CAFÉ SOCIETY
Belle Meade and Downtown have two European-style cafés to enjoy coffees, cocktails, and meals and take a break from everyday Written by Melissa Mahanes
ROZE PONY from Roze Latte to rosé | Roze Pony is chef Julia Jaksic’s new Belle Meade outpost that serves as a market and café and cool hangout in Belle Meade Galleria. Julia is an awardwinning chef with accolades from her popular Café Roze in East Nashville and her culinary experience from restaurants Employees Only Singapore and Jack’s Wife Freda in New York. The décor is French-inspired—sleek and chic with tile flooring and wooden tables. “Fresh, simple, yet approachable” is how Julia describes her food, and the seasonal offerings made with local ingredients that are artistically plated and thoughtfully combined. Breakfast highlights are the Overnight Oats, Baked Eggs, a Beet-cured Salmon on rye, and a delectable egg sandwich filled with an herby frittata, pesto aioli, and tomato on brioche. Coffees are crafted with Nashville-based OSA coffee. The signature Roze Latte is garnished with rose petals. For lunch, salads and grain bowls are available along with an array of sandwiches ranging from a Parisian ham baguette, a chickpea salad sandwich, to the Pony Burger—smashed patties with local cheddar, secret sauce, and house-made pickles. 28 slmag.net
Dinner features a Squash and Chickpea Tagine, Moules Frites, Skate Milanese, and Pork Chop will be the type of dishes that locals crave and will want to pop-in for the “usual.” The dry-aged bone-in NY Strip was a huge hit with our carnivores. Roze Pony has a fully-stocked bar and a stunning array of craft cocktails, and an extensive wine list (both by the glass and bottle). The Pimm’s Cup, Roze Julep, and Pretty Pony look like real standouts in the cocktail department. Roze Pony also has a market shelf stocked with supplies and a takeaway counter for coffee and pastries and meals to go. CAFÉ INTERMEZZO - from tortes to tortellini | Café Intermezzo began as an idea in 1971 when Brian Olson traveled to his heritage homeland of Germany. Visiting a Konditorei in Berlin (bakery-Café), and then many more throughout Germany and Austria, brought conviction that the Europäische Kaffeehaus (European coffeehouse), as a significant place in the lives of its guests, had a potential for a home in America. Olson believed that the kaffee haus would provide a distinct and wonderful refuge in the ever-expanding world of fast-food and environments designed to expedite takeout beverages and foods.
