Nashville Grocery Shopping

[ms. victoria]

I am still pretty new to Nashville and am having a hard time finding a good grocery store. I got spoiled in Knoxville living near the Fresh Market, a very well-stocked Kroger and several Asian and Middle Eastern groceries. Where do Middle Tennesseans shop?

[pogophiles]

Closest thing to Knoxville's Fresh Market (which I too loved & miss) would probably be the Wild Oats in Green Hills.

As I live far to the Southeast (in LaVergne), I tend to frequent Publix, Bi-Lo, & Smith's FoodLand (especially for certain meats) in that order. I much prefer any of these to Kroger or Food Lion.

Depending on where you are in the area, you might be better off at Harris Teeter (which I find to be on a par with Publix).

A few other places you should know about: the Farmers Market downtown, the Produce Place, and (I believe it's) K & M World Foods (Nolensville Road).

[chefseanbrock]

alway's ask your favorite local chef for those hard to find items.......we have the best connections and it is always alot less expensive....believe it or not complete strangers call me all the time for foie gras, morels, caviar, meyer lemons, truffles, etc........it makes it alot more fun))))))))))))))

[ms. victoria]

Aha. I have been to the farmer's market. I saw K&M. My son goes to school on Nolensville; I just never had time to stop in on the commute and now my husband is taking him. We live near Vandy, off Fairfax. Harris Teeter is quite nice (thanks for the suggestion) and I see signs for Publix but I have no idea where one is.

Chef Sean, I had no idea that was even an option. Would I still be a total stranger if I called you? And I have an OT question to ask regarding the culinary program at NSCC. Would it be okay for me to send you a PM?

[pogophiles]

The Publix that I frequent is on Murfreesboro Road just a few blocks north of Bell Road. I don't think there are any that would be convenient to your location...

[dlc]

For fresh fruits and veggies try Produce Place on Murphy Road towards Sylvan Park. This was in pogophile's post above, I find that they have great quality and lots of locally grown produce. You might also check out the Exxon in Sylvan Park, it is run by ex-pat Russians and has lots of interesting items in the back coolers. There is also a program that provides farm direct boxes in season delivered in Nashville. The local Slow Food group has a list of local providers of meats, cheeses, veggies and herbs.

[dlc]

This is the link to the locations of the Publix stores in the Nashville area. They are adding stores on a regular basis.

[tanabutler]

Remember, too, you can become a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and get a boxful of glorious organic farm produce delivered weekly.

Find a CSA at LocalHarvest.org.

[ms. victoria]

Again, thanks for all the suggestions. I have no idea where Murphy Rd is though... Mapquest to the rescue. I was shocked to learn that Nashville-Davidson is the 21st largest city in the US, and is bigger geographically and population-wise than Atlanta!

I will investigate the CSA. I wanted to join the one in Knoxville when we were there but the up front cost was too high and I couldn't find anyone to share it with me (and as it was just my son and I at the time, it was hard to believe we could eat our way through the amount of produce in each box before the next one arrived).

[tanabutler]

Sometimes CSAs will do half-shares. Or maybe you could split with a friend. Good luck: I hear they're great.

[tanabutler]

From my friend in Nashville, about his CSA farm. "They're not technically organic now because the hoops got too tricky to jump through. Now they're 'biodynamic' but not certified organic." He says they only check e-mail about once a week; he doesn't think they have a computer.

Bugtussle Biodynamic Farm

Cher and Eric Smith

Gamaliel, Kentucky

270-457-bugs

bugtussleorganicfarm@hotmail.com

Bugtussle is about building soil; organically, biodynamically, joyfully, while attempting to work cooperatively with nature. We live in a beautiful secluded hollow near a large creek, do all of our cooking on a wood cookstove, have a gravity-fed spring water system, and happily live without electricity. The farm is 120 acres. We raise 2 acres of diverse vegetables, herbs, flowers, berries, honeybees, mushrooms. We manage a large flock of pastured poultry (layers, free-foraging) following a small diverse group of grass-fed cows, sheep, goats, all grazing on a rotating garden system. We supply a 40-family CSA in Nashville, TN every Saturday from April thru October.

[dlc]

Tana,

Is your friend a radiologist? I have a dear friend in town who gets his boxes from the same CSA.

[tanabutler]

Tana,

Is your friend a radiologist? I have a dear friend in town who gets his boxes from the same CSA.

No, he's a graphic designer and a foodie from my other online community (Readerville.com).

His name is DG Strong (dotcom, heh). We worked together on the website for Germantown Cafe there. His design sense and taste are incomparable, in my eyes.

Nashville is the biggest small town I know, especially when it comes to food. I bet I could throw out a dozen names and one of them you'd recognize.

[pogophiles]

I have no idea where Murphy Rd is though...

If you are on West End Ave traveling away from downtown, take a right at that last major intersection before you cross I-440. You'll be on Murphy Road and the Produce Place will appear on your right in five or six blocks... The Murphy Road/Sylvan Park area is a good one to know about in general. It's convenient to you and there are several good places down that way: Produce Place, Cafe Nonna, Park Cafe, Sylvan Park (meat & three)...

[ms. victoria]

Victoria has a big red DUH truck moment. THAT Murphy Road. I scare me sometimes. Yes, I do know where that is... we even looked at an apartment over there! I will definitely have to check that out we are maybe four minutes from there.

[jdtofbna]

Victoria--there's also a good ethnic market called the Global Market which carries lots of Asian/Eastern products. Not really much fresh stuff, but they have frozen foods from around the world, including authentic English bangers. Also a couple of Greek cheeses--Kaseri, for instance, all sorts of cookies/biscuits/sweets from around the world, every condiment you can think of, from lime pickle to HP Sauce. Also nice olives in bulk for a good price. They are in a very odd location, near the Adventure Science Museum, so I would call for directions, 242-8593.

Have you been to Provence yet? It's right down in Hillsboro Village, great breads and sweets plus a little deli.

There's a place in Franklin called The Factory, at 230 Franklin Road, where they have a little Farmer's Market on Saturdays beginning in May and running into the fall. In the height of the growing season, they have all sorts of nice locally grown produce, fresh flowers, baked goods, jams, etc. Go out Hillsboro Road, way out, to Mack Hatcher Parkway, and I think Franklin Rd is the second traffic light. Turn right and The Factory is about a mile down on the left.

Welcome to town, sorry we're so woefully lacking in the food store department!

jana

[ms. victoria]

Jana,

Thank you for the heads up on the Global market. I will call and get directions. We went to the farmers' market in Franklin last Saturday. Not a lot of stuff yet but we got some wonderful eggs and lettuces and strawberries that were so good we ate them all that afternoon. It seems that it isn't that Nashville doesn't have the places to go it's just that they are so spread out compared to my being spoiled rotten in Knoxville and having it all in my neighborhood.

My husband and I have been to Provence. The desserts are yummy. I've had the tiramisu and the opera cake. We've also had the three salad combos and sandwiches. I was really impressed with their breads and with the coffee.

What part of town are you in?

[jdtofbna]

What part of town are you in?

I live in Bellevue (a devoted Publix shopper out there) and work in the Music Row area---although I have been known to drive great distances to find that perfect ingredient (with today's gas prices, though, that doesn't happen so often!)

[ms. victoria]

The gas prices, jeesh. I'm temping at Vandy and we live close by. No Publix nearby, yet. We've hit both of the nearest Krogers and Harris Teeter (pricey though they have a varied if smaller selection than Kroger and nice roasted chickens on special on Tuesdays). We'll have to hit the Global Market soon. My husband is from Trinidad and lots of Trini food has a heavy East Indian influence. The Krogers here don't have as much selection in that department as the one we lived near in Knoxville. I guess there just isn't as much demand.

[pogophiles]

The Krogers here don't have as much selection in that department as the one we lived near in Knoxville. I guess there just isn't as much demand.

You may find that depends on which Kroger you are frequenting. While it may be true of the Green Hills Kroger, it's probably less true of the Nolensville Road Krogers...