Epice is a new Lebanese Bistro and Bar that opened last spring in The Hardwick in front of Rotary Trail on 1st Ave South. Epice serves lunch daily (closed on Sundays) from 11am to 3pm. Brunch is served Saturdays 11am to 4pm, and dinner from 4pm to 9pm. The menus have some consistencies, but the bigger entrées are available for dinner only.
Owner, Maher Fawaz and his team—partners Andrew Fawaz, Bradley Ryan and Gabe Reyes opened the first Epice in Nashville in the trendy 12South neighborhood in 2014. In 2021, it was announced they would be one of The Hardwick’s early tenants, sitting next to Ballard Designs. Epice has been crowded and reservations are usually recommended. We were there in that nasty cold spell, so the crowd was softer. Our server said it was as slow as he’d seen it.
The Food & Drink
We started with the Hummus Beyrouti ($17), the Arnabeet ($12), the Grape Leaves ($9), the Spinach Fatayer ($13). The Hummus had ground sirloin, which sounded a bit unappetizing, but the beef was actually shaved or sprinkled on the top, and was perfectly balanced. It came with house vegetables, soft and crispy pita. The Arnabeet was a grilled cauliflower dish with beet tahini and dukkah, which is a Middle-Eastern condiment consisting of a coarse mixture of toasted hazelnuts, seeds, and spices. We agreed this may have been our favorite dish.
The Grape Leaves were good, but nothing too memorable. They were very lemon flavored forward which gave them a very light bright profile. The Spinach was also good, but would have preferred a less pastry, more spinach proportion. Both it and the Roz Be Haleeb (rice pudding dessert $11) are made from scratch by the owner’s sister on a limited basis. It’s amazingly light because it’s made with coconut milk substitutes for the traditional whole milk or cream. It comes with a cinnamon crisp on top. Kind of like a fried cinnamon chip.
The kitchen prides itself on scratch-made selections which work for guests who may have allergy sensitivities. We ordered a green sauce (mint and parsley) in place of the tomato sauce that came with the Lamb Meat Balls ($29) and it was great. The Sayadeya ($31) is aromatic barramundi fish grilled along with vermicelli rice and grilled vegetables. Barramundi is an Asian sea bass, which is mild white flaky fish common in Middle-Eastern waters.
The Epice Salad ($16) is worth putting their name on. The greens had apricot, almond, goat cheese with a fig vinaigrette. The Shawarma ($17) is lunch item, which was a bit skimpy but fine, did come with fries. And they’re worth asking for. Like everyone, we’ve had a million fries from a million places, but none quite like these. While not super crisp, they’re seasoned with Middle-Eastern spices and lots of lemon. The wine selection includes several Lebanese wines that have similar flavor profiles to Spanish and French varietals.
The Atmosphere
The decor plays off The Hardwick’s historic exterior with exposed brick walls and concrete floors. The interior walls are lined with wood planks that compliment the predominately wooden furni-ture and marble table-tops. Natural light illuminates the dining hall while the bar in the back is darker and cozy. It was a lively vibe with good acoustics.
The Parking
Parking is no problem. There’s limited street parking but there’s a well lit spacious parking lot behind the building.
The Bottom Line
Between walking the Rotary Trail, the charming decor and the fresh menu selections, Epice makes for a great night.
