Behind the plate: A conversation with Mailea Weger, owner of East Nashville's Lou
In part because of its vibrant and evolving food scene, in part because her parents had chosen to retire here, Mailea Weger was drawn to Nashville to open her first restaurant, Lou.
She was working in Paris when she found the white bungalow in east Nashville’s Inglewood neighborhood advertised online and felt it could be the right place for her to add to the culinary conversation.
Her vision of a cozy restaurant that embodied her eclectic style of cooking and the Parisian style of dining—a relaxed pace, connected, social, light-hearted—is realized at Lou.
When did you know that the cooking life/restaurant life was for you?
After high school, trying to figure out my path, I narrowed it down to fashion branding, marketing or food. And my mom said, “Oh, you don’t want to be stuck in a hot kitchen.” I took those words to heart and pursued the fashion industry—and did so for 10 years. In 2009–which was the recession—I felt it wasn’t for me. It felt…manipulative. And I missed the tactile aspect of culinary arts.
So I quit, bought a one-way ticket to Barcelona, and after two months there, took the train to Paris. I was out of money and got a job cooking at a restaurant inside the Old Museum of Architecture. I loved it. After a while of working “under the table,” I returned home to my family in California. My parents agreed to split the cost of culinary school if I would live with them. I attended a small school in San Diego and focused on French technique. I took an externship in New Orleans at Herbsaint, and I was off and running!
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Tell us about an important mentor and how that person influenced your direction.
That would be Chef Oliver Plust. He was the last chef I worked under before going on my own. I already knew how to cook in all the roles. But I wanted to learn how to run the business. He taught me so much about how to manage, how to be a leader, how to be patient and grateful. Working in the service industry is hard. You get hot and tired. Demeaned. It is my responsibility to be a good leader. It’s like we’re in a military brigade, and we soldier on, together.
“More Acid, More Salt” is one of your mantras. Given that, tell us about a “secret ingredient” in your culinary arsenal.
We pickle a lot of shallots, and the leftover brine makes a wonderful vinegar. We also make our own fermented chilies, simply, in salt and water. That spicy liquid becomes the base for other preparations, such as our margarita. Both are by-products—everything is put to good use.
I also want to give credit to our former pastry chef, Sierra Cody, for her simple and insanely delicious olive oil, cold-steeped with vanilla bean. It is so good over ice cream, or crudo.
Lou is known as a wonderful gathering place in East Nashville, infused with a Parisian je-ne-sais-quois. Could you speak to that sensibility?
More than the food we serve, it’s a lifestyle. Parisians—and Europeans in general—take a relaxed pace at cafes and restaurants. They see it as a time to slow down, savor the meal and the time with their fellow diner. People are not on their phones! They are engaged in conversation. They are connected.
What’s your favorite cooking tool?
A microplane. It is so versatile. I use it for whole spices, nuts, cheeses, chocolate, citrus. I love the textures, the fluffiness I can get with it. A cloud pillow! Finely grated nuts over desserts, for instance, imparts its essence in a light but substantial way.
What are some new dishes at Lou that you are excited for us to try?
Our cabbage. We braise it in apple cider vinegar, bay leaf and other aromatics. Then we cut it to expose its beautiful inner ridges and sear it in clarified butter. We reduce cider to make a beurre blanc, which we paint onto the ridges when we plate it over horseradish aioli. We top it with toasted buckwheat and finely chopped chives. It hits all the taste points: acid, spice, savory and sweet.
Our Peruvian lima beans are large and creamy—we cook them in beer to get a malty note—and serve them with braised collards, brown butter croutons and cured egg yolk. Cool weather comfort.
Our mussels escabeche—pickled and arranged on crusty bread from Dozen bakery with preserved lemon aioli and herbs—this dish is bright and refreshing.
Can you talk about your creative process—the things that inspire you in developing new recipes and menus for your restaurants?
Two things—and this should really be a part of every chef’s thinking: Seasonal and local. What’s available at the moment? That must be part of the process. What is made close by?
Eighty percent of our ingredients are sourced regionally. And plating: the visual, the “wow” factor is so important. Basically, I make food that I like to eat—spicy and acidic. I also want you to feel full but not weighed down by your meal. I want you to leave Lou feeling alive, motivated. This is where the natural wines that we serve, which have lower alcohol content, fit so well with our food. I want your experience to be light and fun and connected and happy.
If you go
Lou Nashville
lounashville.com, 615-499-4495
1304 McGavock Pike, Nashville
Hours: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. brunch and 5:30-9:30 p.m. dinner Saturday, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. brunch and 5:30-8:30 p.m. dinner Sunday
Reservations: Accepted
Parking: Restaurant lot, street parking
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Behind the plate: A chat with Mailea Weger, owner of Nashville's Lou
