Ford Fry
We just got another crumb of detail about the long-anticipated Nashville restaurants from Atlanta chef Ford Fry. With his team, Fry plans to open three connected eating-and-drinking spots at 1400 Adams St. in Germantown, now aiming for a doors-open date in summer 2019.
Fry, a man with perhaps one of the best possible names for a chef, will be joined by executive chef Ryder Zetts and beverage maven Tracy Ardoin-Jenkins (previously at Flyte, Rolf and Daughters, and Nicky's Coal-Fired).
Many travel-loving Nashvillians will know Fry from visiting his restaurants in Atlanta, Houston and Charlotte, N.C.; he also has a national profile, having snagged multiple semifinalist nominations for Outstanding Restaurateur from the James Beard Foundation Awards.
The name of the main restaurant in Nashville will be The Optimist, like his prominent restaurant in Atlanta. Earlier this year Fry had announced that the Nashville eatery might be called Sea Wolf, but he has now settled on The Optimist name. This week's announcement promises that the Germantown restaurant won't be a replica of the Atlanta outpost, but instead will have the same general vibe. Expect an open kitchen, indoor and outdoor wood-burning fireplaces, and an upstairs oyster bar.
These are not stuffy seafood joints. Fry's team calls them fish camps, and the idea is more lobster rolls and roaster trout and sunsets on the pier, rather than tuxedos and shrimp cocktails on ice. The restaurant will continue Fry and Zetts' commitment to wood-grilled food, Southern-sourced ingredients, and a simplicity of recipes.
The adjoining cocktail lounge, called Le Loup, will have leather seats and fancy drinks. The third space, Star Rover, will be more of a listening room, and place for live music, with taqueria-inspired snacks.
