Is This the Best Sandwich in Middle Tennessee? | Listen

Gold’s Deli is just one really good reason to eat your way through the Columbia Arts District 

High on my list of reasons to get down to Columbia, Tennessee, a few weeks back was an Instagram post from regular TLP contributor Margaret Littman who shared a monster sandwich eaten at Gold’s Delicatessen. I frequently go out of my way for a good sandwich and this one, about 50 minutes southwest of Nashville, was worth every mile. I ordered a two-handed corned beef reuben (they come cold or hot) and watched while co-owner Greg Kougias piled on the thinly shaved meat, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. A New England native, Kougias opened the cozy, counter-style space last summer, explaining to another customer: “I couldn’t get a good cold sandwich around here so I had to do it myself.” I ended up getting halfway through mine—each bite a perfect ratio of pastrami, kraut, and sturdy bread—before Kougias knowingly handed me a to-go box for the rest. But I already have my eye on what I’ll order next time: the “original,” with a pound of pastrami and hot mustard, and an Italian hero.

Gold’s Deli is just one of the fresh new spots that are worth the drive to the Columbia Arts District. Set just outside of the city’s quaint downtown square (where you’ll find favorites like Hattie Jane’s Creamery and the wine and charcuterie spot Buck + Board), the arts district has become a meeting spot for the area’s artisans, makers, and artists. And where good people convene, excellent food can be found. 

Around the corner from Gold’s and its neighbor Bag of Joy Bagel Co. (open only on weekends), there’s Bradley Mountain, which is based around a workshop that crafts waxed canvas knapsacks and jackets (the business originally started in Ocean Beach, California) that has grown to include a coffee shop, retail space, and all-day cafe, complete with natural wines and a view into the working studio space. The building was once a train engine repair facility and its striking architecture weaves through to the warehouse space next door that now houses Mama Mila’s, an old-school red sauce Italian joint. 

Another reason I was hot to visit Columbia is Prevail Bakehouse, started by Erik Burstiner, formerly a head baker for Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, who started his own micro-bakery in Santa Fe, Tennessee, a few years back. He crafts artisan breads using wild yeasts and started by selling at area farmers markets. Now, you can find his crusty, airy baguettes, sourdoughs, hearth loaves, focaccia, and buns, along with a few pastries and sandwiches, like the Genova made with salami, fresh mozzarella, and pesto on a baguette, at his bake shop inside the Columbia Arts Building; you can also grab Texas-style barbecue next door at Boot Stompin BBQ, as well as coffee and pastries upstairs at the art-filled, woman-owned Vida Nova coffee lounge. 

For a little something sweet before hitting the road, I made my way to Savarino’s Bakery, which relocated here from Nashville, opening in 2019. Savarino’s Cucina operated for 15 years in Nashville, closing its last shop here in 2017. Inside the dusty-red, stand-alone building set across from the Columbia Arts Building, the Savarino family is still making magic. Their pastry cases are full of insanely light and crumbly Italian cookies, biscotti, pastries, breads, and take-away pans of freshly made pastas, sauces, and main dishes (don’t miss the manicotti) while the shelves are stocked with Italian oils, crackers, and more. Each take-home dish comes with a warm loaf of bread, as well as a Savarino family smile—which I look forward to experiencing again, the next time I head down for a Gold’s Deli sandwich.

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