Sean Brock
If you haven’t yet eaten Sean Brock’s food and you’ve read all the accolades, perhaps you’ve asked yourself, “Can he really be that good?” The answer is yes. We’re naming Brock our Best Chef — a category he also won last year and again this year in our readers’ poll — not just because of his food. (Although it is delicious, from the savory prime rib cart at The Continental to the rich, chocolatey soft-serve at Joyland.) It’s about Brock’s commitment to pushing himself, pushing those in his kitchens and pushing us as diners to continually try new things and to respect our food and those who grow it. We’ve seen it in his multi-concept building on Meridian Street, with Audrey, The Bar at Audrey and June, where dinner means learning the stories behind the seeds and the greens that comprise the dishes. A meal or a drink at these places is a curated experience, timed for thoughtful reflection about the ingredients, their history and the tastes.
When you see Brock in his restaurants, you almost hear the wheels grinding in his brain as he excitedly explains his newest idea, and shows off the library where he and the staff are brainstorming what’s to come next. He pauses by the glass doors of The Lab at Audrey, revealing processes of fermentation and experimentation. His laugh is almost a giggle, as he delights in details, be they the barley koji underway for foie gras at June or the sashiko repair methods on the bench near the bar. Brock could live and cook anywhere in the world. He’s invested in Nashville, saying Audrey and June are where he wants to cook for the rest of his life. And because he’s helped launch the careers of so many others — Kisser’s Brian Lea, pastry goddess Lisa Donovan, just to name two — he elevates all of the city’s dining.
