Southland Books & Cafe is cooking up some big changes – literally.
The cafe and its partner business, The Bird and the Book, have undergone a major menu refresh. The new menus strip down a long list of similar items for a shorter menu that, with the optional add-ons, retains old favorites and prioritizes taste. At the same time, the new menu allows for streamlined cooking, prep and storage processes that help the Cafe stay viable.
The new menu is the handiwork of Southland’s new head chef, Jen Rock.
“Sustainability is the goal and the future of the business,” Rock explained. “We’re in our Coco Chanel era,” she added.
That means basics but not “basic,” a focus on simplicity and style. The new Bird and the Book menu includes some bar favorites like pizza, beer cheese and wings, along with burgers and dogs. The Cafe menu has an assortment of sandwiches, with a signature salad and other treats, such as French toast and a vegan “chorizo” scramble.
Both menus heavily feature vegan options, a staple of Southland’s approach. For instance, the Cafe’s hummus sandwich is topped with fresh veggies and arugula. Vegan cheese is available on any item. In the bar, vegan cheese, vegan burgers and vegan dogs are on offer.
Staples remain on the new menu, including grilled cheese, chicken salad and pimiento cheese sandwiches. Another new item is the mortadella sandwich, featuring the Italian cold cut topped with pesto, tomato jam and mozzarella. Many items, from the seitan “chorizo” to pesto are house-made, but sandwiches are served on breads created by Crustic. (Gluten-free bread, made in-house, is also still available.)
“We wanted to streamline operations, reduce overhead costs, and explore new ways to offer the cafe’s most popular items,” Rock said of the new menu.
After a few weeks in the Southland kitchen, Rock began offering Saturday brunch, with a custom menu featuring vegan scrambles, “trickin’” and waffles (with tofu, not chicken), crepes and more. Brunchers can also order cocktails, which are normally available only downstairs in the bar, as well as coffee and tea.
The new chef has found the kitchen staff to be creative and eager to make great food. “This group really wants to put their creativity into the space and leave their mark on it. It’s inspiring to work with each of them” Rock said. “They are all talented. I’m just fortunate to be in a position to assist with their personal goals and growth.”
The staff come up with delicious new seasonal soups and desserts, for instance, and work with Rock on the menu revisions. What could have been a fraught transition has instead resulted in a delicious alchemy
While Rock is new to the Southland kitchens, she is not new to Southland itself. She worked in the bookstore’s old location, on West Broadway, next to Gatti’s, when she was in college. She remained friends with Southland’s owner, Lisa Misosky, over the years.
“We reconnected when my partner and I moved back to Knoxville in 2019,” Rock recalled. She didn’t expect to work in the kitchen, much less run it. “When I approached Lisa about a job with Southland, my goal was to shelve books until I found a position OUTSIDE of the kitchen. I was feeling a little burned out and looking for something different,” she said.
But the opportunity to collaborate on the menu refresh proved appealing for Rock, who had worked in restaurants since her 2003 graduation from Maryville College.
“I enjoyed the fast pace of the kitchen and the camaraderie of the team,” she said. “Although I did not consider it a career in the early days, I kept working in different areas of the industry: small cafes, retail, and catering. A little over ten years ago, I worked for a chef who gave me the opportunity of steering his kitchen and found my spark.”
She’s brought that spark to Southland. She’s approaching it with energy and ambition, but she’s taking things in stages to make meaningful changes that will last. The new menus are not written in stone, and can be added to as she and the staff continue to improve processes.
Still, stepping into a beloved local institution can be difficult. Rock hopes that the new menus will continue to win people over. She said, “While I know the menu change ruffled some feathers, it was not done in vain. We’re still the same community-driven hub.”
As for changes to come? “I still have quite a bit I would like to accomplish and many ideas I want to see come to fruition,” Rock said.
She added, “Give our new menu a chance. You might find a new favorite!”
The Southland Cafe is open Monday-Friday, 10-2, with brunch on Saturday, 9-2. The Bird and the Book is open Tuesday-Saturday, 4:30-9, or later when concerts, shows and other events are going on. The Cafe adjoins Southland Books at 1505 E. Broadway Avenue, Maryville, on the Five Points Roundabout. The Bird and the Book, 1509 E. Broadway, is behind and below the Cafe, with a separate entrance. Contact the business at 865-984-4847.
