In what turned out to be a relatively quick turnover since the beloved and bygone Josephine shuttered in 12South late last year, the restaurant space at 2316 12th Ave. S. is again bustling with activity after the opening of Fonda 12 South. The new restaurant project, from acclaimed chef and cookbook author Roberto Santibañez, is the fourth location for the modern Mexican restaurant group, which was, up until this point, a trio spread across Manhattan and Brooklyn. A fifth location of the group is planned for Tokyo— hopefully chef Santibañez has achieved medallion status on his preferred airline.
Fonda 12 South describes itself as a “family-friendly restaurant serving authentic Mexican food with a modern twist,” and the menu offers an interesting mix of snacks, small plates, taco boards, enchiladas and a few larger platters, in addition to guacamole prepared in a molcajete, the traditional mortar and pestle that is critical to many dishes in Mexican cuisine. The taco boards look like an interesting option — your choice of a half-pound of chicken, beef, pork or vegetarian fillings served with six tortillas, two salsas, cactus paddle slaw, black beans and pico de gallo. In a neighborhood seemingly overrun with taco options, Fonda 12 South seeks to distinguish its offerings with a little more interactive experience.
Pricing looks in-line for the neighborhood, with botanas (snacks) in the $6-$12 range and main courses topping out at $42 for a rack of achiote-rubbed Iberian pork ribs and $58 for a Veracruz-style sea bass platter. Of course, my dream would be to combine those two dishes to create a version of tikin xic, the mind-blowing Mayan dish with achiote-paste-rubbed fish wrapped in banana leaves and roasted over an open fire. I still have dreams about a dinner of that on a past Isla Mujeres vacation, so maybe I can manifest that into existence.
Fonda 12 South’s current hours are a bit unusual, opening after the traditional lunch at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Closing times are 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9 p.m. on Sunday, so be aware if you're a late-night eater that you might want to plan ahead. The New York locations offer brunch hours on the weekends, and in a town as brunchy as Nashville, I imagine we can expect that from the 12South outpost as soon as the staff gets their feet underneath them.
If you want to check it out, make reservations online.
