Derek Brooks, executive chef at the Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel, has access to some pretty remarkable ingredients to prepare the farm-to-table cuisine that has established the restaurant as a longtime Nashville favorite. In addition to sourcing premium proteins from around the region, the Hermitage operates its own garden at the Land Trust for Tennessee's farm at Glen Leven, in cooperation with the Land Trust, where the team raises crops that eventually appear on the menus and tables at Capitol Grille.
But there’s another secret stash of ingredients that many people don’t know Brooks can use as part of his cuisine: some mighty fine whiskey. Between the Capitol Grille and the Oak Bar, the Hermitage frequently purchases private barrels from noted distilleries in Tennessee and Kentucky, which they bottle strictly for use within the hotel. While visitors to the hotel can order a drink from these single-barrel products at the Oak Bar, Brooks has the entire offering at his disposal, and he’s looking to show some of it off as part of a special “Bourbon Bliss” dinner on Friday, Nov. 22.
The event will begin with a reception followed by a four-course menu of dishes infused with bourbon, paired with even more — you guessed it — bourbon. Brooks will introduce each course and will be joined by local taste-and-traditions expert Mara Papatheodorou, a former contributor to Bon Appétit and a member of the local chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.
Together, the chef and guests will go on a culinary journey as part of the Capitol Grille’s “Chef’s Odyssey” series. The previous event in this series sold out in advance, so if you want to take the trip, make your reservation here soon!
