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Christie Hauck has long been a household name in these parts. As founder of Christie Cookie Co., the visionary has been at the helm of Nashville's food scene for more than three decades. And since opening up Goozy last winter, his legacy has gotten even sweeter.
The idea behind Goozy has been years in the making. Hauck cites San Francisco as one of his favorite cities to visit, and upon multiple trips out with his wife, Melissa, the pair noticed that grilled cheese joints were a burgeoning trend. Simultaneously, the couple fell for Hot Cakes, a molten-chocolate cakery in Seattle, and the wheels started spinning: Perhaps they would meld the two concepts and create a café that was equal parts sweet and savory.
Though Hauck stepped down from Christie Cookie several years ago, he still owns and operates Christie Retail Group, which had a Christie Cookie/Bravo Gelato outpost off of Hillsboro Pike. Hauck decided to gut the space entirely and replaced it with Goozy, a cozy, sleek café with whitewashed brick and musical-themed accents, like an oversize light fixture that Hauck's son made out of a drum. Hauck himself is a music addict; the café houses his 50-record collection. Patrons can request a song, which he'll play on the vintage turntable he unearthed at an antiques storethough the classic rock enthusiast admits that he doesn't own much produced after the early '90s.
Sweets aside, Goozy's menu comprises soups, salads, and a half dozen kinds of artisan grilled cheese, such as the Nashville, made with pimento, house-pickled jalapeño, and Benton's bacon. Hauck wanted to create 'a kid-friendly restaurant where mom could also order a beer,” so there's a well-stocked bar with craft beers, wine, and a number of specialty cocktails, like the popular Dom of Greyhound (Tito's, St-Germain, Prosecco, fresh lime, and grapefruit juice). Bravo Gelato, which the retail group still distributes widely, features prominently in many dishes, including the Nutella molten cake, which is topped with a scoop of amaretto gelato. Those who want to kill two birds with one stone can order a boozy dessert, like a bourbon caramel shake with salted caramel gelato, Old Hickory bourbon, housemade rye whiskey sauce, and whipped cream. 'This is our last hurrah,” Hauck says. 'We put all of our vices in one place.”
4117 Hillsboro Pk., #104, 615-297-0274; gotogoozy.com