Bound’ry – An Unexpected Vegan Destination in Nashville

Bound’ry – An Unexpected Vegan Destination in Nashville

Posted on 02. Aug, 2009 by Yvonne Smith in Blog, Nashville, Reviews

One of my favorite things to do is to challenge non-vegan chefs to make delicious, inventive vegan meals, so when two of my Nashville vegan friends told me of the great experience they had at Bound’ry in Nashville, I was very excited.  They had called a week in advance, but I had a friend visiting from out of town the next night and I decided I’d see how they would do with just a few hours notice.  I’m happy to say that the chefs rose to the challenge beautifully and I will definitely be back.

I called around noon on Wednesday and told the nice man who answered the phone that two vegans would be in for dinner and that we would like a multi-course meal.  He enthusiastically assured us that it was no problem and I got off the phone confident that it would be an evening to remember.

We arrived at 7:00 and chose a table on the patio.  Our server Jeff introduced himself and dropped off drink menus.  I’m not sure he knew what to do with a couple of vegans, but he warmed up to us quickly when we ordered beer.

First course was a lovely veggie summer roll with chili sauce.  I was pleasantly surprised that there was no mint as I’m just not a big fan of mint leaves that always seem to overpower rolls.  Delicious dish and great sauce.course1

Second course was a gazpacho that was presented creatively.  The soup was in a little creamer and there were fresh tomatoes and onions in the bowl.  The color of the gazpacho was yellow instead of the usual red.  Now, I have to admit that I’m not the hugest fan of raw tomatoes and onions and the first taste of soup was surprisingly onion-y and tomato-y, but it really grew on me with every spoonful.  Different than any other gazpacho I’ve ever had, and different in a good way.course2course2b

During the gazpacho I told my dining companion L that I wasn’t that into raw tomatoes, so we laughed when we got course number three, which was a plate full of raw tomatoes!  These were local heirloom tomatoes though, and the sea salt, cracked pepper and olive oil that they were served with made them quite tasty.  They looked stunning on the plate too.  L is a huge tomato fan, so he really enjoyed this course.  Surprisingly, so did I.course3

At some point Otis the manager (the man I talked to on the phone earlier) introduced himself to us and made sure everything was ok.  The staff was so attentive to our needs, but never over-bearing, which was greatly appreciated.

Otis brought out our fourth course, a falafel dish, which was actually a regular menu item.  (I was a little bummed to find out they no longer had the tofu dish that I loved, but it’s a good thing that they’re changing things up and experimenting.)  The falafel came with tabouli, a bit of hummus, roasted baby eggplant and mini pieces of naan.  Really nice, interesting presentation.  I’m a big fan of Mediterranean food, so this was great.  I loved the texture of the hummus and the naan was delightfully chewy.  Win!course44

At this point I was really full and ready for dessert, but we had another course coming…  And what a course!  Number five was tempura tofu with veggies and a spicy soy sauce.  My only complaint about this dish was that the tempura was a little gummy, which I think was caused from undercooked flour, but the veggies and the sauce were so flavorful and fabulous!  Plus, I heartily applaud any chef who is not afraid of tofu.  I took half of my portion home because I was so full and it made a great lunch the next day.course5

Course number six, dessert, was fresh fruit.  Ok, yeah, I would have appreciated something a little more inventive, but to be fair, I did only call that day and really, I was so stuffed it didn’t matter.  I do hope that they’ll add a vegan dessert to their regular menu, especially because we are so lacking in the vegan dessert department in Nashville.  If they need suggestions, I’ll gladly help because vegan desserts are really quite easy.course6

All in all, a delightful evening.  We were there for nearly two and a half hours, which is my kind of dining experience.  I wonder if they would do wine pairings if we gave them enough notice?  That would rock my world.

Otis, Jeff and Chef Lee Guidry took amazing care of us and the food was delicious.  I am so grateful to my friends Kate and Karsten for telling me about their experience and thanks to the great food and service, I will spread the word about Bound’ry as an unexpectedly satisfying vegan destination in Nashville.

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11 Responses to “Bound’ry – An Unexpected Vegan Destination in Nashville”

  1. Kate O'

    02. Aug, 2009

    SO glad it worked out as well for you as for us. To be honest, the dessert they served us, even with a week’s notice, was a little odd. It was berries in some kind of liquor aspic, or something? I don’t know, I couldn’t do much with it, and one of our guests is a non-drinker, so it was an unfortunate dessert. But all the other courses were wonderful. I’m envious of the gazpacho and the raw tomato plate. I hope you can go back and have a vegan pizza. Yum.

  2. Quintessence Challis

    17. Sep, 2009

    That was so fun to read–almost like I was there. But I wasn’t and now I’m jealous…of everything but the lame dessert. But, everything else sounded fantastic! And it is a beautiful thing when a restaurant’s staff can be so inventive with vegan cuisine when it’s not their usual thing. Bravo!

  3. Nashvegan

    21. Oct, 2009

    I’m going there for my birthday dinner tonight and I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out. And I called last week and talked to the pastry chef–vegan dessert acquired. It’s something “creative” with pumpkin.

  4. Awesome, can’t wait to hear how it went!

  5. Bound’ry « Nashvegan

    03. Nov, 2009

    [...] last year (while still lacto/ovo) and partially due to The Traveling Vegetarian’s encouraging post about how vegan-friendly they can be. I made my reservation a week in advance and indicating that I [...]

  6. Lisa Rimmert

    10. Dec, 2009

    Hey Yvonne,

    I’m sure you don’t know me, but I am a friend and fan of Stephanie Ernst’s. Anyway, I came across your blog while searching for a good place to eat in Nashville. I’m going there in February for an Ani Difranco show (!!!), and want to go somewhere to eat with my friend, aunt, and her fiance. They’re all open-minded meat-eaters. I’d like to make a good impression of veganism.. Which means nowhere I have to eat a salad, nowhere that will make too much of a fuss over me, etc. I’m sure you know what I mean. Bound’ry looks great, but it’s a little out of our price range. Is there any other restaurant in Nashville you could recommend? I appreciate it!

    Lisa

  7. Yvonne Smith

    14. Dec, 2009

    Hey Lisa!

    Some of my favorite vegan-friendly places in Nashville are: The Wild Cow (all veg), PM, Jamaicaway, Rosepepper Cantina, Gojo (Ethiopian) and Baja Burrito. All are a bit cheaper than Bound’ry and all have some great vegan offerings. I hope you have a great time here! Let me know if I can help with anything else, and be sure to check out my list of veggie-friendly places in Nashville here: http://www.thetravelingvegetarian.tv/new-and-improved-nashville-dining-list/

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