For whatever reasons—probably involving cheesy lounge singers and conventioneers with Binaca breath—hotel dining often gets a bad rap. There are, of course, exceptions to every generalization, and in Nashville, Capitol Grille, Prime 108 and Latitude restaurants go a long way toward shattering the reputation of hotel restaurants as purveyors of rubber chicken. With the opening of the Hutton Hotel on West End, 1808 Grille now joins the list of hotel restaurants that can be considered destinations for locals as well as out-of-towners.
Located in the ground floor of the building once known by its giant silver address numbers, 1808 Grille is an independent restaurant owned by the same group of investors behind the stylish new Hutton. Chef Charles Phillips, an alumnus of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., who recently moved from Chicago, mans the kitchen, where the team churns out breakfast, lunch and dinner along with room service for the hotel. The culinary focus is on sustainable foods with a so-called New American bent—a melting pot of global flavors from tamarind-seared scallops and spinach panzanella to gnocchi and hummus.
What most distinguish 1808 Grille are the consistently attractive and playful presentations of the food and environment. Modern meets rustic in the lofty room, where the central focus is a geometric wooden sculpture, reminiscent of sculptor Constantin Brancusi's iconic Infinite Column—or a giant Jenga tower twisted on its axis. Tables of rustic wood and carved chandeliers evoke a mountain lodge, while sleek leather—and extremely comfortable—banquettes cut a distinctly urban profile. Subtle textures and a soothing palette of greens, blues and browns, accented by lamplight, feel more comfortably residential than so many austere lofts on the current dining landscape. It's a setting that invites long, lingering lunches and cozy candlelit dinners.
Fortunately, the food lives up to the atmosphere, both night and day. Dinner service opened with the de rigueur choice between filtered tap water or sparkling water, setting the tone for a green-tinged meal, while a generous bowl of plump olives and a basket of Provence flatbread presaged a meal of thoughtful details.
Among the eight small plates, including grilled calamari salad, crab-and-chive fritters and roasted eggplant hummus, the orange-tamarind scallops made an impressive overture. Three medium-sized scallops were seared to bulging perfection—buttery and translucent pink inside with a faintly gritty caramelized patina—and served in a light sweet-tart glaze.
A more robust and filling starter was the citrus-braised pork on corn cake, which arrived in a twee Staub skillet. The pulled pork was surprisingly moist, complemented by the crisp exterior of the fried corn cake and finished with a drizzle of crème fraîche and a rough chop of pico de gallo. The combination of flavors was a delicate interpretation of a rustic barbecue meal, with the only criticism being the pasty texture of the corn cake's interior.
Between courses, a pretty array of three condiments arrived. A signature presentation of the restaurant, the condiment caddy will change with the seasons. On our visit, mango salsa, chimichurri and romesco studded with walnuts provided versatile accompaniments to our entrées.
In fact, the mango salsa, with big hunks of creamy fruit and a spicy finish, was critical to the success of ale-battered shrimp. Like an elegantly minimalist spin on fish and chips, five large shrimp in golden-brown cocoons of fluffy breading arrived unadorned on a white plate, save for a grilled lemon half. Without the bright salsa, the meal would have read like a monotonous plate of prawns-meets-funnel-cake.
More satisfying was the grilled rack of lamb with slow-roasted eggplant. A straightforward presentation of four ribs, plated head to toe like a lamby yin-yang symbol, was dusted and seared in a blend of Moroccan spices, including turmeric, cumin, coriander, mustard and red pepper. The meat was beautifully cooked to medium rare and plated on an understated but sultry nest of puréed roasted eggplant seasoned with feta and Italian parsley.
With à la carte sides available for $5—including roasted beets, sautéed brussels sprouts and bacon, red skin mashed potatoes, roasted oyster mushrooms and cheddar grits—dinner at 1808 Grille can be deceptively pricey.
Conversely, the lunch menu offers unusual value, given the serenity of the dining room and level of service. With several soup and salad items doing double duty on the lunch and dinner menus, the noontime meal offers an economical way to experience 1808. Silky Tuscan white bean soup with a hint of bacon and an earthy garnish of mushroom-barley pilaf made for a comforting light lunch, and the dark roasted tomato soup with a smoky paprika finish was a rich vegan option with a faint hint of barbecue. The drizzle of coriander crème fraîche made a cool counterpoint to the rich hot soup. We enjoyed the bountiful panzanella of herbed focaccia tossed with spinach and shaved parmesan. Likewise, the medley of Boston butter lettuce with pastel hunks of flaky arctic char, olives and tiny tomatoes in an aioli-based dressing was an abundant twist on the salad Niçoise. Consistent with 1808's emphasis on sustainable seafood, Phillips replaced the classic tuna with char—similar to a cross between trout and salmon—which meets approval of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. (While both salads were fresh and fluffy, we would have preferred both to be less heavily dressed.)
The star of the lunch menu is the so-called Panini Parlor, a matrix of meats, sauces, toppings and cheeses that can be mixed and matched on grilled sandwiches with crusty bread. If nothing else, it makes for a great interactive game as you weigh the potential combinations: pulled duck with braised red cabbage, chimichurri and mozzarella; roasted chicken with Manchego, caramelized onion and avocado mayonnaise; smoked salmon, mozzarella and tomato, to name just a few of the nearly infinite mash-ups. In our experiences, the ingredients were consistently fresh and flavorful, but the level of cooking was inconsistent. Since panini derive their wonder from the gooey meltiness of cheese and the warm toastiness of the bread, it's worth making a special plea to have yours thoroughly cooked. Otherwise, you've just got a sandwich. And don't miss the French fries sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley and served in a miniature deep-fryer basket.
That shiny little basket, as much as any other part of the meal, embodies the best of 1808: a fresh, whimsical approach to high-quality cuisine. Chef Phillips & Co. unleash the playfulness on the dessert menu, whose highlights include a pastry bag of peanut butter mousse that arrives with rough-hewn sheets of dark chocolate, so the guest can squeeze the nutty confection to make a homespun Reese's. A trio of the peanut butter mousse, banana beignets with hazelnut crème, and tres leches crème brûlée provides three good reasons to visit 1808—no matter whether you're traveling from out of town or across town, for business or for pleasure.
1808 Grille serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Complimentary parking is available.
Email cfox@nashvillescene.com, or call 615-844-9408.
