The Sampler - Nourish Cafe

As the inevitable icy extremities of intractable Indiana winter gradually intensify their grip on our collective gullets, the human body naturally begins to crave the savory soups and stews.

Accordingly, with the thermometer reading in the teens and a determined wind battering our little town, my keen gastronomic compass steered me down to 165 North Van Buren Street, “The North End Shops,” to a relatively new place named, appropriately enough, “Nourish Café” which had been bandying about their hearty soup and stew offerings.

It was a cold day, but sunny, as we made our way into the cozy little eatery and claimed a table by the windows with a nice view of downtown. We weren’t the only ones seeking a nourishing little warm-up; as we dined, several people dropped in for a bowl of soup or cup of hot chocolate.

Under the Banner of “Eat To Live,” Nourish Café offers “hearty, delicious, and nutritious food” mainly soups and sandwiches.

The main dietary thing about Nourish Café, is that they do not serve mammal meat—you know, things that were born, like cows and pigs and sheep.

The non-mammal meat choices accommodate those dealing with the “alpha-gal syndrome,” also known as mammalian meat allergy. The allergic reactions to mammal meat can cause a wide range of symptoms, some lifethreatening, and usually occur three to six hours after eating. The syndrome apparently is spread through the bite of the “Lonestar tick,” and the number people dealing with this issue is growing. Some infected people even react to cross contamination of mammal meat on the grill.

We started with hot apple cider, which soothed the soul as well as our bellies. Hot cocoa, and various hot teas are also available.

Be prepared for menu changes. Our server, who turned out to be owner Jo Wohlfeld, brought out some paper menus with lists of offerings, crossing off various items with a black marker to reveal what was available at that moment.

So, anything I ate then may or may not be available on any given day, but between breakfast offerings, the soup menu and brunch sandwiches, you are certain to find something that pleases your palate.

I had a bowl of spicy white bean, chicken, and cheese soup which was just spicy enough for a chilly day. Very satisfying and tasty.

Mrs. Sampler opted for Nolan’s red lentil soup with a middle eastern flair. It was a bit more spicy and also very yummy with peppers and zesty flavors.

“It was really good,” she said.

Other soups you might encounter at Nourish Café include vegan miso mushroom or New England clam chowder.

My first choice, “classic chicken salad” with roasted chicken, diced apples, celery and mayo, was off for the day. Instead, I had the BLT—marinated grilled turkey bacon with lettuce, tomato and mayo on sourdough bread. Yummy! It was very tasty and I was not at all put off by the fact that the meat was egg-born.

You can add guacamole for two bucks, but I will leave that sort of thing to my partner in dining, who opted for one of her favorites, avocado toast— guacamole, turkey bacon, tomato and pickled red onion. For three dollars more, you can add smoked salmon, but she wouldn’t go that far.

Other brunch sandwich offerings of the day included egg salad with onion, garden dill, kosher pickle relish, lettuce and tomato—and you can add turkey bacon. Also, a black bean sandwich; a Chipotle black bean patty with guac, lettuce and tomato.

Sandwiches are served on sourdough bread with a side of chips.

On weekends, Nourish Café offers a breakfast menu from 9 a.m. until noon.

There, you might expect to encounter daily quiche specials with herb-roasted potatoes; gluten-free turkey gravy with biscuit; or a biscuit sandwich with scrambled egg, turkey bacon, avocado and tomato.

There’s a gluten free classic coffee cake by the slice. You can have milk: coconut, oat or whole cow milk. There’s drip coffee, cold brew, chai tea, and a variety of waters, juices and kombucha.

Nourish Café is located at 165 N. Van Buren St. in Nashville.

Winter hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and 9 a.m. until noon on Monday. Carry out meals are available.