truffle or bacon,? Webb says.

Live True Vintage and Vinyl

3123 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, 615-578-0527

?I worked at the post office for 17 years. I am done with serious,? says store owner Tammy Pope, speaking about the merchandise mix at her vintage clothing and record store.

With a distinct rockabilly vibe, the front of the store is packed with denim, concert T-shirts, hats and belt buckles, while the back houses records.

Pope credits Trez Wooten with curating the record collection, a mix of ?rock, country and a little jazz? that has a steady stream of customers coming in for original-pressing vinyl records.

?We don?t do any new releases. But people around here know music, so they appreciate all the old stuff,? Pope says.

With the store barely two months old, Pope plans to expand her offerings to include art and original jewelry from local artists.

?I don?t do fluffy stuff. And I try to keep the prices in the $20 to $50 range. I would rather somebody come in and buy something and have fun than make it too expensive,? she says.

Logue?s Black Raven Emporium

2915 Gallatin Pike, Nashville; 615-562-4710

The word ?emporium? refers to a store carrying many different kinds of merchandise. This store delivers with its eclectic mix of clothing, comic books, handbags, accessories and local art.

You might find vintage clothing, including premium denim such as 7 for All Mankind, Dooney & Bourke handbags and designer dresses, plus cult collectibles and assorted kitsch.

Even more intriguing is the downstairs area, which houses a movie theater featuring a mix of horror and B movies. And, of course, what garden-variety emporium would be complete without a bar? Yes, you can enjoy a beer while you watch your favorite cult film.

Owners Robert and Cemile Logue divvy up the store duties. Robert handles the movie and horror mix, while Cemile ferrets out amazing vintage finds, including a Christian Lacroix pantsuit she had in stock the day I visited.

Fashion meets fantasy with a funhouse vibe. What?s not to love?

Food and Drink

Barista Parlor

519 Gallatin Ave., Nashville; 615-712-9766; facebook.com/baristaparlor

Start the day by fueling up with a top-notch cup of coffee at this epicenter of cool and collaboration. Every detail of this garage-turned-coffee shop exudes the creativity of Nashville ? from the baristas? get-up of Emil Erwin, Otis James and Imogene & Willie to the outdoor signage from Sideshow Sign Co., and the back mural created with letterpress squares by Bryce McCloud of Isle of Printing.

But back to the food and drink. You can start with coffees from Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Madcap and Counter Culture, as well as a scratch-made buttermilk biscuit with Porter Road Butcher sausage, Kenny?s Farmhouse Cheese and Willow Farm eggs. While you?re there, pick up one of pastry chef Hannah Lehner?s hand pies for later, made with fresh Peach Truck peaches, Belle Meade Bourbon and vanilla bean. Or if straight-up chocolate is your thing, you?ll find rows of beautiful bars from Mast Brothers, Olive & Sinclair, Dick Taylor, Sweeteeth and Askinosie.

March? Artisan Foods

1000 Main St.; 615-262-1111; marcheartisanfoods.com

March? makes one of my favorite lunches in the city. You?ll be in and out quickly, but the European-style cafe with a French-inspired menu and a sunny open room always feels like a treat.

The menu changes according to what?s growing, but options often include an omelet of the day, crepe of the day, fresh salads ? such as the Moroccan chicken salad with couscous, red onion, almond, mixed greens, feta and mint vinaigrette ? sandwiches such as egg salad on sourdough or lighter bites such as fresh peaches on whole wheat with ricotta and a drizzle of honey.

No. 308

407 Gallatin Ave., Nashville; 615-650-7344, www.bar308.com

End with happy hour at No. 308, which runs from 5 to 10 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays and 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. This place can get rowdy and rocking (in a good way) later in the evening, but you?ll find a chill vibe during the early hours in a dark and mod-looking room with cozy corner banquettes.

Snack on bacon-wrapped shrimp with fig sauce or mini pulled pork tacos, and then pick your poison by section from the happy hour choices ? perhaps Aperitif Reef for an Italian-style dry cocktail or Tiki Town for island-inspired drinks such as the Headhunter, with Jamaican overproof rum, amaretto and lime.

Porter Road Butcher / The Bloomy Rind

501 Gallatin Ave., Nashville; 615-650-4440, prbutcher.com, facebook.com/thebloomyrind

These businesses share space in one spot near Barista Parlor to bring customers a jackpot of food offerings. You?ll find fresh meats and cheeses, obviously, but also cases of Willow Farm eggs, Hatcher milk and butter, Benton?s prosciutto, confit chicken pasta salad, black pepper and sorghum summer salami, Falls Mill grits, Lusty Monk mustard and tubs of house-made mayo, stocks and syrups, such as lemon-thyme simple syrup.

Coming soon:

Beer lovers will soon have a new option with The Hop Stop at 2909 Gallatin Pike. Operated by the folks who brought us The Village Pub in Riverside Village, The Hop Stop will sell beers by the pint as well as growlers to take home, along with pretzel bun gourmet hot dogs and sausages.

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Source: http://blogs.tennessean.com/shopping/2013/06/14/explore-east-nashvilles-food-drink-and-retail/

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