Where to Eat in August: Husk, Halls Chophouse, Joyland, and More

The latest outpost of this South Carolina-based steakhouse group has landed on the ground floor of the new Broadwest development. The stunning interior decor only slightly distracts diners from the sweeping views of downtown through floor-to-ceiling windows, but most attention is paid to what’s on the plate. Raw, chilled, and cooked seafood are definite highlights of the menu, but most fans are there for the beef. Massive steaks are wet-aged or dry-aged to concentrate flavors, and international options from Australia and Japan offer a little extra variety.

Renowned chef Sean Brock has been busy over the past couple of years opening high-end restaurants The Continental, Audrey and june, but he hasn’t forgotten about Joyland, his homage to fast food dishes. The chef’s obsession with fried chicken is well-known, as he spent years perfecting his recipe during his previous stint at Husk. Always the tinkerer, Brock has developed a new version for Joyland that he calls JFC. Fried golden brown with a shatteringly crisp crust, JFC is served on a buttermilk biscuit with honey hot sauce, slaw, and pimento cheese macaroni salad. It’s well worth a visit!

Have a look at the menu, including a gorgeous oversized chicken biscuit, at Joyland’s website.

Inspired by classic modern French brasseries like NYC’s Balthazar, Liberty Common offers an airy space to enjoy a cocktail or a glass of bubbly before a show at the nearby Ascend Amphitheater or Schermerhorn Symphony Hall. Brunch-lovers have discovered the menu is a hybrid between down-home Southern breakfast fare and French bistro cuisine, and they’ve quickly made it a popular spot for a lingering morning meal over drinks.

Inspired by the fast-food treat of dipping French fries into your milkshake, Fryce Cream rises well above typical drive-through fare. Creamy soft serve ice cream is served in cups or cones, along with crispy fries that patrons can order “dusted” with additions like Old Bay, Szechuan five spice, or smoked paprika, and dips such as sweet-and-sour pickle or fermented carrot hot sauce. You’ll never think the same way about a Wendy’s Frosty again.

Visit Fryce Cream’s Facebook page for more info.

Holding fast to the requirement that no ingredient comes through the kitchen door if it’s not from the South, Husk maintains a leadership position in the farm-to-table philosophy of local and seasonal dining. Pro tip: Especially now that Tennessee produce is at its peak, the plate of four composed vegetable dishes is often the power order, even compared to the restaurant’s prototypical shrimp and grits or the locally-sourced steaks from Bear Creek Farm.

For a city with so much great music and fantastic restaurants, Nashville really doesn’t have a plethora of spots where you can enjoy dinner and a show at the same time. That’s where The Electric Jane plugs in. An outstanding venue for enjoying live musical entertainment, The Electric Jane also offers a full menu for brunch and dinner, plus impressive happy-hour and late-night dining options. The full bar features inventive cocktails, an international beer list, and wine by the glass or the bottle to provide a one-stop entertainment spot.

Find more info here.

It’s a requirement that a hotel restaurant have a solid cheeseburger to feed hungry guests after a day of working or touring around town, and Mason’s at the Loews Vanderbilt does not disappoint. Not limited to just hotel guests, locals also go out of their way to experience that thick slab of premium ground beef served with peppercorn aioli, caramelized onions, and aged white cheddar. Larger appetites can opt for grilled salmon or a NY strip steak cooked to perfect temperature via sous vide and then finished on the grill.

Nestled in the middle of Nashville’s commercial district, D’Andrews Bakery & Cafe has become an important option for downtown denizens and visitors looking for something a step above fast-food dining. From the pastry case filled with elegant creations courtesy of NYC-trained chef-owner David Andrews to a menu of excellent sandwiches served on amazing house-baked bread, D’Andrew’s has made the neighborhood a whole lot more habitable.

Check out D’Andrew’s menu here.

As a three-meal restaurant in the impressive lobby of the Grand Hyatt, The Nashville Grange is a great dining option all day long. Convenient to downtown without having to endure the craziness of Lower Broad, The Nashville Grange is an ideal meeting spot for a business breakfast, power lunch, or date night. The menu skews Southern, with delightful little international touches like the chimichurri on top of the rib eye or the soft polenta that accompanies a plate of collard greens and a pork shank.

That old saying about life being short so eat dessert first is quite applicable at Cafe Intermezzo, where guests encounter a huge case of beautiful, delectable pastries and desserts right inside the front door. Order from a long list of specialty coffee and espresso drinks or from the impressive wine, beer, and spirits list, and you can make a whole meal out of just sweets and dessert and skip that pesky main course deal entirely. We won’t tell!