Nashville, TN (August 7, 2020) – Husband and wife duo Grace Nguyen and Chad Newton of East Side Bánh Mì, a fast-casual restaurant specializing in artisanal, locally-sourced bites and Vietnamese-style bánh mì sandwiches, is thrilled to announce that they will open their doors to the public on Thursday, August 13.
The restaurant will donate 50 percent of sales on opening day to Hands on Nashville, a local non-profit that connects thousands of volunteers of all ages to more than 300 service projects each month, including the ongoing tornado and COVID-19 relief efforts. With a goal to make volunteering easy for everyone, Hands on Nashville offers projects with varying commitment levels based on volunteers’ availability and interests. Even now as folks are encouraged to stay home, the organization has adapted to create virtual volunteer projects. The team at East Side Bánh Mì is excited to partner with Hands on Nashville in their efforts to create a stronger community.
Through their accomplished careers as chefs and restaurateurs with various concepts along the West Coast, Nguyen and Newton have stoked a passion for combining genuine hospitality and authentic cuisines with fresh, thoughtfully-sourced local ingredients. Guests can look forward to a menu of classics designed to broaden flavor profiles and draw attention to the unique herbs and spices. All bánh mì sandwiches will be served on a fresh house baked 10” baguette with fried shallot mayo, pickles, cilantro, jalapeños, and Maggi. Standout sandwiches include the No. 1 (ham hock terrine, pate, and smoked bologna by Gifford’s Smoked Meats), the Impossible ("Xiu Mai" impossible meatballs, roasted and smashed) and the Brisket (slow-smoked Bear Creek Farm beef brisket), with limited availability daily. In addition to traditional bánh mìs, the menu will include bowls served with a choice of crispy pork stick or crispy impossible stick and a choice of protein (roasted lemongrass chicken, roasted caramel pork, chopped steak, chili crisp tofu and roasted eggplant, and Albacore tuna with spicy tomato sauce). Guests can choose from three bowls: Gracie’s Big Salad (choice of protein, Bloomsbury Farm greens, green papaya, pickles, herbs, fried shallots, roasted peanuts, and citrus-soy vinaigrette), the Rice Noodle Bowl (choice of protein, chilled rice noodles, Bloomsbury Farm greens, pickles, herbs, fried shallots, roasted peanuts and spicy fish sauce), and the Broken Rice Bowl(choice of protein, jasmine rice, pickles, herbs, fried shallots, roasted peanuts, and spicy fish sauce). East Side Bánh Mì will also be serving two types of spring rolls (Shrimp plus Tofu and Veggie). To compliment a food menu full of diverse flavors, East Side Bánh Mì will also serve traditional Vietnamese beverages including Toasted Peanut Rice Milk and Vietnamese Iced Coffee by Nguyen Coffee Supply.
East Side Bánh Mì’s interior, complete with seafoam walls and pops of pinks and coral, offers an elevated, yet modern look for fast-friendly dining. The 1,200 square foot space seats 28, featuring various seating vignettes, including a dining room, window counter and a contactless pick up station. Nguyen and Newton have also partnered with local artisan, RV Pottery, which designed custom plate ware for the restaurant as the couple hopes to continue their values of sustainability at East Side Bánh Mì.
Located at 1000 Gallatin Avenue, East Side Bánh Mì, is looking forward to providing local Nashvillians with an exceptionally tasty and quality cuisine that also supports local purveyors. East Side Bánh Mì will be open Monday through Friday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Learn more at eastsidebanhmi.com or follow along on Instagram @eastsidebanhmi.
About East Side Bánh Mì
Husband and wife duo, Grace Nguyen and Chad Newton, will open East Side Bánh Mì on Gallatin Avenue in Nashville early August 2020. Specializing in artisanal, locally-sourced bites and Vietnamese-style bánh mì sandwiches, East Side Bánh Mì will serve a menu of classics—such as a cold cut combo with ham hock terrine, pâté and smoked bologna, marinated and seared chopped steak, and impossible "pork” meatball—all on house-baked bread. Raised in Houston, Texas, Nguyen spent the bulk of her childhood baking breads at home with her mother, as well as learning about Asian cuisine through her grandmother's traditional Vietnamese dishes. Nguyen and Newton both grew up with a love for cooking, and through their accomplished careers as chefs and restaurateurs with various concepts along the West Coast, have stoked a passion for combining genuine hospitality and authentic cuisines with fresh, thoughtfully-sourced local ingredients. The couple's goal is to provide East Side Bánh Mì's customers with artisanal, yet approachable food made with local produce served in a fast and friendly environment. Follow East Side Bánh Mì on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.