lunch – The Salted Table

The West End Cafe

The Ambiance. The West End Cafe warranted a visit while looking for a light lunch snack . We saw the Grand Opening sign and said, Why not? You walk into the establishment which is vaguely reminiscent of a cafeteria but with trendy decor. The Cafe is fitted with earthy tones and wood beams to provide that contemporary rustic feel that is so popular at the moment. You can enjoy the news or sports while dining because there are several flat screen t.v.s and a small bar tucked in the corner. You can also enjoy the view of West End traffic on their patio space.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Food. The Cafe offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. They are moderately priced and offer soups, sandwiches and appetizers. We haven’t tried their breakfast so if you know anything about it let us know.

You won’t be writing home about the cuisine at The West End Cafe. It is simplistic food made for it’s business professional, college student demographic. The first time we visited the cafe they forgot the andouille on our pepperoni and andouille flatbread, bummer, because that probably would have elevated the uninspired pizzetta in front of us. We ordered the turkey & cranberry sandwich, which had hickory smoked turkey, havarti, mesclun greens, red onions & cranberry rosemary chutney on cracked wheat bread. It was good, but I recommend asking them to toast the bread. That would make the sandwich better. The Chipotle Chicken sandwich with white cheddar, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes & chipotle mayonnaise on toasted jalapeno cheddar bread which was actually better than I had intended. I’d reccomend trying the chipotle chicken sandwich and the hummus plate. They were the items I’d order if I ever crossed paths again.

They also serve Bongo Java so we grabbed an ice coffee to go. In all honesty, the West End Cafe is in a great location for the grab and go crowd of the busy West End area but it’s not something you’d go out of the way for. If you enjoy the run of the mill sandwich shop. The West End Cafe will be your joint.

dose. [coffee and tea]….’java nirvana’

I discovered dose. [coffee and tea] one day when I took a wrong turn. And I’ve been thankful ever since. I turned in and grabbed a vanilla machiato and realized that I would definitely be back. I am a sucker for warm welcoming environments with good views & eats. When I returned home I plugged into google to discover they were holding a coffee and chocolate tasting that I would refuse to miss. You say Chocolate to me and done deal. The whole experience of the tasting actually elevated the way I thought of coffee and chocolate as a whole. I definitely recommend checking out the next one .

Ummm! Just thinking about a ginger infused cappuccino makes me a happy man. Something about the smell of coffee beans alone I find to be therapeutic. I mean if there were scratch and sniff coffee scented t-shirts. I’d have one…true story. I mean I am infatuated with everything about that tiny little morsel that creates something so spectacular with the capabilities of curing my headaches, changing the state of my emotions and allowing me to like being around people at 6am in the morning. (sometimes its really hard… I kid you not)

dose. [coffee and tea], the awesome little coffee shop and cafe in the coveted Sylvan Park area of Nashville is serving up some of the best java you will find. Keith Steunebrink and Heath Henley, the owners of this hip establishment take true pride in all that is coffee. I sat down with Heath at dose., a cozy place decor-ed in vintage wood beams, hard-wood floors, trendy art pieces,high privacy booths and dim lighting that will make you want to camp out….Don’t try it! Somewhere between that euphoric state of fresh joe and the melodic swoons Otis Redding to Bon Iver you’ll become a believer and what I like to call a ‘serial doser’.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

dose. has been open for business for 2 1/2 years and is still cultivating ways to become a Nashville staple. I’ve encountered many who gaze at me with a look of bewilderment when asking where they get coffee and have they heard of dose. [coffee and tea]? The name itself is a bit confusing if one is not a savvy coffee drinker. But the name dose. Henley explains, “refers to a step in the preparation of espresso, namely when you transfer the coffee from the grinder to the portafilter, known as dosing the coffee.” Aaaah! It’s all coming together now isn’t it, I know, right?

In trying to discover the perfect name for the shop. The guys decided to make a list if 15 options that would be voted on by the people and dose. won the fight.

You might be thinking, OK, well dose. sounds like a pretty cool place to get coffee, but why should I go there? Well if the ginger cappuccino didn’t get you then back to Pilot for your sugary sludge. At dose. they brew coffee by the cup, none of that mass production of some unmarked silver bag that no one knows what the content holds. Just so know, you will be waiting for 4 to 5 minutes for that perfect cup of Joe. Oh! Yeah, if you’re a die hard fan of chocolate, the Omahene chocolate sauce is to die for. After you add it to your coffee ask for a bowl of it!…No, I’m serious, it’s that good. Heath & Keith (don’t you love that it rhymes) are both above and beyond knowledgeable about all that the coffee industry has to offer. Their mission statement embodies their passion for the bean.

‘Our goal at dose. [coffee and tea] is to share in the love of the products that we choose to prepare for our clientele. And to be passionate about the preparation of products and the consumption. The ability to be in control of production and the personal preparation. Lastly, to create an environment we are ourselves would hang out in.’

Heath hipped us to whats known as the ‘third way of coffee’ which is the preparation of coffee that is appreciated for its nuances. Those flavor profiles that are created as a result of soil, climate and location.

Henley told us they are inspired to do what they do by the producers.Their objective is to ensure that they are producing the best cup of coffee that you have ever experienced because they desire to pay homage to those farmers who put a great amount of love and passion into what they harvest. When on the hunt for new coffee the guys bring in several samples and hold ‘cuppings’ (the technical term for slurping coffee to look for quality and those nuances) to determine what they will sell or feature next.The guys are searching for exceptional quality, unique-ness, and appearance of the product. At any given time you can try 6 different single origin coffees exported from different countries or farms all with their own unique flavor profile. You can find the feature of the month on the website if you’re ever in the mood to step up your coffee game. http://dosecoffeeandtea.com/

I had the pleasure of grabbing some cuisine to go. I enjoyed the Turkey & Brie with caramelized onions on a delicious Brioche Bun made by The Bobby John Bakery. It was accompanied with a refreshing side of Caprese Salad. It was a delightfully filling meal to accompany my Ginger Cappuccino. And there was a not a patron in the room who didn’t agree the food was just as good as the java. Delicious bagels sourced from the Bagel Face Bakery and Yummy Cheese from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese. We know it’s always better to hear from the source, so we bothered some people and here are there responses. When we asked.

Why dose. [coffee and tea]?

Brent from West Meade told us dose. has the “Best coffee in town. I typically order a vanilla latte with extra vanilla syrup.”

David, a Sylvan Park resident, said the coffee is so good. “I go simple black.” He patronizes dose. “because the atmosphere is not overwhelming and the food and drinks are great!”

I saw two women on the patio who seemed to be enjoying themselves and appeared as thought this wasn’t their first time at the coffee shop.

Lauren it turned out was a ‘serial doser’ who claims she practically lives at shop. She continues to return because “They serve a quality food product and the decor doesn’t feel hectic as compared to other coffee joints. It is also convenient to Sylvan Park.” She proved to be a huge advocate for the avocado and tomato bagel that she adds bacon to.

If you want to check out more on dose. [coffee and tea]. Check it out here:

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/americas-best-coffee-bars/13

http://dosecoffee.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/imbibemagazine-

Why eat here? Why buy local?….is this ever going to end?

No one’s telling you to STOP supporting your local McDonald’s (eeewww!, but I too are a guilty patron). The true questions at the heart of the matter are Why not eat local? Why not buy here? These establishments are the back-bone of our economy. And they are the ones who took the initiative to bring their dreams into fruition. (slow clap…)

Not only that but there is something undeniably awesome about having neighborhood knick knacks that one can call their own. I mean, think about it. How heart-broken would you be to awake one morn and discover Hillsboro Village was a memory of yester-year. OMG! Where are you gonna get your Bongo Java, indie hits & art fix in one stop. And “Dear God” who’s gonna make your ‘Cookie Dough Eggrolls’ at home. (Yeah, exactly). You can’t stand in the freezing cold with snot glued to your face waiting to get in The Pancake Pantry if it doesn’t exist. This doesn’t exclude farmers. When was the last time you scooped cow patties or pulled a veggie from the earth.

And the list goes on….but we won’t, you get it. Don’t You?!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Also, supporting local businesses means that you are supporting other local businesses (tongue-twister). There are tons of statistics and numbers I could share with you but why bother? Just take my word for it. These pie charts, graphs, dots and lines all show the domino effect when keeping your money local. Not too mention, when cities have cozy mom & pops to frequent. It makes tourist feel like they’ve been somewhere worth visiting or might even remind them of home. And everybody knows you need tourists to like you despite the bad rap they get. They drop big $’s when traveling.

Oh!, wait. Let us not forget the topic of the year. JOBS. Mom & pops create the most jobs in the nation. Somebody’s gotta cook that food, do that inventory, purchase the orders, clean the floors, take long lunch breaks, the no call- no shows, and all of those who clock-in late (I was saving a kitten from being hit by a car…no…it really happened), but anyways someone has to employ these people. And a pat on the back to you mom & pops for dealing with us.

Now, to sum this all up before your head droops again! Eat here! Buy Local! and tell your friends and their friends. We must stick together with our local business owners to ensure longevity and support their success in our community. They know you and can better provide what you like and what you need because, guess what?. They live here too. Thanks for tuning in…. you may go back to your non-fat machiato or McNuggets.