We’ve known for a while that Atlanta-based chef/restaurateur Ford Fry had big plans for Nashville. First, he announced a trio of projects coming to the new Hammermill project on the Cumberland River north of downtown. Then came word that he was planning to open an outpost of Superica, his popular Tex-Mex concept that has already expanded to multiple locations in Atlanta, Houston and Charlotte. Well, apparently the first shall be last, because Superica is on pace to beat its corporate cousins out of the gate as it will soon open its doors at 605 Overton St. in the Gulch, the same building that houses the new Patagonia store.
Born and bred in Houston, Fry has a special spot in his corazón for Tex-Mex cuisine, and many of the more than a dozen restaurants that make up his empire feature some take on the mash-up of Northern Mexican cooking and Texas ranch vittles. He even wrote a book on the subject. To introduce himself to the neighborhood and his cuisine to Nashville, Chef Fry will host a free taco pop-up at the new Superica location this Sunday, July 21. from 9 a.m. until they sell out of food. The deal will be one migas-style taco per person, and complimentary non-alcoholic beverage, including the restaurant's novel agua frescas will be available to wash down your breakfast taco. For more information, you can visit Superica’s new Nashville webpage.
In preparation of Fry’s friendly invasion of Music City, I recently took a trip to Atlanta to experience his annual Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Festival, a benefit for Georgia Organics. The fest was a fantastic event, with more than 40 food and drink booths handing out samples of tomato-based dishes and cocktails. The assembled crowd was definitely in a festive mood as they walked the sidewalks and corridors of the Westside Provisions District to eat and drink themselves into a lycopene coma, only rousted by the music from two live bands including Fry’s own group, The Foo’d FIghters.
But while I was in Atlanta, I made it a point to try out several of Fry’s concepts to get a better idea of his philosophy, because y’know, somebody has to do these things for you. (Pass the Rolaids.) What I discovered genuinely excited me looking forward to the new Fry restaurants coming to town and even for those that might be yet to come. I know that there is an undercurrent of blowback against out-of-town restaurateurs dropping clones of their already popular concepts in town, but I believe Chef Fry has a sincere interest in becoming a part of this community (and not just because he plays in a band) and also that his restaurants will be an asset to the local dining scene.
The first spot I visited was the original Superica in Krog Street Market, a food hall located right off Atlanta’s Beltline that was easily accessible via foot, bicycle or scooter. (Nashville urban planners take note!) Of all of Fry’s concepts, Superica is the one that is obviously designed to be scalable. The decor at each location is unique, and design is an important part of the Fry gestalt, right down to the font choices on the menu. The vibe at Superica was quite lively, and the fact that they don’t take reservations meant that many patrons availed themselves of the large bar with tasty margaritas and cocktails while they waited for their names to be called on a busy Friday night. One thing I immediately noticed was a dedication to service among the staff. Employing more than 1,500 people across the restaurant group, Fry emphasizes training and hospitality above all else. At the five restaurants I ended up visiting over the weekend, I never had a single employee just point me to the bathroom; I was always escorted no matter how busy the servers seemed to be in the crowded dining rooms. I can promise that these busy servers had no idea I was a food writer. They were just trained to be helpful, and it shows.
The menu at Superica was definitely a step above typical Tex-Mex chains that trade on too much cheese and not enough depth of flavor in their dishes, and I saw nary a pickup truck bed filled with complimentary nachos anywhere. My server pointed me to the queso fundido, an appetizer they are quite proud of, which features the choice of add-ins to complement the broiled Monterey jack and Chihuahua cheeses served with fresh tortillas made in house. I eschewed the bowl of cheese (somehow) in favor of a Delta-style hot tamale appetizer that caught my eye. These hot pockets of spicy meat arrived wrapped in parchment paper, but shaped like little meatballs instead of the expected tamale torpedoes. The bite-sized delights were smothered in chili gravy and served with completely non-artisan saltine crackers, just as God intended!
While I wish I could have sampled more of the menu, I’m just one man, so I’ll have to wait to try out some of the soups, salads and a spicy campechana de mariscos seafood cocktail that was calling to me. I also only got to watch other diners feast on wood-fired steaks, crispy whole snapper preparations and other Tex-Mex specialties like enchiladas and chile rellenos as they landed at nearby tables. But soon, my pretties, you will be mine!
Instead, I opted to try a trio of puffy tacos, a San Antonio staple that I haven’t found outside of the Lone Star State. The crispy and pillowy tortillas offered the perfect resistance and crunch to accompany fillings of chile-braised chicken tinga, spicy ground beef, and a vegetarian version that was my surprise favorite. I also saved room for an order of one of the enchilada options, a chicken mole with a deeply complex sauce that was obviously the result of hours of labor instead of the jarred mole you find at many other Tex-Mex joints.
On the whole, eating at Superica reminded me of past trips to Beaumont and Galveston, Texas, where diners take their Tex-Mex dead seriously. While the ambiance was decidedly more upscale than some of the cantinas of my past experiences, there was still a degree of sincerity and authenticity that I appreciated. If you’ve ever dined at a Pappasito’s in Texas, you’ll understand how Tex-Mex can be presented in an acceptable large-scale way, in the same manner that Popeye’s dirty rice is pretty legit, even if it’s not made in a tiny Creole kitchen in Lafayette, La. Of couse, the original is still always better, but in a pinch those alternatives beat the hell out of a run for the border. Superica combines the best of scalable consistency and quality with the recipes and authenticity of a tiny border cantina, and I’m excited to see them arrive in town!
Just for your edification, here are the other Fry concepts I checked out in case you’re headed to Atlanta anytime soon and some quick capsule summaries to help you plan your next trip.
I had brunch at King + Duke, an attractive upscale Southern restaurant in Buckhead. The open kitchen revolves around a massive 24-foot wood-fired hearth, because cooking over live fire is apparently the law now. The meal I experienced was a collaborative brunch between the kitchen at King + Duke and last season’s Top Chef winner Kelsey Barnard Clark, so I can’t really comment on the cuisine there since the dishes weren’t part of the regular menu at K + D. But as I told a dining companion, “Hey, if you can bat .400 all the time, you’ll go to the hall of fame!” The extensive bar and multi-level dining space was enough to make me want to go back and try their food on a future opportunity to see if they can raise their batting average.
Little Rey is Fry’s newest concept, opening only in the past couple of months in a gentrifying neighborhood near Piedmont Heights. The fast-casual taqueria has been an immediate hit, drawing consistent crowds for breakfast tacos served every day, inventive margaritas, tacos al carbon and whole- and half-chicken specials that are perfect for carrying out to feed the family. It was so jammed when I arrived that I ended up parking on a grassy knoll and praying nobody would tow me. Apparently they’re used to that around Little Rey now. My favorite bite of that visit was a perfectly fried piece of chicken served as part of La Torta, served on a brioche bun with guacamole, spicy slaw and jalapeños. Maybe if we’re good little Nashvillians and support Fry’s new restaurants here, he’ll choose us as the next town to get a Little Rey, because that would absolutely rock!
The other two Fry spots I sampled were both in the Westside Provisions DIstrict, a shopping and entertainment complex not far from Midtown. JCT. Kitchen was Fry’s first restaurant in Atlanta and where I first discovered his food. I shouldn’t have been surprised that a man named Fry could put out some exemplary fried chicken, but his version is still in the top 5 of my poultry pantheon with a crispy exterior fried so dark-golden-brown that you’d think it might be overcooked until it shatters satisfyingly under the force of an easy bite yielding to the juicy and flavorful meat beneath. I’m drooling just typing this. On this particular visit to the vibrant dining room cordoned off by soft drapes to create an elegant salon feel, I actually chose to sit at the bar because I was dining alone and didn’t want to be like this. The bar was the perfect spot to enjoy a well-made cocktail and a spicy app of angry mussels. I followed that up with a plate of Mississippi rabbit, an item I don’t see that often on menus around these parts. While it was fine, I really should have ordered that fried chicken again. Don’t make the same mistake I made.
The final Fry restaurant I experienced was one I admit I had not heard of before, Marcel. Located on the upper level of Westside Provisions across a small bridge from JCT., Marcel is about as old-school of a steakhouse as you can imagine, but with all sorts of fun cheeky touches. Fiercely French, Marcel is named after Marcel Cerdan, a rogue the restaurant describes as an “iconic French fighter-romantic who endured ring rumbles, war, marriage, a famous affair with Edith Piaf (and could only be stopped from seeing his love when his plane crashed into a mountain).” Photos of Cerdan decorate the walls of the restaurant with hanging magnifying glasses available so you can discover the details of some of the famous folks this Zelig-like character hung out with. The men’s room wall is decorated with photos of some of his chéris, many of which posed for him in the altogether as some sort of early “You up? selfie” I guess. Management has politely drawn in clothes over at least some of the more revealing photos.
The menu at Marcel is unapologetically stuck in the early 20th century, with French fixtures like foie gras, escargots and côte de boeuf at premium prices. In fact, much of the menu at Marcel is pretty pricey, but it fits in with the special occasion clubby vibe of the leather-bound restaurant. There’s even a cigar menu for you to play Daddy Warbucks on the open back patio if that’s your thing. I did learn a nice secret though. They have a special limited “Marcel by Day” menu for lunch with a couple burger options, pommes frites, a salad and a few (optionally boozy) shakes at really affordable prices. That will be how I choose to experience Marcel for my next visit for sure. But until then, I’m a bit “Fry’d” already, so I’ll just be waiting in line at Superica. See you there soon!
