Here are the new restaurants to try in Nashville's Germantown

Bring your appetite to Germantown this fall. There are a seeming constant stream of new restaurant concepts.

Take, for example, Spread Market & Larder. The first thing to say about this new bakery and wine shop is: the sourdough cinnamon rolls.

In 2015, owners Alex and Chad Kelly fell in love with Germantown for its history and charm. So much so that, seven years later, the couple opened Spread Market & Larder on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Taylor Street. The historic-home-turned-retail building grants them an opportunity to provide a unique service to the neighborhood.

"It feels like people are walking into our home," Chad Kelly said. "And that's exactly what we want."

In the year since the Kellys opened their little market, the flaky, gooey, sticky-sweet pastries smothered in just the right amount of cream cheese frosting have become a Sunday morning classic for neighbors and visitors.

Legend has it the cinnamon roll sourdough starter is around 30 years old, hailing from the restaurant of an old friend in North Carolina. Chad Kelly looks at it like a non-human child. He feeds it and keeps it balanced and safe.

He keeps back-up portions of the starter at home, just in case anything goes awry at the market's kitchen.

Market & Larder stocks daily sourdough loaves, baguettes and seasonal items alongside the cinnamon rolls. On a recent Friday afternoon, a customer looked perplexed as she scanned the bakery shelf.

She was looking for the lemon cookies, but Chad Kelly said they wouldn't be available for at least three weeks.

She gave him a scalding look of exaggerated disapproval.

“I know,” Kelly said apologetically. “I’ve hurt a lot of feelings.”

In addition to the fresh bakery and curated selection of refrigerated picnic supplies, the market stocks specialty pantry items that are difficult to find in Nashville. Think specialty olive oils, tinned fish and low-intervention wines.

The business recently launched a monthly wine club as a way for customers to get to know the specialty selection.

Crepes, subs, pizza and more

Culinary treats like cortados and crepes are served early at Red Bicycle on Fifth Avenue. A short walk away, the Nashville Farmer's Market has the weekend's best seasonal vegetables and plenty of vendors to shop.

For lunch, options are aplenty at new restaurant concepts. Little Hats Italian Market has fresh sandwiches, pasta and deli items. DeSano Pizzeria is set to start serving its wood-fired Neapolitan pizza nearby soon.

Mid-afternoon strolls are perfect ways to take in the area's aesthetic allure. Von Elrod's is a solid restaurant to stop in for appetizers, drinks and college football − or opt for one of the neighborhood's culinary mainstays.

City House, Rolf and Daughters and Monell's have held down the dining scene in the neighborhood for years. But growth and change — from mixed-use apartment buildings to additional infrastructure — continues to bring new faces to Germantown's dining scene.

Newer players like Von Elrod's (opened 2017), are making investments to provide even more for their customers, and fresh spots are trying to make their mark.

Von Elrod's expands, welcomes new neighbors

Austin Ray, owner of rapidly-expanding M.L. Rose and Von Elrod's, fell in love with Oktoberfest for the first time when he visited Munich, Germany, in 2001.

Now, his restaurant and beer hall is a regular part of Nashville's yearly Oktoberfest celebration.

Ray has seen the growth closing in on all sides at Von Elrod's. This year, he decided to make a big investment to improve his venue's outdoor seating.

A large pavilion that provides much-needed shade was completed this fall, just in time for Oktoberfest. Outdoor televisions were also added — perfect for college football games. A permanent food truck adds a new way to order food outdoors.

"Von's is about celebration," Ray said. "Thursday to Sunday is our sweet spot. Having more space for people to enjoy is important."

Ray is also celebrating the increasing walkability of Germantown. To him, it signals a healthy and thriving neighborhood that can support businesses and a strong sense of community.

"The change can be overwhelming, especially for someone like me who was born and raised in Nashville," Ray said. "If you can walk out of your home and walk a couple blocks and have recreation and see your neighbors, that’s really what we’re trying to create."

Other new arrivals to visit

Two new dining options are in development just down the street from Von Elrod's.

DeSano Pizzeria is moving its Midtown location to Germantown. Ray said he is thrilled to have the wood-fired Neapolitan pizza restaurant as a new neighbor.

"It's hard to select the favorite pizza in Nashville, but they are always at the top of the list," Ray said.

DeSano also has Nashville-area locations at Assembly Food Hall and on Sawyer Brown Road in Bellevue.

Pelato is a new option for Italian food, from the same owners as Luogo in The Gulch. It's housed in the former home to Saint Stephen on the corner of Monroe Street and Third Avenue North. The menu features several Italian standards — shrimp scampi, chicken parm and fried calamari among them.

Barrell Proof, a whiskey-focused bar originating from New Orleans, is opening in a nondescript building nearby. Business partners Liam Deegan, Jason Sorbet and Robert LeBlanc wanted to create a bar that reflects the cultural similarities between New Orleans and Nashville.

"We have visited Middle Tennessee a lot," Sorbet said. "Both cities have a lot of history and cultural ties to music. Nashville reminded us of home."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Here are the new restaurants to try in Nashville's Germantown