"East Nashville is the best area to be in for restaurants, as there are a ton of new places opening there. Marché Artisan Foods is a great European-style brunch place,” says Walker. Though the menu changes daily, they generally offer healthy fare like house-made granola with vanilla yogurt and a fruit tartine topped with strawberries and balsamic glaze. The croissant French toast is Walker’s favorite—he orders it with soft-scrambled eggs, cheese, and turkey sausage.
“Butcher & Bee on Main Street is also really popular for brunch—their whipped feta with fermented honey, cracked pepper, and pita is a must-have,” recommends Walker. Try the shakshuka with Israeli salad or the baby greens with shawarma chicken thigh.
“The is like Whole Foods but smaller—I usually go in and grab a salad for lunch. You can [get] a healthy plate or a juice and grocery shop at the same time,” says Walker. Choose between the East Nashville and Gulch locations and sip on a Audrey Hepburn smoothie (strawberry, blueberry, açai berry, and apple juice) or the Ninja Turtle juice with cucumber, celery, spinach, and broccoli while you peruse the Paleo-, vegan-, and vegetarian–friendly selections.
According to Walker, “Mitchell Delicatessen is the place to go for sandwiches.” They emphasize local, artisanal ingredients and boast a wide selection including the BBQ Asian tofu with avocado, pickled cucumber, and sprouts. They also have a separate menu of exclusively healthy creations available upon request.
“The first restaurant I head to for dinner when I get back to town is The Treehouse. The menu changes all the time as it’s seasonal. I had their grilled squid tacos last time, which were so good. I recommend the baby lettuce salad with mushrooms, sunflower seeds, and kale dressing,” says Walker.
“If you want somewhere upscale for a nice date night, go to the in Midtown. It only has 22 seats, so it’s hard to get into. They do a multi-course menu with wine pairings and I really love when I can get in there,” Walker explains. New chefs Will Aghajanian and Liz Johnson recently took over the tasting menu–only kitchen. Reserve seats in advance.
“Rosemary in Five Points is a really cool spot. It’s a house that was turned into a bar, so you feel like you’re at a house party. There’s a vegan taco truck in the back and the tacos are so good you can’t even tell they don’t have meat in them,” says Walker.