When I purchased my home on a block between Belmont Boulevard and 12th Avenue South, one friend referred in print to my address as “the bad side of Belmont.” At the time (1993), I was moving to the area from “the bad side of the Cumberland,” East Nashville, which just happened to be where this friend lived, so I didn’t take it personally.
Sixteen years later, the bad side of Belmont is known as 12South, a vibrant neighborhood of renovated residences, an eclectically populated commercial district of locally owned cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and services, and Sevier Park is alive with romping dogs, multi-ethnic soccer teams, picnicking families and children playing. Over the past decade or so, near identical storylines have unfolded in Sylvan Park, Germantown and East Nashville: historic neighborhoods born again with pioneering vision, community spirit and entrepreneurial energy.
The Gulch is well on its way to a similar transformation, though it began its transformation nearly from ground zero. Its name is as old as the dirt on its once-barren landscape and an accurate description of the industrial area below the Broadway and Demonbreun viaducts, crisscrossed by railroad tracks and dotted with crumbling brick structures, many long abandoned by their tenants. The Gulch has long been eyed by city planners and urban developers and at the turn of the millennium, the Big Picture was unveiled on a $350 million project that would turn the vast, 30-acre wasteland into a 24-hour, bustling urban neighborhood combining residential, retail and office use. The early stages of the project saw the rehabilitation and renovation of existing buildings, for businesses like Provence Bakery, City Hall, Bar Twenty3 and Sambuca, RuSan’s and Watermark restaurants, under five floors of condos called Mercury View Lofts.
The next stage of The Gulch’s makeover has been the emergence of large new residential projects—Icon, Terrazzo and the nearly completed Velocity. In concert with that bustle of activity has been the opening of two new restaurants flanking either side of Icon’s main entrance. On the left, Cantina Laredo, a franchised “gourmet Mexican” restaurant, founded and headquartered in Dallas. The one at 592 12th Ave. S. is the first in Tennessee and the 29th in the chain. On the right, at 510 12th Ave. S. is Urban Flats, born five years ago in Orlando, with 10 stores and counting. The location is convenient for Gulch residents, highly visible to pedestrian ramblers and positioned to attract the eye of drivers.
Urban Flats, locally owned by Nashville native Henry Hillenmeyer, was the first out of the gate, opening in early spring. A spare, contemporary décor relies on floor-to-ceiling glass panels for two of its walls, and black and white photos of Nashville landmarks for local flavor. A polished concrete floor, bare wooden tables and high ceilings amplify the chatter of energetic and lively diners who crowd the restaurant for lunch and dinner. Founder Suzanne Bonham’s concept—“a refined-casual restaurant and wine bar”—has clearly struck a chord. Servers cheerfully explain to first-time customers the Urban Flats culinary concept: whole wheat flatbreads serving as a canvas for meats, cheeses and vegetables, then baked in a stone-hearth oven.
Flats, as they’re called on the menu, are presented as healthier alternatives to pizza, and thanks to the use of whole wheat flour over white, and a base half the volume of even the thinnest-crust pizza, the claim is probably valid. A foundation of fewer carbs and calories allows diners to pile on the toppings with abandon. Eighteen are pre-designed, ranging from basic, no-frills varieties like the Classic—basil pesto, Roma tomatoes and mozzarella, and the Standby—Urban sauce (marinara), pepperoni and mozzarella, to flats with turkey, pear and brie; sliced steak and Portobello mushrooms; and curried chicken, red onion, kalamata olives, roasted red pepper and two cheeses. Two of the most popular designer flats are The Black and Blue, with sliced steak, blue cheese, bell peppers, spinach, mozzarella and Roma tomatoes under a balsamic glaze and the Fig & Prosciutto, which pairs fig jam and thin slices of prosciutto for that winning sweet-salty combo, with crumbles of blue cheese adding tang. Diners who crave something brawnier can belly up to the Cheeseburger, the Meatball, the Buffalo Chicken and the Reuben. All flats are pre-cut into small squares, ideal for passing and sharing.
The menu branches out into other categories, like Urban starters—don’t miss the excellent crab cakes and a savory stew of baked shrimp, feta cheese and tomato; Urban entrees like cedar-planked salmon and marinated chicken breast cooked in parchment; Urban salads—the arugula-prosciutto-goat cheese, and spinach-pear-walnut-blue cheese are standouts, available in half or whole sizes; and Urban wraps and sandwiches. The wine list is divided into easily accessed categories: bubbly; fragrant, bright or round whites; light, spicy or dark reds.
Cantina Laredo has a much shorter repertoire of wines, but no matter because you’ll want to plunge right into the signature Casa Rita or one of six specialty margaritas. Frozen or on the rocks, salt or no salt, they all begin with fresh squeezed juices or fresh fruit purees. In fact, fresh is a word that pops up again and again in company descriptions of the 25-year-old chain’s mission: fresh produce, fresh fish, dishes prepared fresh in the kitchen.
Freshest of all, and the absolute best partner for the margarita of your desire, or one of nine cervezas available, is the top-shelf guacamole, made by your server before your very eyes. A cart pulls up tableside bearing ripe avocados and little bowls of pre-chopped red onion, jalapeno peppers, tomato, garlic and spices; customize your personal order of guac however you desire. The finished product is served with house-made wafer thin tortilla chips for dipping, but it’s chunky enough to eat with a fork....