Rendering of the 1 Hotel Nashville
At some hotels, the commitment to sustainability ends at “leave the towel on the hook if you want to reuse it." At one national chain, I agreed to eschew any room cleaning during my stay in return for some extra loyalty points. After three nights of stale air and sheets that started to smell suspiciously of sweat and whiskey, I gave in and hung the “Service Please” sign on the doorknob.
The small national chain 1 Hotels aims to take issues of sustainability very seriously, from their choices of building materials to their culinary program and the use of “second life” items in rooms. The Nashville location is due to open sometime this summer at 710 Demonbreun, and they’re making a real commitment in the kitchen by bringing Top Chef Season 9 alum and fan-favorite Chris Crary onboard as culinary director.
Crary has worked with 1 Hotels for about four years, assisting with the opening of new locations and planning the restaurant programs for the chain, but Nashville will become his new permanent home base as he concentrates on the new property. He will be responsible for the three outlets at 1 Hotel Nashville, a rooftop lounge called Harriet’s, a cafe called Neighbors and the flagship three-meal restaurant 1 Kitchen.
Chef Chris Crary
Although Crary has become a celeb from his television appearances and for operating restaurants around L.A. (and it doesn’t hurt that he married Twilight star Rachelle Lefevre), Nashville is actually closer to his home state of Ohio. He’s excited to be returning to this part of the country and looks forward to exploring a region that actually has seasons. “I learned to cook from my Kentucky grandma,” he tells the Scene, “and I’m excited to be getting back to my roots.”
“I’m all about local farmers and artisans,” he says. “1 Kitchen will emphasize seasonality and employ great suppliers.” While the menu is still under development, Crary promises what he calls “Nashville heritage foods.” For example, there will be a fried chicken dish, but it might be a little healthier than what you’d find in a local diner.
Crary has already been in Nashville for the better part of a year as construction has moved forward at the expected snail’s pace of any downtown project, but he’s spent the time wisely. “I’ve already visited 20 to 30 farms and we’re not even open yet,” he says. “They’re a little different than in California where there are much bigger farms and you can source things all year round. I haven’t had a great tomato here yet, but I know they’re coming, and I’m excited to discover them!”
The chef has spent a lot of time eating out at restaurants, reading menus and meeting with chefs to find out more about the local culture and valued suppliers. Bear Creek Farm, Bucksnort Trout and Gifford’s Bacon are among the notable local vendors he’s already made menu commitments to. “Bloomsbury Farm has been great to work with," he says, "and I’ve discovered a great bakery called Yellow & Lavender that’s all vegan and can do gluten-free for us. I’m really excited about working with them!”
Crary has also partnered with groups like Nashville Grown to expand his access to smaller farms by aggregating ordering and deliveries from multiple locations. The reason that the menu is under development is because the offerings will be based on seasons he hasn’t even experienced here yet. New items that excite him are popping up every day.
“It will come down to the last minute, but I promise it won’t be overcomplicated or too fussy," Crary says. "I’ll wait for the ingredients to tell me what they can be." He’s also excited about adding some zero-waste dishes to the menu, like a roasted beet salad that employs the beet tops and stems in the recipe. “Nothing went in the trash with that one,” he says proudly. “It makes you think about what you can do with food, and it’s exciting to work and think of those things.”
1 Kitchen will seat about 200 people, including at the bar, outdoor patio and private dining room. Crary has plans to plant herb and vegetable gardens in the green space between the two buildings of 1 Hotel, both for use in the kitchen and as a pollination prospect for the bees he plans to put on the roof. Crary has done this previously at 1 Hotel’s West Hollywood location and harvested 20 pounds of honey every two weeks from the hives.
If you’d like to meet chef Crary and sample some of his food, he’ll be appearing at the Earth Day event at Centennial Park on Saturday, April 23, from 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. “We’ll be handing out free food, which is always exciting,” he jokes. “I’ve got 50 pounds of beautiful carrots I’ll be cooking something with, plus some other local produce, watermelon punch and hummus. We’re planning to offer about a thousand tastings over the course of the day to let people know about the brand and the hotel and thank them for letting us congest that corner of Seventh and Demonbreun for so long.”
Once 1 Kitchen finally opens, I think there’s a good chance that most of us will forgive Crary for that slight inconvenience!
