A Fresh Look at Fancypants

By: Trisha Boyer

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Executive chef Mathew Meeker brings a menu refresh to the fanciful Dickerson Pike gem

How it Started

Executive Chef Mathew Meeker credit Victoria Quirk

When chef Bryan Lee Weaver and the Honest to Goodness Hospitality Group (Butcher & Bee and Redheaded Stranger) announced their plans for Fancypants: a vegetarian tasting menu experience inside a former Piggly Wiggly on a busy stretch of Dickerson Pike, it was hard to envision just how spectacular (and fun) it might be.

The velvet wrapped entry and welcome cocktail set a tone that felt distantly removed from the bustling corridor beyond. One step through the glimmering floor-to-ceiling streamers transported guests to a dimly lit, glam-fueled dining room—swathed in red and orange hues, and large-scale florals—that managed to feel luxurious and playful at once.

Then there was the pick 3, a prix fixe, vegetarian menu. Diners could select from nine dishes with an optional meat addition. The perfect scenario was to go as a trio (at minimum) and order everything to share. The complex, vegetable-driven dishes (many vegan or gluten-free) ranged from light: watermelon “crudo” punctuated with Japanese cucumber and sesame; to substantial: a lion’s mane mushroom, beautifully braised, served over mashed potatoes and topped with a rich demi-glace. I still dream about the ribbons of malfadine, which trapped the perfect amount of miso butter in each bite and the extremely photogenic birthday cheesecake, with convivial confetti specks.

How it’s going

Fast forward to 2026 when the team tapped Mathew Meeker, who has been part of the Fancypants team since opening, to expand the restaurant’s offerings. The chef, who held roles at Bastion, Peninsula, and Husk Nashville, and served as executive sous chef at the MICHELIN-starred Bresca (DC) and helped lead the reopening of Reverie (New York), leans into wood-fire techniques that highlight the depth of flavors in Tennessee’s local bounty.

There are things that remain similar with Meeker at the helm. The maximalist dining room has a few new pieces of art and global treasures layered in, and the dining veranda lined with a vivid green trellis to dull the city sounds continues to lure guests on temperate evenings. On the beverage front, there have been some notable bourbon additions to the curated list of West Coast wines and imaginative seasonal cocktails and non-alcoholic pours. But the restaurant took note of how guests wanted to dine, and made some big changes, leaning into a more traditional a la carte service that highlights seasonal vegetables, lovingly prepared, with plenty of proteins for balance.

On the Menu

The menu opens with Bites and Starters, featuring dishes from land and sea. Chargrilled oysters, bluefin tuna, and an herby sour cream and onion caviar dip served with a mound of Ruffles share space with beef tartar, jammy deviled eggs, and a crunchy assortment of crudites with a supremely dippable “fancy ranch.”

Next up there’s a section devoted entirely to pasta and vegetables. My memorable malfadine made a triumphant return, this time with an umami punch of razor clam butter sauce, Italian sausage, and garlic and anchovy breadcrumbs. There’s also a fresh take on mushrooms, a barbecue maitake served on a sumptuous bed of corn grits with pops of blueberries around the side.

The roasted Joyce Farms half chicken from the entrees section will make you reconsider the humble bird. The fire-roasted (tender!) breast quarter arrives atop a savory bath of mustard seed jus, while the dark meat gets compressed with a spring onion mousseline and dollop of whipped peach mostarda. There’s a whole grilled trout, a strip steak, and a nightly special, too.

If you are missing the prix fixe, Meeker offers a Chef’s Full Night Out ($125/pp, 2 person minimum), which includes his woodgrilled steak with sides and other favorites. You’ll want to end with a slice (and, of course, a photo) of the vegan cheesecake; it definitely made the cut.