In the past year, Nashville saw many notable restaurant openings — a trend that doesn’t seem to show signs of slowing anytime soon. But when the Scene staff and contributors debated the issue, one name was mentioned time and again: Drusie & Darr. The flagship restaurant of the historic Hermitage Hotel not only marked world-renowned chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s first foray into the South, it also brought a new superstar to Nashville’s culinary scene. The menu at Drusie & Darr is full of Jean-Georges classics — including his beloved crispy sushi, warm shrimp salad and black truffle pizza — but it’s all executed brilliantly by executive chef Kelsi Armijo. Armijo oversees breakfast, lunch and dinner service seven days a week with all the coolness and professionalism of a chef twice her age, and she brings Vongerichten’s recipes to life with elegant flair. Both Drusie & Darr and Armijo are feathers in Nashville’s culinary cap, and we hope they stick around for years to come.
