As Margaret Littman reported last month, Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz have been named as the new chefs at The Catbird Seat following the restaurant’s move to the historic Bill Voorhees building later this summer. Longtime Nashville chef favorite Brian Baxter will continue to helm the kitchen until the move, and I don’t anticipate we’ll have to wait too long to find out what he and Strategic Hospitality have in mind for his next chapter.
Speaking of chapters, Baxter has been hard at work with co-author Mike Wolf creating a new limited-edition cookbook that chronicles his culinary career. In the Catbird Seat: A Nashville Chef’s Journey at the Convergence of Art and Cuisine is copiously illustrated, with more than 180 images from photographer Andy Lee along with watercolors by Todd Saal and Baxter himself. This book will be released in a run of only 500 copies, making it an immediate collectible.
Part high-end cookbook and part chef’s memoir, Baxter’s book features 470 recipes, plus a prologue by Pedro Iglesias and an introduction by The Catbird Seat’s co-founder, Josh Habiger of Bastion. Baxter will share the stories of his journey to the acclaimed kitchen, how he navigated the COVID era, and hint at his future plans. Along the way, he’ll share the inspiration between some of the restaurant’s iconic dishes during his tenure, including Redneck Sushi, Hay-Smoked Mussels With Sauce Poulette, and Burnt Banana Bread.
The $199 book will be suitable for the coffee table or the kitchen, or just for reading at your leisure. (Although I don’t recommend reading it in bed lest it fall on you when you drift off and possibly deviate your septum.) All copies will be signed by the chef, and preorders are being accepted at the publisher’s website until May 10. Don’t miss out on your chance to hear this fascinating history.
