Carne Mare
MAKE IT A DOUBLE Chef Andrew Carmellini and NoHo Hospitality bring a dynamic duo of restaurants at the W Nashville
Written by Melissa Mahanes / Photos by Brianna Balducci, Noah Fecks, Nicole Frantzen and MJ McGeeney When we covered the grand opening of the W Hotel Nashville in the November/December 2021 issue, we teased that we would be telling you all about the W’s new dining venues. We have had the opportunity to visit both, and it was a double delight! Carne Mare is inspired by an Old-World Italian trattoria with chic contemporary touches. Double James Beard Award-winning and Best New Chef from Food & Wine recognized chef Andrew Carmellini, alongside Luke Ostrom and Josh Pickard of NoHo Hospitality, brings a new culinary experience to Nashville. Carne Mare is intended to be a special night out on the town but feels like a familiar regular neighborhood spot. Carne Mare’s hand-selected cuts of steak, fine seafood, and Italian specialties reflect Carmellini’s impressive international experience, including working under Valentino Mercantile at the Michelin two-star San Domenico in Emilio-Romagna, Italy, an undisputed culinary mecca. We immediately felt drawn into the warm and friendly environment and were expertly directed on a culinary trip full of delicious stops throughout Italy. A dramatic vaulted ceiling over 28 slmag.net
the main dining area designed by New York-based architecture and design firm The Rockwell Group elegantly balances warm and rustic design details such as rich walnut millwork, brass accents, and leather banquettes. The open seating plan is intended to draw guests’ attention to the glass-walled kitchen, where food is cooked over the wood-fired grill. The main dining room opens up to an outdoor patio, which will be wonderful in warmer weather. The barroom, set apart by a black, gray, and white mosaic tile floor, offers additional banquette seating and leather barstools at the large, wood-paneled bar with a striking green quartz counter. There is also a private dining room, which seats 22. A delightful selection of Oysters, a Jumbo Gulf Shrimp Cocktail, “Tartares and Carpaccios” (like Wagyu Beef Tartare with tomato sauce and Sardinian paper bread and octopus carpaccio with sweet drop peppers and crispy pepperoni) are an excellent way to start the evening. “Chophouse Snacks” such as mozzarella sticks with caviar or spicy crab lettuce cups with Italian chili crisp are designed to pass around the table to get a delicious hint of what is to come.
