+ THE ULTIMATE RESTAURANT GUIDE
Best Restaurants
PLAY BALL The Nashville Sounds Knock it Out of the Park April 2019 | $4.99 nashvillelifest yles.com
3D LASIK Dr. Ming Wang, Harvard & MIT (MD, magna cum laude); PhD (laser physics), was the first to introduce the 3D LASIK surgery in Tennessee. “We were very excited to be the first to perform the 3D LASIK procedure,” said Dr. Wang, a clinical associate professor of ophthalmology for the University of Tennessee and the director of Wang Vision 3D Cataract & LASIK Center, Nashville, TN. LASIK is a surgical procedure that corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Since the advent of LASIK 20 years ago, nearly 30 million LASIK procedures have been performed worldwide. However, despite the popularity of the procedure, the technology itself that has been used for LASIK has remained largely unchanged for many years. The new 3D image-guided highdefinition LASIK represents an innovative improvement of LASIK. Dr. Wang explained, “In a standard LASIK procedure, the surgeon looks through a traditional microscope with the naked eye. What you see is what you get. There is no image processing or signal enhancement. Therefore, since the eyeball is very small, there is limited resolution and accuracy in the surgical procedure. In contrast, with the new 3D LASIK, the surgeon uses the state-of-the-art high-definition microsurgical system. This provides a stereoscopic and digitally signalenhanced view of the entire surgical field. It allows the surgeon to achieve more precision with the laser focusing on the eye, and thus improves the accuracy of the LASIK procedure and the quality of vision for our patients.” “The driving force of modern 21st century technology is digitalization. This is more accurate and precise than the traditional analog technologies. Using the 3D LASIK digital signal
enhancement technology, we digitally overlap preoperative eye maps and match that with the image of the eye in real time during surgery. This gives us unprecedented accuracy and precision to treat eye conditions such as astigmatism. Our 3D LASIK patients have been thrilled with their new vision and we have patients from all over the U.S. and world who have come to Nashville for 3D LASIK”, Dr. Wang added.
FREE VISION SEMINAR GRAND PRIZE DRAWINGS Call for the Date and Time of the Next Seminar 615-321-8881 $1,200 savings for attending the seminar 50% savings for laser floater removal procedure 3D SMILE & 3D LASIK (18+) Implantable Contact Lens (21+) 3D Forever Young Lens (45+) 3D Laser Cataract Surgery (60+) Ming Wang, Harvard & MIT (MD, magna cum laude); PhD (laser physics) Wang Vision 3D Cataract & LASIK Center 1801 West End Ave, Ste 1150 Nashville, TN, 37203 www.wangvisioninstitute.com drwang@wangvisioninstitute.com
FEATURES
Peninsula
{APRIL 2019}
82
THE TOP 15
Our ranking of Nashville’s best restaurants.
100
TAKING HEAT
Within Nashville’s restaurant scene, a growing number of chefs are learning that it’s time to nourish themselves, too.
THE ULTIMATE RESTAURANT GUIDE
ON THE COVER Oysters at Henrietta Red by Emily Dorio
DANIELLE ATKINS
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CONTENTS {APRIL 2019}
47
Spotlight Meet essayist Mary Laura Philpott, explore your options for the NFL Draft, and scope out the work of artist Brian Tull.
59
The Good Life Nashville Fashion Week designers sneak us a peek; Payton James puts pastel handbags into rotation; Savannah is calling for a spring getaway; and a historic home gets an update.
78
Department
124
The Nashville Sounds: How Nashville became “The Best Minor League Baseball Town in America.”
119
The Menu Put a sliver of spring on your next homemade pizza. Then, get to know Trap Garden, take in the beauty of Liberty Common, and take a sip with Brightwood Cidery.
Social
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NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM APRIL 2019
Single in the City, Music in the City, Broadway Brunch Kickoff, and more
NATHAN ZUCKER, SUPPLIED
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
Here it is: Our most coveted issue of the year! Welcome to our Best Restaurants issue. I trust my gut when it comes to these things, but our top selections are made by our very own editor, Erin Byers Murray, along with local food authority, Nancy Vienneau. Many of you know Erin as an accomplished food writer and a cookbook author; she’s now published four books and was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award for one of them. Nancy, meanwhile, has lived and cooked in Nashville nearly her entire life, and has been covering restaurants for the Tennessean and this magazine for years. Suffice it to say, these two are experts in the field who have put time, research, and heart into the Top 15 list. (I’ve added a list with a few of my own favorites, too—I couldn’t resist!) To that point, you will want to keep this month’s issue on your coffee table year round as a reference. We also have the Ultimate
Restaurant Guide, showcasing all of the city’s top spots by neighborhood. We hope you use, and reuse, these resources as you plan your next meal out. Of course, there’s more in this issue than just the food. We introduce you to some of the local designers who will showcase at this month’s Nashville Fashion Week. There’s also a lovely home on 18th Avenue, where one of Nashville’s first female politicians once lived, that’s gone through a major renovation bringing it into the modern day with flair. It has one of the best kitchens I’ve seen. And, we get behind the scenes with the Nashville Sounds, because it isn’t springtime without baseball in this town. As always, we hope you enjoy reading. Let us know what you think: wehearyou@ nashvillelifestyles.com.
BRIAN BARRY
THIS ISSUE BY THE NUMBERS
15
Number of restaurants
342
Number of restaurants
55,000+
our editors chose for
included in the Ultimate
calories consumed
our cover feature
Restaurant Guide
during research
AUSTIN LORD
Number of
BEHIND THE SCENES
| CONTRIBUTORS
Contributor NANCY VIENNEAU expresses her passion for food wearing many hats: chef, recovered caterer, food educator and activist, writer, and cookbook author. Food is at the heart of her stories and poetry. Her work appears in Alimentum: The Literature of Food, Relish Magazine, Nashville Lifestyles, Tennessee Craft Beer Magazine, Edible Nashville, her restaurant column for The Tennessean and her blog Good Food Matters. In 2014, Harper Collins published her ďŹ rst cookbook, The Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook, based on a delectable monthly gathering she co-hosted with a local urban farmer. SUPPLIED
ERIN BYERS MURRAY has been the editor of Nashville Lifestyles since 2012. She started her career in Boston, working for publications like Boston magazine and DailyCandy.com before taking a two-year break to get her hands dirty working on an oyster farm. The result was her ďŹ rst book Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm. Later, she co-authored a cookbook with Boston chef Jeremy Sewall called The New England Kitchen, which was nominated for a James Beard cookbook award in 2015. Her latest book, Grits: A Cultural and Culinary Journey Through the South was released in November 2018.
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PUBLISHER
Brian Barry EDITORIAL EDITOR
Erin Byers Murray DIGITAL EDITOR
Anna Kate Read COPY EDITOR
Trisha Boyer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jennifer Justus, Luke Levenson, Emily Davidson Nemoy, Karen Parr-Moody, Jim Myers, Kate Parrish, Chris Parton, Nancy Vienneau ART ART DIRECTOR & DESIGNER
Kelsey Payne PRODUCTION SPECIALIST & DESIGNER
Victoria Labenberg CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Sam Angel, Danielle Atkins, Erica Bretchelsbaeur, Emily Dorio, Jen McDonald, Lindsey Grace Whiddon, Nathan Zucker MARKETING CIRCULATION & MARKETING SPECIALIST
Corinne Coker MARKETING & EVENTS DIRECTOR
Devan Brown ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Claire Corby, Janna Landry, Everett Torpey ADMINISTRATION CONTROLLER/ACCOUNTING
Twana Hockett SALES ASSISTANT
Lucy Ralph INTERNS Brianna Goebel, Nichole Scheffer
Volume 21 | Issue 4 Nashville Lifestyles 1100 Broadway Nashville, TN 37203 NashvilleLifestyles.com PART OF THE
SUBSCRIPTIONS Your subscription includes 12 issues of Nashville Lifestyles per year. Our subscribers are valued customers and are vital to our success. To provide you with the best possible service, we handle all subscriptions and billing through our fulfillment house, Omeda Fulfillment. If you have questions about your subscription, call us at 1-888-385-6818 or reach us via email at nashville@omeda.com. You may also visit our website at nashvillelifestyles.com.
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BACK ISSUES When available, back issues of Nashville Lifestyles can be purchased for $7 on nashvillelifestyles.com or at our office, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203. Please contact Corinne Coker for back issue bulk rates at 615-881-7058.
LETTERS We welcome your letters and comments. Send letters to Nashville Lifestyles, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203, Attn: Editor, or email wehearyou@nashvillelifestyles.com. The names and email addresses of our staff members and their individual departments are found on our website’s “Contact Us” page.
WRITING OPPORTUNITIES We are always willing to consider freelance writers and article ideas. Please send queries and/or suggestions to Erin Byers Murray, Editor, at emurray@nashvillelifestyles.com.
NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM Check us out on the web for a range of information and services, including tickets to our signature events, social photos not seen in the magazine, store locations, current and past articles, gift subscriptions, and special promotions. Facebook.com/NashvilleLifestyles Twitter.com/NashLifestyles Instagram.com/NashvilleLifestyles
SPOTLIGHT
CALENDAR | NASHVILLE MOMENT | THE LIST | HIGH NOTE | VISUAL DIALOGUE | MIXED MEDIA
APRIL
SCOTT SIMONTACCHI
2019
Lead Players Musicians Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabric Tim O’Brien Band. For full details, turn to page 52.
s combine their string-playing and vocal talents on O’Brien’s latest album,
APRIL 2019 NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM
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| CALENDAR
April
HERE COMES THE SUN.
1
LORETTA LYNN: AN
ALL-STAR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION CONCERT Bridgestone Arena. 7 p.m. bridgestonearena.com
2
AN EVENING WITH LUCINDA WILLIAMS
p.m. ryman.com
2-6
NASHVILLE FASHION WEEK
OZ Arts Nashville. Various times. nashvillefashionweek.com CUMBERLAND HEIGHTS’ ANNU-
CHEON Hillwood Country Club. 11:30 a.m. cumberlandheights.org
4
NASHVILLE PREDATORS VS. VANCOUVER CANUCKS Bridgestone Arena. 7 p.m. bridgestonearena.com
4
6, 7
The Gordon JCC showcases a fine art collection.
Celebrating its sixth consecutive year, the Gordon Jewish Community Center will host its Art on the West Side event. Free and open to the public, the art show begins Saturday, April 6 with a cocktail reception, and continues Sunday morning with jazz music, a light brunch, and mimosas. The exhibit will feature a variety of mediums ranging from paintings to glass, clay, wood, and fiber works. The show will also showcase pieces by more than 41 artists, including feature artist Paul Harmon. Also new to this year’s event is JPOP Marketplace, a pop-up store selling jewelry, accessories, home and paper goods, food, and children’s items. A percentage of all sales will benefit Gordon JCC’s art programming. (artonthewestside.org) —Brianna Goebel
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VILLE VEGFEST Fairgrounds Nashville. 10
6
HATCH SHOW PRINT
BLOCK PARTY Universal Music Group Hatch Show Print Space. 6 p.m. hatchshowprint.com
6
28TH ANNUAL PERENNIAL PLANT SO-
CIETY SALE Fairgrounds Nashville. 9 a.m. ppsmtn.org
AL ‘REACHING NEW HEIGHTS’ WOMEN’S LUN-
ART ON THE WEST SIDE
6
4TH ANNUAL NASH-
a.m. nashvillevegfest.com
AND HER BAND BUICK 6 Ryman Auditorium. 7:30
3
8 p.m. ryman.com
24TH ANNUAL INSPIRATIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS Grand Ole Opry House. 6 p.m. inspirationalcountrymusic.com
4
MAGGIE ROGERS Marathon Music Works. 8 p.m. marathonmusicworks.com
5-20
THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA Street Theatre Company. Various times. streettheatrecompany.com
5-7
GARY CLARK JR. Ryman Auditorium.
6, 7
ART ON THE
WEST SIDE Gordon Jewish Community Center. Various times. artonthewestside.org
8-14
NASHVILLE COMEDY FESTIVAL Various locations. Various times. nashcomedyfest. com
11
HALEY REINHART Mercy Lounge. 8 p.m. mercylounge.com
11-13
TCHAIKOVSKY’S FOURTH Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Various times. nashvillesymphony.org
12-13
THE ROCK OF AGES TPAC, Andrew Jackson Hall. Various times. tpac. org
13
THE HERB SOCIETY OF NASHVILLE’S HERB & PLANT SALE Fairgrounds Nashville. 9 a.m. herbsocietynashville. org
SUPPLIED
SPOTLIGHT
CHARITY
An Evening for Giving JOIN THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF NASHVILLE FOR COCKTAILS AND CHARITY THIS MONTH.
St. Jude’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon
13
NASHVILLE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
Nashville Public Square. 9:30 a.m. nashvillecherryblossomfestival.org
20
ONCE UPON A TIME…A SYMPHONIC
FAIRYTALE
com
Schermerhorn Symphony Center. 11 a.m. nashvillesymphony.org
13
EAST NASHVILLE BEER FESTIVAL East Park. 12 p.m. eastnashvillebeerfest.com
20
CORKDORKS NASHVILLE WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL Omni Hotel. 12 p.m. thenashwineandfoodfestival. com
20
NASHVILLE EARTH DAY FESTIVAL Centennial Park. 11 a.m. nashvilleearthday.org
THINKSTOCK, COURTESY OF THE TENNESSEAN, SUPPLIED
13
GREAT FUTURES GALA
25-May 19
TOMÁS AND THE
LIBRARY LADY Nashville Children’s The-
Omni Hotel. 5 p.m. bgcmt. org
atre. Various times. nashvillechildrenstheatre.org
19
26
ART CLASH 2019 Texas Troubadour Theatre. 7 p.m. artclashnashville.com
20
EGGSTRAVAGANZOO Nashville Zoo. 9 a.m. nashvillezoo.org
PARTY LIKE GATSBY PRESENTS: ‘SPECTACLE EXTRAORDINAIRE’ War Memorial Auditorium. 9 p.m. wmarocks.com
26-28
TPAC, Jackson Hall. Various times. nashvilleballet.
MODERN MASTERS WITH BEN FOLDS
4/26-6/22
JU-
LIETTE ARISTIDES: STILL LIFE AND INTERIOR LeQuire Gallery. 6 p.m. lequiregallery.com
27, 28
ST. JUDE’S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MARATHON 8th Ave. & Broadway. Various times. runrocknroll.com
The Junior League of Nashville will host its annual Spring Soirée event April 13 at The Westin Nashville. Serving as the organization’s largest fundraising event of the year, proceeds will benefit the JLN Community Endowment Fund and its charitable partners. Erin Clements, JLN’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, says, “It is sure to be a fun evening celebrating the League’s impact on Nashville, raising money that will benefit organizations tackling important issues directly affecting our city, including human trafficking and illiteracy, and raising awareness about the influence a group of passionate, committed, and trained women can have on a community.” After transitioning from a formal dinner to an elegant cocktail party in 2018, the event appeals to individuals beyond JLN members. Attendees can visit one or all of the separately ticketed events, including a cocktail reception, silent auction, and VIP rooftop after party. (Tickets available for purchase at jlnashville.org) —B.G.
30
35 YEARS OF FRIENDS: CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF MICHAEL W. SMITH Bridgestone Area. 7 p.m. bridgestonearena.com
30 – May 5
HELLO, DOLLY! TPAC, Andrew Jackson Hall. Various times. tpac.org
Have an event we need to know about?
Submit yours at NashvilleLifestyles. com/Event_Submission or email events@ nashvillelifestyles.com.
APRIL 2019 NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM
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SPOTLIGHT
| NASHVILLE MOMENT AUTHOR
Mary Laura Philpott Mary Laura Philpott’s son was six years old when he uttered the words that would a decade later become the title of her first collection of essays. Philpott, an author, cartoonist, and Emmywinning co-host of Nashville Public Television’s literary interview show A Word on Words, overheard her son talking to himself, and said, “I miss you when I blink.” The words became a mantra, pulling her back into the present when life moved too fast, which was often. So often in fact, Philpott began to feel like life was passing her by. Not only did she miss moments, but she missed herself. A wife, a mother, a school volunteer—it was all important work, but was it everything? In I Miss You When I Blink, Philpott explores what it means to reinvent yourself without abandoning your life and family. Funny and poignant, Philpott makes starting over not only okay, but also doable. — Kate Parrish
Deciding to write a book: A
contributor to publications like the Washington Post and the New York Times, Philpott found herself with a stockpile of published essays, plus her unpublished work. She’d considered writing a memoir but still felt drawn to essays. What resulted was a memoir-in-essays. “At some point,” she recalls, “those two tracks came together. It was a great relief because then you have a purpose.” “Wild, but for real people”:
Philpott wasn’t sure where her book would fit in the world of memoirs and personal essays. Hers was not a story of an epic battle against nature or a how-to on selling everything and joining the circus. But a walk around Radnor Lake one day would answer her question. She overheard one woman tell another how hiking helped clear her mind but that she would never do a long hike like Cheryl Strayed, author of the mega-famous
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memoir-turned-film, Wild. “The friend said, ‘Oh, I totally get it. I need Wild, but for real people,’” recalls Philpott. It clicked. That’s what her book was: a reinvention story for everyone else. Making changes: “I would love
to ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ my life sometimes,” jokes Philpott, referencing another famous memoir in which a woman leaves everything behind to buy a house in Italy. “But I cannot do that right now. And I don’t want to do that,” she says. “I love my family. I love my friends. I didn’t want to throw my life away.” For Philpott, making changes could mean leaving a job she didn’t like, quitting the PTO, or moving back to Nashville five years ago from Atlanta. “There’s a place for a narrative that says you can change your life without blowing up your life.” I Miss You When I Blink (Atria Books) is available April 2. Join Mary Laura Philpott for a book launch party and reading at Parnassus Books on April 1 at 6:30 p.m.
LINDSEY GRACE WHIDDON
Age: 44
SPOTLIGHT
| THE LIST
DO
DRAFT PICKS Here’s what you need to know when the 2019 NFL Draft comes to Nashville
SUPPLIED
BY CHRIS PARTON
Over the years, the annual NFL Draft, during which pro football teams select the nation’s best college players, has morphed from a stodgy, businesslike event into a full-on party. With Nashville hosting this year’s festivities, the draft is set to become a bigger spectacle than ever. Taking place downtown from April 25 to 27, the event will fuse the anticipation of the draft process with the excitement of a music festival, with a 100-percent free mix of live concerts, kid-friendly activities, and unheard of access to the league’s newest players transforming Lower Broadway and beyond. An estimated 100,000 fans are expected to swarm downtown in what the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. has labeled the “biggest entertainment event ever recruited” by the
city. Here’s what you need to know to enjoy it all. 1. NFL DRAFT THEATER: As the centerpiece of the 2019 draft, a massive stage will rise at Broadway and 1st Avenue where each pick will emerge to greet NFL commissioner Roger Goodell—and, of course, pose for photos with some newly acquired team gear. Broadway will be closed all the way to 5th Avenue, and multiple video screens will help accommodate what promises to be a huge crowd, with A-list concerts, street vendors, and the honky tonks adding fuel to the frenzy. 2. NFL DRAFT EXPERIENCE: Just across the river is part two of what makes the 2019 draft so special. The area around Nissan Stadium and Cumberland Park will trans-
form into a massive web of playing fields and family-friendly fun, complete with interactive games, Play 60 activities for the kids, autograph signings, food trucks, a tailgate area, more live music, and even photo opportunities with the Lombardi Trophy. And it’s all free.
at Riverfront Park to get an up-close look at some of the nation’s best, and biggest, athletes. Draft selections will walk an awards-show style red carpet, conduct interviews with the press, and pose for photos. And after that, they’ll officially join the NFL.
3. SELECTION SQUARE: The actual draft selections—and all the behind-the-scenes drama that goes with them—will happen inside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. But fans interested in the league’s strategic inner workings will have access here, too, just on a more limited basis. Download the NFL Fan Pass mobile app for complete event info and update announcements.
5: INTERESTED IN THE DRAFT, BUT NOT THE CROWDS: We can’t blame you. Luckily, ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network will simulcast all three rounds of draft action, with the sports networks drawing up implications for each team, and ABC tackling the human-interest side of the story. Local watering holes and fan clubs are likely to host viewing parties as well (go Bills). But nothing will compare to being in the thick of the action.
4. NFL DRAFT RED CARPET: Head over to the green
APRIL 2019 NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM
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SPOTLIGHT
| HIGH NOTE TUNES
BACK TO BASICS Tim O’Brien talks about his new, eponymous bluegrass album
As a frontman in a contemporary bluegrass outfit, Tim O’Brien is bringing things back to basics. Following the breakup of his Grammy-nominated roots quartet, Hot Rize, in 1999 (the group has since reunited), he’s released 11 solo albums, which explore everything from blues to Zydeco—the gamut of American music. He continues the exploration by releasing his band’s first, self-titled LP, Tim O’Brien Band. “Bluegrass has been part of [my career] for 40-something years,” O’Brien says. “The genre’s grown and diversified a lot, and I just wanted to reach in and say, ‘here’s where I’m at with it.’ You know, you can take old-time music, which predates bluegrass, like folk and blues, [and] you can make them into bluegrass.” The album is made up of songs that O’Brien has played for years in his solo career (such as “The Drunkard’s Walk” and “Crooked Road,” both of which appear on previous releases) as well as several new entries, one of which he cowrote with famed musician/producer Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys, Ray LaMontagne). That track, entitled “Amazing Love,” was plucked from a group of songs the two songwriters penned together within the last two years—just one of several starting points within the band’s inception. Another is his relationship with background and occasional lead vocalist Jan Fabricius, whom O’Brien has been dating for six years. “Jan played and sang for fun at festivals through the years, but since we started dating and living together, she’s become my main harmony vocalist. That makes her the member of the band whose main experience has been performing with me, and I’m really lucky to have her. She’s got a natural way with it, and that helped make it easy to put this band together.” This organic circumstance fits the mold of The Tim O’Brien band, which puts on no airs when it comes to the music and who’s creating it. In style and arrangement, the songs are redolent of traditional, ’50s and ’60s-era bluegrass, which was comprised of many bands made up of all
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MICHAEL WEINTROB
BY LUKE LEVENSON
lead players—a contrast to the clean-cut, completely distinct rhythm and lead sections of today. “Bill Monroe’s band with Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Chubby Wise, they all played parts that were transparent to one another, and you can hear each one,” he says. “That’s kind of my goal, to get the band’s sound something that you can hear everything at once, without getting in another person’s way. You can express yourself and have a little wiggle room.” Sonically, the recordings sound more like classic bluegrass than most modern records—an accomplishment of producer O’Brien himself. From the plaintive cover of fiddler/songwriter Dirk Powell’s “My Love Lies In the Ground,” which is sung from the point of view of a keening husband, to the delicate, spacious instrumental “La Gringa Renee,” production never gets in the way of the musicians’ performances, and in this way, Tim O’Brien Band mantles the bygone self-respect of the genre’s founders. There’s a refreshing lo-fi quality to the whole LP, with less crisp, high end and booming, low end than acoustic music heard on the radio. It’s evident that O’Brien crafted this release with the utmost respect for the power of raw music, unshaken by his decades-long career crafting it. “The pursuit of this art provides your sustenance, and it also fills your soul up,” he says. “It becomes the way you relate to other people, and it gives you some way to get into life. Without music, I don’t know where I would be or what I would do. Everything is channeled through it. That song [“Crooked Road”] is a comment on, ‘when I say goodbye, I hope you get to keep doing this in my place, because it’s a great thing.’” (timobrien.net)
SPOTLIGHT
| VISUAL DIALOGUE ART
NATURAL PROGRESSION Brian Tull’s works meld hyperrealism and nature.
When he initially began showing his work at Tinney Contemporary, artist Brian Tull quickly became known for his preternatural ability to paint the reflection on a drop of water, the shine of a chrome fender, the impossibly glossy lips of a woman. His stripe of hyperrealism was painstakingly achieved by painting in oil and acrylic on an aluminum “canvas” with a minimum of brushstrokes. He would then coat the final works with automotive clear coat to leave a maximally shiny finish. The nostalgia of the mid-century era inspired him: Femme fatales and retro cars dominated his work. In recent years, life got a little messier as Tull found fresh inspiration in nature—because nature is nothing if not messy. After traveling through the North Carolina mountains, his work, which had been heavily narrative, began to evolve. His subjects loosened their poise and the compositions became more minimalistic. It worked. “I took a break from the imagery of women and cars,” he says, laughing. “I did some more natural, nature-themed paintings.” It was as though a veil had been peeled back. A woman’s freckles came into view in “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not,” and miniscule chips in a woman’s French manicure were observed in “While There’s Light.” Tull says, of the latter painting, “It was just honest. I didn’t clean it up. It was almost just a couple of motions with the paintbrush. That’s my favorite part on the painting.” His canvas has changed, too. While aluminum remains the foundation for his paintings, brick and mortar is the backdrop for his many public murals on buildings, a newfound artistic passion he has developed. Tull continues to paint his beloved imagery, women and cars, yet nature’s inspiration has remained. In one painting of a woman sitting in a car, he replaced the background of his original source photo with a blue sky and desert in the final painting. “I usually don’t edit my reference photos for my paintings, but for this one, I did edit out the background to put in some nature,” Tull says. “I enjoy being in the real world and seeing nature in person and I like to translate that, God’s creation, into the paintings. I just love the blue sky and the contrast that it gives to the other objects in the paintings.” (briantull.com)
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SUPPLIED
BY KAREN PARR-MOODY
“It was just honest. I didn’t clean it up. It was almost just a couple of motions with the paintbrush. That’s my favorite part on the painting.”
Art Events Derived from the Decorative
Hosted by Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, this exhibit celebrates the work of three international artists who transform the decorative arts into modern art. Azerbaijan artist Faig Ahmed creates contemporary sculptures out of Oriental-style rugs. Dutch artist Bouke de Vries repurposes ceramics, elevating them into sculptures. Beth Lipman, who is based in Wisconsin, creates sculptural installations out of clear glass. The exhibit is on view through June 9. (cheekwood.org) Block Party at Hatch Show Print
Hatch Show Print has created unique letterpress designs for musical legends since 1879. Each month, non-legends can participate in the Block Party class for $50, using the shop’s image blocks and ink to create a design. The result is a handprinted design inked onto paper, a tote bag, or a t-shirt. This month’s event is on April 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Universal Music Group Hatch Show Print Space for Design, next to the Hatch Show Print store. (hatchshowprint.com) —K.P.M.
SPOTLIGHT
| MIXED MEDIA
Page Turners
Four regional authors making waves this month.
Claire Gibson
BY KATE PARRISH
Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson (William Morrow) In her debut novel,
Nashville-based writer Claire Gibson brings readers inside the world of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Inspired by her own experience of growing up at West Point, where her father was a professor, Gibson’s characters, Dani, Hannah, and Avery, must learn to navigate cadet life—and life outside the gates—in a fraught post-9/11 world. (Available April 2.) Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis (Doubleday) Fans of American Housewife,
Helen Ellis
Ellis’s 2016 darkly funny story collection about what housewives do all day, will want to check out her new book of essays. Despite being a New Yorker for decades now, Ellis still holds tight to her Alabama roots. In each of her 23 new easy-to-read essays, Ellis waxes on everything from marriage to manners with her trademark wit and sarcasm. (Available April 16.) Thomas and Beal In the Midi by Christopher Tilghman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) After settling in Paris, Thomas and Beal, an interracial couple escaping
post-Reconstruction tensions in Maryland, must adapt to a new way of life. Beal thrives in Paris’s rich culture, but eventually the couple settles into rural Languedoc after Thomas buys a winery. Leaving behind one set of challenging circumstances in Maryland for another in Languedoc, the couple is forced to find their way as individuals and as a couple. (Available April 16.)
Christopher Tilghman
The Currency of Time by David W. Adams (Advantage Media Group) Planning
for retirement can be such a daunting task that many people just won’t do it, or won’t do it well. In his debut book, Adams, a Nashville-based certified financial planner and CPA, provides the “three bucket approach” he’s used with thousands of clients for more than a decade to help them save more while still living full, experiencedriven lives. (Available now.)
David Adams
REBA MCENTIRE Stronger Than the Truth Country icon Reba McEntire finds comfort in the music of her cattleranching childhood on Stronger Than the Truth, bravely addressing her 2015 divorce through a series of brokenhearted standouts.
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Western swing, Tejano-inspired folk, and straight-up barroom balladry chart a path to recovery.
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SHOVELS & ROPE By Blood Enigmatic rock duo Shovels & Rope match flawed characters with ambitious optimism on By Blood, the couple’s fifth album of originals. Bold as ever, they mix new wave punk with roots pop
in “The Wire,” and experiment elsewhere with a singular blend of gritty, loose-fitting DIY sonics.
JOSH RITTER Fever Breaks Folk mainstay Josh Ritter teams with Americana icon Jason Isbell for Ritter’s Fever Breaks. With Isbell producing and his 400 Unit serving as studio band, Ritter’s songs range from the chugging stoner-
rock authority of “Old Black Magic” to the hopeful meditation of “Blazing Highway Home.”
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TUNING IN Three albums to spin this month. —Chris Parton
THE GOOD LIFE
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EDITORS’ PICKS | ARTISAN SPOTLIGHT | FITNESS | FIELD GUIDE | AT HOME
Sitting Pretty With contempor
shapes and classic colors, Payton James creates handbags that last well beyond the
season. Read more on page 66. APRIL 2019 NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM
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FASHION
INSPIRED BY DESIGN This month, Nashville Fashion Week brings top talent from around the region to the runway at OZ Arts Nashville. Over the course of four nights, 20 designers will show off their seasonal collections, leading up to the fifth annual Nashville Fashion Forward Gala, where awards are given to the icons who have made their mark on our fashion scene. Here, ten of the participating Nashville designers offer up a sneak peek of what you’ll see at the shows. (April 2 to 6, Oz Arts Nashville; nashvillefashionweek.com) —E.B.M.
LAURA CITRON Laura Citron “[For my second year at Nashville Fashion Week], expect an even more explosive kaleidoscope of colors and prints. This collection will harken back to the days of disco glamor, but be reinterpreted through a modern lens.”
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EMILY SWINSON Article X “Nashville Fashion Week will be the runway debut of my new concept, Article X. From structured basics to oversized silhouettes, Article X will channel dark imagery with minimal design.”
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LAUREN GRELL A Lady of the Lake “This collection is inspired by the beauty of nature but also a powerful female. I want to convey through fashion how a woman can be the hero of legends and fairy tales, and that romantic and feminine details can be powerful and structured and not just dainty.”
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VAN HOANG Van Hoang “I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of this year’s Nashville Fashion Forward Fund. This award will enable me to attend the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, which is a global conference about sustainability in fashion and this opportunity will allow me to learn from top leaders in the field. I hope to bring this knowledge back to Nashville and turn ideas into action.”
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ASHLEIGH CAIN Ashe Cain “Ashe Cain pushes the envelope for sustainable fashion. For Nashville Fashion Week, this collection was inspired by beetles. The garments mimic the hard exoskeletons and movement in the wings.”
JUSTIN MARK RICHARDS Justin Mark Richards Richards brings clothing from the stage to everyday life with custom pieces that bring rock ‘n’ roll, country, and high fashion together in perfect harmony. “[I’ll be] showcasing 15 full looks from head to toe. I’m super excited to show what I’ve been working on.”
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TRULY ALVARENGA Truly Alvarenga “My collection for NFW is called ‘The Hunt.’ I loved the idea of a fox hunt in a fictional Edwardian England. I imagine a place where animals could talk, young women were married to the richest suitor, and fashion was everything.”
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| EDITORS’ PICKS
ANDREW CLANCEY Any Old Iron “This year, Any Old Iron will take y’all to another dimension: Planet Nashville. Expect the unexpected (and some expected stuff as well) as we boldly go where no human has been before. Sunglasses on, we’re going to make America sparkle.”
CAITLIN STOLLEY Lily Guilder Design “Lily Guilder is presenting a collection entitled ‘Papillon: A Meditation on Metamorphosis,’ featuring one-of-a-kind coats and athleisure separates.”
ASHLEY BALDING Ona Rex “My collection inspiration is a wide array of shapes and concepts pulled from the world around me. The silhouettes began as an exploration of the architectural shapes of mid-century playgrounds— think exaggerated and rounded contours, modular angles, and bright colors. I then pulled inspiration from Dante’s Inferno and will be telling my version of this story through the energy and expression of each look walking down the runway.”
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THE GOOD LIFE
THE GOOD LIFE
| ARTISAN SPOTLIGHT ACCESSORIES
COLOR BLOCK Handbag designer Payton James creates perky, vintage-inspired handbags for modern women. BY EMILY DAVIDSON NEMOY
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know, learning what it takes to actually make it in the fashion industry.” James prides herself on sourcing ethical suppliers, a practice she read up on before diving in to her career. Her design process includes creating inspiration boards, then determining size and scale or making a pattern. She then builds a tech pack containing all the necessary information a vendor needs to construct a product. Carryall prices range from $80 to $245. The Payton James spring product launch features handbags that have the power to transform outfits. The structured bucket tote, designed with handmade wooden handles that fit around the wrist, adds instant polish to T-shirts and jeans. Available in three hues, the versatile purse also converts into a crossbody. The circle basket bag is available in two lively colorways: lemon, avocado, and teal; or lavender, pink, and lemon. “So far, the feedback has been really good on the colors,” she says. “I think it just gets people excited about this new season.” (Available at Goodbuy Girls, White’s Mercantile, Posh Boutique, and Franklin Road Apparel, or online at paytonjamesusa.com.)
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Payton James
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Built from leather and raffia in an assortment of cheerful hues, Payton James’ breakthrough handbag collection brings a lighthearted touch to outfits. The totes, crossbody purses, and basket bags nod to retro style and act as instant pick-me-ups in shades of lavender, lemon, and summer white. Vintage is a lifelong passion for James. For this collection, she drew inspiration from Jane Birkin, a British actress and singer, who was a muse to French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. “It really started with her,” James says. “She always carried around a basket bag, and so I found a vendor, a family-owned business in Madagascar, that hand weaves bags from raffia.” James graduated from O’More College of Design. An extra credit Photoshop class that focused on shoe design, as well as shoe-making classes in New York City, piqued her interest in designing beyond the garment realm. “That really just sparked my creativity with accessories,” James says. “I love it way more than designing clothes.” James furthered her education with two internships before starting her own line. “It was mostly just getting the energy of the city and, you
THE GOOD LIFE
| FITNESS WORKOUT
MAVERICK MOVES With TruMav, Tim McGraw and partners hand over the keys to his fitness routine.
A decade ago, country music superstar Tim McGraw’s life on the road looked like 3 a.m. beers and cheeseburgers with his band. Today, it’s a different story. Now known for his unrelenting commitment to fitness, McGraw powers through grueling two-a-day workouts on tour, sometimes finishing just before he takes the stage. He credits a moment with his oldest daughter as one of the biggest keys to making changes in his life. When she saw him in the trailer for his movie Four Christmases, McGraw says, “Her eyes got really wide and she looked at me and said, ‘Geez, Dad, you really need to do something.’ The next day I was at the gym.” Together with Wirth Campbell of E!’s Very Cavallari and Peter Taunton, CEO of Snap Fitness,
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the trio have opened the flagship location of TruMav Fitness. Located in the Gulch, TruMav’s focus is on high intensity, bootcamp-style group fitness classes. They also offer personal training and independent workout space. When Campbell, a native Nashvillian and family friend of McGraw’s, heard that McGraw was working with Snap Fitness, he wanted in. A former football player at Auburn University and fitness enthusiast, Campbell was a perfect fit to become the co-owner and face of the Nashville location. The trio plans on slowly growing nationally. Designed to mimic McGraw’s tour workouts, TruMav’s signature class, TRUFIT, is a 45-minute sweat fest. Class participants move through six different stations, twice
with 45-second bursts of work, followed by a 15-second transition. There are no set number of reps to complete and rather than using traditional cardio to raise the heart rate, nearly every station is centered around functional strength-building movements. To maximize personal effort, all TruMav members wear a heart rate monitor and heart rates are tracked on a screen in real-time during class. “Seeing [your heart rate] up there, you’re able to push yourself,” says Wirth, who wants members to work at 80 percent of their max heart rate in class to ensure sustained calorie burning throughout the rest of the day. “It just shows you that your mind goes way before your body goes. Having that heart rate technology pushes people to
push back against what their mind is telling them.” While TRUFIT classes are open to all skill levels, members have to test into the advanced TRUPOWER class. Whether someone is brand new to fitness or a seasoned bodybuilder, Campbell and his partners see TruMav, short for true maverick, as more than just a place to exercise. “It’s about being a maverick not only in your fitness world,” says Campbell, “but really pushing your boundaries in life in general.” (601 9th Ave. S., 615-478-3487; trumavfitness.com)
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BY KATE PARRISH
THE GOOD LIFE
| FIELD GUIDE
WANDER
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA Savannahians often say they live in a city built on the dead. Over Native American burial grounds and accidental cemeteries weathered by disaster, war, or the yellow fever epidemic, the residents tend to have respect for those who came before—and maybe those who, er, never left. It’s been called the most haunted city in America after all. But while honoring their past, residents here also find ways to have some fun, too. “In Charleston, they might ask, ‘Who’s your family?’” a Savannah native and tour guide told a group of visitors recently. “But in Savannah they ask, ‘What do you want to drink?’” And in that respect, it’s a city very much alive. With nonstop flights now available, it’s time to feel the history amid Savannah’s many charms.
7 p.m. Hit the town and sample another of the city’s legendary cocktails named for the Chatham Artillery. At the namesake bar Artillery, a sexy, sepia-toned room, the artillery punch arrives atop the fronds of a pineapple-shaped vessel. With rum, brandy, bubbles, and more—it packs a mighty punch, indeed. 8 p.m. Around the corner, check out Savannah’s outpost of the restaurant Husk for dinner. From a list of 24 local farms, the kitchen team pulls its ingredients from the area and coast (like Georgia shrimp and grits with farm egg).
SATURDAY 7 a.m. Fuel up on coffee and kolache at The Coffee Fox. Then catch a class at Dancing Dogs Yoga. Four fireplaces heat the studio with hardwood floors and soaring ceiling while a turquoise, graffiti-style mural along one wall marries Savannah’s old and new styles.
10 a.m. With appetite reinvigorated, hit up The Grey Market for a snack of milk bread French toast or shop for provisions and gifts like local barbecue sauces and pickles. A slice of the daily pie to-go—like honey chess—comes highly recommended. 11 a.m. Take a long walk to sprawling Forsyth Park to get the lay of the land. Following Bull Street will have you winding through Savannah’s famous squares to see historic homes framed by oaks dripping in Spanish moss. 12:30 p.m. Make your way to the funky Starland District for Back in the Day Bakery where you’ll find a retro-styled lunch (biscuit sandwiches, pimento cheese, rosemary chicken with cranberry) and treats (coconut cream pie to lavender shortbread). Then peruse the record shops and thrift stores in the area for costume jewelry and silk scarves. 2 p.m. Wandering back toward downtown, you’ll find boutiques lining Savannah’s
The Alida Hotel
5 p.m. Check into The Alida Hotel, named for a trailblazing female preservationist. Then head to the rooftop bar, The Lost Square, to refresh weary traveled bones with a nip. From this gorgeous hotel’s vantage, you can watch barges roll down the river with the gleaming gold dome of the city capital as backdrop.
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FRIDAY
Forsyth Park
Back in the Day Bakery
streets. But don’t miss ShopSCAD, which features works from artists of all types (painters, potters, jewelry makers) from the Savannah College of Art and Design community.
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7 p.m. The Grey, with chef Mashama Bailey at the helm, sits as the jewel of the Savannah dining scene. The restaurant resides in a refurbished 1930s art deco Greyhound bus station and offers everything from Georgia oysters to creative regional cuisine, like quail stuffed with bacon, sourdough, and muscadine. 9 p.m. Seek out Genteel & Bard for a nocturnal walking tour through squares and cemeteries packed with history and ghost tales. Then shake off the scary with a nightcap.
Through Alley Cat’s back alley entrance, expert cocktails await from a menu the size of a New York Post.
SUNDAY
ShopSCAD
10 a.m. For a final dose of Savannah and American history, visit the Prohibition Museum. Then brunch at The Collins Quarter, a bustling bistro-style space, nestled amid a last spin through Savannah’s sleepy squares.
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Protect and Preserve History meets modernity with this Belmont-Hillsboro beauty. WRITTEN BY KAREN PARR-MOODY IMAGES BY JEFF GRAHAM
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The sound of the crashing wrecking ball has swelled to a crescendo as Nashville’s historic homes are razed with hedonistic abandon. Yet there are outliers, rare historic homes that have been cleverly refurbished while retaining their character. These are coveted. Such a home sits at 1607 18th Avenue South, a Colonial Revival-style structure built in 1925 of hand-laid stone. It belongs to the Historic Preservation Easements Program, forever saving it from demolition. Dave Haverkamp, a self-taught designer, recently led a team in refurbishing this historic gem. “It’s my passion,” he says. “I truly enjoy taking something that has potential that maybe not a lot of people see and bringing out that potential.” Haverkamp’s largest project to date was an 1876 Dutch Renaissance home in East Nashville. This home is larger, at 6,200 square feet, with five bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths. He redesigned it with Michael Ward of Allard Ward Architects, who created the floor plans. Reid & Co. Construction managed the construction and The Conley House staged it to sell. The home was last occupied by the late Betty Nixon, a metro council member known for her historic preservation work as well as her place as one of the first women to run for mayor.
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Original oak floors and a hand-carved marble fireplace are among the preserved elements, while the kitchen and master suite—Haverkamp’s favorites—are new. The master suite, complete with a sitting room, was carved out after the original kitchen was gutted. Its bathroom walls are lined in honeycomb-shaped Carrera marble tiles, while Moroccan encaustic tiles make a star pattern on the floor. A soaking tub is illuminated by two large windows. “This master suite is very beautiful, but it’s also very functional,” Haverkamp says. The new kitchen and great room are modern luxury, complete with a stone fireplace. This space was originally a master suite. Now, fully-custom cabinets flank a Wolf eight-burner cooktop and new windows allow for a view. The island was crafted from wood taken from lanes at a 100-year-old bowling alley in Kentucky. “It just adds a little bit of character,” Haverkamp says. Other additions include a large screened porch with a gas fireplace and a dining room converted from the original side porch. “When they are remodeled in a respectful way, with features that people want for today’s use, these unique old structures become highly desirable,” Haverkamp says. “They are few and far between.”
SOUNDS LIKE
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A HIT How Nashville became “The Best Minor League Baseball Town in America,” and what’s coming next. BY CHRIS PARTON
Folks seem to love giving Nashville nicknames. Music City. NashVegas. The Buckle of the Bible Belt. But even locals may not be aware of our newest title: The Best Minor League Baseball Town in America, two years running. That’s right. According to a study conducted by SmartAsset, Nashville has been the number one city to watch minor league baseball in the entire country for the last two years—and with the Texas Rangers coming to town as the Nashville Sounds new major league affiliate, plus a continuing nationwide fascination with the city—there’s no reason we can’t become a three-peat dynasty in 2019. Saying Nashville “combines stellar play on the field with some of the best off-field quality of life in the study,” the SmartAsset report came to its conclusion using some pretty thorough methodology. Nine different categories were measured, including average attendance, attendance as percentage of maximum ballpark capacity, win percentage, and minor league class. But non-baseball metrics were also taken into consideration, like the city’s violent crime rate, property crime rate, income after housing, unemployment rate, and the number of dining and entertainment establishments. When it was all tallied up, Nashville scored higher than any other city—even beating out perennial minor league meccas in Texas and North Carolina along the way. Much of the credit goes to innovative moves made by both the city and the Sounds over the last five years, and with 70 home games on the schedule for 2019, this season figures to be another banner year for America’s pastime in Nashville. But anyone who’s been here longer than the pedal
taverns knows it wasn’t always this way. “Baseball has evolved—even in the 20 years that I’ve been here,” says Sounds vice president of operations Doug Scopel, noting that professional baseball was first played in Nashville in 1885, and that the Sounds are actually the oldest pro sports team in town, founded in 1978. Looking out over the pristine but still-frosty diamond at First Tennessee Park in February, Scopel explains that it wasn’t until the club’s $91 million stadium opened in 2015 that Nashville really started to feel like a top tier baseball city. “What we’ve been able to do with the fan experience here at the ballpark is incredible.” That’s something of an understatement. Now heading into its fifth season, First Tennessee Park is an attraction of its own, featuring 10,000 seats with breathtaking views of the city skyline, unique-to-Nashville concessions, and ticket prices that are often lower than the cost of a craft beer. Plus, it’s in an easyto-access location in the heart of the nation’s hottest entertainment destination. Fans can walk up to the game on a whim—something that was impossible at the old Greer Stadium, located outside the downtown-interstate loop on Chestnut Street—and once they arrive, there’s much more going on than “just baseball.” “What we offer revolves around a baseball game,” Scopel says, “but it’s about everything else that’s here. It used to be that you’d go to a game, and you’d keep score, and sit in your seat and watch all nine innings—and maybe you’d get up to get a hot dog. The fans that do that nowadays are few and far between. If you’re in your seat more than a couple of innings straight, that’s rare.”
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Instead, fans tend to find their seats and then scatter. “You’re getting up to go to The Band Box bar, your kids want to see the mascot, play some mini golf and ping pong, and try the speed pitch, or you just walk around the ballpark,” Scopel says. “To us, it’s more about having a diverse set of options to keep people entertained.” A family-friendly atmosphere has always been key for baseball fans. John Perona, a season ticket holder and local business owner who’s been coming to Sounds games since 1991, says that even on Greer Stadium’s worst days, the team made the most of what Scopel calls a “no frills” facility. Attendance fell to an average of 3,739 fans per game in 1997, but “with six kids, I was able to take everybody out and not break the bank,” Perona says with a laugh. Nowadays, average attendance is up around 8,700 per game (and trending up, which is rare in the minor leagues), and Perona says affordability is still the biggest draw. With seats right behind home plate, he counts each game as an easy way to impress friends and colleagues from out of town, praising the stadium’s big-league-on-a-budget feel as a key factor in setting Nashville apart—along with the executive chef stationed on the club level, that is. “We have an actual chef who prepares a meat-and-three for every
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game,” he exclaims. “The selection of concessions is way above average, and there are lots of different options all over the park.” In fact, one of those options is arguably the biggest reason Nashville earned its new title in the first place: the aforementioned Band Box. Basically a full sports bar placed in the right field corner, complete with rows of TVs, cushy lounge couches, bar games, signature frozen drinks, and an artisanal menu of “elevated” ballpark favorites, it’s become a popular gathering place for the 21 to 30-something age group, a demographic the Sounds, and baseball as a whole, long ago identified as a problem area. “We did alright with families and big corporate groups,” Scopel admits, “but the group we really struggled to get was the ‘Band Box crowd.’ Young people who are maybe not hardcore baseball fans.” “We had to give them a reason to come, knowing they’re not going to watch most of the game,” he goes on. “Honestly, when you’re at The Band Box, there’s music cranking and a lot of the people there could not tell you the score—or may not even know who we’re playing—and we’re okay with that. We want people to come and say they had a fantastic time no matter the reason they were here, then go home and bring their friends back in the future.”
That baseball-plus approach has paid off. Average attendance skyrocketed by more than 60 percent when First Tennessee Park opened, rising from 4,909 fans per game at Greer in 2014 to 7,965 per game in 2015. And numbers have continued to rise after the grand opening bump, buoyed by the vibrant Germantown neighborhood it calls home. When it was built, the stadium was mostly flanked by construction sites and parking lots, but now when fans step outside they’re greeted by a slew of new bars and restaurants. Von Elrod’s, Neighbors, Jack Brown’s, Henrietta Red, 312 Pizza, Barista Parlor, and more are all within a couple of blocks, with another mixed use development breaking ground on the stadium’s northeast side, more housing set to rise beyond the outfield, and the Tennessee State Library and Archive having opened just across the street from first base. “The way the world goes to events has changed a lot in the last five or 10 years,” Scopel says, citing walkability as a driving factor in the park’s success. “The immeasurable thing for us is the impact we’ve had on the area around us. At Greer, you went there for the game and then you left. Here, people tend to stay in Germantown or the surrounding area a lot longer.” It’s true that the overall fan experience is a huge part of why people are going to Sounds games, but for baseball lovers, the product on the field has been pretty good, too. The team has finished second in the Pacific Coast League’s American Southern Division for the last two years—and they even won the division in 2016. After four years with the Oakland Athletics, this season will feature a brand new major league affiliation with the Texas Rangers, and for the long term, things are looking up competitively. With the Rangers in full on “rebuild mode” the big-league level, extra attention will be paid to the players working their way through Nashville. Scopel expects the Sounds to become a younger team as 2019
goes on, with the possibility of a few Top 100 prospects taking the field toward the end of the season. They’ll do so wearing all new uniforms, revamped to better match the Rangers’ color palette, and also looking more like a “classic” major league design. Gone are the red-and-black guitar pick logos, which were fun but a bit campy in the minor league norm, replaced by a set of traditional looks that still manage to incorporate some tastefully understated musical references—plus an alternate logo based on the Tennessee tri-star, which is fast becoming a fan favorite. That should help drive even more excitement when the AAA season kicks off April 4. But then again, it’s also possible that Nashville will soon become a major league city of its own. Last summer MLB commissioner Rob Manfred reignited longstanding rumors, listing Nashville on the short list of potential expansion points alongside cities like Portland, Oregon, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Then, in January, Baseball Hall of Famer Tony La Russa announced he would join an advisory group led by businessman John Loar, saying that with the continued growth of the city itself, plus the success of the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators, “It’s a natural for baseball.” As exciting as that sounds, the Sounds would likely be forced out if the MLB really set up shop, but Scopel takes that prospect in stride. Just like Nashville being named the best minor league baseball town in America, he counts it as a compliment. “That’s a credit to Nashville as a city, but also for us in the Sounds office,” he says. “We take pride in the idea that we’re obviously doing something right for the MLB to even think about us. Baseball has been a part of Nashville since the Civil War—way longer than the other sports—and we expect it to continue to thrive. In the meantime, were focused on what we’re doing— and we’re gonna continue to hit it out of the park.”
THE TOP OUR RANKING OF NASHVILLE’S BEST RESTAURANTS.
Our city welcomed a whopping 133 new restaurants in 2018, topping the 113 that opened the year prior. With that came some attrition—20 spots closed their doors last year, including a few that had been open less than a year. Growth and change are now constants in our dining scene—which makes our job both challenging and fun. So, what exactly makes for a great Nashville dining experience these days? The food, of course, which should be interesting, balanced, and consistent. A focused attention on service and hospitality. The bar should add to the conversation, too—well-made cocktails; a thoughtful list of wines; beers you won’t find everywhere else. But, there’s more. In this town, especially, it seems that the strongest, most successful, longest-lasting restaurants add something beyond a memorable dining experience—they contribute to the greater community, offer solid training ground for others, add excitement to the food conversation, connect with one another, and, maybe most importantly, deliver joy. With so many options, we had to set specific criteria for our list. We only considered full-service restaurants that offer dinner. (Sorry, no fast casual joints or breakfast/lunch/brunch spots, even though there are plenty in that arena that we’d recommend.) The places had to be open by November 1, 2018, giving restaurants enough time to get their feet under them. From there, we examined and ranked several benchmarks: food, beverage program, service, atmosphere, and consistency. And, we considered something less concrete but no less important: whether the restaurant and the people behind it have made a lasting impact on Nashville’s dining scene. In the end, we think it’s a fair assessment of the best of our city’s food scene, and that it answers that age-old question: Where should we eat tonight? BY ERIN BYERS MURRAY AND NANCY VIENNEAU
JEN MCDONALD
Etch
EMILY DORIO
1 HENRIETTA RED
Chef Julia Sullivan’s resume could have taken her anywhere. The Culinary Institute of America graduate honed her craft at New York notables Per Se, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Franny’s, and Haven’s Kitchen. But she chose to come home to open her first restaurant—and for that, we are wildly grateful. With her co-founder Allie Poindexter, and in partnership with Strategic Hospitality, Sullivan meticulously created Henrietta Red, a place that embodies a neighborhood oyster bar, as well as a forward-thinking, fine-dining establishment. Henrietta Red is a beautiful restaurant; its style and offerings speak to the chef’s persona: feminine but unfussy, studied yet unpretentious, authoritative yet ebullient. It brings a raw bar with a preeminent oyster program to our land-locked city. (Consider 15 varieties, hailing from the Pacific Northwest, to the north Atlantic coast with an emphasis on farm-raised Southern oysters, all served with bright mignonettes, lemon, and cocktail sauce.) There’s also superb seafood and fish. (The plate of seared scallops in parsnip puree sparked with dark cherries is a revelation.) Sullivan’s vegetable-driven, wood-fired dishes, are also eye-openers. Say yes to Brussels sprouts and hakurei turnips in Calabrian chili butter. Or, an oyster mushroom steak nestled in roasted garlic puree, strewn with pickled fennel and toasted sourdough crumbs. Such fare is supported by Poindexter’s curated wine list and the staff’s dedication to hospitable service, down to every detail. In 2018, both Sullivan and Henrietta Red achieved far-reaching acclaim: Sullivan was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs and Henrietta Red, a James Beard semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant. It was much-deserved notoriety—but didn’t change the experience. Two years into service, there is consistency of vision and execution. Sullivan, Poindexter, and team are ever dynamic, the food and beverages are spot-on luscious, and the overall experience leaves us elated, thinking, “When can we go back?” (1200 4th Ave. N., 615-490-8042; henriettared.com)
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2 BASTION
It’s rare to sit before a group of working chefs, watch as they operate with a quiet assuredness, and think: Man, that looks fun. At Bastion, diners get front-row seats as a small crew of cooks, led by chef Josh Habiger, move with precision and grace, slivering, drizzling, and plating the selection of modern dishes that parade forth each night. The restaurant is an extension of Habiger himself—he wants it to feel like he’s invited you to his house, complete with a curated record collection to set the tone. Having launched a similar, more formal dining concept with The Catbird Seat (see number 6), Habiger has made things personal at Bastion. The room is unfussy—understated and casual. And by appearances, the food is, too. Some dishes arrive looking like a pile of leaves or ground grains in a mound. But underneath, it’s revolutionary. Ingredients are combined in imaginative ways, deceptively packed with layers of flavor. Sliced raw cobia with bits of freeze-dried raspberry scattered over the top. Lamb tartare set over a yogurt made of sesame seeds. Bite after bite, you come to realize that these dishes took days, maybe weeks to conceptualize. And after that meal, may be gone or altered forever, a fleeting moment of flavor, exquisitely executed. Without fanfare, the chefs act as servers, diligently and quietly plating the food, before delivering to you by hand. No theatrics. Just a quick nod of accomplishment. Dining this way feels like more than a good meal. It’s an experience, punctuated by quiet confidence, lack of pretension, and a brief glimpse of genius within. (434 Houston St., 615-4908434; bastionnashville.com)
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Bastion
3
JEN MCDONALD
MARGOT CAFÉ & BAR
Heading into its 18th year, Margot Café & Bar has proven to be more than a fine restaurant. It’s been a delicious force for change. After transforming an abandoned gas station into the kind of eatery you’d love to find in Provence, chef Margot McCormack shepherded our local food movement, ushered a wave of entrepreneurial energy into East Nashville, and mentored numerous chefs, all while remaining true to her philosophy: Food should be fresh, seasonal, and uncomplicated—inspired by a sense of place, and served with warmth and grace. She designs the menu anew every day, but you can expect a concise, compelling roster of dishes informed by French and Italian cooking traditions, using of-the-moment local ingredients. Further, you’ll find superb choices from the thoughtful wine list, and be treated with the staff’s attentive service. Amid constant new restaurant openings, it is no small feat for a long-standing restaurant to remain fresh and relevant. McCormack shows how it’s done. (1017 Woodland St., 615-2274668; margotcafe.com)
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Folk
4 With his first restaurant, Rolf & Daughters, chef Phil Krajeck gave Nashville a dose of contemporary, European influence with small, focused plates of pasta, vegetables, and breads. It still stands as one of the top meals in town. But today, we’re lauding him and his team at Folk, the restaurant he opened in mid-2018 as a riff on a more classic, American-style restaurant—one where the kohlrabi dish gets ordered in equal measure with the addictive wood-fired pizza. The food at Folk feels both modern and timeless—modern in its various layers of seasoning, coaxed with skilled technique; timeless in the way it tastes good and satisfying but also sparks curiosity. There might be sake lees drenching roasted sweet potatoes, or shiso mixed in with the radicchio leaves. The pizzas are produced on dough that is constantly evolving with ethereal results. It’s the type of place where you can enjoy a few courses capped with entrees for all, or slide up to the bar for pizza and a glass of wine. (It’s a tight and well-curated list full of wines Krajeck’s crew likes to drink: lighter, sometimes effervescent reds, lots of skin-contact, bottles that are so low in alcohol they’re nearly chug-able.) It’s all wrapped up inside a neo-industrial space made to feel grounding with potted greenery and warm lighting. Just the spot for camaraderie and exploration. (823 Meridian St., 615-610-2595; goodasfolk.com)
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SAM ANGEL
FOLK
Nicky’s Coal Fired
5 EMILY DORIO
NICKY’S COAL FIRED
Call them a culinary power couple. Together, Tony and Caroline Galzin are masters of the savory and sweet sides of the kitchen, as well as front-of-the-house hospitality. Their partnership makes a meal at Nicky’s Coal Fired one of most memorable, citywide. The heart of the restaurant is Enrico, the coal-fired double oven. From one side emerge swoon-worthy pizzas. The other: embered seasonal vegetables, whole fish with Aleppo chile and charred lemon, and cuts of Porter Road Butcher meats. But, don’t bypass foods not
made in the oven, like the handcrafted pastas: Bucatini carbonara with bacon and sunchokes is sublime. Or, the house charcuterie, paired with Tony’s foccaccia-of-the-moment. Or the silken gelati, also Tony-made. It’s a pleasure to eat at Nicky’s, whether you’re seated in the main dining room, at the congenial bar (try their frozen Fernet & Coke), or along the counter watching the chef and team sling pies and toss noodles in front of Enrico’s blaze. (5026 Centennial Blvd., 615678-4289; nickysnashville.com)
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THE CATBIRD SEAT
The Catbird Seat’s influence on Nashville is undeniable. Shortly after opening in 2011 under the reins of Josh Habiger (Bastion) and Erik Anderson (now running a Michelin-starred establishment in California), the restaurant drew all eyes to our city, lasered in on the chef’s counter-as-stage style of service, and inventive, technique driven food. It easily elevated the city’s collective coolness. Iterations since then have brought in chefs Trevor Moran and Ryan Poli, both influenced by experiences at Noma. Now, it’s pastry chef Liz Johnson and chef Will Aghajanian bringing their take. The premise remains: It’s a stage for experimentation and innovation. Aghajanian and Johnson do this in spades, pushing into new territory. From the first fritter—beef tongue over a crisped quince-based bite—to an orb filled with banana, sea urchin, and truffle. (Trust us, it works.) There might be Marlin belly sliced counterside or crispy pig head presented on the body of a crab. A finale and a feat, the baked potato ice cream, pulled gingerly with spoons, and topped with a juniper resin and bits of crisped potato, is a mind bender that we can’t wait to try again. Still a beacon of both innovation and play, The Catbird Seat is worth visiting once again. (1711 Division St, 615-810-8200; thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com)
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7
CAFÉ ROZE
The all-day café style of dining now runs rampant in cities like New York, but has yet to take firm hold in here Nashville. Still, chef Julia Jaksic presents it at its best, juxtaposing bold, modern flavors with Old World sensibilities. Located in a Depression-era storefront in the Eastwood neighborhood, her café offers welcome respite, any time. Fuel your morning with a poached egg over cucumber-feta bulghur and a cup of Revelator coffee. Lunch on a pita stuffed with grilled chicken napped in curried yogurt. Pop in for a rose-scented latte afternoon pick-me-up. Post work, meet a friend for a glass of rose and ‘nduja-spiked corn fritters. At dinner, votive candlelight dots the café and marble bar with a rosy glow. And, Jaksic’s food savvy really shines, elevating eggplant with crispy chili-quinoa coating and salsa negra; bavette-cut grilled steak with fresh herbs; and pork schnitzel with caraway, red cabbage, and sauce gribiche. Also pervasive all day is Jaksic’s genial spirit, making her café a desired gathering place in any neighborhood. (1115 Porter Rd., 615-645-9100; caferoze.com)
DANIELLE ATKINS
6
Cafe Roze
8 CITY HOUSE
Nearly twelve years into its Germantown tenure, City House remains a beloved retreat and a “dining home” to so many locals. They come for Sunday Supper, a celebratory weeknight, or just to belly up to the pizza bar. And although chef Tandy Wilson, a James Beard Award winner, recently experimented with another concept that’s now closed, things continue to hum merrily along at his original kitchen. The service is as warm and friendly as ever; the cocktails are familiar and well-structured; and the octopus, now served with sock sausage, remains a standout dish. Be grateful for the longevity of his unforgettable belly ham pizza, or the kitchen’s work with grits, which they mill in house, and serve under a lamb sugo. Sing a song of thanks to pastry chef Rebekah Turshen for desserts that warm the soul. And offer silent praise for Wilson’s efforts. His time, tutelage, contributions, and mentorship to the community are all felt deeply in this town. (1222 4th Ave. N., 615-736-5838; cityhousenashville.com)
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9
BUTCHER & BEE
When Butcher & Bee arrived in Nashville via Charleston in 2015, it garnered big buzz. With cheekily named dishes, extensive bar offerings, and its open kitchen design, it dropped into town right when Nashville needed it. We were craving the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors that chef Bryan Lee Weaver brought with him from his previous Southern Californian post. Today, he’s even more settled and attuned to the city’s dining desires. Turkish
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hummus, falafel, and whipped feta to start; avocado crispy rice to hit creamy, earthy, citrus notes; grilled cabbage and Lebanese-spiced chicken to push us forward. The riffs here now venture further afield but the consistency remains the same. The room, meanwhile, is a jumble of good noises—the clinks from the kitchen, a quietly rocking playlist, a chatty communal table—and service that remains relaxed yet on point. (902 Main St., 615-226-3322; butcherandbee.com)
Husk tells a story of change and continuity. In August of last year, Sean Brock left The Neighborhood Dining Group, remaining as Husk’s founding chef and culinary advisor. Still, his founding principle (“If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not comin’ through the door.”) is being honored and fully realized by Katie Coss, who, after Brock’s departure, was elevated to executive chef. The first female within the hospitality group to assume this
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role, Coss is handling the move seamlessly. For more than six years, she’s been in Husk kitchens, coming up the ranks. She maintains certain Nashville traditions: The pimento cheese, deviled eggs, fried chicken, and double cheeseburgers are as delectable as always. Methodically, she’s introducing her own culinary voice to the Husk canon, its celebration of Southern ingredients, and their ever-evolving interpretation. (37 Rutledge St., 615-256-6565; husknashville.com)
Community sits at the heart of this beloved East Nashville restaurant. From a happy hour that raises money for local schools, to a local, collaborative beer project, to the restaurant’s communal table and truly family friendly space— it’s a restaurant built on strong connections to the place where it resides and the people who populate its world. No wonder the East Nashvillian named it “business of the year” in 2018. Founded by co-owners Cara Graham and chef Hal Holden-Bache, it’s also a very fine place to eat. Whether you’re coming in for the simple pleasure of a wood-fired margherita pizza and a glass of wine or a coursedout meal of Gulf lump crab dip and a golden-crusted half roast chicken, the food, the atmosphere, and the service all add up to a meal that nourishes body, soul, and so much more. (1520 Woodland St., 615-228-4864; lockelandtable.com) SUPPLIED
Husk
LOCKELAND TABLE
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JEN MCDONALD
Lockeland Table
Etch
For more than 30 years, Deb Paquette has made her indelible impression on chefs, diners, and eateries across Nashville. At Etch, opened in SoBro in 2012, she’s had a fitting stage to give her singular dishes full expression. Indeed, Paquette’s fare takes on a range of artistic forms and global tastes. Plates arrive sculptural in construction and painterly with vibrant brushstrokes and beads of sauces. Her taste profiles can trek to East Asia with tempura-crusted oyster mushrooms, served with Korean hot chili aioli and
ponzu sauce. Or, south-of-the-border in a salad of grilled chicken, hominy, tomatillos, avocado, chile-infused honey, and pepitas. Or, North Africa with spiced lamb loin, surrounded by sweet potato korma, charred eggplant purée, okra, turnips, smoked fig yogurt, and Moroccan berry preserves. Within the cosmopolitan “It City” setting (the dining room and open kitchen are an architect’s minimalist dream), Etch offers modern fine dining, served with aplomb. Both meal services are equally sophisticated, whether power lunch or celebratory dinner. (303 Demonbreun St., 615-522-0685; etchrestaurant.com)
JEN MCDONALD
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ETCH
The Green Pheasant
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THE GREEN PHEASANT
EMILY DORIO
Downtown desperately needed The Green Pheasant. Another independent, locally owned restaurant to offset the sea of tourist-driven options nearby. It delivers not only a shot of much needed diversity to that neighborhood’s food scene, but to the city’s food scene as a whole. Chef duo Jess Benefield and Trey Burnette bring their passion for Japanese cuisine and culture to the table with a wide range of dishes, and to the bar, where sake and highballs are centerpieces. It’s also a
space worth admiring, with origamiinspired paper installations, sleek greens and yellows, and private nooks where dinner with friends can be savored. No worries if you’re not familiar with the territory: A well-trained service staff is there to walk you through. Along with the space and food, it’s an indication that the partners who have crafted this homage to Japanese culture have thought through every lively detail. (215 1st Ave. N., 615205-5400; thegreenpheasant.com)
Peninsula
Accomplished at opening and running other owners’ restaurants in Seattle, Yuriko Say, Craig Schoen and Jake Howell came to Nashville in 2017 to open their own. At Peninsula in East Nashville, they’ve created an intimate, adventuresome restaurant. Through chef Howell’s inventive dishes, Schoen’s remarkable gin bar and Iberian wines, and Say’s gracious hospitality, you have the pleasure of exploring the tastes of Spain and Portugal.
Howell makes complex fare out of humble ingredients—a sip of his garlic broth with braised rabbit, a spoonful of his navy beans pooled in oregano oil, or a bite of mushroom toast dotted with trout roe attests to that. The trio chose a small space and decorated it with elements that lend the look and vibe of a Spanish inn. At 35 seats, they can better give their guests personal attention. Like Howell’s food, out of less comes more. (1035 W. Eastland Ave., 615-679-0377; peninsulanashville.com)
EMILY DORIO
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PENINSULA
15 CHAUHAN ALE & MASALA HOUSE Opening four different restaurants (plus a craft brewery) within four fast years, chef Maneet Chauhan has put her distinctive stamp on our city. It was at her first restaurant and namesake, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, that we got introduced to the breadth of her culinary vision and style. Four years later, Chauhan keeps us as beguiled with her food and drink, all vibrant interpretations of global and local fare that are served in a visual feast of a setting. She breaks rules, infusing flavor profiles of the Indian subcontinent into dishes—plying poutine with tandoori chicken, while spiking the fries with masala spices; making a clever version of nachos using papadi chips, loaded with lamb keema, provel cheese, and tamarind chutney; preparing skirt steak with green chile butter and red wine demi. A Chauhan experience always combines a little adventure and exotica with a lot of flavor and fun. (123 12th Ave. N., 615-2428426; chauhannashville.com)
TOP HOTEL RESTAURANTS
INTRIGUING DESTINATIONS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, THESE ARE THE FIVE BEST HOTEL RESTAURANTS IN TOWN.
BOURBON STEAK On the 34th floor of the JW Marriott, your perspective changes. Indeed, it heightens, as you take in the unparalleled vistas of city and sky. But it magnifies, as you put yourself in the care of the Bourbon Steak staff. They expertly guide you in making cocktail and wine selections, preside over deft tableside presentations, and tend to your dining needs seamlessly. You realize: the art of fine service is everything. It makes chef Michael Mina’s signatures—his premium oak-fired steaks, shellfish broiled in red miso butter, and Maine lobster pot pie in brandied cream—all the more luxurious and memorable. (michaelmina.net/restaurants/tennessee)
GRAY & DUDLEY Set within the base of the 21c Museum and Hotel, Gray & Dudley offers up its own form of modern art. The space is adorned with conversation-starting original sculptures, strategically lit to provide emphasis. And now, the menu brings a new form of artful exhibition thanks to the work of chef Rob Newton, originally from Arkansas and recently arrived from Brooklyn. Newton’s passion for Southeast Asian cuisine blends with his own Southern upbringing in dishes like steamed beef rangoons napped with red-eye gravy, and duck-ham laced fried rice. It all provides strokes of color and flavor on the plate, worthy of the restaurant’s location. (grayanddudley.com)
MARSH HOUSE Occupying a corner perch of the Thompson Nashville, Marsh House offers a prime seat for watching the city go by, as well as one of the best seafood-driven menus in town. Chef Nathan Duensing’s seafood sensibilities are drawn to the Gulf with oysters, crawfish, gumbo, and shrimp all in heavy rotation. Get the seafood tower for the full effect. But you can also tuck in for breakfast, featuring the outstanding pastries of chef
Lisa Marie White, or brunch, when sunlight streams over tables, for a tall, stately burger. For a truly happy hour, head over in the early evening for a plate of caviar-filled ranch served with potato chips alongside or the $5 “chambong” and oyster deal. (marshhouserestaurant.com)
CAPITOL GRILLE At the Capitol Grille, inside the historic (and Forbes Five Star rated) Hermitage Hotel, Southern traditions of excellence have long run strong. After chef Tyler Brown’s departure in late 2015, those hit a wobble or two. Now under the leadership of executive chef Derek Brooks, who’s led the kitchen since December 2017, the restaurant has regained its superlative confluence of fine food, beverages, and service. Oysters Rockefeller with creamed collards. Roasted beet salad with whipped feta and baby greens. Sorghum-braised short rib in hot pepper mash. The dedication to using produce from Glen Leven Farm, in partnership with The Land Trust for Tennessee, continues with delicious results. (capitolgrillenashville.com)
HENLEY The look of Henley, its meld of modern and turn-of-the-last century elements, beckons visitors and locals alike, first for a drink. Like the Betty Davis eyes graphic over the marble bar, mixologist master Benjamin Rouse’s cocktails are pretty and potent. (The Manhattans!) Executive chef Daniel Gorman makes playful, Southern-inspired fare to match, from his “Trailer Baby Cracker” saltines topped with pimento cheese and Gulf crab to his Cheerwine-glazed heritage porterhouse pork chop. And, general manager James Garrido sees that service is smooth and personable. (Ask about The Rabbit Hole, Gorman’s intimate, multicoursed tasting, in a niche behind a panel in the restaurant’s clubby backroom.) (henleynashville. com)
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PUBLISHER’S PICKS Brian Barry’s favorite restaurants
“In addition to the experts’ picks, here are a few of my favorite places.”
GREAT PLACES TO EAT 404 KITCHEN I consider Matt Bolus to be one of the best chefs in town. He’s also generous, cooking for many charity dinners around town. I am a big fan of his pastas, and Gertie’s Bar, with its unique whiskey collection. (the404nashville.com) KAYNE PRIME You never know who you’ll see here but they’re probably enjoying the rare steaks or tuna and a plate of risotto tater tots. I like to make a night of it and take in the other M Street spots, like Moto and Virago, too. (mstreetnashville.com) JOSEPHINE This might be the finest restaurant in the city. Chef Andy Little is amazing, the wines are superb, and I love the ambiance. Plus, their brunch is one of my favorites. (josephineon12th.com) THE PALM Known for their steaks and the caricatures on the wall, The Palm is also great with service. I swear they know your name after your second visit. (thepalm.com)
Sunda
EPICE This 12 South neighborhood bistro puts out true Lebanese food. Try the hummus or spiced fish—it’s the best I’ve ever had. Plus, the Lebanese wines are a treat. (epicenashville.com) REDLANDS GRILL This West End location is basically my second home. I like that it is Nashville company, and the food is always consistent. They make a mean martini, too. (redlandsgrill.com) MIDTOWN CAFÉ For those of us rare native Nashvillians, Randy Rayburn’s restaurant is a heart-tugger. I love Midtown for lunch, and the menu brings back memories of times gone by. (midtowncafe.com) SUNDA This Gulch hot spot has a great selection of New Asian cuisine. There are great sushi options, but don’t miss the dim sum: The crispy Korean fried chicken steamed buns are out of this world. (sundanewasian.com)
Gertie’s Bar at 404 Kitchen
Jeff Ruby
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House of Cards
MOST ENTERTAINING HOUSE OF CARDS Hidden in the back of the Johnny Cash Museum, it’s the perfect blend of dinner theater, disbelief, and fine dining. (hocnashville.com)
JEFF RUBY’S STEAKHOUSE A legendary steakhouse with a jazz band above the bar, this spot marries dinner and a show. (jeffruby.com)
SAMBUCA A fun place to throw a private party, enjoy live music, or grab a great happy hour. I like to lunch on the patio. (nashville.sambucarestaurant.com)
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Within Nashville’s restaurant scene, a growing number of chefs are learning that it’s time to nourish themselves, too.
TAKING
WRITTEN BY NANCY VIENNEAU. IMAGES BY DANIELLE ATKINS.
HEAT On the morning of June 8, 2018, reports of Anthony Bourdain’s suicide started showing up in newscasts and social media. By day’s end, the tragedy dominated every outlet, the loss of this luminary sending shockwaves of grief not just throughout the culinary world, but the world at large. It was one of many terrible reports ravaging the food and beverage industry. Along with the #MeToo movement—the scandals that broke restaurant empires of John Besh and Mario Batali—there were the suicides of Swiss chef Benoît Violier and Chicagoan chef Homaro Cantu, both at career pinnacles, and Saru Jayaraman’s exposé, Behind the Kitchen Door, on the hostile environment that restaurant workers endure, which underscored the scope of suffering within the culture of hospitality, hidden in plain sight. While providing an edgy, creative haven for those who don’t fit into the mainstream or 9-to-5 world, the hospitality biz also comes with a distinct set of occupational hazards, no matter if it’s the front or back of the house. The 14-hour days, the 60+ hour workweeks, the continuous pressure for perfection, and the pervading dictum to tough it out. (If you can’t stand the heat…) It’s all contributed to the overall ill health of hospitality workers. The
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results? Anxiety. Depression. Binge drinking. Eating disorders. Drug and alcohol addiction. Research conducted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services ranks it third highest among professions for substance abuse. It’s not easy to talk about. One chef in recovery we approached for an interview considered it and then declined, in part out of respect for his anonymity pledge (a prime tenet of Alcoholics Anonymous) and in part because at this stage in his sobriety, he needs to leave that identity, which he’d cloaked in ego and abuse, behind him. Too many triggers. The next chapter of his life now unfolding is outside the industry. Every path is different. We did speak with other culinary leaders who were ready to share about their personal demons and journey to good health. It is their hope this will help destigmatize the subject. Kat Kinsman, writer, editor, mental health advocate, and founder of Chefs With Issues, has amassed more than 2,000 surveys from workers in the industry: 85 percent report depression, 75 percent report using alcohol as a coping mechanism. The majority are afraid to talk about it with co-workers. Bottom line: Those who labor to nurture us are in dire need of being nurtured.
Brandon Frohne
F
ive generations of chef Brandon Frohne’s kin have worked in hospitality—it’s in his blood. He came up with a passion for the craft, but also within a culture that rewarded one’s ability to endure physical and verbal abuse. Working through cuts, burns, fever, and harassment was considered a badge of honor. “Your boss throws a plate at you?” Frohne recalls. “You take it and try to do better.” Born with a hand deformity, Frohne felt all the more driven to prove himself. His career took a skyrocket trajectory after he earned high marks at a national biscuit competition. In 2013, he landed an executive chef position at Mason’s of Loews Vanderbilt Hotel and
then got invited to cook at the James Beard House. He was 26 years old. The demands were, at times, overwhelming. “I was miserable. I’d put on over 30 pounds. I was eating poorly, sleeping poorly, and relying on drinking to unwind,” he says. “At a certain point, I didn’t even recognize myself.” Within three years, his world crashed—first he lost his job, then his marriage dissolved. He regained some balance after becoming the culinary director for Holler & Dash, a biscuit-focused fast casual chain, but while opening a slew of new eateries throughout the Southeast, Frohne found himself burning the candle at both ends.
“My stress turned into anxiety and panic attacks,” he says. “I’ve battled periods of depression throughout my life, and I think a lot of creative people experience that.” Frohne began a journey of healing. He changed his eating habits, employing a ketogenic diet coupled with intermittent fasting. He backed off alcohol. He dedicated himself to a morning routine of guided meditation, which he believes accounts for more positive results than all other behaviors combined. Hospitality, he realized, starts at home—he shifted priorities. Once Frohne began taking better care of himself, he could give better care to his children, and his restaurant family. “We
value our team, and we know that you must give respect to get respect,” he says. “We do fun things together, like game nights outside the restaurant, to foster camaraderie. We also take on passion projects, to get us involved within the community.” He also incorporated a “daily temperature check” with the teams of each of the seven Holler & Dash kitchens. It helps set the tone for the day. Here, Frohne is able to get feedback, brainstorm, and solve problems. Holler & Dash offers flex-scheduling and team member assistance programs to help achieve work-life balance. “Taking care of each other, and ourselves, is the new industry way,” he says.
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Sean Brock
C
hef Sean Brock went public with his recovery in July 2017—a move for which he was both lauded and cautioned. It is risky to be so open early in the process, when recovery is new and fragile. But Brock wouldn’t have it any other way. He calls it the “gift of accountability.” As someone known and celebrated throughout the food community, he hopes that telling his story will help empower others and affect change. “You know, I don’t have the same pride I once did in calling myself a chef. Not yet,” he admits. “I was both victim and victimizer. The kitchens I came up in were brutal. I’ve been shamed, called the worst names, had food—foie gras!—thrown in my face. That raging behavior became a norm I perpetuated.” Also a norm: heavy drinking after a strenuous shift. Brock became more than a connoisseur of fine bourbons; the role of alcohol started taking over his life. With his diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis (a chronic auto-immune neuromuscular disease) in 2015, Brock began a tumultuous spiral, breaking down physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It started with his vision—he was seeing double. As it progressed, his alcohol abuse doubled, too. “I was losing physical control,” he says, and holds out his right hand. “I couldn’t grip anything. Then, I had trouble swallowing. It got to a point where I couldn’t read. I couldn’t respond. I was frozen. I went into deep depression. I felt no self-worth.” Brock can look at his life pre-The Meadows and post-The Meadows. After six weeks of intensive therapy at the famed addiction and trauma treatment facility in Arizona, he returned, walking a new road of compassion and wellness. Meditation has been paramount to his recovery. “It has been, and will continue to be, a part of my day, every day,” he says. He found local health practitioners to continue his healing. He says he feels beyond fortunate to work with Ramona Reid (Reiki and massage therapy) and Yvonne Constancio (acupuncture) at Nashville Center for Alternative Therapy. “I also have been
getting into yoga,” he says. “Giving myself the gift of time has given me clarity. I’m more productive. I am available.” Brock left the Neighborhood Dining Group, operating company of the Husk restaurants, in August 2018. That time out of the kitchen, which he says feels like light years in terms of his cooking life, has given him perspective. “I can’t believe I worked that way. I can’t. And, I won’t work that way ever again.” He is also looking for ways to pay back his debt of gratitude. Much of that will manifest in his new restaurant project in East Nashville that, while underscoring his heritage in Appalachian foodways, will provide a new system to foster the wellness and well-being of his team. A new culture of hospitality. “The ideas are radical and don’t make sense financially, but that’s my problem,” Brock says with a laugh. “The place I am creating will have a mindfulness room. It will have a library and classroom for orientation and training. We’ll teach how to speak to conflict and how to listen. There are open-hearted ways to cook, to serve, to work together. Our guests will feel it. Positive change will happen.” Brock is onto something. Johann Hari, author of Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression, reports on the three sources for anxiety and depression: biological (our genetic makeup); psychological (how we think about ourselves) and social (how we live and interact with one another). All three play a role, in varying degrees, in all anxious and depressed people. For the most part, treatment is focused on the biological: Anti-depression prescriptions have increased 500 percent since 1980, with very little decrease in depression rates. The other two factors are mainly brushed over. Dealing with deeper societal and environmental issues—creating work places where people feel safe and valued—will go far in reducing key causes. Brock believes he has a new recipe for living. He has an infectious giggle, and says, with almost childlike glee, “I feel like I can finally be the cook I have wanted to be. It’s a relief to have a path to put into play. I am so excited, some days I could burst.” It’s no wonder, considering what’s coming up for him. “A baby in the spring, a book in the fall, a restaurant in the winter,” he says, wonder and optimism in his voice.
Lisa Marie White
W
hen you meet Lisa Marie White, executive pastry chef at the Thompson Hotel (Marsh House, L.A. Jackson, Killebrew) she has a ready smile that radiates kindness. You wouldn’t know that she has suffered from depression since childhood. “The first time I thought of killing myself I was probably 12 or 13,” she says. This stemmed, in large part, from her being mercilessly bullied beginning in the 6th grade, actions that she kept hidden from her parents and teachers. “I didn’t ‘grow out’ of my depression as an adult. Instead, I adopted a ‘fake-it‘til-you-make-it’ mentality, which I do not recommend.” That “Acting As If” mindset did permit her to succeed outwardly for a time, as she achieved professional goals and praise that she thought should have made her happy. Still, it masked her ever-present inner struggles. At one especially low point, when White thought she couldn’t go on, a longtime friend, seemingly out of the blue, contacted her. “That phone call somehow gave me the strength to stand up for myself,” White says. “I realized that I did want to be alive, and needed to start focusing my attention on what was going on inside.” Her biggest lesson: It is her choice to play an active role in her mental health. She’s exploring exercise options. In a business where she might go 12 hours without sitting down to a genuine meal, she’s focusing on eating healthier, and on a better schedule. She’s unfollowed several social media accounts she’s identified as bringing her sadness. “That one was hard, “ she confesses, “because I didn’t want anyone to think I didn’t like them anymore! But sometimes you have to step away from those accounts you find yourself comparing your own life to. I try to use social media now for inspiration, rather than aspiration.” Adopting a dog (a most personable English bulldog named Millie) has also made a big difference. White says, “She helps enforce structure in my days. Taking good care of her reminds me to take care of myself at the same time.” The prevalence of depression and mental health issues in the foodservice industry is often on her mind. The demanding nature of many positions in this field, she has come to recognize, has a draw. You can lose yourself when immersed in pushing
out, say, a 300-cover dinner service. “If you’re fortunate to be working with a crew that can operate in harmony then you feel like you’re one piece of a fine symphony,” she says. “You’re rewarded with a feeling of success, a professional high that can sometimes make it easier in the moment to ignore the personal issues you face.” Simply being aware of that is the first step toward affecting positive change. White tries to make herself available to others who are looking for help but not sure how to ask for it. She might invite them to do something as simple as go for a walk. She admits that it’s not always easy to be there for others when you can barely be there for yourself, but it is her ideal, every day, to show her team how grateful she is for them. Self-compassion. It’s like the airplaneoxygen mask directive: Put the mask on yourself before helping others. “I still have bad days,” White says, “but the balance shifts to good every time I choose to put myself first and to take a more active role in my own mental health. When I work, I’ve always put my whole self into it. I realize I need to keep some reserve energy in order to focus on my own personal wellness.” It is helpful that White works in a demanding yet supportive environment under the hotel’s leadership of food and beverage director Erin Kette and executive chef Nathan Duensing. In January 2018, The Thompson Nashville came under the purview of QED Hospitality. Emery Whelan is its CEO; she and her partner Brian Landry, both former employees of The Besh Group, co-founded this in the aftermath of Besh’s sexual misconduct and stepping aside in late 2017. “In forming QED, we decided to write down and share the values upon which it is based,” says Whelan. “We talk about them on a daily basis. It’s hard to live values you don’t name. We believe that making a decision or setting a policy is meaningless if the ‘why’ is not thoroughly explained to and is not championed by the leadership.” It comes down to what Whelan calls internal hospitality. Simply put: “How can we be the very best host to our employees who have trusted us with their futures?” Whelan upholds the nobility of the hospitality profession: working each day in the service of others is a viable career path. When hiring each cook or server, it is critical to offer them opportunities for
development and growth, personally and professionally. What tools will they have to achieve their goals? “Once they have joined the team, we strive to uphold the promises we made to them during the hiring process,” Whelan says. “Whether through progressive policies like offering six weeks of paid parental leave, or holding leadership retreats that provide concentrated management development, we believe in our responsibility to take care of the whole individual. This will enable our people to bring the best versions of themselves to the building each day.”
RESOURCES The following sites offer information, guidance, and resources for workers in the hospitality industry Chefs With Issues; chefswithissues.com Restaurant After Hours; restaurantmentalhealth. com The Heirloom Foundation; theheirloomfoundation.org Hands Please; handsplease.org Fair Kitchens; fairkitchens.com National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; suicidepreventionlifeline. org. The Mental Health Cooperative is a 24-hour no-fee crisis center, just opened at 250 Cumberland Bend, Metro Center. Crisis Hotline: 615-726-0125
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ULTIMATE
RESTAUR ANT GUIDE OUR PICKS, ORGANIZED BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
PRICING GUIDE $ - Average entrée under $10 $$ - Average entrée $11-$15 $$$ - Average entrée $16-$25 $$$$ - Average entrée $26+
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DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE ACME FEED & SEED 101 Broadway 615-915-0888 theacmenashville.com American, Sushi $$
ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFÉ 208 Commerce St. 615-913-3923 anotherbrokenegg.com/ location/nashville Breakfast, Café $$
AJ’S GOOD TIME BAR 421 Broadway 615-678-4808 ajsgoodtimebar.com Southern, Bar $$
BAJO SEXTO 216 5th Ave. S. 615-577-7717 bajosextotaco.com Mexican $
BAKERSFIELD 201 3rd Ave. S. 615-522-0970 bakersfieldtacos.com Mexican $
BARLINES Omni Nashville Hotel 250 5th Ave. S. 615-782-5300 barlinesnashville.com American $$
BLACK RABBIT 218 3rd Ave. N. 615-891-2380 blackrabbit.com Small Plates, Cocktails $$
BOB’S STEAK & CHOP HOUSE 250 5th Ave. S. 615-761-3707 bobs-steakandchop. com/nashville Steakhouse $$$$
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$$
BOURBON SKY JW Marriott Nashville 201 8th Ave. S. 615-291-8600 jwmarriottnashville.com Cocktails, Rooftop Lounge $$$
BOURBON STEAK
DEACON’S NEW SOUTH 401 Church St. 615-994-1994 deaconsnewsouth.com New Southern, Steakhouse $$$$
DECKER & DYER
JW Marriott Nashville 201 8th Ave. S. 629-208-8440 michaelmina.net Steakhouse $$$$
The Westin Nashville 807 Clark Pl. 615-248-2800 westinnashville.com American $$$
CAPITOL GRILLE
DIERKS BENTLEY’S WHISKEY ROW
The Hermitage Hotel 231 6th Ave. N. 615-345-7116 capitolgrillenashville.com New American $$$$
Southern $$
FLEET STREET PUB 207 Printers Alley 615-200-0782 fleetstreetpub.com Pub, Sports Bar, Tavern $
FROTHY MONKEY 235 5th Ave. N. 615-600-4756 frothymonkey.com Bakery, Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
THE GEORGE JONES
400 Broadway 629-203-7822 dierkswhiskeyrow.com Southern $$
128 2nd Ave. N. 615-818-0128 georgejones.com Smokehouse $$
Union Station Hotel 1001 Broadway 615-726-1001 unionstationhotelnashville.com Shareable Plates, New Southern $$
THE DINER NASHVILLE
GRAY AND DUDLEY
200 3rd Ave. S. 615-782-7150 thediner.com American, Bakery, Diner, Sushi $$
21c Museum Hotel 221 2nd Ave. N. 615-610-6460 grayanddudley.com American, Eclectic $$
CERVEZA JACK’S
ELLINGTON’S MID WAY BAR & GRILL
THE GREEN PHEASANT
CARTER’S
135 2nd Ave. N. 615-942-7733 cervezajackstn.com Mexican $$
CITY TAP HOUSE 204 3rd Ave. S. 615-922-4015 citytap.com/location/ sobro Elevated American, Gastropub $$$
CITY WINERY 609 Lafayette St. 615-324-1010 citywinery.com New American, Wine Bar $$$
CREMA 15 Hermitage Ave. 615-255-8311 crema-coffee.com Café, Coffee Shop
NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM APRIL 2019
401 Union St. 615-988-7333 ellingtons.restaurant American $$$
ETCH 303 Demonbreun St. 615-522-0685 etchrestaurant.com New American $$$$
THE FARM HOUSE
215 1st Ave. S. 615-205-5400 thegreenpheasant.com Japanese, Fusion $$
HOUSE OF CARDS 119 3rd Ave. S. Lower Level 615-730-8326 hocnashville.com American, Cocktails $$$$
HUSK
210 Almond St. 615-522-0688 thefarmhousetn.com Elevated Southern $$
37 Rutledge St. 615-256-6565 husknashville.com American $$
FGL HOUSE
JEFF RUBY’S STEAKHOUSE
120 3rd Ave. S. 615-961-5460 fglhouse.com
300 4th Ave. N. 615-434-4300
jeffruby.com Steakhouse $$$$
KITCHEN NOTES Omni Nashville Hotel 250 5th Ave. S. 615-761-3700 omnihotels.com Elevated Southern, Brunch $$
LIBERTY COMMON 207 1st Ave. S. 615-649-8900 liberty-common.com Southern $$
THE LISTENING ROOM CAFÉ 618 4th Ave. S. 615-259-3600 listeningroomcafe.com American $$
LUIGI’S CITY PIZZA 105 3rd Ave. S. 615-742-9099 luigis-citypizza.com Italian, Pizza $$
LUNA LLENA TAQUERIA 300 James Robertson Pkwy. 615-679-0346 facebook.com/taquerialunallena Mexican $
L27 ROOFTOP LOUNGE 807 Clark Pl. 629-800-5070 l27nashville.com American, Cocktails $$
MAKEREADY LIBATIONS & LIBERATION Noelle 200 4th Ave. N. 615-610-7835 makereadynash.com New American, Beer $$
MARTIN’S BARB-QUE JOINT 410 4th Ave. S. 615-288-0880 martinsbbqjoint.com Barbecue $
MERCHANTS 401 Broadway 615-254-1892 merchantsrestaurant. com New American $$$$
MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE 618 Church St. 615-259-4558 mortons.com/nashville Steakhouse $$$$
NASHVILLE UNDERGROUND 105 Broadway 615-964-3000 nashunderground.com American, Barbecue, Southern $$
OAK STEAKHOUSE 801 Clark Pl. 615-902-3111 oaksteakhousenashville. com Steakhouse $$$$
OLE RED 300 Broadway 615-780-0900 olered.com/nashville Southern $$
THE PALM Hilton Nashville Downtown 140 5th Ave. S. 615-742-7256 thepalm.com Steakhouse $$$$
PANCHO & LEFTY’S CANTINA 104 5th Ave. S. 615-933-3390 panchoandleftys.com Mexican
$$
PINEWOOD SOCIAL 33 Peabody St. 615-751-8111 pinewoodsocial.com American $
PUCKETT’S GROCERY
thesouthernnashville.com Elevated Southern $$$$
THE SOUTHERNAIRE MARKET 150 3rd Ave. S. 615-490-8077 southernairemarket.com American, Deli, Sushi $
500 Church St. 615-770-2772 puckettsgro.com/nashville American $$
THE STILLERY
RARE BIRD
SUN DINER
113 2nd Ave. N. 615-942-8080 stillerynashville.com American, Cocktails $$
Noelle 200 4th Ave. N. 615-649-5000 noelle-nashville.com Rooftop Lounge $$
105 3rd Ave. S. 615-742-9099 sundinernashville.com Diner, Breakfast, Southern $$
REDNECK RIVIERA
TAVERN AT BOBBY
208-210 Broadway 615-436-4070 redneckrivieranashville. com Barbecue, Southern $$
Bobby Hotel 232 4th Ave. N. 615-782-7100 bobbyhotel.com/tavernatbobby $$$
SEA SALT
TENN
209 3rd Ave. N. 615-891-2221 seasaltnashville.com French, Seafood $$
SKULL’S RAINBOW ROOM 222 Printer’s Alley 615-810-9631 skullsrainbowroom.com American, Cocktails $$$$
SKYE NASHVILLE Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown 623 Union St. 615-742-6040 skyenashville.com Elevated American, Breakfast $$$$
THE SOUTHERN STEAK & OYSTER 150 3rd Ave. S. 615-724-1762
Holston House 118 7th Ave. N. 615-392-1234 holstonhousenashville. hyatt.com Southern $$
TRATTORIA IL MULINO Hilton Nashville Downtown 144 5th Ave. S. 615-620-3700 trattoriailmulinonashville. com Italian $$$
TRUE MUSIC ROOM AND BAR Cambria Hotel 118 8th Ave. S. 615-515-5800 truemusicroom.com Southern $$
VARALLO’S CHILI PARLOR 264 4th Ave. N. 615-256-1907 varallosnashville.com American $
WILD EGGS 333 Union St. 615-248-3400 wildeggs.com/tennessee Breakfast $
WOOLWORTH ON 5TH 221 5th Ave. N. 615-891-1361 woolworthonfifth.com Southern $$$
MIDTOWN AINSWORTH 206 21st Ave. S. 629-800-5153 theainsworth.com/ nashville $$$$
AMERICANO 1720 West End Ave. 615-321-2209 americanonashville.com Spanish, Tapas $$
AMERIGO 1920 West End Ave. 615-320-1740 amerigo.net/nashville Italian $$
BELLA NAPOLI PIZZERIA 1200 Villa Pl. 615-891-1387 bellanapolipizzeria.com Pizza $$
BRICKTOP’S 3000 West End Ave. 615-298-1000 bricktops.com/nashvillewest-end American $$$$
CAFÉ COCO 210 Louise Ave.
615-321-2626 cafecoco.com American, Café, Coffee Shop $$
THE CATBIRD SEAT
HENLEY Kimpton Aertson 2023 Broadway 615-340-6378 henleynashville.com American $$$
1711 Division St. 615-810-8200 thecatbirdseatrestaurant. com Eclectic $$$$
HURRY BACK
CAVIAR & BANANAS NASHVILLE
J. ALEXANDER’S REDLANDS GRILL
2031 Broadway 615-340-9005 caviarandbananas.com American, Café $
2609 West End Ave. 615-340-9901 redlandsgrill.com American $$$
HIFI CLYDE’S
JIMMY KELLY’S STEAKHOUSE
1700 Church St. 615-432-2928 hificlydesnashville.com New American $$
DESANO PIZZA BAKERY
2212 Elliston Pl. 615-915-0764 hurry-back.com Beer, Tacos, Sandwiches $
217 Louise Ave. 615-329-4349 jimmykellys.com Steakhouse, American $$$$
LE SEL
115 16th Ave. S. 615-953-1168 desanopizza.com Pizza $$
1922 Adelicia St. 615-490-8550 leselnashville.com New French $$$
FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE AND WINE BAR
LOUIE’S WINE DIVE
2525 West End Ave. 615-342-0131 flemingssteakhouse.com Steakhouse $$$$
GIOVANNI RISTORANTE 909 20th Ave. S. 615-760-5932 giovanninashville.com Italian $$$$
HATTIE B’S HOT CHICKEN 112 19th Ave. S. 615-678-4794 hattieb.com American, Hot Chicken $$
101 17th Ave. S. 615-866-9172 louieswinedive.come Eclectic, Cocktails $$
MASON’S Loews Vanderbilt Hotel 2100 West End Ave. 615-321-1990 masons-nashville.com American $$$
MIDTOWN CAFÉ 102 19th Ave. S. 615-320-7176 midtowncafe.com New American $$$$
NADA 202 21st Ave. S. 615-925-3362
eatdrinknada.com/ nashville Mexican $
NAMA SUSHI 2300 Elliston Pl. 615-933-6262 namasushibar.com Fusion, Sushi $$
THE PATTERSON HOUSE 1711 Division St. 615-636-7724 thepattersonnashville. com American $$$
ROTIER’S 2413 Elliston Pl. 615-327-9892 rotiersrestaurant.com Burgers, Diner $
THE ROW 110 Lyle Ave. 615-321-1224 therownashville.com Burgers, Southern $$
SALTINE 1918 West End Ave. 615-327-4410 nashville.saltinerestaurant.com American, Seafood $$$
SAMURAI SUSHI 2209 Elliston Pl. 615-320-5438 samurainashville.com Japanese, Sushi $$
THE SLIDER HOUSE 1907 Division St. 615-401-9863 sliderhousenash.com Burgers, American $
TAVERN 1904 Broadway 615-320-8580 mstreetnashville.com/ tavern American $$
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TIN ROOF 1516 Demonbreun St. 615-313-7103 theoriginaltinroof.com American $
TWO BITS 1520 Demonbreun St. 615-750-3536 twobitsnashville.com American $$
UNION COMMON 1929 Broadway 615-329-4565 unioncommon.com Steakhouse $$$
URBAN COOKHOUSE 1907 Broadway 615-953-6449 urbancookhouse.com American $$
VALENTINO’S 1808 Hayes St. 615-327-0148 valentinosnashville.com Italian $$$$
WESTEND KITCHEN & BAR Hutton Hotel 1808 West End Ave. 615-340-0012 westendrestaurant.com New American $$$
THE GULCH THE 404 KITCHEN 507 12th Ave. S. 615-251-1404 the404nashville.com New American $$$$
ADELE’S 1210 McGavock St. 615-988-9700 adelesnashville.com American $$$
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ARNOLD’S COUNTRY KITCHEN 605 8th Ave. S. 615-256-4455 arnoldscountrykitchen. com Meat ‘n’ Three $
BAR OTAKU 505 12th Ave. S. 615-454-3946 barotaku.com Japanese $$
BARISTA PARLOR GOLDEN SOUND 610 Magazine St. 615-227-4782 baristaparlor.com Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
BISCUIT LOVE 316 11th Ave. S. 615-490-9584 biscuitlove.com Breakfast $$
BURGER REPUBLIC 420 11th Ave. S. 615-915-1943 burgerrepublic.com Burgers $$
CHAUHAN ALE & MASALA HOUSE 123 12th Ave. N. 615-242-8426 chauhannashville.com Eclectic, Indian $$$
THE CHEF AND I 611 9th Ave. S. 615-730-8496 thechefandinashville.com Seasonal, American $$$
CITY FIRE 610 12th Ave. S. 615-401-9103 cityfirenashville.com
NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM APRIL 2019
American $$
DEL FRISCO’S GRILLE 1201 Demonbreun St., Ste. 104 615-742-5503 delfriscosgrille.com/ nashville American, Seafood, Steakhouse $$$
401 11th Ave. S. 615-262-6007 lajacksonbar.com Small Plates, Cocktails $$
M. RESTAURANT AND BAR 209 10th Ave. S. 615-678-1591 mrestaurantandbar.com Southern $$$$
EMMY SQUARED
MARSH HOUSE
404 12th Ave. S. 615-248-2662 emmysquared.com Pizza $$
401 11th Ave. S. 615-262-6001 marshhouserestaurant. com Seafood $$$
FATTOUSH CAFÉ 1716 Charlotte Ave. 615-321-1667 fattoushcafe.com Middle Eastern, Greek $
FIN & PEARL 211 12th Ave. S. 615-577-6688 finandpearl.com Seafood $$$
FLYTE WORLD DINING AND WINE 718 Division St. 615-255-6200 flytenashville.com American, Wine Bar $$$$
KAYNE PRIME 1103 McGavock St. 615-259-0050 mstreetnashville.com/ kayne-prime Steakhouse $$$$
KILLEBREW COFFEE 401 11th Ave. S. 615-262-6001 killecoffee.com Coffee Shop, Café $
L.A. JACKSON
MILK & HONEY 214 11th Ave. S. 615-712-7466 milkandhoneynashville. com Café, Sandwiches, Bakery $$
THE MOCKINGBIRD 121 12th Ave. N. 615-741-9900 mockingbirdnashville. com Global $$$
MOTO 1120 McGavock St. 615-736-5305 mstreetnashville.com/ moto Italian $$$$
OTAKU RAMEN 1104 Division St. 615-942-8281 otakuramen.com Japanese $$
PARTY FOWL 719 8th Ave. S. 615-624-8255 partyfowl.com American, Hot Chicken $$
PEG LEG PORKER
Breakfast, Coffee Shop $
903 Gleaves St. 615-829-6023 Barbecue $$
12 SOUTH
SAINT ANEJO
12 SOUTH TAPROOM AND GRILL
1120 McGavock St. 615-736-5301 mstreetnashville.com/ saint-anejo Mexican $$
2318 12th Ave. S. 615-463-7552 12southtaproom.com American $$
SAMBUCA
2526 12th Ave. S. 615-269-8226 bartaco.com Mexican $
601 12th Ave. S. 615-248-2888 sambucarestaurant.com American $$$$
STK NASHVILLE
BARTACO
BOX BONGO & BAKERY
700 12th Ave. S. 615-619-3500 stksteakhouse.com Steakhouse $$$$
2229 10th Ave. S. 615-777-5282 bongojava.com/box Bakery, Café, Coffee $
SUNDA
BURGER UP
592 12th Ave. S. 615-610-7566 sundanewasian.com Asian $$$
2901 12th Ave. S. 615-279-3767 burger-up.com Burgers $$
TANSUO
EDLEY’S BAR-B-QUE
121B 12th Ave. N. 615-782-6786 tansuonashville.com Chinese $$$
VIRAGO
2706 12th Ave. S. 615-953-2951 edleysbbq.com Barbecue $
1120 McGavock St. 615-254-1902 mstreetnashville.com/ virago Japanese Fusion, Sushi $$$
EMBERS
WHISKEY KITCHEN
EPICE
118 12th Ave. S. 615-254-3029 mstreetnashville.com/ whiskey-kitchen American $$
ZOLLIKOFFEE 701 8th Ave. S. 615-873-4315 zollikoffee.com
2410 12th Ave. S. 615-866-5652 embersskilodge.com American $$
2902 12th Ave. S. 615-720-6765 epicenashville.com Greek, Lebanese $$$
FIVE DAUGHTERS BAKERY 1110 Caruthers Ave. 615-490-6554 fivedaughtersbakery.com Bakery, Donuts
$
THE FLIPSIDE 2403 12th Ave. S. 615-292-9299 theflipside12south.com American $$
FRANKLIN JUICE CO. 2301 12th Ave. S. 615-750-2992 franklinjuice.com Smoothies, Bowls, Juices $
FROTHY MONKEY 2509 12th Ave. S. 615-600-4756 frothymonkey.com Bakery, Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
HILLSBORO VILLAGE / BELMONT / EDGEHILL BARCELONA WINE BAR 1200 Villa Pl. 615-327-0600 barcelonawinebar.com Spanish, Tapas, Mediterranean $$ Bare Naked Bagel 2123 Belcourt Ave. 615-319-7448 barenakedbagel.com Bagel Shop, Sandwiches. Café $
BISCUIT LOVE 2001 Belcourt Ave. 615-610-3336 biscuitlove.com Breakfast $$
JOSEPHINE
BONGO JAVA
2316 12th Ave. S. 615-292-7766 josephineon12th.com New American $$$
2007 Belmont Blvd. 615-385-5282 bongojava.com Bakery, Coffee Shop $
MAFIAOZA’S 2400 12th Ave. S. 615-269-4646 mafiaozas.com Pizza $$
BROWN’S DINER 2102 Blair Blvd. 615-269-5509 brownsdiner.com Diner $
TAQUERIA DEL SOL
CABANA
2317 12th Ave. S. 615-499-4293 taqueriadelsol.com Mexican $
1910 Belcourt Ave. 615-557-2262 cabananashville.com American $$$
THAI ESANE
CHAGO’S CANTINA
907 12th Ave. S. 615-454-5373 thaiesane.com Thai $
2015 Belmont Blvd. 615-386-0106 chagoscantina.com Mexican $$
URBAN GRUB
THE DONUT & DOG
2506 12th Ave. S. 615-679-9342 urbangrub.net New American, Seafood $$$
2127 Belcourt Ave. 615-457-1476 thedonutanddog.com Donuts, Hot Dogs $
DOUBLE DOGS
REVELATOR
GREEN HOUR
1807 21st Ave. S. 615-292-8110 doubledogs.biz American, Pub, Sports Bar, Tavern $
1817 21st Ave. S. 615-457-3175 revelatorcoffee.com Coffee Shop $
1201 5th Ave. N. 615-454-5432 temperednashville.com Café, Chocolate $
TACO MAMACITA
HENRIETTA RED
FIDO 1812 21st Ave. S. 615-777-3436 bongojava.com Bakery, Breakfast, Coffee Shop $
GRILLED CHEESERIE MELT SHOP 2003 Belcourt Ave. 615-203-3051 grilledcheeserie.com American, Café, Sandwiches, Subs $
HOPDODDY BURGER BAR
1200 Villa Pl. 615-730-8552 tacomamacita.com Mexican $
GERMANTOWN 5TH & TAYLOR 1411 5th Ave. N. 615-242-4747 5thandtaylor.com American $$$$
BARISTA PARLOR
1805 21st Ave. S., Ste. 100 615-823-2337 hopdoddy.com Burgers $
1230 4th Ave. N. 615-401-9144 baristaparlor.com Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
MARTIN’S BARB-QUE JOINT
BUTCHERTOWN HALL
3108 Belmont Blvd. 615-200-1181 martinsbbqjoint.com Barbecue $
1416 4th Ave. N. 615-454-3634 butchertownhall.com Barbecue $$
NOMNIVORE! SUSHI ET CETERA
CITY HOUSE
2057 Scarritt Pl. 615-712-6656 nomnivore.com Sushi $
THE PANCAKE PANTRY 1796 21st Ave. S. 615-383-9333 thepancakepantry.com Breakfast, Pancakes $$
PROPER BAGEL 2011 Belmont Blvd. 615-928-7276 properbagel.com Bagels, Breakfast, Café $
1222 4th Ave. N. 615-736-5838 cityhousenashville.com Italian $$$
GEIST BAR + RESTAURANT 311 Jefferson St. 615-920-5440 geistnashville.com American $$$
GERMANTOWN CAFÉ 1200 5th Ave. N. 615-242-3226 germantowncafe.com New American $$$
1200 4th Ave. N. 615-490-8042 henriettared.com Seafood $$$
JACK BROWN’S BEER AND BURGER JOINT 1123 3rd Ave. N. 615-818-0318 jackbrownsjoint.com Burgers $
LITTLE HARPETH BREWING 30 Oldham St. 615-922-2690 littleharpethbrewing.com Brewery, Taproom $
MINERVA AVENUE 1002 Buchanan St. 615-499-4369 minervaavenue.com Cocktail Bar $$
THE RED BICYCLE CAFÉ 1200 5th Ave. N., Ste. 104 615-516-1986 redbicyclecoffee.com Coffee Shop $
ROLF & DAUGHTERS 700 Taylor St. 615-866-9897 rolfanddaughters.com Italian, New American $$$
SILO 1121 5th Ave. N. 615-750-2912 silotn.com Elevated Southern $$$
SLIM & HUSKY’S 911 Buchanan St.
615-647-7017 slimandhuskeys.com Pizza $
STATESIDE KITCHEN Dream Hotel 210 4th Ave. N. 615-622-0600 dreamhotels.com American, Seafood $$$$
STEADFAST COFFEE 603 Taylor St. 615-891-7424 steadfast.coffee Coffee Shop, Bakery $
TAILOR 1300B 3rd Ave. N. Tailornashville.com Southern Asian American $$$
VON ELROD’S BEER GARDEN AND SAUSAGE HOUSE 1004 4th Ave. N. 615-866-1620 vonelrods.com Beer, Sausage, German $$
VUI’S KITCHEN 1120 4th Ave. N. 615-610-3383 vuiskitchen.com Vietnamese $$
EAST NASHVILLE BARISTA PARLOR 519B Gallatin Ave. 615-712-9766 baristaparlor.com Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
BONGO EAST 107 S. 11th St. 615-777-3278 bongojava.com/bongo-east Bakery, Coffee Shop $
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BURGER UP 970 Woodland St. 615-650-9022 burger-up.com Burgers $$
BUTCHER & BEE 902 Main St. 615-226-3322 butcherandbee.com/ nashville American $$$
CAFÉ ROZE 1115 Porter Rd. 615-645-9100 caferoze.com American $$
CALYPSO CAFÉ 301 Gallatin Ave. 615-227-6133 calypsocafe.com American $
DINO’S 411 Gallatin Ave. 615-226-3566 dinosnashville.com Burgers, Diner $
EASTLAND CAFÉ 97 Chapel Ave. 615-627-1088 eastlandcafe.com New American, Wine Bar $$$
EDLEY’S BAR-B-QUE 908 Main St. 615-873-4085 edleysbbq.com/ east-nashville Barbecue $
FIVE POINTS PIZZA 1012 Woodland St. 615-915-4174 fivepointspizza.com Pizza $
FOLK 823 Meridian St. 615-610-2595
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goodasfolk.com Pizza, Seafood $$$
marcheartisanfoods.com Breakfast, French $$
GRAZE
MARGOT CAFÉ & BAR
1888 Eastland Ave. 615-686-1060 grazenashville.com Vegan, Vegetarian East Nashville $$
GREKO STREET FOOD 704 Main St. 615-203-0251 grekostreetfood.com Greek $
I DREAM OF WEENIE 113 S. 11th St. 615-226-2622 facebook.com/idreamofweenie Hot Dogs $
KOI SUSHI & THAI 923 Main St. 615-454-3538 koisushithai.com Japanese, Sushi $$
LOCKELAND TABLE 1520 Woodland St. 615-228-4864 lockelandtable.com American $$$
1017 Woodland St. 615-227-4668 margotcafe.com French, Italian $$$
MAS TACOS POR FAVOR 732 McFerrin Ave. 615-543-6271 facebook.com/mastacos Mexican $
MITCHELL DELI 1306 McGavock Pk. 615-262-9862 mitchelldeli.com Deli, Sandwiches $
NASHVILLE URBAN WINERY 715 Main St. 615-619-0202 nashvilleurbanwinery.com American, Wine Bar $$
PEARL DIVER 1008 Gallatin Ave. 615-988-2265 pearldivernashville.com Bar, Cocktails $$
PENINSULA LYRA 935 W. Eastland Ave. 615-928-8040 lyranashville.com Middle Eastern $$
THE MAINSTAY RESTAURANT 501 Main St. 615-760-5737 themainstayrestaurant. com Sports Bar $$
MARCHÉ ARTISAN FOODS 1000 Main St. 615-262-1111
NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM APRIL 2019
1035 W. Eastland Ave. 615-679-0377 peninsulanashville.com Spanish, European $$
THE PHARMACY BURGER PARLOR & BEER GARDEN 731 McFerrin Ave. 615-712-9517 thepharmacynashville. com Burgers $
RUDIE’S SEAFOOD AND SAUSAGE 1402 McGavock Pk.
615-645-5167 rudiesnashville.com Seafood, Sausage, Taproom $$
SOUTHERN GRIST BREWING CO. 1201 Porter Rd. 629-203-7159 southerngristbrewing. com Brewery $
STAY GOLDEN 901 Woodland St., Ste. 101 615-301-8604 stay-golden.com Coffee shop, Café $$
THE TREEHOUSE 1011 Clearview Ave. 615-454-4201 treehousenashville.com American $$$
THE WILD COW 1896 Eastland Ave. 615-262-2717 thewildcow.com Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free $
TKO 4204 Gallatin Pk. 615-915-3102 tkotn.com Chinese $$
TWO TEN JACK 1900 Eastland Ave., Ste. 105 615-454-2731 twotenjack.com Japanese, Sushi $$
UGLY MUGS 1886 Eastland Ave. 615-915-0675 uglymugsnashville.com Café, Coffee Shop $
URBAN COWBOY PUBLIC HOUSE 1603 Woodland St.
347-840-0525 urbancowboybnb.com/ nashville American $$
10 615-292-1168 ginzatn.com Japanese, Sushi $$
WALDEN BAR
GREEN HILLS GRILLE
2909 Gallatin Pk. B 615-760-5808 waldenbar.com American, Bar, Cocktails $
GREEN HILLS CHAR Vertis Green Hills 3988 Hillsboro Pk. 615-891-71871 nashville.charrestaurant. com Steakhouse $$$$
COPPER KETTLE 4004 Granny White Pk. 615-383-7242 copperkettlenashville. com American, Meat ‘n’ Three $
CROW’S NEST 2221 Bandywood Dr. 615-783-0720 crowsnestnashville.com American, Sports Bar $$
ETC. 3790 Bedford Ave. 615-988-0332 etc.restaurant New American $$
FIREFLY GRILLE 2201 Bandywood Dr. 615-383-0042 fireflygrillenashville.com New American $$$
THE FOOD CO. 2211 Bandywood Dr. 615-385-4311 thefoodcompanynashville.com Café, Sandwiches, Subs $
GINZA 3900 Hillsboro Pk., Ste.
2002 Richard Jones Rd. 615-620-8390 ghgrille.com American $$
HÄRTH Hilton Green Hills 3801 Cleghorn Ave. 615-297-9979 hilton.com American, Italian, Cocktails $$$
JONATHAN’S GRILLE 3805 Green Hills Village Dr. 615-835-2073 jonathansgrille.com American, Pizza, Sandwiches, Subs, Sports Bar $$
KALAMATA’S 3764 Hillsboro Pk. 615-383-8700 kalamatasnashville.com Greek, Mediterranean $
RH CAFÉ 2101 Green Hills Village Dr. 615-209-7644 restorationhardware.com American $$$
TABLE 3 RESTAURANT AND MARKET 3821 Green Hills Village Dr. 615-739-6900 table3nashville.com French $$$
TRUE FOOD KITCHEN 3996 Hillsboro Pk. 615-383-7333 truefoodkitchen.com Café $$
ZOE’S KITCHEN
AVO
Hill Center 4015 Hillsboro Pk., Ste. 110 615-627-0800 zoeskitchen.com Greek, Mediterranean $
3 City Blvd., Ste. 200 615-329-2377 eatavo.com Vegan, Vegetarian $$
BELLE MEADE / BELLEVUE 360 BISTRO 6000 Highway 100 615-353-5604 360bistro.com American, Wine Bar $$$$
ANATOLIA TURKISH RESTAURANT 48 White Bridge Rd. 615-356-1556 anatolia-restaurant.com Turkish $$$
LOVELESS CAFÉ 8400 Highway 100 615-646-9700 lovelesscafe.com American, Breakfast, Barbecue, Meat ‘n’ Three $$
PORTA VIA RISTORANTE E BAR 21 White Bridge Rd. 615-356-0001 eatatportavia.com Italian $$
SYLVAN PARK / WEST END / WEST SIDE / THE NATIONS 8TH & ROAST 4104 Charlotte Ave. 615-988-4020 8thandroast.com Breakfast, Coffee Shop $
ANSWER. 132 46th Ave. N. 615-942-0866 answerrestaurant.com American, Elevated Southern $$
BLUE MOON WATERFRONT GRILLE 525 Basswood Ave. 615-356-6666 bluemoongrille.com American, Brunch $$$
THE CAFÉ AT THISTLE FARMS 5122 Charlotte Ave. 615-953-6440 thecafeatthistlefarms.org Café $
CAFFE NONNA 4427 Murphy Rd. 615-463-0133 caffenonna.com Italian $$$
CALYPSO CAFÉ 3307 Charlotte Ave. 615-321-3878 calypsocafe.com American $
CHAATABLE Hill Center Sylvan Heights 4001 Charlotte Ave. 615-383-1303 chaatablenashville.com Indian $$$
COCO’S ITALIAN MARKET 411 51st Ave. N. 615-783-0114 italianmarket.biz Italian, Pizza $$
DOSE COFFEE & TEA 3431 Murphy Rd. 615-457-1300 dosenashville.com Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
DOUBLE DOGS
$
FARM TO TABLE
4017 Charlotte Ave. 629-777-8500 doubledogs.biz American, Pub, Sports Bar, Tavern $
HUGH BABY’S
EDLEY’S BAR-B-QUE
JIM ‘N NICK’S BAR-B-Q
PARK CAFÉ
4500 Murphy Rd. 615-942-7499 edleysbbq.com/sylvan-park Barbecue $
7004 Charlotte Pk. 615-352-5777 jimnnicks.com Barbecue $$
4403 Murphy Rd. 615-383-4409 parkcafenashville.com New American $$$
KOREA HOUSE
PASTARIA
FARM BURGER 4013 Charlotte Ave. 615-810-9492 farmburger.com Burgers $
FIFTY-FIRST KITCHEN & BAR 5104 Illinois Ave. 615-712-6111 51nashville.com Italian $$
FROTHY MONKEY 1400 51st Ave. N. 615-600-4756 frothymonkey.com/ nations Bakery, Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
HATHORNE 4708 Charlotte Ave. 629-888-4917 hathornenashville.com American $$$
HATTIE B’S HOT CHICKEN 5209 Charlotte Pk. 615-712-7137 hattieb.com American, Hot Chicken $$
HEADQUARTERS 4902 Charlotte Ave. 615-386-6757 hqsnashville.com Café, Coffee Shop
4816 Charlotte Ave. 615-610-3340 hughbabys.com Barbecue, Burgers $
6410 Charlotte Pk. 615-352-2790 Korean $$
M.L.ROSE CRAFT BEER & BURGERS 4408 Charlotte Ave. 615-750-2920 mlrose.com Burgers $
MCCABE PUB 4410 Murphy Rd. 615-269-9406 mccabepub.com American, Pub $
MIEL
5022 Old Hydes Ferry Pk. 615-336-0100 theoldschoolnashville. com American $$
8 City Blvd. 615-915-1866 eatpastaria.com/nashville Italian $$$
SWETT’S RESTAURANT 2725 Clifton Ave. 615-329-4418 swettsrestaurant.com Meat ‘n’ Three, Southern $
TAQUERIA DEL SOL 4500 Charlotte Ave. 615-490-3129 taqueriadelsol.com Mexican $
VN PHO & DELI
343 53rd Ave. N. 615-298-3663 mielrestaurant.com New French, Farm-toTable $$
5906 Charlotte Pk. 615-356-5995 Vietnamese $
MISS SAIGON
407 53rd Ave. N. 615-383-7114 wendellsmithsrestaurant. net Meat ‘n’ Three, Southern $
5849 Charlotte Pk. 615-354-1351 misssaigontn.com Vietnamese $$
NICKY’S COAL FIRED 5026 Centennial Blvd. 615-678-4289 nickysnashville.com Pizza $$
OLD SCHOOL
WENDELL SMITH’S
WOODLANDS INDIAN VEGETARIAN CUISINE 3415 West End Ave. 615-463-3005 woodlandstennessee. com Indian $
MELROSE / BERRY HILL / WEDGEWOOD HOUSTON/ NOLENSVILLE 8TH & ROAST 2108 8th Ave. S. 615-730-8074 eighthandroast.com Breakfast, Coffee Shop $
AIYARA THAI AND SUSHI 2535 8th Ave. S. 615-942-6208 aiyarathaiandsushi.com Japanese, Sushi $$
BAKED ON 8TH 1512 8th Ave. S. 615-933-1100 bakedon8th.com Bakery $
BASTION 434 Houston St. 615-490-8434 bastionnashville.com Pub, Sports Bar, Tavern, American $$$
CLAWSON’S PUB & DELI 1205 4th Ave. S. 615-484-6069 clawsonspub.com Deli, Sandwiches, Subs, Pub, Sports Bar $
DOZEN 516 Hagan St. 615-712-8150 dozen-nashville.com Bakery, Café $
THE EASTERN PEAK 536 Thompson Ln. 615-610-4888 theeasternpeak.com Japanese, Thai $
EL TAPATIO #2 3611 Nolensville Pk. 615-445-7781 Mexican $
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THE ULTIMATE RESTAURANT GUIDE
FALCON COFFEE BAR/FLAMINGO COCKTAIL LOUNGE 509 Houston St. 786-942-8279 flamingococktailclub.com Coffee Shop, Café, Cocktails $
GABBY’S BURGERS 493 Humpreys St. 615-733-3119 gabbysburgersandfries. com Burgers $
HATTIE B’S HOT CHICKEN 2222 8th Ave. 615-970-3010 hattieb.com American, Hot Chicken $$
HEMINGWAY’S BAR & HIDEAWAY 438 Houston St. 615-915-1715 hemingwaysbarandhideaway.com American $$
HOLLER & DASH 2407 8th Ave. S. 615-970-7181 holleranddash.com Breakfast, Southern $
HOUSE OF KABOB 216 Thompson Ln. 615-333-3711 houseofkabobtn.com Persian $$
LA HACIENDA TAQUERIA 2615 Nolensville Pk. 615-256-6142 lahanashville.com Mexican $$
M.L.ROSE
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CRAFT BEER & BURGERS
SONVILLE/MT. JULIET
DEL FRISCO’S GRILLE
2535 8th Ave. S. 615-712-8160 mlrose.com Burgers $
BAVARIAN BIERHAUS
Hill Center Brentwood 207 Franklin Rd. 615-928-6159 delfriscogrille.com/brentwood American, Seafood, Steakhouse $$$
MANGIA NASHVILLE 701 Craighead St. 615-750-5233 mangianashville.com Italian $$
SAM AND ZOE’S 525 Heather Pl. 615-383-2676 samandzoes.com Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
SINEMA 2600 8th Ave. S., Ste. 102 615-942-7746 sinemanashville.com American $$$$
SMILING ELEPHANT 2213 8th Ave. S. thesmilingelephant.com 615-891-4488 Thai $$
THE SUTLER SALOON 2600 8th Ave. S., Ste. 109 615-840-6124 thesutler.com American, Pub $$
VUI’S KITCHEN 2832 Bransford Ave. 615-241-8847 vuiskitchen.com Vietnamese $
THE YELLOW PORCH 734 Thompson Ln. 615-386-0260 theyellowporch.com Vegetarian, Café $$$
DONELSON/HENDER-
NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM APRIL 2019
Opry Mills 121 Opry Mills Dr. 615-238-0687 bierhausnashville.com German $$
BLOSSOM AND CELLAR DOOR 750 W. Main St. 615-431-2186 facebook.com/blossomcellardoor Thai $$
NECTAR: URBAN CANTINA 206 McGavock Pk. 615-454-2277 nectarcantina.com Mexican $
OLD HICKORY STEAKHOUSE Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center 2800 Opryland Dr. 615-458-6848 marriott.com Steakhouse $$$$
SANDERS FERRY PIZZA AND PUB 248 Sanders Ferry Rd. 615-757-3323 sandersferrypizzaandpub.com Pizza $$
BRENTWOOD BASIL GARDEN 127 Franklin Rd., Ste. 180 basilgardenpizza.com Pizza, Italian $$
BRICKS CAFÉ 330 Franklin Rd. 615-373-3399 brickscafe.com American $$$
HOLLER & DASH 203 Franklin Rd. 615-823-2540 holleranddash.com Breakfast, Southern $
LOCAL TACO 146 Pewitt Dr. 615-915-4666 localtaco.com Mexican $$
LUDLOW & PRIME Brentwood Place 330 Franklin Rd., Ste. 226B 615-942-5907 ludlowandprime.com Steakhouse, Seafood $$$$
MERE BULLES 5201 Maryland Way 615-467-1945 merebulles.com Southern $$$$
THE PERCH 17 Franklin Rd. 615-661-9008 theperchtn.com Café $
PETER’S SUSHI AND THAI Brentwood Place 330 Franklin Rd., Ste. 912D 615-370-1493 petersushi.com Japanese, Thai, Sushi $
SOY BISTRO 5008 Maryland Way 615-371-1933 soybistro.com
Korean $$
American $$
UNCLE JULIO’S
GROUND
Hill Center Brentwood 209 Franklin Rd. 629-888-1300 unclejulios.com Mexican $$
330 Mayfield Dr. 615-905-9350 groundrestaurant.com American, Burgers $
ZOE’S KITCHEN 101 Creekside Crossing, Ste. 1200 615-661-8909 zoeskitchen.com Greek $
FRANKLIN 55 SOUTH 403 Main St. 615-538-6011 eat55.com Cajun Downtown Franklin $$$
BISCUIT LOVE 132 3rd Ave. S. 615-905-0386 biscuitlove.com Breakfast $$
BRICKTOP’S 1576 W. McEwan Dr. 615-771-8760 bricktops.com American $$$$
CORK & COW 403 Main St. 615-538-6021 corkandcow.com American Steakhouse $$$
FROTHY MONKEY 125 5th Ave. S. 615-600-4756 frothymonkey.com Bakery, Breakfast, Café, Coffee Shop $
GRAY’S ON MAIN 322 Main St. 615-435-3603 graysonmain.com
THE HONEYSUCKLE 1770 Galleria Blvd. 615-771-2111 thehoneysuckle.com Elevated Southern $$
JONATHAN’S GRILLE 7135 S. South Springs Dr. 615-771-0355 jonathansgrille.com American, Pizza, Sandwiches, Subs, Sports Bar $$
KOI SUSHI & THAI 102 Lumber Dr. 615-538-6018 koisushithai.com Japanese, Sushi $$
MAFIAOZA’S The Factory at Franklin 230 Franklin Rd. 615-465-1505 mafiaozas.com Pizza $$
MERRIDEE’S BREADBASKET 110 4th Ave. S. 615-790-3755 merridees.com $
PUCKETT’S BOAT HOUSE 94 E. Main St. 615-790-2309 puckettsboathouse.com Seafood, Southern $$$
PUCKETT’S GROCERY 120 4th Ave. S. 615-794-5527 puckettsgro.com/franklin American $$
RED PONY 408 Main St. 615-595-7669 redponyrestaurant.com Elevated Southern $$$$
RUBY SUNSHINE 231 Public Sq. Rubysunshine.com Café, Breakfast $$
SCOUT’S PUB 158 Front St. 615-721-5993 scoutspub.com Southern $$
TUPELO HONEY 2000 Meridian Blvd. 615-224-2600 tupelohoneycafe.com Café, Southern $$
WILD GINGER 101 Market Exchange Ct. 615-778-0081 dinewildginger.com Fusion, Sushi $$$$
SPRING HILL 55 SOUTH 2086 Wall St. 931-486-8318 eat55.com/springhill Cajun $$
DELTA BOUND 5075 Main St. 615-392-8188 delta-bound.com Southern $$
MARTIN’S BAR-B-QUE JOINT 2076 Wall St. 931-486-8320 martinsbbqjoint.com Barbecue $
SALTY GOAT TAQUERIA 2078 Wall St. 615-241-1191 saltygoattaqueria.com Mexican $
THE MENU
CRAVINGS | TASTEMAKER | FIRST BITE | AT THE TABLE | DRINKS | BY THE BOTTLE
AN APPLE A DAY
NATHAN ZUCKER
With hands-on care, Brightwood Cidery brings a new beverage to Nashville. Rea ore on page 128.
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| CRAVINGS
SPRING PIZZA It’s easy to be tempted into the Gulch’s Emmy Squared by Le Big Matt, a massive, two pattied, cheese-and-sauce smothered burger that gets lots of love on Instagram. But their true specialty is Detroit-style rectangular pizza, set atop a pillow-y, focaccia-like dough, and topped with an array of interesting ingredients. They’ve recently amped up their seasonal menu, and this month introduce a spring pizza meant to match the Nashville growing season, while also celebrating local source, The Mala Market, a purveyor of Sichuan pantry items. “I love the combination of asparagus with pecorino and black pepper,” says chef-owner Matt Hyland. “When we learned about The Mala Market, we thought this would be a fun way to incorporate those warm, mouth-numbing flavors, [as well as showcase] another local company.” He recommends recreating this pie at home with handmade, or store bought dough—but if you’re really short on time, he adds, “you can always order a pizza to go, and add the pea shoot salad on top when you get home.” (Emmy Squared, 404 12th Ave. S., 615-248-2662; emmysquared.com) —Erin Byers Murray
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NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM APRIL 2019
Asparagus, Spring Onion, and Cherry Tomato Pie with Sichuan Pea Shoot Salad Courtesy of chef Matt Hyland, Emmy Squared 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1 bunch asparagus 1 large spring onion Mozzarella cheese Homemade or store-bought pizza dough Sichuan oil (see recipe below) 1 cup pea shoots Lemon juice Salt to taste Slow roast the whole cherry tomatoes at 350F for 10 minutes. Snap bottoms of asparagus off and cut into
1-inch pieces. Cut roots and tops off of spring onion, and cut tops into 1-inch pieces. Slice onion in half vertically. Top pizza dough with cheese, asparagus, slow-roasted tomatoes, and spring onion. Bake at 475F for 12 to 14 minutes. While baking, toss pea shoots in Sichuan oil, lemon juice, and finishing salt. Once pizza is done baking, slice and top with pea shoot salad.
For Sichuan Oil Toast 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns in dry pan until it smells floral. Add 6 tablespoons of canola oil and 2 cloves garlic. Steep at 180F for at least one hour. Strain.
ERICA BRETCHELSBAUER
THE MENU
THE MENU
| TASTEMAKER GOOD WORK
HOW DOES THIS GARDEN GROW A community garden nonprofit brings food and education into communities that are hungry for it.
Growing up in St. Louis, Rob Horton remembers lining up with friends before school at the corner store for penny candy or Doritos smothered in chili and cheese. With a lack of fresh food in his neighborhood, the sweet and fatty snacks were readily available, filling, and inexpensive for a kid on frigid mornings. Then after school, he’d race back to the store hoping to be first in line for another sweet snack. “It tasted really great but wasn’t the best for your body,” he recalls. Several years later, as a student at Tennessee State University, Horton began to want healthier options yet noticed a resemblance to his past. “The demographics around Jefferson Street were very similar to my
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surroundings growing up,” he says. “You had no direct access to anything that was fresh, healthy, and affordable. I know there was—and still is—a grocery store there. But they didn’t always have the freshest items or a lot of variety at that time.” Out of frustration, Horton joined a community gardening program operated through TSU, even though he had no gardening experience. It led him, eventually, to create Trap Garden, named as a nod to the trap houses he saw in St. Louis and where entrepreneurs often tried to make their way out for a better life in dangerous ways, like selling drugs. Horton, though, wanted to sell a healthier product. “How could I create a really fun
NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM APRIL 2019
and engaging experience to where community members got hooked on eating healthier, where they want to come back for more?” Before Trap Garden, Horton’s career began in public health. He earned a graduate degree and worked as a healthcare consultant in hospitals, helping provide better outcomes for patients. These days at 31, he’s full-time with Trap Garden and says the work really isn’t so different. “I’m going into communities and working with people, and neighborhoods, and business owners, and schools to create something that’s going to increase the health of the people in that community,” he says. Trap Garden currently has two garden locations. At Johnson Al-
ternative Learning Center in South Nashville, community members grow crops like tomatoes, collards, and okra on about 30 raised beds. Then at Buena Vista Elementary in North Nashville, students get involved through curriculum. They decide what to plant and learn where food comes from while also learning business skills—ad campaigns and sales strategizes for the vegetables they grow. Both gardens require sponsors to offset school costs, which Horton says he’s always working to secure while also seeking partners with land for additional gardens. But most importantly, Horton says he wants to meet the demands of the community. “If we develop something—and it’s not developed with them, for them—it’s not going to be effective long-term.” For example, he learned that beyond growing food, community members sought instruction on preparing it. So, he’s added cooking demonstrations by Nashville chefs and is challenging participants to create meals for $20 or less to feed a family of four. He’s also created a video series called FRSH Bites, which offers fun, approachable clips about people encountering new foods or tips on building a home planting box. This winter, he received a grant from the Kroger Community Foundation to help fund additional demos and videos. “We continue to grow and shift and pivot,” he says, “based on what we see in the community.” (trapgarden.org)
ERICA BRETCHELSBAUER
BY JENNIFER JUSTUS
ERICA BRETCHELSBAUER
“How could I create a really fun and engaging experience to where community members got hooked on eating healthier, where they want to come back for more?”
THE MENU
| AT THE TABLE
NL For more reviews, go to Nashville Lifestyles.com/ Restaurants.
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Common Ground
Downtown’s newest restaurant takes liberties with the brasserie concept. WRITTEN BY ERIN BYERS MURRAY PHOTOS BY NATHAN ZUCKER
LIBERTY COMMON 207 1st Ave. N. 615-649-8900 liberty-common.com What to order: Pickled duck eggs, $10 Country pâté, $15 Salade nicoise, $11 Whole chicken, $30 Grilled trout almandine, $30
O
n the short list of “restaurant concepts Nashville needs,” there’s been a hole for a French-style, all-day brasserie in the vein of Balthazar in New York, or Eastern Standard in Boston. One with bustling energy, marble and brass, a solid raw bar, and a good steak frites. Liberty Common, a modern, stylish new spot now open on 1st Avenue, checks all of the boxes and then some. Opened by restaurateur Terrell Raley of Amaranth Hospitality Group (The Pharmacy, Butchertown Hall), Liberty Common takes the classic brasserie concept—brass, marble, salade niçoise— and adds a chic touch—greenery motif against white tiling, sweeping floral murals, pops of dusty blue. It feels related to a place like Balthazar, but in no way mimics it. “I didn’t want to do a replica of something,” Raley says. “I needed for it to feel fresh and modern, and, at the same time, feel familiar.” He enlisted chef Jeffrey Rhodes to helm the kitchen—Rhodes has cooked all over the country, including at two different Michelin-starred restaurants. The menu, both agreed, should pull French technique and inspiration together with Southern ingredients and sensibilities. So, there’s fried chicken, but in the vein of a Parisian roast chicken, it’s laced with herbs de Provence. “Ingredients change, locations change, but it’s all kind of the same thing. It’s all comfort food,” Rhodes notes. Service runs all day: breakfast, midday lunch and brunch, happy hour, dinner. The fried chicken pops up throughout, so it might be on a biscuit or set atop waffles to start the day, tucked into a solidly constructed sandwich for lunch, or served by the half, whole, or with sides for a family dinner. Crisped to darkness and drizzled with just a touch of honey, it’s a divine bite in each set up.
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| AT THE TABLE
NASHVILLELIFESTYLES.COM APRIL 2019
SPECIAL PROMOTION
Other Southern influences arrive on the plate, like a pile of creamy grits set beneath a Tennessee trout amandine, mopped in brown butter and accompanied by crisp green beans. In the obligatory cassoulet, black-eyed peas are buried with duck confit under a biscuit crumb. And, of course, there are soft, flaky biscuits. They make the base of sandwiches (try the steak or Porter Road Butcher sausage) or arrive as their own treat on the side. For a more classic brasserie-style meal, start with oysters and a bottle of champagne. (Filled with small growers and sustainable bottles, the wine list puts forth a number of exciting finds— try the German Latitude 50 for tight, crisp bubbles.) From there, it might be the chilled country pâté served with grainy mustard and cornichon, or a composed salad of buttermilk dressed crab served almost like lettuce wraps, atop big rounds of leafy greens. The lobster cake is an over-the-top entrée, set with chunks of claw, breaded and well buttered, or there’s steak frites, this version served in thick slices with herbed butter set on top. For something simpler, the pappardelle, which is made and cut in house by pastry chef Jessica Collins, gets tangled in a simple Bolognese. To drink, you could continue drawing from the wine list, but the cocktails make a good companion to the food, especially since many are low-booze, aperitif-style drinks, like Le Spritz made with Lillet and sparkling wine. Beverage director Dan King, who has been digging deep over at Butchertown Hall to provide more variety for Nashville’s beer scene, adds a few gems to this list, too, like the Val-Dieu Triple. There’s a solid happy hour, as well, with $5 house wine, and a dozen oysters for $18. No matter when you arrive, expect familial service, especially at the bar, and a space that, bustling or not, feels both classic and completely up-to-date.
DRINK OF THE MONTH Boulevardier 1.5oz Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve 1oz Campari 1oz Sweet Vermouth Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 15 seconds and strain into an ice-filled serving glass. Garnish with an orange zest.
THE MENU
| DRINKS
Hard Pressed A new cidery drops roots in Nashville. WRITTEN BY JIM MYERS IMAGES BY NATHAN ZUCKER
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n a nondescript warehouse on Elm Hill Pike, near the cluster of trucks that ferry commerce up and down Fesslers Lane, a small business bubbles away. It’s a fermented duet, nurtured by Katherine Vance and Brandon Cline, who turn regional apples into the golden glory of hard cider. You can’t get more “bootstrapping” in business than finding two partners who do everything themselves. And that’s right where Brightwood Craft Cider is since launching to the public in January. The birth of this small business is refreshing since it’s one that aims for early organic growth rather than the splash of ventures buoyed by big wads of cash. Vance and Cline met in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the scent of cideries perfume the air. They fell in love with the dry, crisp styles of Potter’s Craft Cider. While most fermenters start with homebrewing beer, Vance and Cline looked first to foods, learning to make yogurt, kimchee, sourdough breads, and kombucha. Finally, after moving to Nashville and seeing a nearly cider-less landscape, they decided to try their hand with apples. That started with a trip to cider school at Cornell University to learn the vagaries of apples, sugars, yeasts, and water. They experimented with 60 versions, mixing and matching apple blends with different yeasts, before they settled on their first release. They now join Diskin as the second cidery to open in Nashville. “We’ve tried a lot of different apples. Our current blend includes Winesap, Arkansas Black, Pink Lady, Gold Delicious, and Granny Smith. A lot has to do with what
BY THE BOTTLE
Bottled Up
Swoon-worthy wine cellars arrive in Nashville. WRITTEN BY ERIN BYERS MURRAY
did well that year in the orchards,” says Vance, pointing to the different plastic totes that contain the various projects. They source their apples from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, as well as Tennessee, working with farmers like Chuck McSpadden at Apple Valley down the road in Cleveland where Vance grew up. The orchards have more capacity to press the apples than Brightwood does, so they send the juice to Nashville where it’s blended and paired with the yeast Vance and Cline think will work best to produce the perfect flavor profile. After fermentation, the juice is aged, allowing for the aromas to develop and the flavor to deepen. It’s then carbonated before bottling in 750 milliliter wine bottles and in small kegs for taprooms around town.
As a small business operating within the confines of Davidson County, the duo can distribute and sell their product without going through a middleman distributor. Of course, that means they have to make the product and market it, as well as knock on doors, sell it, and deliver it to each customer. For now they only have a handful of outlets, mostly taprooms and restaurants—but with clients like City House and Husk, it’s clear their quality passes muster. The “Down the Way” blend currently offered is a light, golden color, very crisp, and much drier than your average supermarket hard cider, with an alcohol content of 6.8-percent ABV. It retails for $14 to $16 per bottle and goes well with barbecue and other dishes that pair well with crisp wines. (brightwoodcraftcider.com)
For serious wine collectors, the home cellar is a place of pride. Many collectors entertain around, and sometimes inside, these well-designed spaces. Local collectors Rick and Kim Shallcross had upgraded their wine cellar with each successive home move. So, when they recently made the move into their third house, Rick knew it was time to go bigger. “I wanted to display the wine in a way that you could see the labels, and I wanted to have a space where there was a table outside of the cellar itself,” Rick says. He’d seen the kind of look he was going for at the Cardinale Winery in Napa Valley—when he inquired about its design, he learned about Revel Custom Wine Cellars. Founded by Jim Cash, who was once the president of a fairly large real estate company, Revel designs and builds wine cellars in their Michigan facility, and ships them, completely built and intact, direct to homes, restaurants, and businesses around the world. An avid collector himself, Cash built his first cellar in his own home and after sharing the images with friends, was commissioned to build them for others. Revel officially launched in 2009, and has since built cellars to accommodate as many as 10,000 bottles (for homes, the typical size is around 1,500 to 2,000 bottles), all over the U.S. and as far away as Australia. The beauty of Revel’s system is in the display and the design. Each cellar is completely customizable, so you can add a lazy Susan-like rotating Wine Wheel tower, deep drawers to hold full cases, and shelving designed to fit your home’s style. From the wood finishes to the metal components, the owner selects every detail. Meanwhile, during the design process, Cash encourages homeowners to work with their contractor, carpenter, and interior designer to ensure the final measurements are precise—the final product arrives on a truck as a completed piece of furniture, to be installed by a local team. Revel does not provide the cooling units, but does work with local vendors to ensure that the installation goes smoothly. For Rick, having a Revel Wine Cellar has greatly improved his collecting enjoyment. Now, shelves and drawers allow him to see almost every wine label of his roughly 1,800-bottle collection, meaning he no longer has to pull a wine bottle out by the neck to see what’s on the shelf. Outside of the glass doors, a tasting table, surrounded by a few seats, offers he and his guests a comfortable place to open bottles, sip, and swirl. “We really like to entertain,” he says. “Already, we’ve gotten so much use out of the space.” (revelcellars.com)
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TONY BROWn: the man behind the music Sounds and styles of a legendary producer
Tony Brown released his first book “Elvis, Strait, To Jesus,” last year, and in the process, reminded everyone that style and creativity truly have no age. A decorated veteran of the music industry, Brown proves to the world once again, that he is still one of the leading tastemakers in Nashville. The iconic music producer teamed up with creative genius, Rick Caballo, to design, photograph and serve as creative lead on the project. The coffee table book’s stylish photography and intimate narrative provides a rare glimpse into the life of one of the world’s most influential and respected music producers. Readers get an exclusive, behind the scenes journey detailed
A LIFETIME OF LEGENDS “Elvis, Strait, to Jesus,” reveals Tony Brown’s journey producing country music’s biggest stars.
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by Brown himself, and the multi-platinum artists he’s shaped the careers of. The award winning book exudes Brown’s personal style, confirming what we already know about him; he’s still one of Nashville’s leading tastemakers sonically, and visually. Peppered among the celebrity portraits featured in the book, are shots of Brown himself, who exudes effortless cool and class with his leather jacket and trademark Matsuda shades. Brown’s style is an extension of his work as a record producer, blending in with musicians and artists, as well as music executives. Even at a young age he noticed that celebrities, whether entertainers or athletes, had a certain “ look”; an extension of their
Lyle Lovett (1985)
George Strait (1989)
SPECIAL PROMOTION
“Tony was the ‘cat’ that I moved to Nashville to work with. He gravitated to artist types that were most often unique and cutting edge, but at the same time he was very much a purist and a traditionalist. He didn’t try to dictate to the people that he worked with how to do what they did; he challenged them to be all that they could be. He sought, as he does today, authenticity not compliance.” - Ronnie Dunn
personal style, so he took special care to develop his own brand throughout the years. Brown best describes himself as “cool-casual”. His casual clothing line-up always includes modish, black jeans, while his dressy clothing line-up is made up of slim-cut, Italian style suits. Whether dressing up or dressing down, one thing you’ll always find Brown in is layers. It’s all about matching pieces that compliment each other, yet stand out on their own. Being in the entertainment industry, especially on the creative side, has given Brown a license to dress the way he feels most comfortable when performing his craft. His style is therefore an extension of his work and the music he has created.
Reba McEntire (1990)
Brown’s legendary career, producing more than 100 no. 1 hits, left him with a collection of stories to tell and an infamous cast of characters. His famous collaborators, include the likes of Reba McEntire, George Strait, Lionel Richie, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel, Joe Cocker, Train, Barbra Streisand, and many more. Nowadays, Brown is busy working on his newest passion, Emisunshine— a 14-year-old, singer-songwriter prodigy from East Tennessee with exceptional talent and a soulful sound to match. Visit www.tonybrownenterprises.com to purchase “Elvis, Strait, to Jesus.” Photos By Dead Horse Branding
Trisha Yearwood (1991)
Lionel Richie (2012)
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SOCIAL
| PARTY PICS Courtney Gervais, Steph Boulter, Haley, James Mai, Caleb Humphreys, and Joseph Rochelle
On Thursday, February 28, Nashville Lifestyles held their annual Single in the City event at The Ainsworth. Attendees mixed and mingled with some of the city’s most eligible while enjoying Ketel One Botanical and Bulleit Whiskey cocktails, lite bites courtesy of The Ainsworth, and music by DJ KHAOS. Vroom Vroom Balloon created an incredible balloon display which served to be the perfect backdrop for the Go Bonanza! photo booth. Sponsors included: BMW of Nashville, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, Ketel One Botanical, and OVME. Photos by Everett Torpey Rebecca Ralph and Cade Cothren
Maja Cvjetkovic and Meredith Malinofsky
Haily Roche, Jade Linstead, and Shane Sills
Eileena Kim and Kelly Moyer
Sponsored by:
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Torria Prince and Donzaleigh Powell
Edwin and Libba Vickery, and Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard
On Wednesday, February 13, Nashville Lifestyles hosted its annual Music in the City at FGL House. This year’s event was hosted by Florida Georgia Line and featured intimate, acoustic performances by HARDY, Canaan Smith, RaeLynn, and Morgan Wallen. Attendees sipped on refreshing Shiner Beers and a signature Old Camp Whiskey cocktail while shopping an exclusive Tribe Kelley popup shop.
Steve and Teresa Petro
A portion of the event proceeds went to beneďŹ t the Global Action in Nursing (GAIN) Project. Sponsors included CMT, Dr. Dan Hatef, M.D., Mercedes-Benz of Music City, Old Camp Whiskey, Regions Bank, and Shiner Beer. Kaylee and Brandon Sleeman
Photos by Everett Torpey and Jake Gravbrot
Melissa Petrovich and Sara Whitaker
Brad Peterson, Raelynn, Jenn Witherell, Chris Kirkpatrick, Jamie Heller, and Adam Ritholz
Sponsored by:
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| PARTY PICS Vicki Horne, Brian Barry, and Ashley Herring
Laurie & Jim Seabury and Keri McInnis
BROADWAY BRUNCH KICK OFF On March 3, The Nashville Rep hosted its launch party for the upcoming Broadway Brunch. Guests enjoyed food and cocktails, courtesy of chef Maneet Chauhan’s Tansuo. Broadway Brunch is the Rep’s annual gala, set to take place May 5 at City Winery. Co-chairs Laura Kimbrell and Fletcher Foster announced that actor, singer, and comedian Charles “Chip” Esten will be the Brunch’s honorary chair, while the Applaud Award recipient will be Broadway actor, and former Nashville Rep artistic director, David Alford. Photos by Jadi Rae Curtis India Mayer, Cassie Petty, Tracy Arnold, and Julia Shults
Wendy Pharris, and Jason & Carlee Riggs
Daryl Woods and John Lasiter
Teresa Covington and Laura Kimbrell
Mark and Trina Ewald
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Kevin and Jennifer Murphy
Evin Edens and Joe Grenvicz
JB Beckstead, Kristen Beckstead, Teresa Gunderson, and Scott Gunderson
BARREL OF WISHES On Thursday, February 21, Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee held their annual Barrel of Wishes event sponsored by First Tennessee Bank. The evening was hosted at Sinema Nashville and featured an open bar, gourmet food, a rare bourbon tasting, and a silent auction. This year, the event raised $57,000 to help Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee continue to grant wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions and bring their wildest dreams to life. Photos by Stacy Busch Matt Koch, Elizabeth Keiner, Senton Pojani, and Beth Torres
Lisa and Clint Kelly
Matt Koch, Senton Pojani, Sue Ann Hemphill, Jim Jacobs, Ryan White, Holly Grenvicz, and Joe Grenvicz
Katey Preston, Sarah Elizabeth Bradford, and Holly Grenvicz
Chase Davidson and Chuck Davidson
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| PARTY PICS
Brittainy Taylor and Amber Cruth
Devyn Downey, Dee Matherly, and Heather Duensing
OVME INFLUENCER EVENT On Thursday, March 7, retail medical aesthetic company, OVME hosted an exclusive influencer event hosted by Brittainy Taylor of Very Cavallari. Guests enjoyed passed sushi, cocktails, and complimentary B12 shots while enjoying OVME’s new Green Hills location. Photos by Everett Torpey Emily Barrow, Betsy Apelton, and Sarah Patton
Janna Landry, Christina Sheer, and Kimberly Hales
Maggie Finn and Courtney McLarty
Ava Suppelsa and Alee Adamoski
Maegan Smith and Shelby Neubauer
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Rae Solomon and Jacob Green