I finally made it over to East Nashville to go to Cafe Roze and let me tell you, I was not disappointed! From the outside, the building is unassuming with only a small neon sign alerting you to the restaurant’s presence. Opening the door you immediately feel at ease thanks to soft pastel decor and lovely kitchen smells. We sat at the bar and despite a packed house we were immediately attended to. The menu is the perfect size, with plenty of options without being overwhelming. First, we turned our attention to the drink menu which has an assortment of coffee and teas as well as spritzers, steamers, and cocktails.
Cafe Roze
1115 Porter Rd. Nashville, TN 37206
http://caferoze.com
Refusing to believe that it’s still 90 degrees, here in Nashville, and it’s almost October, I started with the Golden Turmeric Steamer. My friend, who’s more practical than I am, ordered the Turmeric Spritzer. Even though the weather might not be appropriate for hot drinks, the steamer was delicious. Rachel liked her refreshing spritzer, other than the fact that she has zero tolerance for anything remotely spicy, even if it’s just spice from ginger!
Golden Turmeric Steamer
Even though the menu is small, there are plenty of options for vegetarians and gluten-free peeps like me! It was hard for me to choose between breakfast or lunch, but I ended up choosing lunch, getting the Roze Bowl and adding salmon. Other add-on choices include chicken or a turmeric egg (which I’ll be trying next time). I honestly was expecting to be disappointed with the portion size or the cook on the fish, but I wasn’t. This bowl is the perfect combination of flavors and absolutely beautiful to look at. With expertly cooked salmon, black lentils and red quinoa, grilled zucchini, pickled beets, lightly steamed kale, and a delicious tahini dressing it’s one of the best bowls I’ve ever had. The only constructive criticism I will give is the salmon was a little unevenly seasoned leaving some of the bites extra salty. That being said, I’ll be dreaming about these flavors for days! Rachel ordered the Smoked Salmon Toast. I can’t speak to the taste since I didn’t eat it, but the presentation was about a beautiful as it gets!
Smoked Trout Toast
Roze Bowl with added salmon
Other menu options include:
Breakfast
Egg Bowl with poached or scrambled egg, cucumber feta bulgur, kale, and preserved lemon yogurt.
Savory Oats with poached egg, mustard greens, roasted shiitake, and gamasio.
Lunch
Hardboiled B.L.T. with turmeric egg, Giffords bacon, caper aioli, and watercress.
Farro Salad with charred green beans, frisee, pickled beets, and miso ranch.
Dinner
Pork Schnitzel with caraway, red cabbage, beet, and sauce gribiche.
Spring fed Rainbow Trout with sugar snap pea succotash, corn broth, and pea tendrils.
I mean, come on! Sounds awesome right? These are just a few of the choices from the menu, but everything sounds delicious. I’ll be back to Cafe Roze because of the attention to detail, intimate environment, and delicious food. I’m so grateful that talented chefs like Julia Jaksic are making their way to Nashville from New York and other major cities to give us a taste of their creations!
Pretty in pink!
Cafe Roze is open Monday-Saturday 8am-Midnight and Sunday 8am-10pm and they offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
