This is an excerpt from the NashVillager newsletter, your human-powered daily guide to Nashville. Click here to subscribe.
The Nashville food scene is getting a lot of love lately from national outlets. The New York Times, for the second time in as many weeks, has published a list including the best Nashville eateries.
There are two bylines on the latest edition of the Times’ “Where to Eat: 25 Best” series. One is Nashville native Ellen Fort who has bylines in food publications from Eater to Saveur Magazine.
And while some pricier spots, like Bastion, Audrey and Locust, made the cut, so did Elliston Place Soda Shop and Bolton’s Famous Hot Chicken and Fish. So it’s a good mix of restaurants you take your out-of-town visitors to and places the WPLN Newsroom went to for lunch just this week — looking at you, SS Gai.
While there is some controversy over how the Times’ perhaps most popular list is compiled, it’s worth noting none of these reporters’ meals were comped in their research, so their opinions could be as genuine as possible.
Nashville’s rise as a foodie city
With the rising number of recognitions our restaurants are getting, I started to think back to when I first moved to Nashville five years ago.
It was pre-pandemic, but it was also pre-confidence for me. I was in my early 20s in a new city where I didn’t know a soul outside of work. And I loved food.
So I became a takeout person. I tried Prince’s Hot Chicken for the first time alone at my kitchen bar, the tenders slightly soggy from the half-hour drive home. I have similar stories for a whole list of places, but I’d rather not embarrass myself; I’ve retried each in their respective buildings, as God intended, since.
My point is: Solo dining can be scary or, at least, lonely. A new “sit-down social network” seeks to change that.
What is Folx Table?
From what I’ve gathered from friends — who have raved about their experiences! — it’s basically a matchmaking service… for your culinary desires.
You fill out a quick survey (which took me about five minutes), ranging from what time of day to budget you’re comfortable with for your meal. And then it asks you about your level of introverted vs. extrovertedness, how nervous you are meeting strangers, etc. Finally, it offers you some upcoming reservations you can join to make some new foodie friends and enjoy some local eats together.
And if you’re wondering about the spelling, it’s just a way to spell “folks” that kind of hints at the more inclusive beliefs of the user. So expect to see all kinds of Nashvillians at your table, and as This Is Nashville host Khalil Ekulona loves to say, be good to each other.
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