Vietnamese Restaurant East Side Banh Mi Set to Open August 2020

photography by Kevin Kazlauskas

Expected to open in East Nashville in August 2020, East Side Banh Mi is the culinary brainchild of husband and wife team Grace Nguyen and Chad Newton. Growing up, Nguyen spent time baking breads in the kitchen with her mother, and learning about Asian cuisine from her grandmother. She later went on to attend California Culinary Academy, subsequently working as a sous chef and chef de cuisine for restaurants in the San Francisco area.  She will serve as Executive Chef for East Side Banh Mi.

Newton, who has worked as an executive chef, earned a degree in Restaurant Management, and will spearhead business development for the restaurant.  Prior to opening the restaurant, the duo started Asian Box - a franchised food service that offers Asian street food.

East Side Banh Mi, a fast-casual style eatery, will take a modern approach to traditional Vietnamese cuisine, focusing on artisanal, locally-sourced foods. The highlight of the menu will be Vietnamese-style banh mi sandwiches. All sandwiches will be served on a fresh baked baguette with fried shallot mayo, pickles, cilantro, jalapenos, and Maggi. Also on the menu will be three bowls to choose from: Gracie's Big Salad, the Rice Boodle Bowl, and the Broken Rice Bowl. But that's not all. Each banh mi also comes with shrimp & tofu or veggie spring rolls. Guests can rinse all the goodness down with a traditional Vietnamese iced coffee or toasted peanut rice milk.

Get a Sneak Peek of East Side Banh Mi

To celebrate the opening of East Side Banh Mi, the team is hosting a pop-up event at Jackalope Brewing Company. Guests will enjoy a sampling of menu classics, including The No. 1 (ham hock terrine, pate, and smoked bologna), Impossible ("Xiu Mai" impossible meatballs, roasted & smashed), and Fresh Peach & Cucumber Salad (fresh shallots, roasted peanuts, mint, spicy fish sauce).

The event takes place at Jackalope Brewing Company's taproom, The Ranch. Details are listed below.

429B Houston St., Nashville, TN 37203
June 20 from 1-4 pm
June 27, July 11, July 18 (times TBD)

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