A Great Place to Hang | These Nashville Spots Invite You to Hang Out

Nashville offers numerous comfortable hangouts where you can enjoy a coffee, glass of wine or meal, all the while admiring quality art and a pleasant setting.

These places are like mini art galleries, highlighting the works of local creative types. Though the art, color schemes, furnishing and conversation pieces do not distract visitors from enjoying their beverage, book, or best friend, they do add to the ambience of the spaces, making them all the more inviting.

So take your laptop, magazine or book and enjoy one of the following—solo or with a friend for a stimulating chat. Good vibes are key to these hangs.

by William Williams | photography by Matt Coale

Pizzereal, www.pizzereal.com

203 N. 11th Street, Nashville, TN 37206-2702, (615) 226-2206

Paul Koumanelis, the affable owner of this Five Points pizza restaurant, started his business five years ago this past October with minimal art highlighting the interior space. Since then, the walls of his popular east-side pie joint have been transformed into an art gallery of sorts. “I’m a songwriter myself, so I decided I would like to give my [creative] neighbors a shot,” he says of mixing visual and culinary art at Pizzereal.

Koumanelis—who is of Greek descent, speaks fluent Spanish, charms customers with his dead-pan humor, and makes a tasty pepperoni pie too—says his eatery showcases about 50 pieces of art from Nashville artists, with another 20 or so from local children. “I strictly show local artists,” he says.

Though Koumanelis appreciates art, he says he will stick to crafting and delivering mouth-watering pizza. “You know I wish I could draw a straight line but I can’t,” he quips.

The Good Cup, www.thegoodcup.com

2181 Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37069-6223, (615) 591-2326

This Grassland-area café is perhaps Williamson County’s most bohemian hang. With its earth tones, concrete flooring, low lighting and eye-catching art, The Good Cup lures visitors—and, particularly, regulars—into sitting and staying a while. “They always sit in the same place,” owner Amanda Taylor says of her dedicated customers.

When this writer visited, The Good Cup displayed the dramatic work of local artist Laura Amstutz, whose ten large and three small pieces enliven the cozy Good Cup space. Recently, Taylor installed some photos by Kara Orendorf and Jennie Schut’s mixed-media creations.

Taylor got her start in the café world by helping a friend open a coffee shop in Thailand. “That’s how the passion started,” she says. On January 1 of this year, Taylor bought The Good Cup from previous owner Anne Sale and began her tenure as barista boss.

Art is a key element of The Good Cup vibe. Of note, Taylor focuses on local artists, with their works playing nicely off the muted earth tones and slightly rustic feel of the inviting space. “This is such a community-based space,” Taylor says of her café’s interior. We’ll toast to that with a latte.

The Nashville Jazz Workshop, www.nashvillejazz.org

1319 Adams Street, Nashville, TN 37208, (615) 242-5299

The Nashville Jazz Workshop ranks as one of the city’s most overlooked hangouts, in part because the facility from which it operates is both off the beaten path and an unconventional space. Within the NJW confines are offered instrument lessons, the city’s most impressive jazz CD library, and the hip Jazz Cave, a live-music venue that reminds patrons of the classic listening rooms found in, say, New York City and San Francisco.

Throughout the facility, located at the Neuhoff complex in East Germantown, are books, CDs, musical instruments, contemporary furniture, and lots of visual art (most for sale), with these elements combining to create a vibe that invites attendees of a jazz concert or students receiving lessons to stay a while and soak in the atmosphere. “When we have a [concert], the artists get 100 percent of their sales,” says Lori Mechem, co-executive director of the NJW with husband Roger Spencer. “And we ask them to leave a piece.”

It’s a perfect arrangement, one that allows the workshop to showcase some wonderful art during about five shows per year. Artists include James Threalkill, Brian Parker and potter Timothy Weber. The latter has 13 clay and wood pieces, collectively called The Spirit House, in the Lobby Gallery. “People walking in here go ‘wow,’” Mechem says of Weber’s work. “It’s so different [in that] it’s not pictures.” A Threalkill painting of an upright bassist is not to be missed. Nor is the hangout vibe in this underrated Nashville gem.

Dunn Bros Coffee, www.dunnbros.com

401 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219, (615) 252-2567

Dunn Bros Coffee offers one of downtown Nashville’s most distinctive hangs, for various reasons. The downtown café just celebrated two years of operation, and its devotees can opt to enjoy a latte or espresso in the main seating area (which is well suited for observing downtown’s bustling Church Street/Fourth Avenue intersection) or retreat to a middle room with large video screen or a secluded back room.

For reading, sipping and chatting, D-Bros offers both cushioned chairs and standard tables, all surrounded by some wonderful local art. Adding to the ambience is a micro-roaster, looming near the main entrance and commanding attention, as its diminutive form is quite unlike that of a standard-sized coffee-bean roaster.

Kevan and Fawn Ker, the pleasant husband-wife ownership team, deserve credit for creating a cool vibe. “Our visual art is very important to the atmosphere of our shop,” Fawn says. “We do not charge commission to our artists if they wish to sell their pieces. And although the artists display their work here for two months, every piece is missed when the rotation changes.”

As of this writing, the collection included eye-catching photos from Michael P. Bullis (his shot of a camera is amazing), floral paintings from Kathryn Vago, and photos of flowers courtesy of Rob Lindsay.

In December, Dunn Bros will offer the In.FORM.AL Art Show featuring 11 local artists. “When we decided to open up a coffeehouse in downtown,” Fawn Ker says, “we envisioned an oasis—a place where everyone downtown, working or residing, could come and ‘get away from it all.’” The Kers have succeeded.

Rumours Wine & Art Bar, www.rumourswinebar.com

2304 12th Avenue S., Nashville, TN 37204, (615) 292-9400

Rumours is now a 12 South institution, and there is no questioning the appeal of the quirky restaurant’s stellar food, wine, art and service. These elements combine—within a cozy atmosphere, no less—to create an ambience unlike any other in Nashville. At Rumours, the focus is on the feel and flow of three distinct and quaint spaces—a front window-splashed entrance, a middle bar area, and a back main dining room.

“Rumours has its own personality,” says Whitney Ferre, who co-owns the business with Christy Shuff. “And the art on the walls, the art in the glass, and the art on the plate all radiate a very dynamic and approachable vibe.” That vibe features a cozy central room highlighted by a tiny yet welcoming bar and a fireplace. Ferre and Shuff have chosen a color scheme (using shades of blue and red) that is soothing in night lighting.

Rumours offers 16 pieces of art, four of which Ferre created. Christine Buchanan crafted the other 12 large works with birds as the theme. “It is so fun to watch people react to the artwork and leave with so much more than full bellies,” Ferre says.

Good times are born of a good hangout. And Rumours welcomes those who want to sit and enjoy quality wine and stimulating conversation. “Just recently the entire cast of the Nashville Opera’s production of Tosca was on the patio,” Ferre says. “They sang Happy Birthday to a diner. His wife said she would never forget that birthday. They transformed the place with their song.”

Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea, www.uglymugsnashville.com

1886 Eastland Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206-2542, (615) 915-0675

Don’t be fooled by the Ugly Mugs moniker. The eye-catching interior of this East Nashville hangout, which opened in August 2008, is anything but unattractive. In fact, Ugly Mugs even delivers an almost New York City industrial-space edge, with its concrete floors, exposed mechanicals, sleek furniture, and very masculine color scheme.

Wife and husband co-owners Courtney and Jarod DeLozier have hit a caffeine-fueled home run with U-Mugs’ inviting space. “[We] tried to make it feel like a work-home coffee shop,” Jarod DeLozier says.

Slate blue walls allow art of any color to pop, according to Courtney DeLozier. As with many cafes, art is a key theme. Showing as of this writing was the attractively understated photography of Kate Mills. Scheduled for December is the work of Jessica Hill, a local painter.

“We’re getting to the point where we’re screening the artists more [than when we opened],” DeLozier says. “We’re getting so many more requests.” Understandable, as Ugly Mugs is a very popular relaxation spot. On a recent Thursday mid-morning visit, this writer found the Eastland Avenue coffee house bustling with customers. Jessica McCurley and Laura Baisden say they visit about four times per week. “Jessica comes here to study,” Baisden says. “I come here to get my social fix for the day.”

Ugly Mugs’ space is bathed in natural light, courtesy of glass-dominated garage doors that can be raised to let the breeze inside. Various ceiling fans keep the interior comfortable. “Our whole vision was to create a community place to hang out,” DeLozier says. Consider that vision a success.

Batter’d & Fried Boston Seafood House, Wave Sushi Bar, batteredandfried.com

1008 Woodland Street, #A, Nashville, TN 37206-2815, (615) 226-9283

Matthew Charette may live in Nashville but a piece of the likable restaurateur’s heart will always remain in Massachusetts. His chocolate-stained Boston Red Sox pennant is proof.

Charette is the owner of various East Nashville restaurants/bars, but his Woodland Street-located Batter’d & Fried Boston Seafood House is noted for its New England flare and vibe. Step inside and you immediately realize that Charette, a native of Palmer, Massachusetts, cheers for the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots, not to mention carrying a passion for the Boston skyline, classic colonial architecture, and the Massachusetts shipping industry. Charette’s Batter’d & Fried/Wave Sushi Bar (two eateries in one) likely offers Music City the best collection of Boston memorabilia. Larry Bird and Dropkick Murphys fans will be moved to tears.

With its tiny space, abundant wall art, and thick-wood tables and chairs, Batter’d & Fried reminds visitors of old-school New England fish joints and cafes. Of note, Wave Sushi Bar builds on that Northeast diner aesthetic, while also featuring fascinating Asian visual elements, including origami, sumo wrestler art and Far East figurines (a tiny tiger taking down a hippo is an oddly playful example). The combination of the two vibes—along with the menu of fried New England seafood and more-healthy sushi and salads—simply reinforces the distinctive flavor of this popular east side hangout.

Transplanted Bostonians and long-time Nashvillians alike obviously have embraced Charette’s quirky creation, as they flock to enjoy tasty seafood and a cold Yazoo beer or hot green tea. No doubt, the support is humbling to the down-to-earth Charette. “I love Batter’d & Fried because it is my little piece of where I grew up,” he says, “and a great place to hang up all of my memories.”