Review: Fido (Nashville, TN)

Fido is a bit schizophrenic. On the one hand, it presents itself as a hip, edgy coffee house with a broad range of inventive breakfast options. On the other, the joint is littered with notes from Mom warning customers how to behave.

Linger too long, one note tells you, and Mom will cut the WiFi off. Get a refill from the self-service refill station, and Mom insists you toss seventy-five cents into the nearby payment jar. And if the place is busy, it's pretty clear Mom wants you to eat up, drink up, and get out.

And that's a shame, because the food and coffee here are worth lingering over. Clyde's tofu scramble with veggies and skillet potatoes was a perfectly respectable vegan option, and my own own omelet with steak, onions, and cheddar was tasty (though the steak was overcooked and tough). We both enjoyed the coffee, which was hearty and bold.

We got there minutes after opening time, so we had our pick of seats. By the time we left, college kids from nearby Vanderbilt University were swarming in like ants at a picnic. Recommended -- though if you plan to dawdle, bring your own WiFi hotspot, just in case Mom's in a cranky mood.