Steadfast Commons - The Newest (+ fab) Downtown Nashville Restaurant/Coffee Destination

photos: Mikaela Hamilton Steinwedell

A beautiful new addition to the Nashville dining/culinary/coffee/drinking scene, Steadfast Commons -- a fabulously unique and beautifully executed spot -- should be immediately added to any local foodie's list of ‘go-tos’ when finding thy-selves downtown. The gentlemen behind the uber-popular coffee shop Steadfast in Germantown quietly opened the doors to this newest venture in January.

Commons features Steadfast roasts, teas, homemade pastries and lunch items during the day (yum), and transitions to a dinner and cocktail-focused menu in the evening. And y’all, I for one am SO excited to have a new option downtown to hit before shows. So, yay.

Now, for the dirty (and quite important) deets. The team have again enlisted acclaimed chef Julia Sullivan (Per Se, Blue Hill, Pinewood Social) to create the market-driven food menu, which expands upon the culinary program she created for Steadfast in Germantown. Sullivan is joined in the kitchen by chef Megan Jay (Silly Goose, Dinner Lab).

Cocktail specialist Troy Sidle (a veteran of Pouring Ribbons and The Violet Hour and founder of Canvas Bar Design) has created a cocktail menu exclusively for Steadfast Commons. To capitalize on the excellent coffee program, created by co-founder Nathanael Mehrens, many of the drinks utilize Steadfast flash chilled espresso in bitters, liqueurs, syrups and sodas (and let me tell you, are all incredible). Wine and beer will also be available.

Next time you find yourself downtown, I’d recommend popping in to take a peek. Because coffee. And good food. And dranks.

Steadfast Commons

299 Demonbruen Street

Nashville, TN 37201
Hours: 7am - 3pm and 5pm - 12am.

More pics below.

Barista Parlor - One of Nashville's Best Coffee Shops

I'm a firm believer that in order for your business to be as successful as possible, you have to immerse your customers in the ultimate 'experience':  The most minute details can often be the most important ones and simply cannot be missed. The ambiance, level of service, and the quality of the product itself are all crucial elements in your customers' overall satisfaction and in turn making them repeat visitors.

I'm so grateful to live in a city where so many of our restaurants, shops, and bars get it - and Barista Parlor is in my opinion, one of the best of the best. From the moment you get out of your car you know you've arrived at a special place. The vibe is so cool: Fabulous art adorns the wall and the overall design is an immediate draw. Sometimes I don't feel cool enough to go here, but like everywhere in East Nashville, it's safe to say anyone is welcome.

The food is divine: my favorite items to order are the Porter Road Butcher Sausage Biscuit with Peach Preserves, and the Bourbon Buttermilk Waffles with Grand Marnier infused Cream Cheese filling and Strawberries. No, neither is a joke. Yes, both are stupid good. Yes, I'm salivating while typing this.

And lastly (but certainly not least-ly), the coffee: Perfection. Whether you're like me and go with one of their daily drips (far from your grandmama's black coffee) or the iced coffee, or go for something a little sweeter like the Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Latte, I promise you won't leave disappointed. In fact, you may never want to leave.

There is a true art to fine coffee, and one they've fully mastered at Barista Parlor. My recommendation to you while here is go outside your box, try something new. BP has so many unique offerings, you are crazy if you don't give every one of them a try.

Barista Parlor
519B Gallatin Ave
Nashville, TN 37206
615-712-9766

Crema

So, it seems as of late Nashville has no shortage of wonderful coffee shops around town, and let's be honest, I love love love a fabulous cup of Joe. I wanted to begin sharing with you a few of my favorite places to get your coffee fix, starting with my most frequented: CREMA.

Just a little background.. My criteria for liking a coffee shop is pretty simple:

1) Don't be incredibly intimidating coffee snobs. Take pride in your coffee and knowledge, but don't make those who don't feel uncomfortable.
2) Your normal coffee (iced or just regular) needs to stand out above the crowd. I can mix syrups in to Folgers and disguise the taste of its base.
3) Excellent customer service.

Crema has it all, and consistently over-exceeds my expectations. A great, laid back atmosphere, lovely staff, an awesome selection of scones/pastries/etc., and most importantly, some of the best, most flavorful coffee in the US. Critically acclaimed both nationally and locally, this is a must-stop shop for Nashville coffee lovers.

My standard go-to selection is super basic: Iced coffee with a bit of simple syrup and cream, paired with one of their delicious bakery items. Lemon blueberry coffee cake, the blueberry muffins, and cherry cornmeal scones are all DIVINE. In the hundreds of times (yes, hundreds) I've been to Crema in the last few years I've not once had a bad experience, or more importantly, a bad cup of coffee.

I'm telling you, once you try Crema you will be forever changed. The only negative I can point out to you is that certain "chain" coffee shops will never satisfy again!

What is your favorite bev at Crema?

CREMA
15 Hermitage Ave.
Nashville, TN 37210
(615) 255-8311

HOURS:
Mon-Fri 7am-7pm
Sat 8am-6pm
Sun 9am-4pm