Here are 3 great foodie picks for Nashville Tennessee, all with very different ambiance, flavor and food.
Husk Restaurant: Located in Rutledge Hill—just a few blocks south of Historic Broadway, in the heart of Downtown Nashville—is the newest outpost of the Neighborhood Dining Group and James Beard award-winning Chef Sean Brock renowned restaurant, Husk. The kitchen led by Brock and Chef de Cuisine Morgan McGlone and they try to use local suppliers, such as the Bells Bend Neighborhood Farms, which have four farms in the community of Scottsboro/Bells Bend in Northwest Davidson County, Tennessee. The farms are only 15 minutes from Nashville, but the area has remained rural and agricultural due to the absence of a bridge to cross the Cumberland River and enter the area.
At Husk, there are some rules about what can go on the plate. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door,” says Brock. The resulting cuisine is not about rediscovering Southern cooking, but rather exploring the reality of Southern food. Seed-saving, heirloom husbandry, in-house pickling and charcuterie programs by the culinary team are the basis of Husk’s cuisine.
Husk Nashville, located at 37 Rutledge Street, was constructed into the side of a hill between 1879 and 1882 by Dr. John Bunyan Stephens. Its storied history includes serving as Mayor Richard Houston Dudley’s home, where he lived when elected in 1897. The area was settled by the Rutledge and Middleton families of Charleston who were descendants of two of the original South Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence. Mayor Dudley added the Carriage House located on property in 1890—which will serve as a space to satisfy the restaurant’s culinary whims and host private/special events. The design of the Husk’s interior spaces enhances the building’s roots while demonstrating a sense of Southern style, modernity, energy, and cosmopolitan flair. They also have a location in Charleston.
Cat Bird Seat: 32 seats surround a U-shaped kitchen and chef Erik Anderson will prepare your meal as you watch him in action. It is located on 1711 Division Street in Nashville and rather than be a romantic place you want to have privacy, you should come here when you want a real interactive experience, not to mention pure “fun.”
It is a fun way to spend an evening if you like creative food and drink/wine flights. While you’re watching the chef prepare your food, you can talk to him and ask questions as the nine course meal is in progress. There can be up to 13 different tastings and 6 or 7 drink pairings. Outside of wine, think gin, cucumber, wine and lime with a spritz of lavender mist which can be paired with an abalone and romaine salad. Note from online cons about the place: reservations and parking is tough so valet is recommended as is booking well in advance.
City House: Tandy Wilson is the chef at this creative eatery on 1222 4th Avenue North in Nashville. Imagine appetizers that are as varied as salami, olives and montasio cheese with potato to black-eyed peas, kale, tomato and grana padano. Southern cuisine is at the heart here. For example, how about Kohlrabi, arugula, radish with alici dressing, pecorino and bread crumbs or kale with delicata squash, GMRS, Red Onion, Sorghum Dressing and Corn Bread Crumbs. And, I have to admit, I had never seen octopus prepared this way — with cracked wheat, orange, red onion and some mint.
They offer more traditional pizzas and pastas as well if you don’t want to get too creative. Their bread gnocchi with sweet potato, turnip greens and pecorino is to die-for. For meat lovers, they have a house made sausage with apples, red onion, lemon and parsley and for fish lovers, a carolina trout with bread crumbs, peanuts, raisins, lemon and parsley and a NC catfish with peppers, garlic, anchovy, lemon and parsley. Yup, they seem to put lemon and parsley on most of their dishes.
And, how’s this for creative cocktails? Sazerac, a Bulleit Rye, Peychaud’s Bitters, Herbsaint or a Solomon, which is made with Jim Beam Rye, Orchard Apricot, Honey, Salt and Orange or the Leroy, which is a Prichard’s Chocolate Bourbon, Fernet Branca, Caffe Moka, Orange Bitters and a Peel.
Catbird Photo credit: tmagazine.blogs.nytimes. com.
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
