A guide to Nashville's James Beard-nominated chefs and restaurants
As Nashville grows, it's also attracting top talent in the food world. Jean-Georges Vongerichten, one of the world's most decorated chefs, is a prime example.
The French-born Vongerichten has opened more than 60 restaurants worldwide. He has nearly a dozen James Beard nominations, half of which were wins. His eponymous restaurant in New York once held three Michelin stars.
When the Hermitage Hotel approached him to open a house restaurant in Nashville, the chef flew to visit the city better known for music than food. What he found was a spirit similar to that of New York when he first arrived there in 1986, he said. Vongerichten opened Drusie & Darr at the Hermitage Hotel in 2022.
"The energy is great here, and the food scene is awesome," he said.
Nashville's James Beard-nominated chefs are proof of that. Like Vongerichten, they're staking their own claims in a Southern city with an increasingly sophisticated food scene and a reputation for friendliness.
"Nashville is growing, but I feel like it doesn't lose its charm or its culture," Vongerichten said. "It's wonderful."
Here is a guide to the city's James Beard-nominated restaurants and chefs.
Note: Did we miss an award? Please let us know at mlunsford@tennessean.com and we'll add it.
Locust
Even with all of its accolades, somehow this 12 South restaurant just keeps getting better. The menu changes frequently, but you're likely to find incomparable dumplings and beef tartare to fold up in toasted nori with a set of perfect accoutrements. The rest of the menu will feature a small assortment of other perfectly prepared plates. Someone on staff will walk you through what to eat and drink if you ask. You may even hear Pantera. Just soak it all in.
Chef Trevor Moran was a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2023 and 2024.
Location: 2305 12th Ave. S.
More: locustnashville.com
Kisser
This Japanese comfort food restaurant comes from chef/owners Leina Horii and Brian Lea, who have created a menu and atmosphere that hits perfectly on so many levels. To eat, don't miss grill-kissed onigiri or overstuffed inari. Work your way through dishes like marinated and grilled fish collar, if it's available. Share hand-made seasonal noodle dishes or a big comforting rice bowl with subtly sweet Japanese curry. Grab some crunchy market vegetables, too. You can't go wrong with whatever you find on the menu. But especially after its 2024 James Beard Award nomination for Best New Restaurant, be prepared to wait for a table.
Where: 747 Douglas Ave.
More: www.kisserrestaurant.com
International Market
Chef Arnold Myint is a former championship figure skater and one-time Bravo "Top Chef" contestant who comes from a family of restaurateurs. Now he's a semifinalist for a 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast.
Myint's International Market 2 brings his skill to the forefront in traditional Thai dishes and plates with out-of-the-box pan-Asian flair. On the menu: spicy "Impossible" plant-based meat dumplings, crispy garlic trout, spicy lamb Dan Dan noodles and comforting curry noodle soups.
Where: 2013 Belmont Blvd.
More: www.im2nashville.com
D’Andrews Bakery & Cafe
David Andrews, the Nashville native behind D’Andrews Bakery & Cafe, has his hands on everything on the menu at his Church Street bakery, from the house-made roasted tomato mayo on his Berkshire bacon and arugula sandwiches to the hand-laminated double butter croissants. This cafe by morning and lunch spot by afternoon should be on your list if you're a fan of top-notch bakery products — and who isn't?
D'Andrews was named among the 2024 semifinalists for Outstanding Bakery.
Where: 555 Church St.
More: dandrewsbakery.co
City House
Chef Tandy Wilson opened City House in 2007 when his native Nashville's food scene was still nascent. For the setting, he chose a historic home in Germantown, which turned out to be prescient. Even as the accolades have rolled in, City House remains a homey, welcoming place to eat an elevated but unpretentious meal. Expect seasonally driven small plates, rustic pizzas and Italian-influenced mains with a touch of Southern comfort.
Wilson was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Southeast from 2009-2015 before becoming the first Nashville chef to bring home a James Beard in 2016.
Where: 1222 Fourth Ave. N.
More: cityhousenashville.com.
Rolf and Daughters
Like City House, Philip Krajeck's Germantown restaurant has a Mediterranean influence. There, you'll find excellent housemade pasta and seasonally driven small plates and entrees. Other world flavors creep in from time to time — think yuzu and koji bechamel. It's all served in an interior that's at once warm and industrial, with a host of communal tables, booths and bar seats.
Krajeck was a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2020 and 2022 and was nominated for Best Chef South four times when he worked in Florida.
Location: 700 Taylor St.
More: rolfanddaughters.com
Folk
Krajeck's Folk is located in McFerrin Park, a residential neighborhood in Nashville that also boasts an unusual number of great restaurants for its size. The restaurant's pizzas are some of the best in the city, though you'd be remiss to skip the rest of the menu. Pay special attention to the vegetable-forward plates without overlooking the meat and seafood dishes, such as Bucksnort trout with Meyer lemon and smoked yogurt.
Folk was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Best New Restaurant in 2019.
Location: 823 Meridian St.
More: goodasfolk.com
Yolan
Yolan opened in The Joseph Nashville in 2020, quickly becoming one of the best haunts for elevated Italian fare downtown. Food and beverage partners Tony and Cathy Mantuano helped open Chicago’s now-closed Spiaggia, steering the restaurant toward 12 consecutive years of Michelin stars. During his tenure there, Mantuano netted multiple James Beard nominations.
Noelle Marchetti, Yolan's and The Joseph's exceptional executive pastry chef, was a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2023. Her desserts are absolutely not to be missed, though you can also see her work in the excellent bread service.
Location: 403 Fourth Ave. S.
More: yolannashville.com
Peninsula
The menu at this standout East Nashville restaurant is small but mighty. The focus here is Iberian fare, meaning Spanish and Portuguese-influenced food, prepared with French techniques. Though you'll find meat on the menu, chef Jake Howell works absolute magic with vegetables here. The answer to whether or not you should order some drinks from the gin and tonic selection should almost always be "yes."
Howell was a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2022.
Location: 1035 W. Eastland Ave.
More: peninsulanashville.com
Attaboy
There's a very no-frills building in East Nashville that holds a dim but gorgeous little bar inside. Actually, there are a few bars on that side of town that could be described as such. Attaboy, a New York City import, is different in that there is no menu. Once someone lets you in the front door, you'll be escorted to your seat, where someone will ask you what sorts of flavors you enjoy. The bartenders will craft a cocktail accordingly.
Attaboy was a semifinalist for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2022.
Location: 8 McFerrin Ave.
More: attaboy.us/nashville
Lou
Somehow this Inglewood restaurant always feels off the radar, even with exec chef/owner Mailea Weger's semifinalist nod for Best Chef Southeast in 2022. Perhaps that's because Lou is almost stubbornly, always pleasantly, unpolished, from its casually composed slightly French-ish, slightly modern American plates to the proliferation of plants that sometimes intrude on your dining space. It all feels right.
Spend some time with the charcuterie, fish and cheese portion of the menu. You could even stop there if you'd like, but you shouldn't. Ask your server which wines you should drink, and you should drink some. Save room for dessert.
Location: 1304 McGavock Pike
More: lounashville.com
Tailor
This Germantown restaurant is, quite simply, fun in the way that a well-organized (but not too well-organized) dinner party might feel. Here Vivek Surti, a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2020, runs the show, holding court from an open kitchen area at the front of the dining room. From that space issues forth a parade of elevated Indian small plates with unapologetically bright, bracing and sometimes firey flavors. Dining here is as much abut the experience as it is about the food.
Location: 620 Taylor St.
More: tailornashville.com
Henrietta Red
This bright and airy Germantown restaurant has an impressive menu of oysters which you should sample during happy hour. Should you stay for dinner, you'll find plenty of vegetable-forward dishes on a seafood-heavy menu. The descriptions on the excellent wine list are always fun.
Henrietta Red was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant 2018. Chef Julia Sullivan was a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2019 and 2020.
Location: 1200 Fourth Ave. N.
More: henriettared.com
Chauhan Ale and Masala House
Maneet Chauhan was one of Nashville's first star chefs, and her comfortable and creative Indian restaurant, Chauhan Ale and Masala House, remains a mainstay of Nashville's restaurant scene. Dishes such as tandoori chicken poutine show off Chauhan's creative spirit.
Chauhan also owns Tánsuŏ, a contemporary Chinese restaurant, at 121B 12th Ave. N.
Chauhan received the 2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for her role as a permanent judge on Food Network's “Chopped."
Location: 123 12th Ave. N.
More: chauhannashville.com
Bastion
Chef Josh Habiger and crew turn out an outstanding tasting menu at this 24-seat Wedgewood-Houston modern-American restaurant. It would feel like a secret if it wasn't so obvious that the secret is most certainly out. Bastion strikes the perfect balance between down-to-earth and upscale. With perfectly selected and expertly prepared ingredients, each course is fascinating enough to draw you through to the end. This is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in the city.
More: The top 25 restaurants in Nashville in 2022
Bastion was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2017. Josh Habiger was a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and a finalist in 2023.
Location: 434 Houston St., suite 110
More: bastionnashville.com
The Catbird Seat
This should be on every visitor to Nashville's must-visit list. This restaurant takes seasonal exploration to dizzying heights with course after course of gorgeously plated, exceptionally flavorful food. The drink pairings are also exceptional.
The Catbird Seat was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Best New Restaurant in 2012. In 2020, then-chefs Will Aghajanian and Liz Johnson were semifinalists for Rising Star Chef of the Year award, a distinction that's since become "emerging chef." Brian Baxter is the current chef.
Location: 1711 Division St.
More: thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com
Maiz de la Vida
The quesabirria tacos here are outstanding and go perfectly with a big, stiff cocktail from Chopper, the tiki bar where this truck is stationed. Truly, everything is good here, in large part owing to the nixtamalized heirloom corn chef Julio Hernandez spotlights with his excellent food. You can also try Hernandez's food at his tortilla shop, 3101 Clarksville Pike. Keep an eye out for his upcoming brick-and-mortar Gulch restaurant. Hernandez was named a semifinalist for Emerging Chef in 2023.
Location: Outside Chopper tiki bar, 1100 B Stratton Ave.
More: @maiz_dlv on Instagram
More: The tortillas at Maiz de la Vida food truck are out of this world. Here's why.
Slim and Husky's Pizza Beeria
The owners of this fast-casual pizza concept, Clinton Gray, Derrick Moore and Emanuel Reed, were semifinalists for the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurateur in 2023. Slim and Husky's wears its love for hip-hop and R&B culture on its sleeve with pizza names like Nothin But a “V” Thang and Big Poppa Pizza. As much as the owners love hip-hop, they also love people. Their growing business was founded with a mission to empower communities while using pizza as a vehicle to engage people in important community events.
Locations and more info: slimandhuskys.com
Strategic Hospitality
Brothers Max and Benjamin Goldberg, the owners of Strategic Hospitality, make up the group behind The Catbird Seat, The Patterson House, Henrietta Red, Locust, the newly opened Kisser, Bastion and more. They were semifinalists for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020. More about Strategic Hospitality at strategichospitalityonline.com.
Pinewood Social
This expansive restaurant has everything: a bowling alley, plenty of space for events and even a back patio with a pool. The food runs the gamut from bar snacks to pan-roasted chicken and grilled ribeyes. Pinewood Social was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2014. The restaurant opened in late 2013 with a menu created by current Bastion chef Josh Habiger, a finalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2023.
Location: 33 Peabody St.
More: pinewoodsocial.com
Margot Café & Bar
This French restaurant was part of the Five Points neighborhood in East Nashville well before it become anything resembling a hot spot. The warm, welcoming former gas station is now a temple to European and Southern-tinged comfort food, including crisp, thin chips with aioli, cornmeal-breaded calamari and roasted chicken. Chef/owner Margot McCormack was a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2018, and a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef in 2019.
Location: 1017 Woodland St., Nashville
More: www.margotcafe.com
Biscuit Love
Lisa Marie White was working at the seafood-heavy Marsh House when she pulled semifinalist nods for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2017 and 2018. That Gulch seafood restaurant can be found at 401 11th Ave. S. White is now the pastry chef and culinary director at Biscuit Love, a popular, creative breakfast restaurant with multiple locations in the Nashville area.
Locations and more info: biscuitlove.com
The Patterson House
This gorgeous cocktail bar, which will soon move to a new location in the Gulch along with sister restaurant The Catbird Seat, was a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program in 2015 and 2016. The cocktails and small bites at this modern yet classic bar are fantastic, and the hospitality is top-notch.
Location: 1711 Division St.
More: thepattersonnashville.com.
Husk
Though Sean Brock officially left the Husk restaurant group in 2019, he was nominated for Outstanding Chef while at the helm at Husk Nashville in 2016. Now Husk, an urban oasis of seasonal fare just a few blocks from Broadway, is in the capable hands of chef Ben Norton.
Sean Brock fans can find his work at The Continental at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Nashville, and at East Nashville's fantastic Audrey and June restaurants.
Location: Husk is at 37 Rutledge St.
More: husknashville.com
404 Kitchen
Led by chef Matt Bolus, and anchored by Gertie’s Whiskey Bar, 404 Kitchen infuses seasonal, Southern food with European techniques. A highlight of the menu are the large-format proteins, including a whole smoked, then fried, chicken and a big old 32-ounce porterhouse steak with bourbon herb butter. 404 Kitchen was a Best New Restaurant semifinalist in 2014.
Location: 507 12th Ave. S.
More: the404nashville.com
Lockeland Table
This 2013 semifinalist for Best New Restaurant is hard to define except for by what it's not: pretentious. This is the quintessential neighborhood haunt at its best. During the community hour between 4-6 p.m., kids can eat full meals for $8.50. It's a godsend for frazzled parents, who can order discounted house wines and spicy pork tacos. I love the smart cocktail list and the eclectic menu that runs the gamut from crisp-charred wood oven pizza to smoked bone marrow.
Location: 1520 Woodland St.
More: www.lockelandtable.com
Prince's Hot Chicken Shack
The gold standard for, and the originator of, Nashville hot chicken, this restaurant launched a worldwide food trend. Prince's spicy chicken is unparalleled, even as it inspires imitators as far away as Asia.
Prince's won the James Beard America's Classics award in 2013.
Location: South: 5814 Nolensville Pike. Downtown: Assembly Food Hall, 5055 Broadway Place, stall 2268.
More: princeshotchicken.com
Hermitage Hotel
Chef Tyler Brown, formerly of the Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel, was a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Brown is now at a Franklin project called Southall Farm and Inn and will be the chef of an upcoming restaurant there, according to Nashville Scene.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten is the chef of the Hermitage Hotel's Drusie & Darr.
Location: 231 Sixth Ave. N.
More: thehermitagehotel.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville's best restaurants: A guide to James Beard-nominated chefs
