New Vietnamese Street Food-Inspired Concept from the East Side Banh Mi Team to Open in East Nashville Food Hall This Summer
Local restaurateurs Gracie Nguyen and Chad Newton are pleased to announce their latest project, ESP (East Side Pho), a concept inspired by the street food and soup stalls of Vietnam. Starting late Summer 2021, the husband and wife duo will serve traditional and authentic Vietnamese soups, noodles, salads, and snacks from forthcoming open-bay food hall, The Wash, at 1101 McKennie Avenue.
ESP is the second concept from the team behind East Side Banh Mi, a Vietnamese sandwich shop that quickly won the hearts of Nashvillians upon opening on Gallatin Avenue in August 2020. Specializing in takeout and delivery, ESP will provide the East Side and greater Nashville area with craveable and genuine dishes inspired by street food, focusing on noodle soups as the central theme.
“We have been absolutely blown away by the support and excitement Nashville has had for East Side Banh Mi since opening, especially during such a hard year for restaurants,” says Nguyen. “We’ve had the idea for this street food-style soup stall concept for a while, and we were thrilled when our friend, Tyler Cauble, approached us to be part of The Wash. We knew this innovative concept was a perfect fit. We’re so grateful that Nashville has welcomed Chad and me with open arms, and we can’t wait to show this amazing city what else we can do!”
On The Menu
The menu, created by Chef Nguyen, features slow-simmered bone broths, locally sourced meats, and house-made ingredients. Guests can expect a variety of pho, which is a Vietnamese soup served in homes, restaurants, and street stalls consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and protein. Also appearing on the menu will be lesser-known (but just as delicious) Vietnamese comfort foods such as bun bo hue, a spicy beef and noodle soup; chicken hai nam, a comforting chicken and rice dish; pho broth sippers; and more.
About Gracie Jones Hospitality Group
Founded by industry veterans Gracie Nguyen and Chad Newton, Nashville-based Gracie Jones Hospitality Group encompasses East Side Banh Mi, an artisanal sandwich shop on Gallatin Avenue, and East Side Pho, a street food-inspired soup stall within East Nashville’s newest food hall, The Wash. Raised in Houston, Texas, Nguyen spent the bulk of her childhood baking breads at home with her mother, as well as learning about Asian cuisine through her grandmother's traditional Vietnamese dishes. Nguyen and Newton both grew up with a love for cooking, and through their accomplished careers as chefs and restaurateurs with various concepts along the West Coast, have stoked a passion for combining genuine hospitality and authentic cuisines with fresh, thoughtfully-sourced local ingredients. The couple's goal is to provide Nashville with artisanal, yet approachable Vietnamese food made with local produce served in a fast and friendly environment, in addition to taking care of their local community through initiatives such as The Nashville Banh Mi Project.
