10 Highly Anticipated Spring Restaurant Openings in Nashville
The Milam GroupMarch 28, 2018
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It’s going to be a busy season
Spring is very much upon us, and it’s shaping up to be another busy season for Nashville restaurant and bar openings. And while deadlines always shift, this is what we expect to see in the next few months. These are listed in order of their anticipated opening date.
Falcon Coffee
Eater Nashville
Falcon Coffee
Location: 509 Houston St. (Wedgewood-Houston)
Key Players: Alexis Soler, Angela Laino
Projected Opening: Late March
This neighborhood coffee shop from Alexis Soler (Old Glory, No. 308) and Angela Laino (Good Night Sonny in New York City) is on the brink of debuting in Wedgewood-Houston. Set up to be a community hub and work space, the venture will feature local roaster Osa Coffee prominently, as well as a rotating roaster menu. A walk-up window and quick serve coffee for those that want to avoid the lines are also part of the plan.
Location: 823 Meridian St. (East Nashville’s McFerrin Park neighborhood)
Key Players: Philip Krajeck
Projected Opening: April
Undoubtedly one of the biggest restaurant openings of the year , Rolf and Daughters chef and owner Philip Krajeck is following up the huge success of his five-year-old Germantown restaurant with the pizza-focused Folk. Krajeck’s pies will offer a naturally leavened dough made with freshly milled flour from wheat sourced regionally, with the remainder of the menu (dinner only initially, with plans for weekend brunch down the road) having a heavy focus on vegetables and a minimalist approach in terms of composition. There will also be small plate seafood options, larger format dishes, meats cured in house, and some unique bread service options from baker Michael Matson.
Key Players: Billy Dec, Michael Morales, Fresh Hospitality
Projected Opening: April
The first venture outside of Chicago for restaurateur Billy Dec and his Rockit Ranch Productions restaurant group lands in Nashville this spring, as he and executive chef/partner Michael Morales are bringing Asian restaurant and bar Sunda, Dec’s best-known eatery, to the bustling Gulch neighborhood. Expect an extensive menu offering modern interpretations of traditional cuisine from Japan and China, as well as Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Flamingo Cocktail Lounge
Eater Nashville
Flamingo Cocktail Lounge
Location: 509 Houston St. (Wedgewood-Houston)
Key Players: Alexis Soler, Angela Laino
Projected Opening: April
Following on the heels of Falcon Coffee’s debut, Alexis Soler and Angela Laino plan to open the doors to this Miami-inspired cocktail lounge. Located directly behind the coffee shop, they promise a multi-faceted space with community in mind. It will feature an installation room with frequently rotating work from a variety of artists, and its waste will consist of only biodegradable and recyclable items. The cocktail program will be straightforward and set for high volume, with a plant-based food menu.
Key Players: Steven Robilio, Richard Peterson, Seth Wood, 4-Top Hospitality
Projected Opening: Mid to late April
Restaurant openings on West End Ave. are few and far between these days, so the addition of this seafood and oyster-focused restaurant and bar by way of Jackson, Miss. is a big get. Taking over the former home of Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery, the 9,000-square-foot eatery will feature a wide-ranging menu for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch from chef Steven Robilio, who also runs the kitchen at 4-Top Hospitality’s Amerigo next door.
Nashville will be blessed with its first tiki bar this spring, as Barista Parlor owner and founder Andy Mumma, Isle of Printing founder Bryce McCloud, and former longtime Husk Nashville bar manager Mike Wolf prepare to open up shop in the former east side homes of Bar Luca and Moto Moda. Details are still few, but an initial statement promises “a new establishment celebrating the tastes, flavors and frozen delights” of the South Seas.
Husband and wife team Nick and Audra Guidry are planning a double-dose of openings this year. Full-service restaurant Pelican & Pig will focus on wood-fired cooking, along with shared plates leaning heavily on local, seasonal vegetables. Slow Hand Coffee + Bakeshop, which will move from its current digs downtown, will be an expanded version of the original, offering triple the current selection of pastries, along with quick service items like wraps, biscuits, and sandwiches. It will also feature a second menu geared towards sit-down dining, as well as a pour-over coffee bar.
This much-loved East Nashville pizza joint is expanding to the west side with a second location in the currently under construction Sylvan Station development. The new outpost will feature a larger dining room, an outdoor patio, and a dedicated counter for large orders and carry out, but expect the same menu of daily slice specials, specialty pizzas, and more.
Key Players: Corey Ladd, Matt Spicher, Ben Clemons, Jamie White, Jason Zygmont
Projected Opening: Spring
Treehouse owners Corey Ladd and Matt Spicher have teamed up with No. 308 owner Ben Clemons and longtime 308 barman Jamie White to open this “relaxed island lounge.” Specific details continue to be a bit elusive as construction moves forward, but it will feature indoor and outdoor seating, along with a kitchen menu focusing on tropical flavors from Treehouse executive chef Jason Zygmont.
And be sure to keep an eye on these major openings set for later this year:
