As wonderful as it may be to rely on stress-free online ordering and doorstep delivery, months of feeling cooped up has many of us yearning for the accessibility and connection of dropping by to pick up our favorite meal and exchange a “hello.” We’re excited that two of our favorite Nashville culinary artists are offering us that very opportunity by taking their online presence to the next level, which happens to be straight into the lobby of the Fairlane Hotel.
Juniper Green‘s Molly Martin and the Cheese Gal’s Cortney LaCorte offer us a new and accessible way to experience their delicious fare. Image: Fairlane Hotel
Juniper Green
With a combination of private dining space and a takeaway market, Juniper Green brings even more flair to the already vibrant Fairlane Hotel, on the corner of Union and 4th Avenue. For the next three months, we can enjoy a pop-up that offers seasonal, vegetable-forward, farm-to-market food — a much-needed lighter lunch option for downtown Nashville.
Flavor guru Molly Martin started Juniper Green several years ago as a culinary event company, and her fans have spread like wildfire. She still does full-service catering, weddings, private in-home chef engagements, and collaborative community dinners. But, this new pop-up offers easy access pick-up and delivery to those of us who are looking for delicious grab-and-go fare, too. Molly says the private space has always been part of her long-term business plan, and the Fairlane offered just the right opportunity at just the right time. “I love catering and being part of people’s most meaningful moments,” she tells us. “There’s a sanctity in being witness to someone’s wedding, or being able to provide comforting food at a funeral; that’s really meaningful to me. But I miss the ability to do more on my own terms and get creative — to put together actual culinary programs.” The pop-up gives her the chance to do just that. An intimate dining area on one side of the space allows for a plan-in-advance, customizable, full-service restaurant experience that’s tailored to small celebrations (they’re currently maxing out at 25 to 30 to adhere to Metro guidelines), while the other side hosts a takeaway market with street access.
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The beautiful market menu consists of year-round mainstays such as the heirloom potato salad, Israeli couscous, and curry chicken salad, as well as a rotating cast of seasonal salads and sides like grilled market vegetables and fall orzo. There are even “Drop-off Dinner Party” selections, such as rosemary-roasted pork loin with apple-onion jam, that can be warmed up at home for an elevated gathering in our own dining room. “The food is highly seasonal,” explains Molly. “The menu changes every week. We look at what’s coming in from local farms and write different menus all the time. It’s a really fun opportunity for us to be able to share that a little bit more with individual clients, instead of having to focus on an event.”
Orders can be placed online and picked up through the hotel valet line for easy curbside, contactless service. Alternately, a street entrance allows you to drop into the market to check out the daily specials for yourself — and maybe to make a connection along the way. “That community vibe is what I really love,” says Molly. “I’ve always wanted to have a space to welcome people into and give them a chance to enjoy what we do without having to put together a whole event around it.” You can enjoy Juniper Green’s pop-up through the holidays and by pre-ordering online.
“There’s a little bit of an education piece about it,” Molly says of the private dining element at her new Juniper Green pop-up. “People can’t pop into the dine-in portion for date nights. It’s a book-in-advance, private experience. But please stop by the market to pick up stuff to take home!” Image: Fairlane Hotel
The Cheese Gal
While there are worse things in life than having delicious cheese delivered to our doorsteps, we’re excited for the first official Cheese Gal pickup location, open for online ordering/curbside pickup now. It will fully open by the end of October. The Cheese Gal herself, Cortney LaCorte, is giving us an all-access pass to her extraordinary charcuterie and cheese board-building skills … without the delivery fee. “I’m pumped to have our first actual location!” exclaims Cortney. “I’ve been wanting this for a while. We had plans at the top of the year with different investors, and we were looking at real estate, and at the last minute, I pulled out of all of those things. I just didn’t feel right about it. Sure enough, the tornado hit and then COVID, so maybe that was perfect.”
The stars eventually aligned and led her to the Fairlane Hotel, and her brand new spot in the lobby is a daily chance for us to satisfy our fix. The menu is filled with platters of fresh crudité, her popular bagel boards, and, of course, the star of the show: cheese. The biggest highlight, perhaps, is that she now offers individual-sized containers of cheese, charcuterie, fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, crackers and fresh garnish — a curated, seasonally based mini box of goodness that lets us experience the Cheese Gal’s masterful mix of flavor profiles on a more personalized scale. “There are so many things that we couldn’t do before,” says Cortney. “We were limited to a small menu and delivery. With an actual space, we can get creative with fun add-ons, holiday parties, small dinners, wine pairings and classes. That’s the biggest difference, for sure.”
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The location, which has an exterior street entrance and an entrance through the lobby, utilizes the hotel’s valet line for convenient curbside pickup. Customers need only text, and someone will run the order out. Cortney notes that there’s plenty of street parking available as well. Dine-in options will be underway within the next few months, including the chance to enjoy a glass of wine and pick up gourmet at-home board-building accompaniments such as baguettes, jams, and other fun items.
As if that’s not enough, the new space allows for private classes and small, ticketed experiences, something Cortney is looking forward to with excitement. “Molly’s doing really similar things,” Cortney says of her Fairlane Hotel lobby neighbor, “and we’re going to team up to do some events together — kind of like a progressive dinner party where people can purchase tickets in small groups and keep it safe. They can start in my shop with cheese and wine, mosey on across the hall to her place for dinner, and then we can go upstairs to the rooftop to have another cocktail. It’s about creating fun experiences for people, which I think we’re all craving right now — just a sense of normalcy.” Admittedly, the potential of a Juniper Green and Cheese Gal dining duo piques our interest, too, but we’re trying not to get carried away just yet. For now, we’re simply thrilled to have all of the seasonal, beautiful food at our fingertips.
For the Cheese Gal, it all comes back to connection and a special culinary adventure. “You’re able to come into my home in a sense, and have this experience eating these beautifully curated cheeses and all of these delicious things,” Cortney says, adding, “They say your eyes eat first — I think that’s what people love about our boards.” A beautifully arranged selection of cheese, charcuterie, fruit and nuts, The Cheese Gal’s mini box is our favorite new menu item. Image: Brooke Boling for Honor Creative
We hope you enjoy the opportunity to experience these two Nashville gems at their new Fairlane Hotel location!
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Looking to try other Nashville dining hotspots? Check out some of the other fantastic local restaurants we’re highlighting.
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