360 Degrees of Separation

The next time your fork gets snared in a tangle of pea vine or stumbles across a brick-sized crouton, you might look around for chef John David Crow. Unusual ingredients and creative presentations such as those are earning Crow rave reviews from local restaurant connoisseurs, particularly the ones who travel the Highway 100 corridor.

These days Crow is hanging his toque at 360, the restaurant formerly known as The Grape, at the Highway 100/70 split. After helping launch Wildwood Oak-Fired Kitchen farther down the road last fall, Crow teamed up with Grape owners Nick Jacobson and Joe Gordy as they separated their eatery from the Atlanta-based chain of wine bars and prepared to rebrand as 360, an independently owned casual-fine-dining restaurant.

In an almost overnight transition in November, the anchor tenant of the Spaces mall hung up a new sign and revamped the menu. With a fresh coat of paint and some new art on the walls, 360 still bears much of the feminine, wine-hued decor of its former incarnation. Chairs slip-covered with amethyst-hued fabric and jewel-toned pendant lights create a striking impression upon entering the shotgun room. A bar just inside the front door speaks to the former boozy focus. But these days, the wine plays a supporting role to Crow’s scene-stealing menu in a dining theater newly set with white tablecloths.

Gone is the lackluster constellation of small plates (olives, cheeses and quesadillas among the rambling list of glorified munchies), replaced by a limited but elegant array of appetizers and entrées—ranging from seafood to elk, boar and duck—that catapults 360 into the ranks of Nashville’s most interesting restaurants.

Crow’s fans from his brief stint at Wildwood will recognize the creative flair of his compositions. (Think lots of shaved Granny Smith apples and fennel, roasted fruits hidden under duck breasts or inside paninis, pancetta chips, and the suggestively named miso-honey tuna.)

An appetizer of mussel bisque, a chef’s whim on one of our visits, quickly reminded us of Crow’s coastal pedigree. A Seattle native and former chef at The Space Needle restaurant and Fire & Ice Lounge, Crow has a deft hand with seafood. In the generous serving of velvety soup sat a handful of unexpectedly plump, pillowy mussels, garnished with a swirl of cilantro-and-lemon sauce. The bright herbs and citrus accented the briny mussels and enlivened the rich cream base, a memorable and unusual combination.

We also enjoyed the salad of salmon and griddled romaine, cooked delicately enough to preserve the textures of both the lettuce and the fish, while adding smoky flavor to the greens. Dressed with creamy tones of lemon and salty anchovies, and topped with a thick slice of grilled bread (the giant crouton) and a paper-thin pancetta crisp, the dish was a delightful medley of temperatures and textures.

Alaskan Dungeness crab cakes were outstanding, with minimal breading to interfere with the sweet chunks of meat. Served with a colorful drizzle of roasted red pepper rouille and a vibrant side salad of arugula, apple and fennel, the starter could stand in for a light entrée.

Seared duck breast with quince-and-port reduction and creamy polenta will likely become the signature dish at 360. With aromas of thyme, ginger and shallots balancing the fruity sweetness of the glaze, the plate arrived as a still-life of rich color and decadent flavor. On 360’s menu, “seared greens” means whatever is in season or on the chef’s mind; on our visit, Crow plated the tender duck with broccoli rabe and spinach.

Another highlight, the miso-honey tuna, featured seared tuna in a highly spicy sauce tinged with ginger and sake, atop thick lo mein noodles to ease the flavorful sting. But even with the zing of the sauce, the gorgeous flavor of the deep-purple tuna remained the centerpiece of the meal.

Everything we tasted at 360 was outstanding and beautifully presented, often on oversize white plates. In fact, Crow even manages to make chicken interesting. With crisp skin and tender meat in a silky satay sauce, the Indonesian chicken was sliced and fanned dramatically across the plate in a presentation more often reserved for duck or other higher-flying foods. Served with lo mein noodles, a bright-green curried pesto of cilantro, and a colorful yarn of pea vine, the plate transformed the humble poultry into a showpiece.

360 offers a sultry evening out in a contemporary setting, but the reinvention of the restaurant also means that Belle Meade has an enticing new lunch option, with entrées as well as a roster of sandwiches and salads reflecting the creativity of the evening menu. A trio of corn tortillas with pulled duck meat in a tangy barbecue sauce, topped with grilled onions and chiles, radish sprouts, avocado, scallions, cilantro and feta cheese, combined the rich flavor of the moist meat with bright accents in a colorful presentation. The taco plate is also available with grilled fish. Prices run high for lunch, with both the tacos and a cider-brined pork panini with Cambozola cheese, prosciutto and roasted pear clocking in at $13.

Over the next couple of months, the 360 team will renovate the kitchen, expanding into the adjacent space that recently housed the bygone Paletta popsicle boutique. With a larger kitchen will likely come an extended menu, but for now, Crow is keeping things simple, with nine appetizers, nine entrées, a cheese platter, and desserts from Provence. The restaurant still offers 70 wines by the glass, and Crow’s wife Sarah, a sommelier, weighs in with specialty cocktails (think blood-orange mojitos). She will also help create pairings at upcoming wine dinners.

As far as pairings go, the combination of chef Crow and 360 makes for a good one.

360 serves lunch and dinner 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday.