Celebrate the Upcoming Holiday Season Like an Adult at Denim

Now, I’m far from the “fun police.” I’m all about people having a good time, safely among friends. When I heard about the first holiday pop-up experience in a Nashville bar, I thought “Cool, Nashville is catching up with NYC when it comes to kitschy holiday fun, like with Miracle.”

Since then, the company behind the over-the-top explosion of Christmas decor that is Miracle has spread to more than 120 locations across the country and around the world. (I counted.) Its popularity has led other bars and venues to take a more DIY approach to converting their spaces for the holi-daze — think more Dollar Store than Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

Now inboxes are filled with invitations to holiday-themed events, ranging from dioramas and servers dressed as characters from Elf and The Nightmare Before Christmas to a full-on Currier and Ives nostalgic experience.

It’s frankly a bit more than I was looking to deal with during the holiday season, so I was tickled to receive an invitation to check out a new winter activation at Denim, the rooftop bar at The Joseph in SoBro. I’ve been a fan of the upscale hotel since it opened, particularly of Yolan, the Tony Mantuano-helmed Italian ristorante on the ground floor of the hotel.

At many of the other hotel rooftop pop-ups in Nashville, patrons book short time slots (which may or may not include food and bev minimums) for the right to sit in an igloo/cabana/large plastic egg. While I understand that table turns are important to a bar or restaurant, having to time when each of my guests will finish their drink before getting kicked to the curb for the next time slot is stress I’m not looking for during the holidays. Denim is offering access to a private cabana 21 stories above downtown, and you can make a reservation for two to six people with a flat fee per person, and that’s it. The cabana is yours from the evening until you’re done luxuriating. With nary a grain of glitter to be seen, these cabanas feature comfortable seating around a table with a gas-fired heater flickering up through the middle.

The two separate experiences are both reasonable if you’re looking for a little splurge, and suitable for a couples’ date if there are some people you’ve been meaning to catch up with over the holidays. The more casual option is the Fireside Evening, appropriate for two to six guests with a price of $75 per person plus tax and tip. After you’re seated with your commanding view of downtown, a server will bring a really substantial charcuterie board to your tables for sharing. 

This isn’t one of those boards designed for Instagram; it’s meant for some serious snacking. The array includes local honeycombs, several different types of olives and cheeses, including house-made burrata, and an array of salumi. Beverage pairings and flights are available to accompany the charcuterie, and Denim has a pretty impressive offering of spirits, wines and cocktails.

After the meat course, it’s time to move on to that traditional campfire treat, s’mores. Executive chef Noelle Marchetti has created some house-made marshmallows, which are the perfect accompaniment for rich Valrhona artisan chocolates and graham crackers. Your cabana host will create a little “campfire” for you on the tabletop to toast your marshmallows to your desired char level. Ask them about a whiskey or amaro pairing that will work well with your s’more.

If this sounds like fun to you, secure your spot for a Fireside Evening by making an online reservation.

The second experience is for one or two couples and is called Denim at Dusk, a four-course al fresco dinner in a heated cabana with a dedicated server. For $95 per diner, you’ll enjoy a fall melon salad with some of that whipped burrata, followed by savory courses of scallops with parsnip, apple and hazelnuts, and Bear Creek Farm New York Strip with truffle pomme puree. The dessert of a slab of Opera Cake with espresso snow is the real show-stopper of the evening. 

Dine at your own pace while you soak in the ambiance around your personal tabletop fire and linger over optional curated beverage flights. And the odds of being assaulted by a faux Buddy the Elf are next to none!

Make your reservations for Denim at Dusk at the restaurant’s website. Due to popular demand, Denim is now offering both these experiences nightly at least through the week before Christmas.