If you haven’t been to Caviar & Bananas yet I’m guessing it’s because you’ve been way to busy with papers and midterms that sauntering over to 21st and Terrace Place hasn’t been a priority. I can’t fathom any other reason because C&B is the best close-to-campus place to hangout with friends on a weekday night without feeling like you’re surrounded by Vandy students. As much as I love Nama or Jeni’s, I can’t help but feel like I’m still stuck in the Vanderbubble with the number of Vanderbilt students I encounter whenever I’m there. Caviar & Banana has this weird quality that despite the fact that it’s a stone throw away (literally!) from campus every time I walk in I’m surrounded by Nashville young professionals having their lunch break, 20-something women meeting their friends for drinks, and middle-aged businessmen working on business projects with their colleagues. I love the city of Nashville so much that getting to actually be part of the greater Nashville community is always a huge bonus.
In addition to the great Nashville community vibe, the restaurant layout itself is sooo amazing. The black and white tile floors with gold accents and cacti everywhere is a Pinterest lover’s dream. Caviar & Bananas also functions as a gourmet market. Next to the marble table tops is the most eclectic selection of foods and goodies. You can find Herbet’s lemonade and Jeni’s milkiest chocolate ice cream as well as Tate’s cookies and confetti cotton candy scattered among the tomato fudge and caramel honey hidden gems. There’s also an actual caviar section in the back where there are half a dozen types of caviar and twice as many types of cheese for you to choose from.
But the greatest thing about C&B is the food and Rose! I am obsessed with their cheese and prosciutto boards that you can order for under $20 and share with a friend while you’re doing homework or catching up after a few weeks apart. There are four different selections — pimento board, assorted cheeses board, prosciutto board, and cheese + prosciutto board — which all are so incredibly delicious and luxe. If you’re not feeling quite as fancy, there’s a build your own salad and sandwich bar. And for the days when you wanna keep it super low-key there’s a pay per pound deli that has a wide variety of food options (though it’s really hit or miss so choose wisely!). And if you can spare the time in the AM, their brunch menu features a $6 salmon cream cheese bagel that is so good you’d probably wonder of it’s feasibly to get one before class every day for the rest of the semester.