372wn vol i issue2

RACE TO RAIL: Poising Charlotte for Light Rail page 6

51st Avenue: The Latest page 10

What’s Up with the Tree Canopy? page 14

PLUS OUR

West Side Guide to Romance! page 19

February–March 2017 VOL. I, ISSUE 2

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Editor and Publisher MIRIAM DRENNAN

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Historian YVONNE EAVES

Copy Editor JENNIFER GOODE STEVENS

Contributors: TINA BEMBRY

JAMIE BROWN

DEANA DECK

YVONNE EAVES

CLARE FERNANDEZ

NAOMI GOLDSTONE

SONIA FERNANDEZ LEBLANC

SCOTT MERRICK

Art Direction and Design ELLEN PARKER-BIBB

Graphic Designer HARRISON CONNALLY

Photographers CLARK THOMAS

BRIAN SISKIND

Distribution DANE MCCARY

Advertising Account Managers ANGELA BOWMAN

JUSTIN BEAUCHENE

COVER DESIGN Ellen Parker Bibb

Advertising Inquiries: 615.491.8909 or 372WestNashville@gmail.com.

372WN is a print and digital magazine published every other month by Next Chapter Publishing, LLC. All content presented herein, unless otherwise noted, is the exclusive property of Next Chapter Publishing and cannot be used, reprinted, or posted without permission. 372WN is free for readers; excessive removal of the product or tampering with any of our distribution racks will be considered theft and/or vandalism and subject to prosecution.

CONTENTS VOL. I, ISSUE 2 | February–March 2017

MAIN FEATURE 6

Race to Rail: Poising Charlotte for Light Rail

CURRENT HAPPENINGS 10

51st Avenue: Making Third Place the Best Place to Be

14

What's Up with the Tree Canopy?

FEATURES 19

The West Side Guide to Romance

38

Wags and Whiskers: A Holistic Pet Boutique and Dog Spa

42

A Tale of Two Writers: Writing Music on the West Side

46

Clees: The Ferry, The Family and Its Mysteries

52

Reserva Cigars: Neighborhood Bar, Chicago-style

56

The Winter Garden: Ready, set, SALAD!

IN EVERY ISSUE 60

372WestNosh

63

Weedeaters

64

372WhokNew?

February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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kristin hostettler

residential. commercial. property management.

{real estate professional} office : 615.297.7711 mobile: 615.476.2133 421 east iris drive #300 nashville, tennessee 37204

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372WN.com | February–March 2017

HEALTHY & CLEAN

RACE TO RAIL:

POISING CHARLOTTE

FOR LIGHT RAIL by

Jamie BROWN, Special Contributor

West Nashville, much like the rest of the city, is growing rapidly. With more and more giant apartment complexes going up on Charlotte Avenue, many of us have anxiety about the congestion this growth brings. Increased density has already affected our daily lives, and, inevitably, it is going to get worse before it gets better. But Nashvillians have been promised a solution—a mass transit system with a $6 billion price tag that will likely include light rail down Charlotte Avenue. While light rail is promising and, to many, long overdue, the investment and construction era is expected to span the next 20 years, which may mean 20 additional years of enduring increasingly burdensome commutes and traffic congestion. How can we ensure light rail will come and that will we survive until it does? Preparation.

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What is in store for West Nashville?

The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee (MTA) spent more than a year studying the transit needs and demands of the region and engaging the public to gather information on the values and interests of the community. MTA concluded its work by issuing its nMotion Transit Plan Recommendations, a 33-page report outlining what should be done to improve our infrastructure. In its report, MTA calls for improved technology (apps that simplify obtaining information on routes, departure times and fare payment); increased frequency and service times on existing routes; greater connectivity; better stations and vehicles; expanded service areas in the region; and most importantly, high-capacity and rapid-transit services, including existing BRT express buses, bus-on-shoulder commuting, regional rapid buses, commuter rail and light rail.

MTA recommended West Nashville receive three key transportation upgrades: • An arterial BRT on West End, which may include curbside bus lanes. (BRT, or bus rapid transit, is an express bus service that runs more frequently than other routes and eliminates lower-density stops in an effort to shorten commutes).

• Bus-on-shoulder services along I-40 West to Bellevue and Dickson. (Bus-on-shoulder would allow buses to escape congestion by passing slow-moving or stopped traffic on the shoulder at a reasonably safe speed).

• Light rail transit on Charlotte Avenue (an electric rail service with one- to three-car trains that receive traffic signal priority and operate at higher speeds than a bus, with fewer stations in the densest areas).

MTA was clear that the larger commitments, like light rail, would be slow-moving and implemented over the next 25 years.

The next 15 years are expected to bring confirmed design and only the initial construction of planned light-rail projects,

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coupled with some incremental improvements like an app with real-time tracking of buses, simpler payment methods and extended operating hours.

So what about the short term?

If it will take us 15 years to see initial construction and more than 20 years until our transit lines operate, what can West Nashvillians do in the meantime? There is plenty to do now: Commit to ridership. Using our existing public transportation isn’t exactly easy. You’ve got to do a lot more planning—identifying the route you will take and the time you need to be at the stop or make a connection, having cash or a transit pass and planning appropriate attire for waiting at the bus stop. You also have to do some waiting—for the bus, for a transfer, sitting through stops and waiting in traffic. You’re responsible for getting yourself to the stop and on to your final destination, which might involve a very long walk or riding a bike, which isn’t ideal for many commuters who would have to change clothes or those who haul a laptop to and from work. But we should suffer these inconveniences whenever possi-

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ble. We have got to get behind the transit system, and the first step is to use it. Continued commitment to ridership, even if more inconvenient than driving your personal vehicle, poises a community for better services. When ridership is strong, more coverage becomes viable—increased frequency and additional routes will manifest.

Last year, The Nations Neighborhood Association sponsored a ridership campaign to prove the viability of commuting in and about Nashville without a car. “We Don’t Car” was a weeklong effort by more than 25 Nations residents who took a pledge not to use their cars for an entire week. Surveys of the participants before and after the week indicated some surprising responses: most Nations residents found that existing bus services were not as bad as expected, and that MTA’s poor reputation is, in many respects, unwarranted. So if you haven’t been on the bus in a while, try it out. Take the 50 Bus (the BRT express bus that travels straight down Charlotte Pike to downtown) instead of an Uber or Lyft the next time you are heading downtown for an event. Note: the 50 is a good bus for newbies; it comes reliably every 15 minutes, and the route is a straight shot down Charlotte. Get on

the bus and be a transit leader and ambassador. Even if the experience is miserable, you’ll walk away more entitled to articulate specific grievances and be a champion for improvement.

Accept growth. Although the giant apartment buildings that are popping up on every corner on Charlotte give us anxiety, they are going to help improve the transit options in West Nashville. Land use and development are just as important to building a well-functioning transit system as the actual buses and light-rail cars. Density delivers the critical mass necessary to make a neighborhood transit-ready: it means that services will be useful to a greater number of people, generating a greater return on investment (including both economic and non-economic returns). With a growing number of people living in West Nashville, we gain the ability to sustain additional routes, serve additional populations and develop economically. Constructing dense residential developments along Charlotte is the most efficient development pattern for creating transit infrastructure and makes us a priority for new services like light rail.

Embrace multi-modal development. If we want to be the first in line for coveted light rail services, we must make it easy and safe to get to and from transit stops. Light rail routes, by necessity, must be centrally located, creating the firstand last-mile connectivity problem.

Right now, our neighborhoods need to be building multi-modal infrastructure that creates safe biking and walking options for commuters.

Infrastructure that serves pedestrians and bikers (including crosswalks, pedways, bike lanes, bike racks and bike valets) primes our neighborhood for transit access.

MTA wants to ensure that its first rail route is a success and is more likely to start in an area where firstmile and last-mile connectivity is

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certain funding referenda or to approve new taxing powers or funding mechanisms. Understanding the pros and cons of proposed financing options is a responsibility that falls on all Middle Tennessee voters and must be taken seriously.

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established. The more preparation we do now to connect to existing services, the easier it will be to succeed once new routes and light-rail services are in place. We can all start using our bicycles more and identify areas for improvement, while burning a few calories and easing congestion and parking burdens.

Vote responsibly. It is vital to ensure we have the most effective advocates in power at the neighborhood, city, county, state and federal levels. Metro Council representatives are instrumental in marshalling assets for their respective districts and have the power to impact roadway development within their districts, including the creation of bike lanes, crosswalks and sidewalks.

Our elected officials at the state and federal levels must be responsible stewards of our funds and fight for additional resources for our transit

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Jamie Brown is an alumna of Vanderbilt

University Law School and an attorney in Nashville. She purchased a home in The Nations in 2013 and is a former board member of The Nations Neighborhood Association.

She serves on the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Moving Forward Revenue Committee, which seeks to identify sources of funding for the future transit system.

system. All of our elected officials must make policy decisions that prioritize transit infrastructure.

And aside from electing responsible governors, Middle Tennesseans will likely be called upon to vote on

615-383-1444

Got a news tip or story idea for 372WN? Email us at 372WestNashville@gmail.com

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51 AVENUE ST

Making Third Place the Best Place to Be by

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Stephanie SEFCIK

photos by Brian SISKIND / THOSE DRONES

In early spring of 2016, District 20 Council Member Mary Carolyn Roberts embarked on a mission to beautify the oil tanks at the end of 51st Avenue North in The Nations.

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avigating regulations around ownership and conwill become one of Nashville’s first complete streets, trol of the tanks, Roberts aimed for a project that will be filled with sidewalks, squares, parkways would recruit artists to use the massive tanks as and boulevards. their canvases. Her momentum could have ended Getting There with the promise to move forward with the art Why 51st? “It’s inexpensive. It’s cheap for businessthat she secured from several tank owners, but Robes, and there’s a lot of space there,” Roberts said. erts is far too passionate and determined for that.

When The Stone Fox opened to great success in “Well, you know, one thing goes well, and then you 2012, “people started seeing the area differently,” she get a bit greedy,” she said. So she went to the mayor added. Over the next three years, more businesses with her “hat in hand,” and she asked for more. Her have opened their doors—Tinwings, specializing in vision would have a far greater impact on this unsushealthy, homemade food to go, or Spell’s dancewear, pecting street and burgeoning community than she which relocated after spending decades in Green first anticipated.

Hills. As the area grew and more businesses moved On May 24, 2016, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry in, a few remaining issues needed to be addressed signed Executive Order No. 31, the Complete and before paving could begin.

Green Streets Policy. This legislation, though unrelated entirely to what Roberts had planned for 51st Avenue’s beautification, opened the door for a more robust project. According to the mayor, the policy “will not only enhance community livability for citizens ages eight to 80” but will also “seek to reduce the impact of street infrastructure on our rivers and streams.”

In addition to enhancing infrastructure, local ecosystems and business, the complete street policy mantra is “vision zero,” as in envisioning zero traffic fatalities or serious injuries -- a FIGURE 1. Option 3: On-Street Parking on One Side and Two-Way Cycle Track on the Other Side (used with permission from Metro Public Works) lofty goal. Also notable is the reduction in bicycle/car and bicycle/pedestrian collisions There was with one big problem in particular: the that would be achieved by the dual-directional bike 40 acres of water that had been dumping onto 51st evpaths that would be implemented in both phases of ery time it rained. Once the amount was confirmed, the proposed project. stormwater drainage solutions became a priority for The vision began with street art and expanded and the project planning committee and local residents. morphed into a full paradigm shift, “changing from st A mutual goal to prevent flooding, create a viable the inside out,” Roberts explained. Now, 51 Avemulti-modal transportation corridor, and to improve nue is positioned to become West Nashville’s “third the green efforts and sustainability of the roadway has place,” known in the urban design world as a place led representatives from Metro Public Works and local claimed by the community (with “first” and “second” urban engineers to assemble and plan a game-changplaces traditionally being home and work, respectiveing street design, spearheaded and guided by Roberts ly). Roberts’ vision for the 51st Avenue project, which

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and executed with the support of Barry. This portion of the work began in late 2016 and finished in time to begin the additional enhancements in Spring 2017.

As of this writing, those enhancements will include the amenities found in “Option 3,” the concept of the project chosen by Metro to fundraise and implement. In this design, 51st Avenue maintains the existing curb-to-curb width of the street, and so during this first phase, there will not be any change to the existing sidewalk behind the curb. This also means that during this phase, existing parking lots and streetscapes will remain untouched.

Option 3 consists of the following: • • • •

a two-way cycle track on one side of the street two single through lanes of traffic on-street parking on one side of the street a turning lane in the center

Though Roberts laments the lack of dual-sided street parking, one of her original targets, she acknowledges that compromises were necessary to begin the project with the funding currently available. Barring any complications, this phase should be completed in late 2017.

Option 4: Still viable?

Last summer, a community meeting was held to discuss the future of 51st Avenue. Representatives from Metro Water and the mayor’s office presented the issues with the current state and the concepts of a future state.

Attendees overwhelmingly voted in favor of Option 4, a significantly more involved design that would require a bigger budget and much more time to achieve; however, the end result would yield larger six-foot sidewalks; separate, dedicated bike lanes isolated from street; larger traffic lanes; parking on both sides of the street; and a much more significant amount of trees and plants along the roadway, including rain gardens and permeable concrete to assist with water runoff.

Jason Radinger, Metro Public Works Bike/Ped Coordinator, suggests that West Nashvillians look to Deaderick Street, near Legislative Plaza, to see what a complete “Complete Street” looks like. Deaderick Street’s design and implementation closely mirror the Option 4 concept presented by the planning team and Roberts. It boasts bioswales, permeable concrete and pavement, 10-foot tall LED pedestrian column lights, and dozens of street trees, though

FIGURE 2. Option 4: On-Street Parking and Multi-Use Path on Both Sides (used with permission from Metro Public Works)

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FIGURE 3: View of Deaderick Street downtown. (included with permission from Hawkins Partners Inc.)

it does not share the bike paths or center turning lane that will be included in the 51st Avenue plan. As shown in the picture below, Deaderick is truly a corridor of green in Nashville’s urban sprawl. While Deaderick’s implementation closely mirrors what’s been envisioned for 51st Avenue, other streets like the 31st connector and 11th Avenue North also represent complete streets; it’s important to note that each of the street projects is different depending on the needs of the communities they serve, and that each one embodies the directive in the Order to “Give full consideration to the accommodation of the transportation needs of all users, regardless of age or ability, including those traveling by private vehicle, mass transit, foot, and bicycle.”

Roberts’ vision, as described by the planning team, is in line with this conceptual vision, which has not been approved or allocated funding. This is “the ultimate complete street cross-section concept that we discussed,” according to Amy Burch, Professional Engineer

VEHICLE CLASSIFICATION

Weekday ADT (%)

Weekend ADT (%)

Passenger Cars and other two-axle vehicles

9,532 (93.7%)

5,822 (94.7%)

Heavy Vehicles and Busses

620 (6.1%)

316 (5.1%)

Bikes

24 (0.2%)

11 (0.2%)

Total

10,176

6,149

FIGURE 4: Average Daily Traffic Table for 51st Ave North (used with permission from Metro Public Works)

and project manager in the Nashville Traffic Management Program. Project planners have created multiple phases of the project to account for budget concerns and also for a “learning curve” among the residents of West Nashville as things shift on 51st Avenue.

So what is there to learn? For starters, a reduction in speed along the 51st corridor. Radinger anticipates that it will take some time for citizens to adjust to the new infrastructure.

“People realize, ‘hey I can’t do this anymore,’ as far as speed[ing] down this roadway, etc.,” he explains.

Burch echoes Radinger’s assessment of the speeding situation. “The design the of the street will encourage drivers to drive slower,” Burch affirms. “There are fewer lanes, and there will not be all that passing,” referring to the center turning lane and single through lanes running in each direction.

Much of the impact of the Option 4 plan will not be known until a comprehensive survey is completed, including utilities, power lines and local businesses. Though Option 4’s lanes of traffic will remain inside the existing curb structure, there would be a certain amount of construction that would take place outside the curb boundaries, including replacing existing sidewalks with permeable concrete to reduce standing water and ice.

For those who are nervous about the “road diet” of reducing lanes from four to three, Metro Planning

Department has answers for that, as well. Burch, who has more than 12 years in traffic planning, says that the analysis completed for the project showed that street capacity exceeds the volume of vehicular traffic and are “lower than you would expect on a road that size.”

The table included below shows the daily traffic logged on 51st Avenue by Metro traffic engineers. When asked about how this proposed “diet” of four lanes to three compares to guidelines, Burch commented that, “A general rule of thumb in traffic engineering is that a road diet where four vehicular travel lanes are converted to three lanes works well for daily traffic volumes up to 16,000 vehicles per day.” At right around 10,000 vehicles per day at its busiest, 51st comes in a comfortable 6,000 vehicles under the recommendation, making the three-lane plan feasible for the present and also provides for growth and population expansion in the area.

Safety for Cyclists Undoubtedly, the biking community stands to gain the most benefit from the Option 4 concept. “It adds another layer of multi-modal connectivity,” explains Radinger, who has also served on Metro’s Walk/ Bike committee. Especially “for the cycling aspect. It’s a huge advantage . . . it’s more inviting,” he concludes, referring to cyclist and pedestrian access to restaurants, stores and continued on page 37 February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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by Scott

MERRICK

photos by Brian SISKIND / THOSE DRONES

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ree canopy. One exists wherever there is water, soil, sunlight . . . if human beings’ encroachment has not eradicated or severely compromised it. The acronym “UTC” stands for “Urban Tree Canopy,” and if you were flying over our fair Music City in a blimp, a hotair balloon or a glider, the UTC is wherever the tops of trees mask the ground below.

According to the online Watershed Forestry Research Guide (http://forestsforwatersheds.org/ urban-tree-canopy), UTCs help manage storm water by taking in rainfall that would otherwise hit the storm drainage system; filters pollutants; reduces the urban heat island effect; helps reduce heating and cooling costs; lowers air temperatures;

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increases property values; shelters wildlife; and serves to improve community aesthetics. That’s a lot of favors.

A 2010 study for the Metropolitan Nashville government concluded that Nashville’s Tree Canopy was (then) in pretty good shape— around 47 percent—and suggested that the tree canopy assessment effort should be repeated at regular intervals. Since it’s been six years as of this writing, is that recommendation in the cards?

“I’ve been in talks lately about plans to do so, and the short answer is no,” says “Nashville Lorax” and activist Jim Gregory. “Those studies are expensive: Louisville, Kentucky’s recent study cost those taxpayers $100,000. On the positive side, I’ve been looking at a lot of Louisville data to help me understand what is happening in Nashville.” Though efforts to discuss the topic with

Nashville Urban Forestry and Codes Administration have been (as of this writing) unsuccessful, here’s what Gregory extrapolates: • Over the past 10 years, Louisville has lost an average of 54,000 trees a year.

• Census data tells us Louisville has grown approximately 2.8 percent over that period.

• Nashville has grown approximately 7.8 percent over that same time period • In 2010, Louisville’s tree canopy percentage was assessed at 37 percent and Nashville’s at 47 percent.

“I think it’s fair to say that Nashville has lost more trees than Louisville during the past 10 years,” Gregory continues. “That’s disturbing. Major clear-cutting has been under way, especially in Antioch.

To make things worse, think about

global warming. As our temperatures continue to rise, we will be needing more shade on our ground and over our streets. There is a perfect storm under way for the tree canopy.”

Cabot Cameron, owner and arborist at Druid Tree Surgery, shared how New York City has increased its urban tree canopy by 12 percent over the past few years: Driven by a mandate from its mayor after detailed aerial assessments, neighborhoods raised money and planted more than a million trees in the Big Apple. According to Cameron, they first concentrated on areas where there were “tree deserts” (very low percentage UTC). Their efforts paid off.

Cameron also mentioned the impending eradication of all ash trees in the United States due to the emerald ash borer, an insidious pest that destroys trees from their crowns to their roots. Cameron noted that about 10 percent of the Nashville tree canopy is composed of ash trees. “There is a three-year treatment of insecticide injections that can save these trees if applied, but so far, no one in a position to implement it seems inclined to do so,” he says. He agrees that global warming is important: “We will need trees more in the future than we have needed them in the past, and we are on track to have far fewer.”

A bit of information that homeowners, builders and contractors should know is that the Tree Removal Ordinance is in place to keep

“protected trees” from being felled.

Here is a quote from the very useful “Codes Violations Quick List” online brochure:

It is unlawful to remove a “protected tree” without first obtaining a Tree Removal Permit. Protected trees are trees six (6”) inches or more in diameter on any property other than a property platted for a 1 or 2 family residential development.

Removal of protected trees may create the necessity for the planting of “replacement trees” based on an acceptable tree plan provided at the time of issuance of a Tree Removal Permit. The tree removal penalty will be determined by the Environmental Court Judge.

One challenge has been in determining the point in the construction process that reminds builders they're legally bound to replace trees that have been removed.

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So, what steps can residents take to ensure this law is observed?

West Nashvillian tree activist Karen Brown shared the following with me, created by Jim Gregory and Will Worrell:

If you see a new house being constructed in your neighborhood, post this letter on the door to remind the builder of the tree planting code: bit.ly/treeloveletter If you see a newly built house with grass installed but no trees, report this directly to Metro Codes.

These reports ARE being resolved and tracked. This is really easy! bit.ly/nashcode Advocate for tree protections within our city by talking to your representatives and neighbors. In effect, we have NO mature tree protections in Nashville; our peer cities do.

Plant trees in your own yard or neighborhood!

Brown emphasizes how easy (and anonymous) this reporting process is. “Many folks complaining about these issues,” she says, “And often, that’s all they do. I want people to know that they can easily act. I’ve seen it work, on my own street.”

As of this writing, Gregory and The Nashville Tree Task Force are developing a one-page guide to make reporting even easier. The guide gives a "1-2-3" reminder of when to assess, what to look for, where to report.

“There is no official ‘trigger’ to enforce the rules,” says developer Mark Hayes, owner of West Nashville Living. “Including one in the Use and Occupancy sign-off letter would be helpful; but again, staffing and funding are issues there.

It’s complicated.” According to Hayes, the professional developer’s community is aware of the need to maintain the canopy, but says that

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he doesn’t see much in place to regulate its depletion. “With large projects, since the 2010 assessment and report, there are landscaping rules in place and I believe they are being followed.” He mentioned Nashville West’s landscaping as an example.

“At least it’s not just a huge expanse of concrete, which we have seen in some earlier construction.” Hayes called attention to the good work of the Nashville Tree Foundation, which hosted a detail-packed workshop this past fall and will certainly do so again in the future.

“Our community tree-planting day, ReLeafing Day, centered around planting trees in neighborhoods and at schools,” explains Nashville Tree Foundation Director Carolyn Sorenson. “We select areas of Nash-

ville where low tree canopy and need intersect.” ReLeafing Day was Nov. 19 last year and enjoyed great success. “We had approximately 190 volunteers help us plant 200 trees—in difficult soil due to the dry conditions from the drought—along with other initiatives," Sorenson continues. "In summary, the impact we had at ReLeafing Day was the addition of 500 trees in Davidson County in one day.” Launched in 1998, ReLeafing Day grows each year, which is encouraging.

To preserve existing trees, Sorenson mentions the Historic and Specimen Tree Program, which allows any resident to register a tree to protect it in perpetuity. The process is simple and can be accessed with a quick Internet search. “We are

Your neighborhood spot for Southern

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It is important that West Nashville citizens understand the complex issues around our tree canopy so that we leave behind a Nashville in which our children and their children can enjoy life and thrive on into the future. Be aware, be inquisitive and talk it up with neighbors and family.

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working with the city on a new Urban Tree Canopy Master Plan,” she explains.

Hayes and Cameron both suggested that residents of new homes can also help, while enhancing the enjoyment and value of their property.

“Builders of smaller projects tend to do the landscaping last,” says Hayes, “and they work on the front yard and leave the back a sort of a blank check for the owners. Buyers purchasing a new home should consider spending a few hundred dollars on some backyard trees.” Do the research, spend a few dollars, and help replenish the tree canopy where it really matters: in your own back yard.

Planting them is a major first step, of course; but the ultimate goal is that they grow and mature. So whether you gather your neighbors for a tree-planting effort or plant a few in your own yard, the trees will need water, and lots of it, even in these last few weeks of winter. “Just because it’s not summer any more doesn’t mean you don’t have to make sure your trees get the equivalent of about an inch of rain a week,” explains Evelyn Allen, owner of The Secret Garden landscaping company. “So water if needed, and especially if there’s about to be a cold snap and we’ve been without rain, water the heck out of everything. Don’t overwater, though! Keep an eye on your plants, and if leaves are yellowing from the inside out or bottom to top, that usually indicates overwatering.”

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NEWS FLASH: Visit bit.ly/NTCPlan to see current work on the Nashville Urban Tree Canopy Plan that Carolyn Sorenson mentioned above!

Scott Merrick is a West Nashville native who currently resides in The Nations and teaches public elementary school students about technology. Connect at http://about. me/scottmerrick.

February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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ELLEN PARKER BIBB design | painting | letterpress

ellenparkerbibb.com

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Romance The West Side Guide to

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ebruary is the month we celebrate love and romance, whether we’re gearing up for Valentine’s Day, planning summer weddings or keeping our own hearts warm in these chilly temps. The good news is, West Nashvillians don’t have to travel far to find tokens of affection, romantic dining or places to host a celebration with those we love.

Sisters Clare Fernandez and Sonia Fernandez LeBlanc ventured through several West Nashville neighborhoods searching out all of the above. Use this starter guide to help you find the right way to celebrate your Valentine, your pal, your sweetheart, your “just talking to” or the one with whom you’ve yet to have DTR chat . . . but it can be used for any and all occasions throughout the year.

Obviously, we couldn’t list them all, but be assured West Nashville has you covered for romance and beyond!

February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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Treasure Hunt: A Gift-giving Guide for the West Side by

Sonia Fernández LeBLANC

unless otherwise noted, all images by LeBlanc SLATE PHOTOGRAPHY

Simple, extravagant, cherished, eclectic and even handmade—they’re all for the discovery, across every neighborhood. If you can't decide what should go in the box, it's time to think outside the box—here are some places that'll get you started.

BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE Who says traditional means blah? We’ve rounded up some of the best gift spots west of The Cumberland that offer traditional gifts that are still beautiful, unique finds. These are the go-to spots that fit the bill for a variety of budgets.

The Beveled Edge

Two for Home

73 White Bridge Road #114 (Paddock Place Shopping Center) thebevel.com

992 Davidson Drive, Suite 100A twoforhome.com

Known for its fine framing and unique, eclectic gifts, The Beveled Edge has been a staple in the West Nashville area for more than 30 years. Whether you’re searching for something seasonal, one-of-a-kind or a little “Nashville”-inspired, this is the spot. Great selection of gift ideas for women, men and children, along with an extensive variety of greeting cards, books and puzzles.

This lovely shop at the corner of Charlotte and Davidson Drive has been serving the area for only two years and has already become a staple for many West Nashvillians looking for décor and festive gifts that add just the right touch of spontaneity. Stop in and see what lovelies you will find, at a wide range of prices!

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Elle Gray Boutique 4429 Murphy Road, facebook.com/ellegrayboutique Elle Gray is a brand-new boutique with clothing and accessories for women in the center of Sylvan Park’s shopping and eatery district.

A lot of gorgeousness at prices averaging $40 to $150.

Fabu 4606 Charlotte Pike shopfabu.com Fabu is the rare but relished type of shop in which one can tuck away for an entire afternoon wandering from room to room, 10 in all, discovering the most wondrous delights. Lots of great finds here for wives and girlfriends, but there’s a cozy red room dedicated exclusively to men’s gifts and luxury. Fabu has gift ideas for budgets of all sizes.

Fabu

Thistle Farms 5122 Charlotte Avenue thistlefarms.org Thistle Farms and the Thistle Stop Café are in a beautiful building on Charlotte Pike with a stunning

Two for Home

mural along the side. Pop into either spot and pick up some of the most gloriously scented natural bath and body products that soothe the soul, the body and the earth, produced by women who have overcome enormous obstacles. Your purchase helps them continue this work. Visit their website to learn more about the beautiful mission and model behind this most important workplace that has been a part of our community for more than 20 years.

Oak Nashville

Photo courtesy of Oak Nashville

4200 Charlotte Avenue oaknashville.com

the most delicious scents, a pantry area with local mixers and tonics to make the perfect cocktail, festive curiosities tucked away everywhere, along with soaps and scrubs for the body and beard. Oh, and the wall art and home accents can match any budget’s price point.

Oak Nashville is a glory for all the senses. Browse their collection of locally sourced, handmade and found objects in a bright, rustic, yet modern setting. They have their own line of hand-poured candles in

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magpies: the girls shoppe Westgate Center 6027 Highway 100 facebook.com/magpiesthegirlsshoppe A boutique full of delights for girls of every age. Bath bombs, journals, bags, festive lip balms, hair accessories and jewelry bring a bit of fabulousness to every gift. And the best news is that they keep glittery

loveliness in stock the whole year through! Visit their Facebook page to learn more.

G&G Interiors Nashville Westgate Center 6033 Highway 100 gg-interiors.com Specializing in interior and household luxury, G&G Interiors opened a second location on the West side of Nashville (their original store is in Knoxville). Filled with a variety of gifts, accessories and jewelry delights, indulge at G&G for a decadent gift for the home.

Gossage Jewelers 5302 Charlotte Avenue

image by magpies

image by G&G Interiors

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Looking for a remount, repair or extra-special piece? Gossage is a full-service jewelry store with a

image by magpies

breathtaking selection of vintage and antique pieces, along with services that can be tough to find: restringing pearls, remounts, repairs, appraisals and more! Family-owned, and a West Nashville staple since 1949.

SPECIALTY Sometimes, your recipient needs something that fits them, even if it doesn’t fit the flowers and candy vibe of the season. Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a gift that fits them instead of the rest of the world’s idea of what Valentine’s Day should be.

Gran Fondo 5133 Harding Pike granfondocycles.com For 15 years, Gran Fondo has been serving the West Nashville community and beyond as a full-service bike shop. They keep a large variety of bikes in stock at every price point and fit. Everyone on staff is an active rider who can provide personal experience as they recommend the best bike, helmet, shoes and accessories for any need or desire.

The Wood Thrush Westgate Center 6029 Highway 100 thewoodthrushshop.com Want to get your Valentine a charming gift of nature that gives all year long?

Look no further! The Wood Thrush is a one-stop shop for everything aviary. Choose from birdbaths, a wide selection of bird feeders, and colorful hand-crafted birdhouses ranging from $15 to $150. They also sell many types of seed and an array of books on birds.

Something for birds of every feather!

S.G. Emporium Fine Hand Works

Cindi Earl Jewelry

320 44th Avenue North 615.385.2855

5101 Harding Pike cindi-earl.myshopify.com

Owner Cary Freeman’s shop is full of handmade stained glass treasures; he also does repair work and teaches. Having worked as a demonstrating craftsman with Opryland USA for over 15 years, Cary can also work with you on a custom piece.

Be sure to call ahead for an appointment, as he doesn't keep regular hours at his studio.

Why would we put jewelry into this category? Because it’s Cindi Earl Fine Jewelry.

A staple on the West Side for 20 years, their self-proclaimed focus is on “fashion-forward fine jewelry with a twist.” And that is spot-on, because they have a gorgeous piece of jewelry in every style and at every price point from $50 to $5,000.

The Wood Thrush

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FLORISTS Flowers remain the most popular Valentine’s Day gift of all, and West Nashville has many options.

Whether you prefer to be handson or want to put it into the hands of a professional, here are two options to fit your comfort level.

The White Orchid Florist 992 Davidson Drive, No. 104 thewhiteorchidflorist.com Jerry and Michael have been creating floral beauty in West Nashville for six years. Stop into their boutique for fresh arrangements and lovely gifts (from jewelry to plants to home accents, it’s all in there!).

Geny’s 4407 Charlotte Avenue genysflowersandbridal.com Customize your blooms! When you want to select your own gorgeous flowers, Geny’s lets you head back to their warehouse to peruse their inventory and hand-select each and every part of your bouquet.

Cool Stuff Weird Things

The White Orchid

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The White Orchid

ECLECTIC, RARE FINDS AND COLLECTIBLES Where the odd, eccentric, and one-of-a-kinds are hiding. There's at least one with their name on it, so hurry before someone else makes a claim to it!

The Great Escape 5400 Charlotte Avenue thegreatescapeonline.com Since 1977, The Great Escape has been a treasure trove of collectibles, music, games, videos and memorabilia from many eras of popular culture at every price point. Browse their huge selection of music, movies and TV shows in every format.

It’s a toy, comic and memorabilia collector’s dream—with a constantly changing selection of items to keep you coming back for more.

Cool Stuff Weird Things 4900 Charlotte Pike coolstuffweirdthings.com Owner Skip McPherson has been collecting interesting and unique finds from vintage furniture, clothing and records to cool and weird architectural and industrial fixtures.

But those signs! Anyone who drives by knows what I’m talking about.

Skip crafts each one, and he even takes custom orders. So check out both their Charlotte Pike location and their new café/showroom on Centennial Boulevard inside Three Corners Coffee!

Victory Tattoo

image by The Great Escape

4808 Charlotte Avenue victorynashville.com Victory Tattoo, in the heart of West Nashville, speaks for itself. Browse the artists’ portfolios online to get an idea of the awesome ink coming out of this parlor. Appointments and walk-ins are both available daily from noon to 10:00 p.m. Victory’s artists can do all styles; the minimum price is $60, and they’re always happy to answer any questions. Give yourself or your love artistry for a Valentine’s gift that will literally last for a lifetime.

Goodwill 5412 Charlotte Avenue giveit2goodwill.org You never know what treasures you will come across at the Goodwill, and the prices are tough to beat.

Clothes, odds-and-ends for the home, art, baskets, games, electronics and so much more—you could stumble upon a most magical find for your Valentine, or any gift-giving opportunity throughout the year!

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FOOD AND DRINK A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou. –Omar Khayyam

Mr. Whiskers 31 White Bridge Road facebook.com/mrwhiskersnash

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Serving the West Side for more than 40 years, West Meade Wine and Liquor Mart has a broad selection of craft beer, wine and liquor. Their WM Reserve Room houses rare,

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5402 Harding Pike westmeadewines.com

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So there you have it—a few ideas to jump-start your Valentine’s Day or other special gift-giving occasion. If Cupid’s arrow has taken aim at your heart this year, West Nashville is packed with possibilities!

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Harvest has cultivated a lovely, boutique-style ambience where one can find the best wine for any season or occasion. They keep a selection of favorite and local brands, along with local goodies—they specialize in food pairings, so seek their advice if you are looking to create the perfect romantic evening in.

Combine Music City and gourmet delights and you have the most delicious of both worlds right here on the West Side! Nashville Chocolate & Nut Co. is filled with the finest artisan chocolates and sweets. Tracy Page, owner and singer/songwriter, also specializes in creating yummy treats with the best names in the biz, such as Guitar Cookies with Chocolate Whiskey Chips™, Nuts About Nashville® and Music City Munchie Mix®.

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4231 Harding Pike nashvillechocolatecompany.com

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ner. Call them in advance if you’re looking for something special, or pop by and pick up some of their ready-made meals (they’re up early every morning making them fresh!).

They’ve even got you covered in the gift and pre-dinner snacking department, to make you look like you’ve planned this for a long, long time—Lee Ann definitely earned the “wings” part of her business’s name.

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specialty and highly rated wines, including large-format bottles, priced from $60 to over $2,000, as well as a collection of Baccarat crystal decanters.

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With 29 taps, the Mr. Whiskers growler station is a sight to behold.

It makes shopping for the craft beer aficionado in your life an easy task, with high-gravity, domestic and craft options. Their wine and liquor selections are just as extensive, and they span every price point. Do not miss the Southern Jerky Co. stand, a Nashville-based food company that makes delicious, hand-crafted beef jerky and other snacks, located in the store. If you’re the type who enjoys making gift baskets, this could be a one-stop shop!

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Born in Nashville and raised on the West Side, Sonia Fernandez LeBlanc can most often be found at home in the Hillwood Estates neighborhood unschooling her daughters, posting about their adventures on all the social medias (Follow her on instagram at @ soel_fetole), dabbling in writing and photography (soelfetole.wordpress.com and on FB @ leblancslatephotography), and having friends and family over for festivities every chance she and her hubby gets. In her spare time, She is founding a democratic school for self directed learning called Nashville Sudbury School (on twitter @nashsudbury).

YUMMY–YUMMY–YUMMY

Love for Your Tummy

by Clare

FERNANDEZ

West Nashville has so many restaurants with romantic ambience. This short list features neighborhood staples and new additions, each one with menus that will please a variety of palates and budgets. All restaurants listed here accept all major credit cards.

Coco’s Italian Market 411 51st Avenue North Providing an affordable, authentic Italian experience, Coco’s recently updated their menu, adding steaks, manicotti and raviolis to an already-extensive menu that features paninis, pizzas, and pastas like the popular Tortellini Elliston, with cheese tortellini and fresh spinach in a blush cream sauce. To accompany your meal, Coco’s serves a selection of beers and fine Italian wines (with recommendations to complement various dishes) and a delicious array of dessert options, including the popular tiramisu and a dozen or so flavors of gelato, made in-house.

For those wanting to cook, the market up front has everything you need, from dry pasta and fresh meats and cheeses to olive oils, sauces and bread-dipping sets -- everything you need for a festive night in the kitchen. Don’t forget to grab some truffles to go! With flavors such as champagne, Irish coffee, hazelnut and sea salt caramel, you’re sure to find a decadent treat to satisfy your taste buds.

Everyone (regardless of relationship status) is welcome to join them on February 14th for “I Love

You to Death,” a Valentine's Day Murder Mystery Dinner.

The price is $60 per person and includes a buffet, soft drinks, tea and one alcoholic beverage ticket, along with a cash bar. Tickets are available for purchase at Coco's Italian Market the restaurant and online. And be sure to check out Coco’s event space on page 31!

More information and/or reservations: italianmarket.biz 615.336.7982

Park Café 4403 Murphy Road A staple in the Sylvan Park neighborhood, Park Café prides itself on innovative cuisine using high-quality, seasonal ingredients from local farms and artisan sources. The small plates are perfect for sharing, featuring items such as baked jumbo lump crab dip, chicken and

image by Coco's Italian Market

spinach dumplings, and ginger goat cheese stuffed peppadews.

The large plates menu is small but thoughtful, a favorite being the pan-roasted salmon served with coconut rice, Szechuan green beans, and a sweet chili plum sauce.

There is a full bar, and the wine list offers more than 50 wines, many by the glass, and is built to complement the food menu. The decadent dessert menu is varied, and you can’t go wrong with the ever-popular creme brulee.

More information and/or reservations: parkcafenashville.com 615.383.4409

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Miel 343 53rd Avenue North

Chateau West

image courtesy of Chateau West

Chateau West 3408 West End Avenue Chateau West, a charming yet unassuming building, is nestled among the hustle and bustle of West End Avenue. The menu is southern France meets American South, with Old World favorites presented with a modern flair.

A perennial favorite is the fondue: honey, brie and truffle oil or goat cheese and fig, served with fresh baguettes that are made daily in-house. Classic French entrees include duck chambord and boeuf bourguignon and, for the more adventurous, the loup de mer is a grilled whole Mediterranean sea bass, deboned tableside by a skilled server. For dessert, the crepe suzette (for two) or trio of Pear Belle Helene, Chocolate Moulleux and Vanilla Crème Brulee are great for sharing. A full bar offers beer, wine and cocktail selections.

For Valentine’s Day, Chateau West will be offering a prix fixe menu.

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More information and/or reservations: chateauwestrestaurant.com 615.432.2622

Fifty-First Kitchen & Bar 5104 Illinois Avenue Fifty-First Kitchen & Bar has a welcoming and cozy atmosphere, and the menu features Italian-inspired American dishes using local, seasonal, farm-to-table ingredients.

The fall menu is thoughtful, featuring house-made charcuterie selections and seasonal small plates, such as the porcini pappardelle—which is shiitake and oyster mushrooms, bread crumbs, cured egg yolk and Parmigiano—or the heirloom tomatoes with chevre (goat cheese), cucumber, basil vinaigrette and a focaccia crouton.

House-made aperitifs and boutique wines complement the menu, and the desserts are seasonal creations.

More information and/or reservations: 51nashville.com 615.712.6111

Since 2008, Miel has sourced the highest-quality local and seasonal produce and meats to create dishes that are rooted in classic French cuisine. Favorite dishes include tender Spanish octopus served with squashes and eggplant and finished with San Marzano tomato sauce and herb aioli, and the braised pork shoulder with a Parisienne gnocchi, house-pulled mozzarella, arugula and pork jus.

For dessert, the dark chocolate-bourbon ganache profiteroles are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Order-ahead options for their cakes, tarts, macarons and chocolate truffles (including flavors such as fig and red wine) require three days notice.

They offer a full bar and extensive wine list to complement the menu.

For Valentine’s Day, Miel will be offering a three-course prix fixe menu.

Be sure to check out The Barn, Miel's event space, on page 32!

More information and/or reservations: mielrestaurant.com 615.298.3663

Tin Angel 3201 West End Avenue Tin Angel, located in a historic landmark building on West End, offers seasonal American dishes influenced by French, Italian and Latin cuisines. They use locally sourced, sustainable and organic ingredients whenever possible and offer a wine selection that complements the menu, as well as a full bar with modern and classic cocktails.

Favorite dishes include the warm goat cheese salad with apples, almonds, poached figs and champagne-orange dressing, and the pan-roasted salmon with pumpkin, peanut & pecorino risotto & pea shoot salad. For Valentine’s Day, they will feature a limited menu with specialty dishes and desserts, as well as a few popular items from the regular menu.

More information and/or reservations: sitespace.us/TinAngel 615.298.3444

Tin Angel

image by Red Hare Photography

Tin Angel

image by Red Hare Photography

Salt & Vine 4001 Charlotte Avenue This new addition to Sylvan Park features shareable plates, a full bar and an extensive wine list. There is also a gourmet market offering grab-and-go meats, spreads, breakfast and coffee, as well as a bottle shop next door with a wine club option.

Great for sharing, try the crispy chicken thighs served over a savory wild mushroom farrow

Miel

Salt & Vine

with truffle arugula and Parmesan, paired with a Spanish rioja tempranillo red wine. The chocolate pots de creme with salted pretzel toffee bark, paired with a 10-year aged tawny port, make for a tasty Valentine’s dessert.

More information and/or reservations: saltandvinenashville.com 615.800.8517

image by Gina Binkley

image by Salt & Vine

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Avo 3 City Avenue Located in the Sylvan Heights neighborhood, Avo offers a New-American inspired menu that is entirely plant-based, working with local farms and sustainable businesses to provide unique, carefully crafted dishes and drinks.

The most popular dish is the glazed cauliflower steak served over a black rice risotto with a preserved lemon & herb salad and romesco sauce. Avo offers a full bar, and, for a unique drink choice try the Avo Margarita, their signature cocktail blended with avocado, reposado tequila, cilantro, lime and house-made orange dust.

Avo will be serving a prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu for two, featuring three courses and a dessert.

More information and/or reservations: eatavo.com 615.329.2377

Avo image by Miriam Drennan

White Castle

Caffé Nonna

5605 Charlotte Avenue

4427 Murphy Road

For more than 25 years, White Castle has offered table service on Valentine’s Day, complete with tablecloths and decorations. This wildly popular tradition includes a selection of shared Valentine’s Day meals—hurry, reservations go fast!

Tucked away in Sylvan Park, Caffé Nonna has been a neighborhood staple for 17 years, offering traditional and hearty Italian dishes with fresh ingredients.

Try the popular Seafood Angelina, which features fresh mussels, shrimp, scallops and baby clams sauteed with tomatoes, garlic, saffron, chiles and pancetta, served atop fettuccine with a cream sauce.

The Lasagna Nonna doesn’t disappoint, with its layers of pasta, butternut squash, spinach, ricotta and sauteed Swiss chard, finished with two sauces. For dessert, go with the gelato or cheesecake, which rotate flavors regularly, or the classic tiramisu. They offer a few beer selections, but the real complement is the wine list.

This cozy spot fills up quickly, so make reservations now.

More information and/or reservations: www.caffenonna.com 615.463.0133

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More information and/or reservations: 855.759.3370

Eight Spaces

by Sonia

Fernández LeBLANC

in West Nashville You Need to Know About

We know, we know . . . there are a lot of places to host an event in West Nashville. If you’re planning a wedding reception, engagement party or any other type of event, here are eight spaces you don’t want to miss—some are new, some are classic, all cater to a variety of tastes, sizes and budgets.

Coco’s Event Center 5101 Alabama Avenue Coco’s Event Center is part of the Coco’s Italian Market family and is on the same corner as the beloved restaurant. The 2,400-square-foot space is a blank canvas for any social or corporate event, with its beautiful hardwood floors and high ceilings glowing with string lights. It seats 120 comfortably and can accommodate up to 160 — it’s the perfect venue for a wedding rehearsal dinner! But the space can hold parties of every occasion, business or team building meetings, a performance, classes or an art show, to name a few possibilities. Use Coco’s in-house catering, or outside caterers are welcome. Their full sound and projector systems can be used for all events.

Contact: Rachel Gladstone Rachel@CocoEventsNashville.com 615.891.1476

Coco's Event Center

image by Coco’s

The Reserve and The Hop Yard @ Fat Bottom Brewery 800 44th Avenue North Perhaps the newest space to hit West Nashville, The Reserve and The Hop Yard are just five miles from downtown in the space that’s also home to Fat Bottom Brewing Inc. The Reserve is a beautiful, 3,000-square-foot space with gorgeous wood floors, a built-in bar, four custom-made chandeliers and four rollup doors that open up a spacious patio — allowing for an open-air, covered dining space that’s heated during cooler months.

With a capacity of 135 seated and 250 standing, The Reserve offers full-service catering, private restrooms and a green room (bridal suite) with private restrooms. While the catering menu is evolving, options range from casual (sliders, tea sandwiches, mac & cheese) to a more standard menu, offering plated chicken, fish and steak with sides. A small sound system and stage are available. The Reserve is not vendor-exclusive, though some fees may apply (buyout fee for outside catering, for example). The Hop

Yard, Fat Bottom’s onsite restaurant, offers a private dining room that seats up to 50 people, with minimums low as $750. Right now, The Reserve is offering a 15% rental discount for their first bookings!

Contact: Sarah Easterwood Sarah@fatbottombrewing.com

Renderings of Fat Bottom Brewery

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Green Door Gourmet 7011 River Road Pike www.greendoorgourmet.com Green Door Gourmet feels enchanted and lovely every time you set foot on the farm. It is along River Road, about a mile off Charlotte, and is a USDA Certified organic farm, market and event space all wrapped into one. It has a magic that must come from the land that hugs the Cumberland. There are a number of options for large and small weddings and parties, corporate events and festivals. And the pictures! It’s such a beautiful place to capture pictures of every part of your big day! The Grand Barn is the highlight of the event spaces offered at Green Door.

A 6,000-square-foot open design “re- The Grand Barn at Green Door Gourmet verse hay barn” can seat 150 people in the main hall and has overflow OZ Arts Nashville options in the upper balcony and 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle screened-in porch. Two full bars are OZ is one of the elite event spaces in the barn, built from the wood from tucked away in the Cockrill Bend the original barn that was exactly industrial area of West Nashville— where the Grand Barn stands today. in the former headquarters of CAO If an outdoor wedding is what you Cigars. They have created a perare looking for, then Green Door has formance and event space like no some beautiful options. The Cedar other in Nashville, with five unique Arbor, which has access to electrical spaces that can accommodate as power, is their main wedding site. few as 14 people. The entire venue But there are other areas that can be holds up to 1,200. The Ultra Lounge used for weddings and other events, Patio and Zen Gardens are a perfect such as garden parties, family rebackdrop for a contemporary unions or festivals. indoor/outdoor event, while the CONTACT: Alison Bryant Grand Salon can be a transformed events@greendoorgourmet.com into a performance space, the most 615.870.7592

image courtesy of Oz Arts

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image courtesy of Oz Arts

gorgeous wedding space, a music industry event/showcase, or a grand-scale corporate event. There is a conference room with Apple TV for smaller meetings, and as a throwback to its cigar days, they have one of the world’s largest walk-in humidors. Every need can be met, and in the highest, most impeccable fashion. Visit their website for details on rental fees, dates, vendors, catering, parking and a host of other services.

CONTACT: myevents@ozartsnashville.org

Miel 343 53rd Avenue North Looking for an intimate and warm setting to eat exquisite food and keep wonderful company in the heart of the Charlotte Avenue corridor? The incomparable Miel has a private, standalone space called “The Barn” that can seat 30 and hold up to 45 for a standing event, with an adjacent patio. Chef Andrew Coins will design an ideal menu for your special occasion. This is the perfect space for social or business-related dinner parties or just an occasion to bring friends and family together in a gorgeous space!

CONTACT: Seema Prasad seema@mielrestaurant

Miel Event Space

image by Gina Binkley

House: A Social Eatery 712 51st Avenue North Located in the space which was previously The Stone Fox, House: A Social Eatery has transformed into as cozy and delightful a neighborhood eatery as could have been imagined. They host events, birthdays, reunions and dinner parties for any occasion. You can reserve their family room, which is a light-filled space complete with deer head over the candle-filled fireplace! The Library is the most wonderful transformation, as book and knick-knack filled shelves and big booths fill what once was a stage. And the patio has plenty of space for gathering and festivities when the weather is warm. Catering is in-house, and their bar is extensive. Great neighborhood event spot for your intimate gatherings!

for photography shoots and films. This is also a beautiful and creative space for children’s birthday parties ages 3-15. Cheekwood will make any festive occasion that much more special and beautiful.

CONTACT: Taylor Gardino, Special Events Manager, and Lauren Ratcliff, Special Events Coordinator specialevents@cheekwood.org 615.354.6377 | cheekwood.org

CONTACT: Darren Hardwell dwell32@gmail.com

Belle Meade Plantation 5025 Harding Pike

House: A Social Eatery.

image by LeBlanc Slate Photography

“Belle Meade” means beautiful meadow, and Belle Meade Plantation’s beauty shines throughout all seasons.

As one of the most highly acclaimed event venues west of the Cumberland, Belle Meade Plantation is also a historic landmark, having been a working plantation and thoroughbred horse breeding farm. From an intimate event in the Boxwood Gardens to a huge party in the climate-controlled Carriage House and Stables, there is a package to suit just about anyone planning a wedding or other social (or corporate) event. Their extensive website offers everything you need to get started.

CONTACT: Linda Pilkinton, Director of Events 615.356.0501, ext.125 | bellemeadeevents.com The Belle Meade Plantation Carriage House image by Bagwell Macy PR

Cheekwood 1200 Forrest Park Drive Cheekwood is a majestic estate on the edge of West Nashville, which was transformed into an art museum and botanical gardens in the 1960s. Since then it has been an important part of the cultural landscape of the city. And what a glorious place to have a party! There are 10 venue options across the 55-acre expanse, each gorgeous in its own right. Accommodating capacities up to 400, Cheekwood offers space for receptions, ceremonies, cocktail parties, dinners, luncheons and meetings.

In addition to offering wedding and social events and corporate events and meetings, there are opportunities

Cheekwood

image by Clark Brewer Photography

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by

Clare FERNANDEZ

Love Together, Love Forever We asked three West Nashville couples who have been married 35+ years to share insight into what has kept them together long-term and the reasons they love living on the West Side.

Laszlo and Mary Ann Heday Charlotte Park

lived in the house where they now reside since 1985. Their house backs up directly to the Cumberland River, with a peaceful view and allure that make it apparent why they’ve never left.

When asked if the Hedays are from here originally, Laszlo cheerily responded, “It feels like it!” with a grin and a deep laugh.

Originally from Hungary, he escaped during the revolution of 1956 (a nationwide uprising against the government and its Soviet-controlled policies) after someone turned him in for possessing a gun for protection. After being in an Austrian refugee camp for several months, he was brought to the U.S. among about 30 people relocated to Nashville

by Catholic Charities in 1957. Mary Ann hails from Fairview, and the two met at Clearwater Laszlo and Mary Ann Heday Beach on the Harpeth For many years, there weren’t a River in Linton, Tenn., which was lot of restaurants on the west side a popular hangout spot on the of town, and Mary Ann can’t beweekends. With a swimming and lieve the growth in just the past 10 picnic area, a clubhouse and a jukeyears. They enjoy the accessibility box, Clearwater Beach was a great to Nashville West and Costco, along setting for Mary Ann and Laszlo to with the view of the river from develop their friendship. their back patio. Tequila’s Mexican Their love grew out of that Restaurant, Hillwood Pub and Blue friendship, and they married in Moon Waterfront Grill are among 1962. They bought their first house their favorite West Nashville spots. in West Nashville in 1965 and have

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Married 54 years, Mary Ann and Laszlo both come from big families with a lot of kids, so they’re not selfish and they know how to give within their relationship.

Every year they take at least one week-long trip, just the two of them, and at this point, they have visited more places than they can count. Never ones to fight or argue, they don’t get mad over silly stuff, and they stress the importance of not saying things you’ll regret.

Their advice for young couples is simple yet effective: Don’t get married expecting your partner will change. There’s not one person in charge; they are equal partners.

They don’t know what the “secret” is, but Mary Ann admits that a big sense of humor and being able to roll with the punches is a must. As she says, “You gotta really love each other, I think, that’s the main thing. Because you’re gonna get mad, you’re gonna get ticked off,” and being able to calmly work things out and not say bad things about each other is key.

Maybe they have found the secret, after all.

Nancy and Collins Smith West Meade Nancy, a Nashville native, and Collins, who moved here at age nine, met during their freshman year of college. They went on their first date three days after they met and then parted ways, with Nancy returning to college and Collins serving in the Vietnam War. They wrote each other every day while he was gone and dated for four years before they married in 1969.

After residing in Green Hills for 35 years, the desire for a single-story house with a big yard and plenty of space brought them to West Meade 10 years ago. They are happy with the change and growth in West Nashville and equally so with the preservation of the character of West Meade. Nancy and Collins are part of the West Meade Conservancy, which works to preserve the woodlands and wildlife in the area.

The ridge on which their house sits has been protected by The Land Trust for Tennessee, due largely in part to the old-growth forest with 200-year-old trees. It was important to this community for the beauty of the land to be protected.

What makes West Meade so special to Nancy and Collins is the peaceful and quiet nature of the neighborhood. As Collins said, “Downtown Nashville is very accessible, but we’re sort of hidden from it -- and that’s very attractive.” Nashville West has become a staple for the Smiths and the West Side as a whole. The couple enjoys exploring area locales, such as Dalt’s Grill, El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant, Double Dogs and Flip Burger.

Married 48 years in January, Nancy and Collins

Newlyweds Nancy and Collins, married at St. Henry on Harding Pike. used with permission by Nancy and Collins Smith

have a strong relationship based on compatibility, friendship and love.

They have worked and struggled over the years as a team, crediting “luck and love” as to what has kept them together. They married, had children and matured together, working in equal partnership for everything they accomplished.

Collaboration in their relationship remains a source of pride.

They also stress that time apart keeps the relationship healthy. Nancy has lunch almost every day with her girlfriends, and Collins does all the grocery shopping. She does the cooking, and he does the baking.

They travel together to Florida twice a year. They still write romantic notes to each other and hide them under a pillow, in a suitcase before a trip, etc., and both have saved all the notes they’ve written.

Nancy also kept all the letters he sent her from Vietnam. Their advice for young couples? “Marry your best friend,” which is exactly what they did.

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Speaking with these couples, it was clear to see the joy in their relationships. While each has a very different personal story with its own ups and downs, there is a common thread to their long-term marriage success: lots of love.

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Bob and Lida Stewart, today.

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New to Nashville, Bob and Lida moved here in April 2016. Thanks to the booming growth (and the traffic that comes with it), they quickly learned that they wanted to be close to the city but in a quiet neighborhood with a yard.

Those specifications brought them to the West Side, and they settled in the Robertson neighborhood this past August.

This move came about through a series of changes.

The two met in a neighborhood bar in Birmingham, hit it off immediately, married in 1980 and moved around quite a bit, with their most recent stint in St. Augustine, Florida. After the pass- photo used with permission by Bob and Lida Stewart ing of their son in 2014 and Lida’s older sister in 2015, When asked what has kept them they decided to join their daughter together 36 years and counting, the in Nashville, where they could also answer is persistence, commitment be closer to family in Alabama. and, in Lida’s words, “recognizing Bob and Lida had both visited that they are a team trying to help Nashville and found a perfect each other get through life.” The lifestyle fit in West Nashville. They loss of their son was a challenge enjoy their neighborhood, particthat brought them closer together. ularly the friendly nature, such as It helps, too, that they share similar neighbors who introduced theminterests, a similar worldview selves and brought baked goods and are each other’s best friends. when they first moved in. People To date, their most memorable walk their dogs, and children play moment as a couple was their 25th outside; it’s quiet but close to the wedding anniversary. They went city, a common theme that attracts to dinner, not just the two of them, residents to West Nashville. In their but as a family with their two chilshort time here, they’ve made it dren. It was important for Bob and

Lida that their kids see their appreciation for each other and their commitment to their marriage.

Their advice for young couples is to not give up when it gets hard. Patience and communication are key, as Bob and Lida can attest. They both agree that, now more than ever, young people shouldn’t let society impose standards on them; it’s okay If you haven’t found your life partner yet, or if you don’t want to get married, or have kids. Don’t settle. Be okay with being single if that’s where you are.

Sensible advice from a strong couple.

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to some neighborhood and city staples, like The Loveless Cafe, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Coco’s Italian Market and La Juquilita, a family-owned restaurant on Morrow Road.

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A native Nashvillian and current Hillwood Estates resident, Clare Fernandez works as a Data Analyst at a software company and serves as the board president at Poverty & the Arts, a local nonprofit providing creative opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness. In her free time, Clare enjoys reading, traveling, hiking at Radnor Lake, all things theatre, and exploring the growing foodie and culture scene in Nashville.

51st Avenue, continued from page 13

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SERVING WEST NASHVILLE SINCE 1991

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community events in the area, and safer access for those who use public transportation.

Nora Kern, executive director of Walk-Bike Nashville, echoes this enthusiasm. “I’m really excited to see progress being made to get under the interstate,” explaining that this is the biking and walking community’s “major barrier to commuting in the city.” Kern and the biking community have been active at Metro Council planning meetings and communicating with local businesses about the project as well. The biking group hopes the project will produce a kind of synergistic relationship between cyclists and businesses “because [biking] slows people down and gets people out of their cars and in front of businesses,” Kern says.

For pedestrians, individual bike lanes mean safer walking spaces on sidewalks. The sidewalk plan for Option 4 means spacious, six-foot permeable concrete walks on both sides of the street, leading to less buildup of water and ice in winter, and more room for dog-walkers, strollers and friends to walk together or stroll the shops.

The Nations’ generally level layout allows for an amateur biker or half-marathon hopeful to enjoy the new infrastructure just as much as the die-hards.

The vision, in its entirety, is certainly worthy of Roberts’ term “paradigm shift,” as it will undoubtedly change the way residents interact with their community, neighbors and local businesses. The design of the space has involved compromises, as all great achievements have, balancing the needs and desires of so many different entities in the synergy of the community space. As the project moves forward, residents should look to community and neighborhood meetings for updates, as well as Metro Public Works’ website, which periodically posts updates on the projects. Barring any hiccups or financial roadblocks, the complete street project is set to begin structural work in spring 2017, ringing in the nicer weather with some very exciting infrastructure.

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Stephanie Sefcik recently moved to the Robertson Ave

neighborhood with her dog, Zephyr. She is an avid gardener, and when she isn't working on home projects, loves working with her team at Vanderbilt University.

Americans for Understanding

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT t-shirts, bumper stickers, lapel pins, magnets ellenparkerbibb.com

February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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Wags and Whiskers

by Tina BEMBRY

photos by Clark THOMAS/simplePhotographs.com , unless otherwise noted

A Holistic Pet Boutique and Dog Spa

Wags and Whiskers’ owners AMANDA BEATYLITTRELL and her husband, KIRK, opened the store in Sylvan Heights, across the street from Climb Nashville at 3731 Charlotte Avenue, in July 2015. It’s their third store in Nashville, each one taking on the character of its unique neighborhood. The other stores are in 12South and East Nashville. Year-round hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. weekdays, Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5:00 p.m.

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A Nashville FAN FAVORITE Nashville pet lovers seek out products and services that treat their furry friends as family members. Wags and Whiskers is regularly named on “Best of Nashville” lists by local community fans.

In fact, readers of The Nashville Scene have voted them the Best Pet Boutique for eight years in a row in their Best of Nashville Awards! Their outstanding customer service and commitment to high-quality products make them fan favorites.

Posh and Nashville Lifestyles magazines recognize them in their “Best of Music City’’ features.

They were in the top three best pet stores in The Tennessean’s “Toast of Music City’’ awards.

They also come up regularly on curated lists and blogs, such as Expertise.com, where they were lauded as one of the best places to groom your dog according to their high standards.

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ot a well-loved pooch? A feline best buddy? Wags and Whiskers is a pet lovers’ shop with only the best in stock for furry friends. The store welcomes customers with its open, easy-to-shop design, with carefully chosen holistic foods and treats for dogs and cats. Its peaceful vibe and no-pressure tactics make it easy to browse on your own or with the help of one of the knowledgeable and caring staff members.

The 15 or so food lines they offer include kibble, freeze dried and frozen raw diets, all made with high-quality ingredients -- no corn, fillers or by-products, by family-owned companies. The prices are competitive with big-box stores because you feed less when there aren’t fillers! There are free samples so you can easily try new foods out, and there’s a frequent buyer program for pet foods -- after 12 purchases, the 13th is free.

The staff members welcome questions and are happy to help if your best friend is dealing with a health issue, such as food or environmental allergies, excessive shedding or arthritis. “There are a lot of issues that can be helped by the right food and/or supplements,’’ Kirk explains. “We carry a variety of foods and products that can accomplish just this. For instance, a simple change of food and addition of goat’s milk to the diet remedied one of our favorite four-legged customer’s environmental allergies and eliminated his daily Zyrtec pill.’’

You will also find high-quality collars, leashes, grooming supplies and bowls, a great variety of cat and dog toys and tempting treats, and even an economical bulk cat litter fill-up station.

Wags and Whiskers is known for smiling faces, carefully curated product selections, and wash stations for all sizes and shapes.

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Rub-a-Dub-Dub Then, there is a whole other side to Wags and Whiskers – their convenient self-serve dog wash stations!

Being a dogmom of two Shetland Sheepdogs with thick double coats, I am a member of the Frequent Bather Program (wash eight times and get a free dog wash).

You don’t need an appointment, and the prices are $12$18 per dog, based on the size of the dog. The roomy waist-high tubs have temperature-controlled water, deep-cleaning hand sprayers with adjustable water pressure, a variety of natural shampoos, basic grooming tools and a blow-drying station for long-haired dogs. Oh, and of course, a waterproof apron! The best part is that they clean up the mess after you’re done.

My furry Valentine

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On average, U.S. pet owners are expected to spend anywhere between $5 and $25 on Valentine’s Day for their furry friends.* Whether you fall into that category yourself, or know someone who does, Wags and Whiskers is ready.

“We definitely see people spoiling their pets on Valentine’s Day,” Amanda says.

“It is a celebration of love, and we sure do love our cats and dogs! Treats Trudy gives Dixie Happel a sweetheart kiss. and toys are the most popular choices. But make sure not to share your chocolate with your dog, it can be very dangerous for them.’’ You can pick out a special toy or holistic treat, chew or adorable fresh-baked goodie for your pal from Wags and Whiskers’ extensive selection. And enjoy halfprice, self-serve dog washes February 6-10, along with complimentary Valentine’s treats!

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Tina J. Bembry resides in ‘’Three Cat Cottage,’’ a charming 1958

home in Sylvan Heights, surrounded by five furry and two feathered friends—dogs Skye and Willow; cats Rogan, Sparrow and Sylvie; and parakeets Brennan and Olive. Besides pets, her passions are animal rescue, gardening, reading, thrifting, and collecting vintage hats. *Source: National Retail Federation annual Valentine’s Day survey released in January 2015, and Time magazine’s article, ‘’Americans Could Spend $703 Million on Their Pets This Valentine’s Day’’ from January 27, 2015.

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Writing Music on the West Side Claudia Nygaard photos by Clark THOMAS/simplePhotographs.com

West Nashville has always had a rich component of creative people, not the least of which are its many songwriters working in myriad genres. We thought we’d kick off this semi-regular feature with two who have paid their dues, remained true to themselves and built styles that are respectively distinct and powerful.

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Claudia Nygaard considers herself a member of the Class of ’84.

That’s the year she finally moved to Nashville after years of writing and performing in her native California.

“I started out playing in bars around Northern California and graduated to playing a lot of fairs,”says the country/folk-oriented writer, “and everywhere I went, people said you really ought to take your stuff to Nashville. You aren’t going to get any country cuts here. So I sold everything I couldn’t fit into a U-Haul and drove out here.”

She eventually made her way to Sylvan Park. “I liked the little cottages here,” she says. “I’ve been a West Side girl ever since.” Nygaard currently lives in Charlotte Park in a house on the Cumberland.

Her reference to the “Class of 84” refers to the crop of other newly arrived songwriters who came to town that year.

“When you first get to town, you go to a lot of writers’ nights and you hang out everywhere,” Nygaard says.

“Eventually, you figure out that it’s not furthering your career to compete with other people on your level—that beginning level. You’re basically comparing yourself to

by Deana

DECK

other amateurs. Your competition is the people who are getting the cuts. And they’re not hanging around at the open mikes. They’re at home writing.”

Nygaard spent the next couple of years doing, as she puts it, “the obligatory starvation and day-job thing” until she landed a job on Music Row writing songs for Lee Greenwood’s publishing company.

In retrospect it was not a good fit, but it paid the rent for a while.

“A songwriting deal is like a marriage.”

—CLAUDIA NYGAARD

“A songwriting deal is like a marriage,” she says. “It’s all in who you’re signed to. The chemistry, the support you get, the faith they have in you as a writer. After the publishing company fired the man who had signed me, I didn’t feel like I had the same support there or that I had anyone in my corner that believed in me. And when you don’t have anyone who believes in you, you don’t get your songs demo’d and you don’t get them pitched, so why stay?”

She had every intention of going out and getting another songwriting gig, but decided to go back to performing for a while first.

“I enjoyed performing again so much I just never went back to get a writing deal on the Row,” she says. “But I am about to start pitching songs again because I think a lot of what I’ve written over the last

several years is commercial enough to get cut.”

Nygaard has just been named as a finalist in the South Florida Songwriting Competition, where two of her songs, “Big Country” and “Dead” are getting a lot of attention.

“That’s where folk artists are different,” she points out. “Music Row writers don’t enter many songwriting competitions. I’ll perform at the Festival because even if I don’t win, there will be a lot of connections to people there who host house concerts. When I won the Kerrville Folk Festival, it translated into a lot of gigs because of the exposure to people who have house concerts and represent other festivals. “ When Nygaard performs in Nashville, you can usually find her at Douglas Corner. “One thing I would like is to have more live performances here on the west side of

town,” she says. “We have a lot of new restaurants now, but we don’t have a lot of places to play and we really need that to get people from other neighborhoods to come.

Besides, with all the building here, I think we have the population to support that now.”

You can sample some of Nygaard’s music on her web site: www.claudianygaard.com

Know someone who should be featured in “A Tale of Two Writers”?

Tell us at 372WestNashville@gmail.com

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You could say that Sylvan Park’s Brooke Waggoner is part of that “Class of ‘84”, too, but with a slight difference. The year Claudia Nygaard was arriving in Nashville, the red-haired Brooke was being born in Houston.

She didn’t waste much time catching up to the songwriting scene, though. By the time she was nine years old Waggoner was writing songs that her mother saved, with the result that she has a portfolio of every lyric she’s written since fourth grade. She recently mined that stash for concepts and ideas to incorporate in her latest self-produced album, SWEVEN which was released on her own label, Swoon Moon Music.

This is a talent that didn’t just fall from the sky. It was nurtured and refined through classical training culminating in a degree in music composition and orchestration she received in 2006. Her very first album, launched 2007, went on to debut in the #1 slot on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts. She’s released four albums so far which she not only wrote, but orchestrat-

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Not surprisingly, she is also on record as favoring more music venues in West Nashville “More clubs and listening rooms would be really great,” she says. “East Nashville is full of this bustling art scene. I would love to see more of that on the west side. I do miss Stone Fox—places like that help make our neck-o’-the-woods more culturally diverse.”

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Brooke Waggoner

ed and arranged. Although she was nominated for the Independent Music Award for Best Folk/Singer Songwriter and performs regularly on NPR’s Mountain Stage, her sound is far from folky.

“I typically describe my music as more orchestral pop with influences pulling from folk, rock, and classical elements,” Waggoner says. “Style always evolves if you’re searching for more with each project.” I see mine moving into a more avant garde approach—less formatted and pushing my personal boundaries of what writing in a free manner looks like.”

Not content to rest on her laurels, the industrious Waggoner is keeping very busy. “Right now I’m writing a ton. I do a lot of co-writing with other artists, bands and publishers for their projects,” she says.

Hopefully it keeps me sharp and always moving. I’m also releasing remixes from the SWEVEN album every month for the next season.

This was a collaboration that took part with multiple remixers and DJs across the globe. “

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You can check these out on her web site: www.brookewaggoner.com

Are you a songwriter or musician with a distinct style?

Let us know—hit us up at 372WestNashville@gmail.com!

WEST NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS IMAGES TO COME

“Style always evolves if you’re searching for more with each project.”

—BROOKE WAGGONER

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by Yvonne

Ferry landing, today. photo by Yvonne Eaves

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EAVES

The Family, the Ferry and Its Mysteries

1975. photo courtesy of Nashville Public Library, Special Collections

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t one time, as many as 200 ferries operated in Tennessee. Nashville’s first opened in 1784, but by 1985, only eight remained statewide. Ferries were privately owned and operated until 1910, when Davidson County became responsible for maintaining the ferries, operating under the restrictions of the Coast Guard and the Davidson County Highway Garage. Clees Ferry was the last ferry operating in Nashville, and it was taken out of operation on Dec. 31, 1990.

The Ferry As early as 1846, a raft was used to transport livestock and humans across the Cumberland River at Clees Ferry Landing. The raft was not motorized, and a cable was placed across the river during operation. Raft crew members would pull the cable as the raft floated across the Cumberland River, a full one-eighth of a mile.

In 1915, ferry drivers made $100 a month; by 1943, the take-home pay was $115. Pilots were required to have an operator’s license for a 100-ton riverboat. After the Tennessee Valley Authority built dams along the Cumberland River, beginning in the early 1930s, the river was almost 30 feet deeper; the WPA projects also made the river wider.

By 1926, Clees Ferry was nicknamed The Dorris, after the 60-footlong gas-burning ferry that made 150 trips each day connecting West Nashville to North West Davidson County. The trips were 10 minutes each way, and the Dorris burned 25 gallons of gasoline a day, according to the June 1, 1946, issue of The Tennessean. The next day’s paper contained an article that outlined plans to build a bridge to replace the ferry, but Clees Ferry operated until 1990.

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What's in a name? photo by Yvonne Eaves

Its last vessel was the Judge Hickman. Built in 1952 by Nashville Bridge Company, it could transport up to eight cars per trip across the river. The Judge Hickman was the last diesel-powered paddle boat built by Nashville Bridge, and Metro Davidson County sold it to Sisterville, West Virginia, in 1991 for $20,051—less than half its asking price of $45,000.

Clees, Cleece’s, Cleeces?

Now, the proper spelling of “Clees” has been disputed for some

time, so we want to set it straight, in spite of what the street sign says.

For starters, the Clees Brothers were John N., Joseph, Theodore, Johanne, J. Baptiste, J. Peter and J. Frank. All seven brothers, along with their widowed mother, hailed from Bavaria, Germany. They had been farmers, and when the German government wanted the brothers to serve in the military, the family fled. The Clees brothers arrived in America by way of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and in the late 1860s, they purchased 623 acres of property in Whites Bend for $15,040.

The brothers were very hard workers; they owned a saw mill on their Bells Bend property, along with a lumberyard in downtown Nashville, close to the Cumberland River. The family business operated under the name “Clees Brothers” (with John N. having power of attorney) and used a steamboat to move stones from their rock quarry.

J. Baptiste and Joseph were the only two Clees brothers known to have married, with Joseph marrying Ann Marg Bernard. When the Clees family arrived in Nashville, Joseph’s in-laws (the Bernards) were sponsors. After a year, four of the brothers moved to Pennington

Bend and operated another disappeared, and she ferry with a vessel named was last seen at Union Mary Clees.

Station purchasing a Joseph and his wife had ticket to Chicago. The six children, and only three detectives discovered daughters lived to adulthood: that Mrs. Mangrum Mary, Catherine and had been having an Susan. Susan married Jack affair with a Nashville Rudy, they had a son, Dan, doctor. When her who later became the masterbody was discovered, mind of Rudy’s Farm. J. Bapthere was no water tiste married Helena Gang, in her lungs, meaning and they had three children: she was dead before Ferry pilot Kirk Harris in 1972. photo by Clark Thomas / simplePhotographs.com John, Lizzie and Maggie. her body was placed All that to say, the family spelled in the water. Her money and the Here are just a few: their name, and the name of their jewelry she was wearing at the • In January 1906, the crew from ferry operation, Clees. Whether we train station were not on her body, Clees Ferry spotted a woman’s need to change the street sign is and they were never found. The body floating down the Cumberland another debate for another time. authorities in Illinois embalmed her River; three days later, the same body before an autopsy could be Clees Ferry Mysteries and Legends woman’s body was discovered 250 done, but it’s widely believed that miles away in the Cumberland RivMurder, mystery and legends— she was poisoned—perhaps with er near Cairo, Ill. An investigation some accounted for and others chloroform, cyanide or prussic revealed that Mrs. Rose Mangrum passed down through generations— acid. The object of Mrs. Mangrum’s had withdrawn her money from her have kept Clees Ferry “in operation” affection, Dr. J. Herman Feist, was checking and savings the day she for decades after its official closing. convicted of her murder. His sen June 29,1991. photo courtesy of Nashville Public Library, Special Collections

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tence was appealed and overturned by the Tennessee State Supreme Court. After being locked up for 16 months, Dr. Feist was granted a retrial, in which he was found not guilty. Dr. Feist moved to Alabama and never practiced medicine again.

• Locals have whispered among themselves for nearly a century that if someone wanted to dispose of a vehicle—for insurance claims or disposal of evidence—they would drive the vehicle off the Clees Ferry boat ramp.

• Bells Bend is thought to have a few cemeteries close to the Cumberland River. During the 1930s, families in West Nashville would use the ferry to transport deceased loved ones across the Cumberland to cemeteries. In one incident, a coffin destined for burial in Bells Bend slipped off the ferry and started floating down the Cumberland River. Funeral attendees had to jump in to retrieve the casket.

• According to one 1938 death certificate, the final resting place

was listed as Clees Ferry Cemetery, though there’s strong evidence that the Barnes Family Cemetery may be the same one.

• Beacon Square was under development in the mid-1960s when builders uncovered multiple prehistoric Indian burial grounds. It was determined that several prehistoric tribes once lived in the area where West Nashville is now, including the Paleo Indians (around 1500 B.C.), Archaic and Woodlands (8000 and 1000 B.C.) The most recent prehis-

December 30, 1990. photos courtesy of Nashville Public Library, Special Collections

June 9, 1987. photo courtesy of Nashville Public Library, Special Collections

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Taken on one of the final trips across the Cumberland River in 1990, a Bells Bend resident hangs acting Public Works Director Peter Heidenreich in effigy. photo courtesy of Nashville Public Library, Special Collections

toric Indians are thought to be the Mississippians, who lived along the Cumberland River in about 1000 A.D. The evidence found during the development of Beacon Square appears to be a possible Mississippian village, located close to Clees Ferry Landing. The developers also found Civil War-era musket balls.

The Indian mounds at Clees Ferry were used by the Confederate troops as fortifications against the Federal gunboats.

March 30, 1953.

photo courtesy of Nashville Public Library, Special Collections

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Today, we cross the Cumberland River from West Nashville using the Andrew Gibson Bridge on Briley Parkway. Andrew Gibson was a manager of the West Nashville Third National Bank (now SunTrust) on Charlotte Pike. An old-school businessman, Gibson would seal a deal with a handshake, and he was a driving force behind the bridge—mentioned in the 1946 newspaper article—that bears his name. Clees Ferry is now a fond memory to most longtime West Nashville residents.

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Long considered West Nashville’s historian, Yvonne Eaves spends a lot of time documenting its changes through the lens of her camera. She is the former president of the Cohn High School Alumni Association and author of Nashville’s Sylvan Park (along with co-author Doug Eckert, Arcadia Publishing). Sources used for this story include: Vertical Files at the Nashville Room in the Main Library, Nashville Tennessee; West Nashville—its people and environs, by Sarah Foster Kelley; The Ganier Site: A Prehistoric Indian Village in West Nashville, by John B. Broster (Mini-Histories).

December 30, 1990. photo courtesy of Nashville Public Library, Special Collections

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Reserva Cigars:

Neighborhood Bar, Chicago-style

by Scott

MERRICK

photos by Clark THOMAS/simplePhotographs.com

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popped into Reserva Cigars on a recent weekday afternoon after work, and it was my pleasure to chat for a half hour with Reserva owner Tony Block. While I did, I sipped on a Good People IPA, one of the eight beers currently on tap.

Tony told me that he closed on the place, formerly Spitfire Vape and Cigar, in mid-July 2016. “I bought the place lock, stock and barrel, got rid of the stuff that I didn’t want to deal with, and changed the name in early September. I wanted to turn it into what it is now, which

is a cigar lounge with pipes and pipe tobacco and beer, and we’re working on getting our liquor license.”

I mentioned that the previous week I had stopped in to introduce myself and he had been prepping fresh pork chops on the bar top. “I’m from Chicago originally, and we used to have these neighborhood bars. Neighborhood bars that were just a place to hang out, have a smoke, have a drink, watch the game, just chill and meet friends. So I have a grill and I roll it outside every once in a while, and I cook. I ordered eight pounds of fish from Alaska and for two nights we cooked out fish.

I ordered some Bratwurst from Sheboygan and we ate Brats. A customer got some moose meat from a friend, and we cooked out moose meat. We don’t charge for that, it’s just something I do occasionally.” Translation?

Food for friends.

I asked how many employees he had, to which he responded: “Me, myself, and I. Just me. After the first year, I probably will hire somebody part-time, so that I can take some time off. Right now I’m working 84–85 hours a week.” Tony looks remarkably happy despite that workload. He is doing what he loves, and he loves doing it in

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Nashville, Tennessee, particularly in West Nashville. He’s open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week.

“Why West Nashville?” I asked.

“Well, a business broker called me. I did some research, and I felt that this was a very good area, with Belle Meade there (he pointed over his shoulder to the right), and then Sylvan Park and The Nations, and I’m in the middle,” he smiled. “So I ended up buying the place and moving down here.”

“I used to bring my kids down here for the Country Music Festival. I also had a friend, who’s now deceased, who lived out in the Cross Plains area of Tennessee, up a little further north of here. So as a tourist I knew the place, and I loved it. Business has been very good, and I’ve developed some regulars who are just the best people, seriously, great people. People have been very cool.”

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and I have a new poker table coming in next week. We’ll have poker tournaments for cigars and prizes and things like that. And then we have the lockers that people can rent. We’ll do a lot of things like that. I’ll be adding different events next year, and we will continue to grow this neighborhood hangout. That’s what we’re all about, just relaxing, chilling, having good conversations, good times. If you want something really rowdy, as you know, 10 minutes down the road is Lower Broad.”

We laughed together yet again.

I’ll be back.

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Just off eternally bustling White Bridge Road, they are far enough off that thoroughfare to have a little seclusion and plenty of parking. If you are pulling out of Target at the traffic light, just go straight on Red Oak Drive and pull into the first parking lot. There you are.

I only smoke a cigar maybe once every three weeks to once a month, but on my earlier visit Tony had suggested I broaden my experience with a new cigar, and I loved it. At that time I also purchased a Hemingway Short Story and an Aging Room 55, two of my standbys. He carries them both, along with a full walk-in humidor of well- and little-known cigars.

Tony makes sure that he has experienced any cigar he carries, though he has tastes in the medium to dark range. “I want to be able to tell a customer that I’ve smoked it, you know? If I don’t like it, I can at least say, you know, I carry this one because people like it and buy it, but it just doesn’t hit my palate.” It’s a truism that you can’t argue about flavor, everyone has different tastes.

“I just try to make this place a comfortable place, you know? I try to make it kind of like being in your living room, only without your wife yelling at you about smoking cigars,” he laughed again. “I put in a new filtration system, so it’s not too smoky. People are playing chess,

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RESERVA CIGARS ADDRESS: 73 White Bridge Road Suite 1G, Nashville TN 37205 PHONE: 615-730-8567 EMAIL: Info@reservacigars.com www.reservacigars.com Scott Merrick is a West Nashville native who currently resides

in The Nations and teaches public elementary school students about technology. Connect at http://about.me/scottmerrick.

February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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WINTER GARDEN

the

by Deana

DECK

Ready, set, salad!

photo by Clark THOMAS/simplePhotographs.com

In Middle Tennessee, the warming days of February fill our gardens with crocus, daffodils and hyacinths.

That’s the sign it’s time to plant your salad greens.

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here are a number of plants known as cool-season vegetables that thrive in the barely warm soil of late winter. Among them are lettuces of all varieties, spinach, kale, cabbage, collards, onions, Swiss chard, broccoli, peas, radishes and Brussels sprouts.

Select a garden area that will get still get full sun after nearby trees leaf out. Work the soil down to about six inches and add compost (your own or a commercial variety) and an all purpose fertilizer with a 10-10-10 formula. This is a common mix found at most garden centers, because it is a popular formula for lawn fertilizers. (If you’re new to gardening, the numbers stand for the amount of primary nutrients in the mixture: 10% nitrogen, Brussels sprouts used by the plant for aboveground growth and greening; 10% phosphorus used to develop seeds, fruit and blossoms; and 10% potassium, essential for the development of strong stems.)

A 10' by 10' kitchen garden will do well with about three ponds of fertilizer worked into the bed. Don’t over-fertilize, and be sure to water

in the fertilizer before planting.

If you have limited space for your garden, you may want to stick with lettuce, spinach, onions, radishes and peas. Lettuce and spinach will need to be thinned out after they begin to sprout, but the good news is the plants you thin can go directly into your salad. Peas are a good choice for the small early season garden because they can be trained to grow up along a simple trellis or tomato cage.

They don’t even have to be tied, as their tendrils will hold them in place.

Other cool-season vegetables that can be planted in February are large plants that require more space.

Among these are the great leafy cabbages, kale, broccoli, collards and Swiss chard.

To beat the heat, it’s recommended to start these plants from seedlings available at most garden centers.

Although kale is a cool-season plant and is in great demand these days, it actually does better when planted in fall. In our area, hot weather can come on fast, and kale doesn’t do well once that happens.

It is also a plant that does best when

YOU CAN PLANT EARLIER IF YOU HAVE A COLD FRAME. It also helps to keep the soil damp and keeps cats, bunnies and other critters out of your plants. You can hire a carpenter, buy a small cold frame from a local building supply store or make one using scrap materials.

photo by Clark THOMAS/simplePhotographs.com

Start with the glass top. A quick trip to Habitat for Humanity building supply store on Division Street will reveal a world of choices. Look for an all-glass discarded storm door. If the hinge is still attached, that’s even better. Using the door as your guide, measure the length and width of the door. This will determine the size of your planting bed. Say you have a 6 1/2-foot door that is 32 inches wide. Buy or salvage inexpensive landscape timbers and cut them into the proper lengths.

Stack the timbers two or three deep along the back, front and sides and fasten them together. Now you have a box that your door will fit on. Fasten the hinge side of the door to the back wall of the box with screws. On warm sunny days you will want to prop open the door to prevent cooking the seedlings. Or you can also build the cold frame in a sunny location against a garage wall or fence and use “S” hooks and a short length of chain to attach the handle of the door to the fence wire or to a hook screwed into the wall.

This type of cold frame will limit you to small produce, like lettuce and spinach, but in the summer, you can fasten the lid open, or remove it, and use the bed to grow tomatoes or herbs.

February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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the days are shorter. Kale planted from seed in late September will grow and thrive nearly to Christmas.

(And a little frost actually improves the taste!)

Since some of these seeds are very small, try this simple method for planting them: Once the soil has been fertilized and raked smooth, take a stick of bamboo or an old broomstick and lay it into the soil, pressing gently to make a depression the depth called for on the seed packet -- usually ¼ to ½ inches. After carefully dropping seeds into the grooves, take small handfuls of packaged potting soil and sprinkle it over the seeds before gently watering them in with the hose nozzle set on “mist” so as not to dislodge the seeds. You can do the same with garden soil, but since it has just been worked and watered, it is not as fine and is more difficult to control when sprinkling over the seeds. Another thing I like about using potting soil is that it is usually formulated to hold moisture and will help prevent the seeds from drying out.

So, what to plant? There are four types of lettuce to choose from. A combo of all four will make for a perfect green salad, but any one of these types can be grown and en-

Cabbage sprouts

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Ornamental kale

joyed exclusively. The most popular, and the one always available at the grocery store is Crisphead, commonly called Iceberg lettuce. It’s a crisp-leafed variety that’s terrific in sandwiches or served in wedges under a dollop of homemade dressing.

Seeds of the ‘Great Lakes’ variety are good to start with because the plants are slower to bolt in hot weather. This is definitely a consideration because it takes from 82 to 90 days for them to mature. (“Bolting” means flowering and going to seed too early. It can be caused by the lengthening of the daylight hours, as well as by the increasing warmth of the soil.)

Another type of lettuce is the Butterhead variety. Included in this family is Bibb lettuce and its cousin Buttercrunch. Look for seeds of Buttercrunch or Summer Bibb, as these are the least likely to bolt too early.

Leaf, or Bunching Lettuces, include the popular Ruby, with reddish leaves, as well as the frilled and crinkled leaves of Grand Rapids and Black-Seeded Simpson. These mature sooner than the head lettuces and are usually ready to harvest in about six weeks.

The fourth type of lettuce is Romaine, a favorite ingredient in Caesar salads. It belongs to a family known as Cos, which forms upright

Green Pea bush

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finding the ones you want should be no problem. On the other hand, seeds can be ordered online, or by mail, and there’s nothing quite as fun and inspiring as looking through seed catalogs while the weather is still cold and blustery.

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more space. Measure 1 ½ inches on a stick and poke holes in the soil in rows about 18 to 24 inches apart. To train onto chicken wire stretched between posts, or on to a tomato cage, plant double rows six to 10 inches apart. Common types available where seeds are sold include Lincoln, which is good fresh or frozen and has a long season, and Little Marvel, which matures early. The best heat-resistant variety is Wando, available wherever Ferry-Morse seeds are sold.

Radishes are a popular plant to get your kids interested in gardening, because they spring out of the ground so quickly after planting and are so much fun to harvest. One of the most popular varieties is the Cherry Belle, which takes just 21 days to mature.

Local nurseries start stocking their seeds right after Christmas, so

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plants nine or 10 inches in height with tightly folded green outer leaves and lighter inner leaves.

Regardless of the type you choose, they are all grown exactly the same way and require the same amounts of water. The bed should be kept damp but not soggy, and once the plants begin to take shape, never let the soil dry out. Once the plants have appeared and are about two inches high, the bed can be mulched to keep the soil from heating up too quickly.

Spinach is another easy-to-grow salad ingredient that thrives in cool spring weather but tends to bolt when the days grow longer and the temperatures begin to rise. One of the best varieties in our area, and one whose seeds are easy to find, is Long-Standing Bloomsdale.

Peas, unlike the leafy greens, require deeper planting and a bit

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For 20 years, Deana was the Garden Tips editor for The Tennessean.

Radish sprouts

February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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372WestNosh

by Naomi

GOLDSTONE

Regardless of your preference or palate, West Nashville’s got you covered for breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening cocktail. Whether we’ve driven by them a hundred times or just spotted a new one we want to try, 372WestNosh is committed to eating and drinking our way through the West Side . . . in the name of fair reporting and full tummies, of course.

HEADQUARTERS COFFEE SHOP

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ocated on Charlotte Avenue, across from the Richland Park Library and tucked between Thomas Meyer Salon/K-9 Design and Cool Stuff Weird Things, Headquarters Coffee Shop opened almost four years ago to the delight of lots of West Nashvillians. Open seven days a week, Headquarters is quaint and cozy, with friendly workers and lots of local options on the menu.

Owner Louisa Green and her staff know their customers well, and they are almost intuitive with food and drink recommendations for those who are undecided. Their selection of Artichoke Leek Fontina Quiche, avocado toast, bagels, parfaits and oatmeal are either made on-site or sourced from local bakeries like Dozens. Their oatmeal—made with oats, flaxseed, almonds, brown sugar and dried blueberries—is not only healthy, but it’s also delicious.

Headquarters’ coffee comes from 8th and Roast, some of their syrups are local and their honey is local, too—from Johnson’s Honey Farm.

They also sell eggs from Creek Bend Farm, Vegan Vee gluten-free pastries, High Garden tea, Go Bars and milk

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Oatmeal at Headquarters

from local dairy operations. “We have vendors from all over Nashville,” one barista explains. “Basically, we bring all points of Nashville into one coffee shop.”

Headquarters also sells greeting cards, fun magnets (like “Southern Sayings” or “Veggie Magnets”), coffee cups, thermal mugs, soap, jewelry and even a Kombucha Brewing Kit. Headquarters is a fun, intimate coffee shop that treats each customer like an old friend. As their sign says, “You are a stranger here but once.”

HOURS: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday–Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Sunday CREDIT CARDS: All RESERVATIONS: No

THE PICNIC CAFÉ

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ocated at 4320 Harding Pike near The Hill Center at Belle Meade, The Picnic Café has been a West Nashville staple for 35 years, and one taste of owner Kathy Bonnet’s chicken salad explains why.

“Kathy started selling sandwiches door-to-door, and gradually bought a little café, then gradually increased the seating,” says Debbie Sanders, who has served as manager for 23 years. “The Picnic,” as it’s affectionately known, now accommodates up to 100 people, along with patio seating, an expanded menu and take-home options. They also handle catering and special orders, even with a few hours’ notice. “People can call ahead in the morning and order their lunches for that day.”

Their chicken salad was named one of the nation’s top 10 chicken salads by Cooking with Paula Deen magazine, and customers usually pair it with one of the made-fromscratch soups, like tomato basil, broccoli cheese (with a hint of curry!), ham and white bean, chicken tortilla and their newest addition, lemon artichoke. A variety of sandwiches, side items and casseroles complete the menu, along with kid-friendly options like PB&J, mac and cheese, turkey, and ham.

If you save room for dessert, The Picnic offers a great assortment of pies (lemon lavender!), cakes, cookies, and bars. Admittedly, it’s not easy to save room, so you can always take home a whole caramel or coconut cake for later. “We also carry smaller, six-inch options like caramel, strawberry, or chocolate,” Sanders explains, the latter two provided by Ivey Cake.

The Picnic also serves breakfast/ brunch items, including a quiche of the day, sausage and egg casserole,

muffins, scones, and traditional breakfast fare.

Here’s one secret to file away: Bring your own serving dishes to The Picnic and they’ll fix you up with whatever deliciousness you’d like—and they promise your secret is safe with them.

HOURS: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday CREDIT CARDS: All, except Discover RESERVATIONS: No www.thepicniccafe.com

Goonadu at Korea House

KOREA HOUSE

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have passed by Korea House (at 6410 Charlotte Pike, #108) many times on my way to Costco, and I was super excited to stop there for dinner one Saturday night. I asked my friends Ann and SooWei to join me, since this was a bit of a food adventure for me and I wasn’t sure what to order.

Soowei took care of this, since he had been to Korea House many times before. For our appetizer, we had the Seafood Pancake, which is a “Korean pancake with seafood, green onions, and egg.” I have to

Dolsot Bibimbap at Korea House February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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erhaps you’ve already been to one of the five Broadway Brewhouse locations in Nashville, but have you been to the one in West Nashville? About a mile west of the Nashville West Shopping Center, Brewhouse West is located near the intersection of

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RESERVATIONS: No

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HOURS: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday–Saturday

River Road and Charlotte Pike.

Open seven days a week, Brewhouse West has a “fun, laid-back atmosphere” for those who are 21 years of age and older.

Smoking is allowed throughout the bar, and there are Happy Hour specials throughout the week: Monday through Friday, Cajun Burrito at Brewhouse West 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a spicy creole sauce with Andouille p.m., $1 off drafts; 3:00 p.m. to sausage and tasso ham. Served 7:00 p.m., $1 off all bar drinks. with sour cream and salsa on the Monday through Thursday, 10:00 side, and it was quite tasty and very p.m. to close, Brewhouse West filling. Their kitchen stays open until offers a late-night menu and $1 11:00 p.m., so it’s the place to go if off domestic drafts. you want to grab a late-night dinner Mondays are also “Margarita and drink.

Mondays,” which means they have Karaoke happens on Tuesday and $5 Margaritas; $4 Tequila Sunrises; Thursday nights, trivia on Wednes$6 Nachos; and $3 Chips and Dip. day nights, and Friday and Saturday Saturdays offer $1 off domestic nights are reserved for live music. drafts from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., We have bands that play all kinds of and on Sundays, it’s two-for-one music,” Crutcher said. “From rock to drafts from 11:00 a.m. to midnight. country to blues to funk to alternaBrewhouse West sports a full tive. It’s really all over the place, so bar with a great selection of wines it depends on who is playing. Only and liquors, but their most popular about 10 percent of the music we drink is probably the “Bushwacker.” play is country, so you’ll hear lots of Manager Kaycie Crutcher described different genres here.” it as a “rum-based drink that’s And when the weather warms up, frozen.” She chuckled and then Brewhouse West opens up the “best added, “A lot of people say it tastes patio around,” Crutcher says. “It’s a lot like a Wendy’s Frosty that’s on big, and there’s a separate bar and crack.” Though the exact ingredistage for live music.” ents are a proprietary secret, she did say that it contains “chocolate HOURS: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. and a hint of coffee.” It’s definitely (Kitchen closes at 11:00 p.m.), on my list to try on my return visit Monday-Sunday (when someone else is driving).

CREDIT CARDS: All Brewhouse West bills itself as RESERVATIONS: No having the “best damned bar grub in town,” but they also have a full A resident of The Nations, Dr. Dwonna menu that includes much more than Naomi Goldstone is author of Integratjust bar food. I ordered the Cajun ing the 40 Acres: The Fifty-Year Struggle burrito, which is a flour tortilla loadfor Racial Equality at the University of Texas (University of Georgia Press) and an ed with shrimp, chicken jambalaya, assistant professor of English at Austin Peay and jack cheese and smothered in State University.

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confess that I was very skeptical about this dish, as was Ann. We both loved it; in fact, it was probably my favorite dish.

For our main course, SooWei ordered several dishes that we all shared. He ordered Bulgogi (panfried thinly sliced beef, marinated in a special sauce and sliced onion); Dolsot Bibimbap (rice topped with vegetables, beef bits and a fried egg in a hot-stone pot); and Goonandu (an appetizer of deep-fried dumplings). The main courses are accompanied by sides of potatoes, kimchi radish, kimchi cabbage, kimchi cucumber, eggs and carrots, and fish cakes, and you can order as many refills of the sides as you desire for free.

Jennifer Lee, the manager, says their most popular dishes are Dolsot Bibimbap; Bulgogi; and Kimchi Fried Rice (fried rice with pork and Kimchi, topped with fried egg).

When I asked Lee what makes Korea House unique, she said, “It’s personable and the food. We have tons of customers, and we always try to give them a big smile. They can come here with a bad attitude and leave happy and full.”

For less than $20 each, SooWei, Ann, and I definitely left happy and full, and there was so much food leftover that we had enough to take home for another meal.

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by

Miriam DRENNAN

WEEDEATERS only YOU have to know it’s yard clippings Believe it or not, there was a time when our government paid people to plant kudzu. Introduced at the 1876 World’s Fair Centennial Exhibition, kudzu received little fanfare until the mid-1930s, when dust storms were destroying prairies. The brand-new Soil Conservation Service planted 70 million kudzu seedlings in nurseries and offered $8 an acre to anyone who would assist their war on soil erosion by planting them. Popular Depression-era radio host and Atlanta Constitution columnist Channing Cope declared the vine would resurrect Southern farms that had been “waiting for the healing touch of the miracle vine.”

If we only knew then what we know now.

In all fairness, there’s an upside to this weed that exists to persist. Chinese medicine uses kudzu to treat migraines neck pain from hypertension, angina, allergies, and even alcoholism, the latter being of particular interest to a number of recent studies in the United States. Nonetheless, we’ve no shortage of kudzu to contend with here in the South—there’s plenty of this weed to go around.

So let’s bite back at it by biting into it. Kudzu leaves, vine tips, flowers, and roots are all edible (the vines are not). The leaves can be used like spinach and eaten raw, chopped up and baked in quiches, cooked like collards, or deep-fried. Young kudzu shoots are tender and taste similar to snow peas or green beans.

Summer through fall, kudzu also produces beautiful, purple-colored, grape-smelling blossoms that make delicious jelly, candy, and syrup. For this installment of Weedeaters, however, we’re tackling a quiche. It’s quick, it’s simple, it’s delish—and it’s time to eat the vine that ate the South!

In addition to our usual caveat about weed-picking, we’ll add two more just for kudzu: •

Make sure you know the difference between kudzu and poison ivy.

•

Do not consume kudzu if you’re pregnant or nursing.

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1 cup young, tender Kudzu leaves and stems, chopped (make sure they’re free of discolorations and insect bites) 1/2 teaspoon salt Ground pepper to taste 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese 1 unbaked pie shell Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together.

Place in pie shell. Bake 35–45 minutes until center is set.

Miriam Drennan is a freelance writer who lives in The Nations.

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Serves 4–6.

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CAUTION: Be careful where you pick! Avoid weeds that have been treated.

KUDZU QUICHE

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Be a part of West Nashville’s yard-to-table movement! Send us a recipe or idea for the Weedeaters: 372WestNashville@gmail.com.

February–March 2017 | 372WN.com

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372Who kNew? Lee Lane, owner, New Life Record Shop

Name: What’s your relationship to West Nashville?

How long have you been here?

Favorite thing about West Nashville?

Favorite food? color? drink? dessert? hobby?

Where will you be on Friday night?

Dog or cat?

Mustard or mayonaise?

Mountains or beach?

Dream occupation when you were five?

What’s your hidden talent?

What’s your superpower?

What excites you about West Nashville?

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