The new zoo review

Nashville welcomes a herd—or a gaggle?—of creative restaurants

Published On: March 30, 2010

Whether you eat like a bird or are as hungry as a horse, there's a pack of intriguing restaurants stampeding onto Nashville's dining landscape—and they're all named for animals. From the exotic spices of The Smiling Elephant to the seasonal inspirations at The Silly Goose and the vegan-friendly fare at The Wild Cow, there's a menagerie of inventive menus out there. Please, don't feed the animals...let them feed you.

The Smiling Elephant: Best Pad Thai Restaurant

2213 Eighth Avenue, 891-4488

We're usually skeptical when an eatery claims to be "The Best," but in the case of Sam Kopsumbut's enchanting cottage on Eighth Avenue, his claim for superiority among pad Thai recipes is a strong one. Smiling Elephant's spin on the classic dish tosses glassy noodles made from mung bean with a medley of tender plump shrimp, pink onion, tofu, fried egg and crushed peanuts for a marriage of flavors that's fresher and less sticky-sweet than many local versions.

Sam and his wife Boonjit man the kitchen, cooking traditional family recipes from their native Thailand, including pad kra pao (pork with rice, chili and garlic) and yum woon sen (lettuce wraps with chicken and soy threads).

For three years prior to opening, Sam toiled at nights, carving the beautiful woodwork that adorns the dining room. He imported an authentic noodle cart made in his family's factory in Thailand. The traditional street cart serves as both a whimsical centerpiece for the room and a useful station for serving soups, such as tom kha kai, a spicy coconut-and-chicken broth laced with cilantro and oyster mushroom frills.

Anyone who knows Sam's sister—International Market owner Patti Myint—or his nephew—ChaChah and PM chef Arnold Myint—shouldn't be surprised by Smiling Elephant's excellent cuisine. Still, the restaurant's details are delightfully unexpected, from the hand-carved Thai spirit house in the parking lot (to bring good luck to the business) to the tea brewed with lemongrass grown beside the front door. And nothing could have prepared us for the vibrant sting of heat that Sam loaded into his green curry. Of course, he'll tone it down for you, if you ask. But you might just take your chances with the authentic flavors and order a sweet and creamy Thai tea to help put out the flames.

The Smiling Elephant serves lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The Silly Goose

1888 Eastland Avenue, 915-0757

The four tables at Roderick Bailey's tiny East Nashville eatery offer the best seats in town for diners with an appetite for quality over quantity. That's not to say that anyone leaves hungry after Bailey's composition of couscous with grilled shrimp, chili, sesame, mint, ginger and coconut, or the Lyle's Surprise sandwich with cappicola, tomme cheese, fennel and arugula pesto on rosemary focaccia. But perhaps the finest ingredient in Bailey's larder is restraint, which the Culinary Institute of America grad uses to build meals that are gorgeous and satisfying, but not overwhelming.

Among the beautiful plates emerging from the open kitchen are the Goose Stack—a rainbow-colored column of sliced tomatoes, diced mango, avocado and goat cheese, served with mixed greens and citrus-ginger vinaigrette—and a platter laden with cheeses from Tennessee and Kentucky.

The Silly Goose serves lunch and dinner, with BYOB allowed and most items clocking in below $10. The sunny, casual room painted with playful murals is also a cheery place to stop in for a glass of fresh basil lemonade or a bowl of ice cream, which is made daily with inventive flavors such as sorghum, beet and lemon-and-cracked pepper.

The Silly Goose is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant

1896 Eastland Avenue, 262-2717

Herbivores are rejoicing at the arrival of a vegetarian-and-vegan-friendly restaurant serving gluten-free fare in East Nashville. Owners Melanie and John Cochran designed their restaurant to appeal to the appetite as well as to the conscience, with a meatless repertoire that doesn't depend on the inhumane and environmentally damaging practices of industrialized farming.

In the modern-rustic dining room painted a vibrant chard-green and clad in faux stone, kitchen manager Winston Harrison oversees a culinary roster that looks more contemporary-chic than Bohemian-earthy. No, that pretty plate isn't a crabcake entrée—those are tempeh-pinto bean cakes with red chili rice, vegan sour cream, lime wedges and tomatillo sauce.

Wild Cow sources local foods when possible, including bread from Charpier's bakery in West Nashville, which makes a fresh vehicle for the plump portobello sandwich with tahini dressing, roasted red peppers, sprouts and greens and for the veggie burger made from a smoky blend of textured vegetable protein, brown rice and black beans flavored with cumin. All cheeses are organic and from free-range cows, and every dish that contains cheese can be made with a vegan alternative. The Wild Cow is so committed to fresh food that there's not even a freezer or microwave in the building.

The commitment to healthy and sustainable living goes beyond local ingredients and a recycling and composting program. Wild Cow offers a customer-loyalty card that directs four percent of purchases to nonprofit organizations including Sound Forest, Food Not Bombs, Nashville Pittie, Doctors Without Borders and Dogs Deserve Better.

The Wild Cow is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Tuesday. For daily specials, visit TheWildCow.com