The Resy Hit List: Where In Nashville You’ll Want to Eat in May 2024
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in Nashville: a monthly-updated (and newly expanded!) guide to the restaurants in that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Five Things In Nashville Not to Miss This Month
- Midday Italian, Now a Nashville Thing: Three notable spots have recently announced midday dining options, so bucatini for brunch is now on the menu! St. Vito Focacceria serves Sicilian sfincione for lunch Wednesdays through Sunday, and Brooklyn transplant Frankie’s 925 Spuntino has added lunch service Friday through Sunday, including their classic pastas plus lunch-only options like a sausage and broccoli rabe special. Pelato invites weekend brunchers in with Italian takes on Southern classics including biscotto scarpariello topped with a sunny side egg, Italian sausage gravy, sautéed spinach, and cherry peppers. And of course, find even more brunch options here.
- Don’t Forget to Remember Mom: Mom carried you for nine months, so the least you can do is bring her to brunch on May 12. Mother’s Day is, if not the Super Bowl for restaurants, then at least the Final Four, so advance planning — and taking advantage of the power of Resy — is critical to scoring a table. 1Kitchen Nashville has an indulgent buffet planned featuring beef tenderloin and a waffle station, White Limozeen classes up the holiday with a special high tea with two seatings, and speaking of Italian, Luogo is dreaming up special dishes for the day.
- Eric Church’s New Six-Story Honky Tonk: The country music star’s fans are flocking to his new restaurant/bar/performance venue, Chief’s. Towering six stories over Lower Broad, each floor offers a different experience, from a cozy street-level bar to a music venue that takes up two stories. Acclaimed South Carolina pitmaster Rodney Scott smokes meats on the top two floors. Members of Church’s fan club can book private morning tours of the entire facility via Resy.
- Bringing Bagels to the Bodega: Sharing space with TKO in Inglewood, Mr. Aaron’s Goods has provided wholesale pasta to Nashville restaurants and retail sales of noodles, sauces, meatballs, meal kits, and more to the public through a small bodega space. Recently, owner Aaron Distler added daily dine-in service for breakfast and lunch. House-made bagels are available with a schmear or as the base of innovative sandwiches.
- City Club Admits Non-Members to the Bar: For more than 65 years the Nashville City Club has been regarded as the premier private membership club downtown. Since relocating from the north side of Broadway to the historic Liggett Building in SoBro, the club has opened its doors to anyone who makes a reservation through Resy to visit The Study, an upscale lounge with a “smart casual” dress code for small bites and craft cocktails. Book here.
New to the Hit List (May 2024)
Halls Chophouse, Tailor, Margot Café & Bar.
1. Folk McFerrin Park
Emily Dorio.
From the same team that drove Nashville’s culinary scene forward with Rolf & Daughters, Folk offers a slightly more casual vibe. Maintaining a similar focus on natural wines, crafty cocktails, and rustic European cuisine, Folk features a menu that is more vegetable-focused. Craveable pizzas are made using creatively fermented crusts that offer a little tang for the party and complement the inventive toppings. (Although once you try the littleneck clam pie with parsley, bonito, and lemon, you may never order anything different again.) Larger format dishes designed for sharing ensure that a meal at Folk is a communal experience.
Emily Dorio.
2. Husk Nashville Rutledge Hill
For more than a decade, Husk has represented the epitome of farm-to-table fare in Nashville — with a laser focus on the mandate by opening chef Sean Brock: “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the kitchen door!” The stately Italianate mansion that is Husk’s home was once the home of a 19th-century Nashville mayor — and is reflected in the courtly hospitality — yet the cuisine continues to combine modernism with historical techniques of preservation, pickling, and some of the finest fried chicken in the land. And both kitchen and the bar staff take full advantage of the restaurant’s garden, where they grow heritage seeds into plants that show up as ingredients and garnishes.
3. Audrey McFerrin Park
After leaving the tables set and ready for guests for more than a year while waiting out the pandemic, chef Sean Brock finally opened his shrine to Appalachia in late 2021. Since then, Audrey has provided a meditation on the rural cooking of Brock’s youth. Open-fire cookery combines with molecular gastronomy to extract the essence of heritage ingredients like sour corn and greasy beans, creating 21st century dishes that tell the story of the hardscrapple residents of Appalachia. And Brock continues to push the cuisine forward with a perpetual reimagining of the flavors of his native region. Whether á la carte or as part of a fixed menu of the kitchen’s favorite dishes served family-style, a dinner at Audrey is always a treat.
4. Tailor Nashville Germantown
A reservation at Tailor is akin to being invited to an intimate dinner party in chef Vivek Surt’s home, where he regales guests between courses with stories of his culinary inspirations. Sharing his experiences as a first generation Indian American, Surti combines the ingredients that he first experienced in his mother’s kitchen with modernist techniques. His prix fixe menu changes quarterly to focus on seasonal ingredients or regional specialties, but his creativity always shines through. Under the twinkling light of a chandelier imported from Surti’s family home to complete the connection, the atmosphere is always lively — and, if you’re lucky, meals sometimes end with the flourish of a sabred bottle of bubbles.
5. Butcher & Bee – Nashville East Nashville
Although the original Charleston location of this Middle Eastern restaurant has been converted to another concept, the Nashville outpost of the Bee is still setting the standard for seasonal Israeli-inspired cuisine after almost a decade of crowd-pleasing cuisine. The whipped feta and fermented honey dip is legendary and a can’t-miss appetizer, but don’t be afraid to dig deeper into the menu for inventive shareable dishes made with local ingredients and served family-style to the table. Pro tip: Opt for the “Eat Like a Chef” experience to sample the current favorite dishes of the kitchen staff, coursed out and presented by the cooks that prepared them.
6. Halls Chophouse – Nashville Midtown
One of the newer jewels of Midtown, Halls brings a classic steakhouse experience to this burgeoning neighborhood. In addition to views of the hustle and bustle of the city through sweeping windows, the open kitchen provides another entertaining show with chefs expertly preparing USDA Prime beef and premium seafood. The Hall family has spent their lifetime in hospitality, and the emphasis on attentive service is literally a (Hall)mark of the restaurant. Different sections offer various atmospheres depending on the desires of diners, from a lively bar scene to quiet nooks for a sophisticated date.
7. Present Tense Wedgewood-Houston
As soon as patrons enter this zen space with its background of chill house music, they’re grounded in the present moment. That’s amplified by the house specialty: sake sourced from Asia and the U.S.; general manager Rick Margaritov’s encyclopedic knowledge of the spirit ensures perfect pairings with chef Ryan Costanza’s menu of small bites and large plates. Our big pro tip? The new omakase experience is a two-plus hour long journey through the mind of the chef, with more than a dozen focused dishes prepared and explained by Costanza for no more than six people at a time. Let Margaritov provide the suggested sakes to complement the journey, and you’ll fully understand the restaurant’s gestalt.
8. Henley Midtown
Henley takes its design inspiration from the legendary hospitality of a stately Southern manor. Enter through a sidewalk patio and belly up to the bar for a welcome drink as some of Nashville’s finest bartenders serve thoughtful cocktails and drams of the restaurant’s special selections of single-barrel whiskeys. The cozy dining room is where most diners sit down to a menu of fun Southern dishes accented with international flair. At the back of the restaurant, a clubby snooker room offers private dining and overflow space on busy nights, but an even greater surprise lies behind a secret door in a bookshelf. The Rabbit Hole is a tiny table in the kitchen where up to four patrons can enjoy a special multi-course tasting menu.
9. Frankies 925 Spuntino East Nashville
Fans of NYC-style pizza celebrated at the news that Brooklyn-based Frankie’s 925 Spuntino was bringing their pie game to Nashville. Available by the slice or as whole pies, Frankie’s offers both Silician and traditional crust opinions in their pizzeria as well as classic Italian antipasti, salumi, soups, salads, hand-crafted pastas, and other specialty dishes on the Spuntino side of the restaurant. It’s all served in a renovated former mattress factory that retains a little of the gritty industrial vibe that fits in perfectly with East Nashville. Plenty of natural light provides a warm aura to the dining room, but there are also plenty of nooks for a more intimate meal.
10. Drusie & Darr by Jean-Georges Downtown
“Casual elegance” is an overused and seemingly oxymoronic descriptor when it comes to most restaurants, but in the case of world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s first foray outside of the biggest global culinary centers, it’s actually quite accurate. Tucked away in the cozy rathskellar underneath the Hermitage Hotel and painted in calm pastels, Drusie & Darr caters to a wide clientele, from tourists enjoying a meal before a night out to politicians and businesspeople seeking a power lunch. Patrons enjoy Jean-Georges’ globally-inspired preparations of Tennessee produce including as toppings for wood-fired pizzas or as standalone vegetarian dishes.
11. Maíz de la Vida East Nashville and North Nashville
In a town filled with excellent taco options, Maiz de la Vida stands out thanks to chef Julio Hernandez’s fanatical dedication to spreading the gospel of heirloom Mexican corn, literally the “corn of life” that inspired the restaurant’s name. You haven’t truly tasted a tortilla until you’ve tried one nixtamalized and ground by hand to create the perfect texture, and then griddled on a flattop before being stuffed with expertly prepared fillings. Don’t forget to take home a package of almost translucent lard-infused tortillas to raise your family Taco Tuesday to the next level. It’s currently operating out of a small tortilleria in North Nashville, and from a taco truck in residence at East Nashville tiki bar Chopper, but Maiz de la Vida will receive a huge upgrade soon in a larger location in The Gulch.
No reservations. Find more info here.
12. Pelato Germantown
NYC-based celebrity chef Anthony Scotto has definitely set down roots in Nashville with the opening of his second Music City restaurant Pelato, joining his already beloved upscale Italian spot, Luogo. Pelato is more Brooklyn than Bologna, featuring the sorts of familiar red sauce classics that many diners grew up with, just like chef Scotto did in his youth. Start your meal off with addictive cheesy garlic bread that is perfect to dip in, well, everything else on the menu, and then plunge through the menu of small shareable plates of pastas, meats, and seafoods. The vibrant atmosphere of the large dining room feels like being a guest at a huge Scotto family reunion, and a couple of frozen espresso martinis will only amplify the jocular mood.
13. Yolan SoBro
Seeking a slightly calmer atmosphere than they experienced at their Michelin-starred restaurant Spiaggia in Chicago, chef Tony Mantuano and his wine expert wife Cathy brought their culinary expertise to Nashville to open their new regional Italian fine-dining spot Yolan, the likes of which the city has never seen. Seasonal tasting menus showcase the cuisine of different regions of Italy, and à la carte offerings include some of Mantuano’s signature dishes like bucatini all’amatriciana and a massive 55-day dry aged, 36-ounce Kansas City bistecca.
Call 615-231-0405 for reservations.
14. Lyra Greenwood
The dining experience at this Cleveland Park staple revolves around a wood-burning oven that offers a warm glow, and continuously produces fresh-baked pita as the perfect dipper for Lyra’s legendary hummus. Inspired by chef Harant Arakelian’s Lebanese roots, the menu features flavorful Mediterranean dishes that revolve around vegetables and seafood — although the addition of harissa-spiced lamb merguez to the hummus starter is strongly suggested. Enjoy building a leisurely meal a meal out of appetizers, dips, small plates, and shareable entrees, all rooted in the deep layers of flavors Arakelian has perfected.
15. Pelican & Pig East Nashville
What do you get when a talented pastry chef marries a cook obsessed with cooking over open fire? Well, you get a great meal at Pelican & Pig, thanks to chef-owners Audra and Nick Guidry. The open kitchen creates a fully immersive dining-slash-theater experience, as just about every ingredient on the menu benefits from Nick Guidry’s elevated caveman cooking, deftly adding a kiss of flame or a waft of smoke to meat dishes and a surprising array of seafood options. The menu changes frequently and seasonally, so there’s likely something new and wonderful to discover at each visit. One of Audra Guidry’s sweet treats is a mandatory end to the meal, even if you have to take it home because you overordered at dinner.
16. lou Riverside Village in East Nashville
This restaurant may spell its name with a lowercase “l,” but there’s nothing timid about this unique East Nashville bistro, where chef-owner Mailea Weger leans on her experiences cooking in France and California to create new takes on classic brunch and dinner favorites. lou also demands ethical and sustainable practices from its purveyors — a policy that extends to the extraordinary wine list, which features organically farmed, minimal-intervention wines. The wine program has introduced Nashville wine lovers to uncommon terroirs — from volcanic vineyards in Mexico to fizzy natural wines from France. The bright and airy environs of the converted cottage that lou calls home is an ideal classroom to learn about new wines over a breezy brunch.
17. Margot Café & Bar East Nashville
Ever since chef Margot McCormack made the bold decision more than two decades ago to open a French-inspired and Southern-informed brasserie in a former service station in East Nashville’s Five Points neighborhood, she has continued to tune up the cuisine on that side of the Cumberland River. The menu changes nightly depending on the whim of the kitchen and the freshest seasonal ingredients that come through the back door that day. Local farmers and purveyors are the guiding inspirations for the cooking team, and loyal patrons reward them with standing weekly reservations to sup in the cozy bar or at a favorite table in the warm and inviting dining spaces.
18. Kisser East Nashville
Waits of up to an hour are common at Kisser as hungry diners line up before the restaurant opens for lunch-only service at this tiny Cleveland Park Japanese neighborhood newcomer. Husband-and-wife chef team Brian Lea and Leina Horii work their stations in the diminutive kitchen with zen-like precision, preparing their own brand of Japanese haute comfort food. Rice dishes, salads, noodles, and a chicken katsu sandwich served on delectable toasted milk bread are menu standouts, but Kisser’s version of a traditional Japanese breakfast with miso-marinated fish, three vegetables, a rolled omelet, soup, and furikake rice represents the chefs’ full culinary sensibilities in one spectacular menu item.
No reservations.
19. Locust 12 South
In the year since Food & Wine magazine named Locust “Best Restaurant of 2022,” it has become one of the toughest tables in town. In an attempt to democratize the experience, they’ve switched up their service model to offer an ever changing menu of razor clams, dumplings, caviar, tartare, and the Japanese shaved ice dish of kakigori for dessert from 10:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday. After a brief restaurant reset, the kitchen will reopen for no-reservation walk-in service with a tight menu of beer, wine, and cocktails plus dumplings from 6 p.m. until closing. Just because the menu is limited doesn’t mean it won’t be spectacular. Now diners can take their chances to just walk in and hope to find a seat.
20. Henrietta Red Germantown
For a landlocked city, Nashville boasts some outstanding seafood restaurants, and Henrietta Red belongs at the top of any roster of them. Whether you’re enjoying a cocktail or a glass from their nicely curated list of interesting international wines along with a half-dozen oysters from the raw bar, or you opt for a full meal of seafood-centric sharing plates and individual entrees, it consistently delights thanks to a scrupulous dedication to sourcing the freshest products from the sea. The vibrant atmosphere of the attractive dining room doesn’t distract the chefs working in the open kitchen as they offer fastidiously-plated dishes.
