After what felt like an interminable wait, Southall Farm & Inn has finally opened at 1994 Carters Creek Pike on the outskirts of Franklin and Leipers Fork. We’ll definitely cut them some slack on the delay, because they had to run a lot of utilities a long way and build a bunch of infrastructure to be able to welcome guests to the 325-acre property, which is still more than 90 percent green space.
With the opening of the inn comes the first permanent dining option, the spa and lobby restaurant Sojourner. After a soft opening limited to guests staying on property, Southall opened up access to locals who would like to experience the luxury and hospitality of the facility. Former Capitol Grille chef Tyler Brown — who will also helm Southall's upcoming, yet-to-be-named signature restaurant — collaborated with executive chef Andrew Klamar on Sojourner's menu.
The atmosphere in the lobby and the restaurant is warm and welcoming with a fireplace blazing to take the chill off the morning that I visited for lunch. The cozy restaurant and adjoining bar exudes conviviality, and the staff has obviously taken the time while waiting for opening to polish Southall’s attitude toward hospitality.
Chef Brown also oversees much of the agricultural activities on the farm, growing much of the produce used in the kitchen on plots of lands and massive greenhouses on the property. He is also active in sourcing and preserving heritage seeds to introduce diners to some historical ingredients that were once native to the area. A lunch appetizer of white rice pea dip made using a heritage grain, preserved lemon, caramelized onions and green peanut oil was delicious and reminded me of a Southern hummus.
I also snacked on some roasted oysters from Prince Edward Island that were perfect for a chilly day, and the green onion and lemon crumble that dressed them was delightful. Brown has leveraged his long-term relationships with local farms and ranches for many of the ingredients that don’t come off the Southall property.
That’s how he was able to procure a custom beef grind from Bear Creek Farm to use in Sojourner’s burger, which has quickly risen to the top tier of local smashburgers in my pantheon. Appropriately smaller than many other local burgers considering how rich that beef is and how precious Bear Creek products are, it was plenty for me at lunch after the dip and the oysters that I shared with my dining companion. (I did not share any of that burger!)
Chef Klamar shares Brown’s commitment to regional sourcing when possible, topping the burger with Kenny’s Farmhouse cheddar plus house-made bread-and-butter pickles, onion jam and aioli on top of a brioche bun. I’m still thinking about that burger as I type this. Breakfast and dinner are also available seven days a week at Sojourner, and I look forward to checking them out soon. Perusing the sample menu online, I wish I’d tried one of their smoothies or pastries for dessert, but that burger got the better of me. I can’t imagine trying to do anything at all constructive the rest of the day if it started with a breakfast of Bear Creek smoked brisket hash, but I’m willing to take that risk.
Admittedly it’s a schlep out to Southall from downtown Nashville, but when the interstate turns to a highway to a country road to a farm path, you can feel the pressures of the city drop away. And with a meal this good at the end of the road, it’s totally worth it.
Sojourner is open for breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
