A round up of where to eat right now in Nashville
Stellar California-meets-Mediterranean. A dual-concept cafe-bar. A spicy new dance-party-cocktail space. And an expansion for one of the city’s best chefs. Here are the new restaurants we’re excited about this fall.
Where to Make a Nashville Res Right Now
Verna Cafe and Bar / Connie’s
For a taste of the creativity going on inside the dual concept Verna Cafe & Bar and Connie’s (they occupy the former Cafe Coco space on a side street near Centennial Park), look no further than the I’m the Problem matcha latte, which involves cornbread-soaked milk—it’s a fun and tasty affair. Creative sparks like this fly across the menu at Verna, the all-day space, from the miso corn babycake (a cross between cornbread and a pancake) topped with miso yuzu butter, to the NOLA grit cakes with a jammy egg. Connie’s is more of a dive bar with wildly dressed-up hot dogs, $9 happy hour cocktails, and plenty of theme nights; it’s open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Eleven11
From the brains of Michelle Pham and Alexis Soler (Old Glory) comes a Dickerson Pike cocktail bar, disco party, and mini-restaurant. The 11-seat restaurant space up front is for those looking for a seated, modern Vietnamese experience (think shrimp toast on milk bread, garlic noodles, and tomato rice). And it’s a party in the back where cool, modern lines, intimate group-sized booths, and a DJ booth set the scene for lively cocktails and dance party vibes. You can get bar snacks in the back, like papaya pickles and garlic noodles, but we’re partial to cocktails like the Rabbit’s Foot, a tea-forward play on an Old Fashioned and the lighty and zippy Universe, Explained with mezcal, golden beet, fermented honey, and lime.
Junior
Chef Philip Krajeck expands his mini-empire with Junior, which opened late this summer on Dickerson Pike (next door neighbors to Eleven11). The dining room feels like a vibe-y supper club, with an open kitchen, horseshoe bar, and a truly illuminating ceiling (trust us). This feels like Krajeck’s fever dream of a fine-dining concept where the martini service is on point and the menu bobs from vegetarian “carpaccio” to pork and chicken pâté en croûte to tuna collar tostada to dry-aged angus and wagyu beef cuts. It’s a splurge but because it’s a PK joint, it’s worth every bite.
Aba
Bowls of fluffy hummus sidled with fresh pita. Heavily seasoned kebabs next to herby rice. An array of salads, mezzes, and spritzes. These are just a few of the dishes you’ll find at Aba in Wedgewood-Houston. With locations in Austin and Chicago, this sprawling, two-story space (12,000 square feet!) is their largest. Chef CJ Jacobson, a Top Chef alum, marries California inspiration with Mediterranean ingredients for a menu brimming with Middle Eastern spices. Take a good look at the wine list, which is mainly filled with female- and minority-owned producers. And you can expect dialed-in service, thanks to the touch of Chicago-based hospitality group Lettuce Entertain You.
Ingrassia & Sons Italian Deli
John Ingrassia was a heavyweight in the music world until he retired. For his second act, he’s opened an Italian deli in the style he remembers growing up with in Brooklyn and Philly. It all hinges on the focaccia-like bread and seeded sub rolls, which are made in house, that make the foundation for sandwiches like a porchetta slathered with salsa verde, the Sneaky Italian turkey topped with oozy stracciatella and walnut pesto, and the chicken cutlet zhuzhed up with a tomato-caper jam. And it wouldn’t be an Italian deli without meatball and chicken parm subs. Ingrassia’s godson, Jack Trooper, just happens to be an alum of Eleven Madison Park and runs the kitchen here, while the pastries are also all made in house (do not skip the dense and dreamy cheesecake). Aisles of Italian goods and kitchenware lead to the order counter and if you’re lucky, there will be samples of the hand-pulled mozzarella to snack on while you wait.
Coming Soon in Nashville
Nashville is about to welcome a second wave of fall openings. Notably, Noosh, a Persian concept, just opened on White Bridge Road while The Sicilian Butcher just started dishing out make-your-own pasta meals in Wedgewood-Houston this weekend; Culaccino, the popular pasta and wood-fired pizza spot in downtown Franklin is opening a location right across from The Pinnacle in the coming weeks; renowned chef Philippe Chow bring his eponymous Beijing concept to Cummins Station this weekend (anyone else desperate for some Peking duck?); and Golden Prawn #3, the Chinese takeout concept from the team behind East Side Banh Mi is imminent. We’ll be back with a report on these new ones soon.
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Erin Byers Murray
Erin Byers Murray has been digging into stories about food and wine for more than twenty years. Based in Nashville, she is the editor-in-chief of The Local Palate and has authored or co-authored half a dozen books, including deep dives into oysters and grits, as well as several cookbooks. Her work has been published in multiple publications, including Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, the Boston Globe, and three editions of Best Food Writing.
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