Cookeville has "model downtown"

[BuffaloHome]

Originally Posted by JMT

West Side Grocery opened this week next to Meg's Bread and across the street from Ralph's Donuts. While not for the bargain shopper, West Side Grocery has a good selection of local produce, meats, even locally made ice cream and other dairy products. It carries mainly organic products and is still in the process of stocking items so they're open to suggestions of what else they should carry.

It was fun to peruse their store this morning, grab some locally made ice cream and local raw honey, then go next door for some fresh croissants and pastries. (But again, it's not for the budget conscious.) They also have an outdoor patio where you can enjoy some of Meg's homemade pizzas, salads and sandwiches with some organic chips and delicious imported sodas from West Side Grocery.

That ice cream is da bomb. It's from Sunrise Dairy in Cumberland County and is so rich and creamy. Same with the milk and cream from Sunrise Dairy.

I hope West Side Grocery didn't jump the gun by opening before the luxury apartments behind Ralph's have even gotten started as I'm sure they're counting on that foot traffic. I'll still do the bulk of my shopping at Publix but will go to WSG from time to time to indulge in Sunrise Dairy ice cream and some local raw honey. And probably some meats from local farms.

[BuffaloHome]

Ricky Shelton posted on his Facebook page:

Shannon and I are excited to announce we are opening Cookeville’s first food truck park, TRACKSIDE, on October 13th!

This will bring a completely different, family friendly experience to the WestSide.

Trackside will provide a space for 6 local food trucks and a cool area for the community to eat and socialize in a fun and casual environment with games and entertainment! Trackside is located on a former railroad rail yard just steps from the Depot on Broad Street.

Cookeville and the WestSide is already becoming a food hub, with great restaurants and chefs. This will bring even more people to the area. We are creating a small business ecosystem where Trackside can help them grow and sustain their own small business.

I wonder if it's the area I circled in red:


He added that there will be 4 permanent food trucks, and the other 2 spaces will likely rotate.

I LOVE this idea! I'm eager to find out which food trucks will be part of this.

This is also just 2 blocks from where the Pizza Machine is opening its own food truck park and interactive art gallery on 1st @ Hickory.

[JMT]

Has anyone been to 1854 Cocktail Bar and Lounge yet ("Sophisticated libations on Cookeville’s historic square")? It had its opening yesterday, and from what I understand it was packed. I don't drink, so I don't know that I'll ever go unless it's for the food which they advertise as "local, fresh, and sustainably-sourced ingredients." I like that there's a classy place like that in town. It even has a dress code (minimum is "polished casual"). It's located just off the courthouse square at 18 N. Madison Ave.

https://1854cocktailbarlounge.com/

[justindb29]

Originally Posted by JMT

Has anyone been to 1854 Cocktail Bar and Lounge yet ("Sophisticated libations on Cookeville’s historic square")? It had its opening yesterday, and from what I understand it was packed. I don't drink, so I don't know that I'll ever go unless it's for the food which they advertise as "local, fresh, and sustainably-sourced ingredients." I like that there's a classy place like that in town. It even has a dress code (minimum is "polished casual"). It's located just off the courthouse square at 18 N. Madison Ave.

https://1854cocktailbarlounge.com/

I've never heard of "polished casual".

[tragenvol]

Originally Posted by justindb29

I've never heard of "polished casual".

Clarified by them as no beach or workout attire.

[BuffaloHome]

Originally Posted by JMT

Has anyone been to 1854 Cocktail Bar and Lounge yet ("Sophisticated libations on Cookeville’s historic square")? It had its opening yesterday, and from what I understand it was packed. I don't drink, so I don't know that I'll ever go unless it's for the food which they advertise as "local, fresh, and sustainably-sourced ingredients." I like that there's a classy place like that in town. It even has a dress code (minimum is "polished casual"). It's located just off the courthouse square at 18 N. Madison Ave.

https://1854cocktailbarlounge.com/

The owner of 1854 Cocktail Bar & Lounge was on Tiffany Anton's radio show yesterday to talk more about it. It was very interesting. They do have a large selection of non alcoholic drinks as well as gourmet food from locally sourced ingredients although she stressed that it's not a restaurant.

https://newstalk941.com/local-matter...chel-smalling/

[BuffaloHome]

Trackside, the new food truck park downtown, is opening today at 11am. Here are the food trucks this week:

Gunsmoke's Burgers and Grille
Fil-Thai
Bondi Bowls Crossville
Helen's Restaurant
Abuela's Cuban Cafe
Big Foot Eats & Treats

Today and tomorrow are its "soft opening" so the big grand opening festivities won't be until Friday when Jake Hoot will be performing that evening. Saturday's performer will be Jesse Atkinson.

Trackside is:
Handicap accessible
Pet Friendly on leash
Live Music
Picnic tables onsite, Bring a chair for music
Public restrooms adjacent to venue
Public parking adjacent to venue

The address is 172 West Broad, a block west of the depot museum and behind P-Dilly's Cupcakes.

[JMT]

The Pizza Machine 3 posted this picture of its pizza bus in front of Red Silo Brewery in downtown Cookeville. Pretty neat shot. Father Tom's restaurant and patio are right behind Red Silo. Cedar Ave is on the left. The back of the Cream City sign is visible. High Above Tennessee took this picture. The new Fire & Vine rooftop patio is barely visible on the bottom right of the picture under the High Above Tennessee watermark.




The photographer Casey Dirté, who recently moved to Cookeville from Paradise CA, took some pictures of downtown Cookeville with a splash of fall colors. (All pictures shared with permission.)

[tragenvol]

Originally Posted by BuffaloHome

Business licenses have been issued for the two new pizza places coming to downtown, but I can't find any web presence for either one. The one in the old Pepsi building will be called Gene's Place, and the one on 1st which will also have a rooftop bar will be called Fire & Vine.

From the business license application, "Gene's Place" is owned by Gene Hayenga who is the same person that Jig Head Brewery brought down from Chicago to run its pizza place in Algood, now called Manny's Wood Fire Pizza. I have no idea if Gene's Place is also affiliated with Jig Head or Manny's, or if maybe Gene and Jig Head/Manny's had a parting of the ways. I assume we'll find out more when it opens. And I wonder if it'll be the deep dish style of pizza that Chicago is famous for.

Gene's Place Pizzeria is hiring to staff its wood-fired pizza place; hoping for some great Neapolitan style selections. There is a Facebook page, and the sign is up on the storefront.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by tragenvol

Gene's Place Pizzeria is hiring to staff its wood-fired pizza place; hoping for some great Neapolitan style selections. There is a Facebook page, and the sign is up on the storefront.

I'm really excited about this, if not for the pizza, but because a beautiful old building has been restored. From what I gather, this building was built in 1930 as the original Pepsi bottling plant for the area. It eventually became a laundromat which was abandoned in the 1970s (I think) and it sat empty for decades until brought back to life for this.

What it looked like before renovation:


And now:


The part of the building not being used as a pizzeria was already beautifully renovated for Vertical Coffee.

I believe there's also supposed to be a brewery as part of the pizzeria but I could be wrong.

I hope the city will eventually "cityscape" this neighborhood the way it's done with most of the rest of downtown by burying the overhead cables, using decorative streetlamps, and sprucing up the sidewalks.