Colby Rasavong Named Executive Chef at Bad Idea

As my fellow Scene food writer Chris Chamberlain reported this summer, local wine pro Alex Burch announced plans to open Bad Idea in East Nashville in early 2023. Well, Burch announced a very good idea this week. Burch named Colby Rasavong as executive chef of the soon-to-open wine-focused restaurant.

Rasavong, a recipient of a StarChefs Rising Stars Award, has already demonstrated his culinary chops in some of the city’s best kitchens, including Husk Nashville, Tailor and Audrey, where he served as chef de cuisine. A native of Murfreesboro, Rasavong has also worked as executive chef at Little King in New York and oversaw the opening of Benelux.

“We are focusing on creating a joyous environment, a gathering place with spectacular wine and great food,” Rasavong says. His vision is to pair Burch’s wines with food that reaches Bastion and Audrey levels, but with a welcoming vibe more on par with Silver Sands Cafe and Arnold’s Country Kitchen. “You can come for a glass of wine or come and stay three-to-four hours; there’s no pressure.”

The food menu will include rotating selections of small plates and dishes that draw on Rasavong’s heritage and experience as a first-generation Laotian-American chef. “I hope we have interesting flavor combinations and that the food reflects what I see in the world,” Rasavong says. Burch’s plan, as laid out in his crowdfunding campaign, explains that diners should be satisfied by two to three plates, but the menu will be designed to work well for sharing with a bigger group. A special late-night menu will be available after 10 p.m.

Bad Idea will be located at 1021 Russell St., in the sanctuary of a former church that sustained damage from the 2020 tornado.