East Nashville’s Tabla Rasa Toys has something for just about anyone. The toy shop itself is brimming with exciting merchandise, skaters can enjoy the adjacent Cecil’s Skate Shop, and those with a sweet tooth can enjoy the Tabla Rasa Cafe next door (formerly known as the Soft Service Station).
This year’s new menu provides several unique ways to enjoy a cold, sweet treat, from classic chocolate and vanilla soft serve to the Sunbeam (a shake featuring freshly squeezed lemonade) or the Walla Royal shake (featuring chai from Chai Wallah). The cafe also offers coffee, which lends itself well to an affogato or a Kick Flip (featuring cold brew). The cafe serves snacks, and the JMAS Breakfast Burritos food truck is parked on the lot and open Thursday through Sunday.
“We wanted this to be a family corner — a place where people could go and have a good time with their whole family,” owner Austin Bauman tells the Scene. “I think a lot of Nashville businesses leave out kids, and a lot of Nashville tourism leaves out kids. And I think that’s a really important thing to nurture as a community and as a city. And so that’s what, I think, Tabla Rasa is about.”
See our extensive calendar of summertime events — and meet some of the interesting Nashvillians keeping this summer cool
