Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten Reflects on One Year in Nashville

Earlier this month, world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten made his way back to Nashville for a series of celebratory meals to commemorate one year since opening Drusie and Darr, the first restaurant in his expansive collection of businesses located outside of traditional global culinary epicenters like London, Paris, New York City and Los Angeles. I sat down with the amiable Alsace-born chef to discuss his first year in Music City.

I began the interview by asking him what drew him to Nashville. “I’ve long had an interest in this town,” he shares. “I visited The Hermitage while it was under renovation and met the management team. I was impressed by them and already knew about the respected food scene here in Nashville. Vegas is difficult to like, but this city has a lot of soul and history. It feels like a new town with a backbone of history, and I always learn something whenever I visit.”

After more than 25 years in the U.S., Vongerichten is confident in his ability to hedge a market before he opens new restaurants, and he does his research. Along with members of the kitchen staff, the chef had polished off a lunch delivered from Hattie B’s right before our talk began. “Nashville diners are very open to trying new things, and they’re not afraid of heat,” he notes with a chuckle. “That’s good for me, because I like to use a lot of chilis in my food. The food scene here grew so fast that people are expecting new things all the time, plus visitors are more open to trying something new than you might be in your own backyard. You might try something unusual if you traveled to [famously cutting-edge Copenhagen restaurant] Noma that you wouldn’t at home. I wanted to bring different flavors that Nashville didn’t already have. I feel like New York City people are less experimentative.”

Chef Vongerichten wasn’t nervous about opening up in a midsize city for the first time in America. “It didn’t feel risky,” he says. “There are plenty of people here, and with an 80-seat restaurant, I’m not worried about numbers. I like the size of Drusie and Darr. It feels more civilized, and we can maintain a nice control of the environment. We’ve been very pleased with the reception, and we want to be part of the local culinary scene by offering the best of what we do in New York City without getting too fancy. The support of the hotel has also been critical.”

Day-to-day operations at Drusie and Darr are run by chef Kelsi Armijo, and Vongerichten has every confidence in his protégée. “Kelsi worked as an executive sous chef in Vegas for 10 years, so she knows our palate. Kelsi sends us a list of ingredients she has found and develops new dishes to run past us. Then we try them in our New York test kitchen. That’s how we grow, by letting chefs spread their wings. We let the chefs run their businesses.”

Drusie and Darr’s menu is committed to local sourcing whenever possible and a sense of seasonality, and chef Vongerichten is excited to take a second pass through Nashville's growing seasons and resulting bounty. “You’re a couple of months ahead of New York in terms of weather,” he explains, “so we depend on Kelsi to tell us what is available. That’s an advantage of being so near to the Farmers Market. When we first arrived, we met with farmers who we use to source chickens, pigs, microgreens and eggs, but there’s no season for chicken. Plants and herbs — those are the things that inspire us. There aren’t any new fish, but we can get them from different parts of the Atlantic and the Pacific as we change up the menu. I have been surprised by how much game people eat around here.”

In addition to serving breakfast, lunch and dinner at Drusie and Darr, chef Vongerichten also opened The Pink Hermit, a sidewalk cafe and bar at the front entrance of the hotel. That spot is currently open primarily for breakfast, lunch and private dinner events, and chef Vongerichten sees even more potential for the attractive cafe. “I’d like to open it at night as sort of a snack bar. The kind of place where guests or locals can stop in for pizza, wine and small bites after a show. We’ve got this great wood-fired pizza oven in the kitchen of Drusie and Darr, and I’d love to serve our black truffle pizza that everyone loves so much at The Pink Hermit!”

Part of Vongerichten’s visit to Nashville revolved around previewing the upcoming spring menu that he designed in collaboration with Armijo. The five-course preview dinner featured some very promising dishes for local diners to look forward to. A starter of beet-cured salmon topped with decadent daubs of caviar was a wonderful way to begin an evening. The second course of huge asparagus spears glowed green beneath a blue cheese dressing and crispy bacon, like a delightful old-school salad.

A surf-and-turf combo made up the mains — a dish of seared black sea bass followed by a peppercorn-crusted beef tenderloin. Before the first dish was served, everyone at my table was already talking about the listed dessert course. The passion fruit baked Alaska did not disappoint!

While it’s difficult for chef Vongerichten to make his way to all the outlets of his restaurant empire every year, you can expect to see him back in Nashville relatively soon. “I love this booming city, and I can’t wait to come back!” The welcome mat is always out for you, chef.