Karen and Andy Little
I’ve often said that just about any restaurant that doesn’t own its building is probably watching the clock until its current lease runs out, because restaurant profits rarely keep up with rent increases. This seems to be the sad case for Josephine, the 12South gem run by chef Andy Little and his wife Karen Van Guilder Little.
Over the weekend, the couple announced the impending closure of Josephine through a social media post:
After 10 great years, We are sad to announce that we will be closing our doors permanently when our lease ends next month. Our last day of service will be Saturday, December 23rd.
We want to thank all of our guests, friends, neighbors and our fantastic team members for the love and support we have experienced over the past decade. Serving our community has been our joy and a true pleasure.
Please stop by in the next few weeks to enjoy your Josephine favorites and to help us celebrate the wonderful times we have shared over the past 10 years.
It’s so unfortunate that what should have been a time of celebration of 10 years of business coincided with the expiration of a lease. During their decade on 12th, the Littles served some amazing food, integrating French techniques along with Pennsylvania Dutch sensibilities to create truly unique cuisine that introduced many locals and visitors to dishes like Nashville hot scrapple, sourdough spaetzle and the wonders of dried sweet corn, along with a remarkable cocktail and wine program.
Chef Little received James Beard nominations as Best Chef: Southeast twice during his tenure at Josephine, and Van Guilder Little presided over the excellent hospitality service at the restaurant as well as a sneaky good wine list of interesting and affordable bottles. Future plans for the Littles are unclear at the moment, but hopefully they will find opportunities that will keep them in Nashville. They have been a valuable part of the local dining scene since 2013, both at Josephine and Prima, and it would be a shame to see them go. Best wishes in whatever future endeavors they choose!
Terry Raley has also been a longtime fixture of the Nashville restaurant world, stretching back to his days as a bartender at Ombi and continuing through his involvement with other establishments including Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden, Butchertown Hall and Liberty Common. He still owns the last two spots on that list under his Amaranth Hospitality Group and has just announced two new ventures.
The first is sort of a sister (or rather “hermana”) restaurant to Butchertown Hall, Mercado by Butchertown. With a current planned opening date of Nov. 9, Mercado will bring Butchertown’s vibe to Wedgewood-Houston at 625 Hamilton Ave.
The menu will revolve around a bit of a “greatest hits” philosophy. Raley explains in the opening announcement: “After taking a really good look at what we were selling the most of, we naturally decided to focus more on tacos and tostadas, margaritas, and Mexican seafood dishes, and what we arrived at is the most natural expansion brand for Butchertown Hall.”
Expect plenty of oyster dishes and fish tacos, plus spicy Mexican seafood including aquachile, ceviches and mariscos. Raley also plans to offer a crave-able margarita menu that will be ideal to accompany spicy seafood.
The rooftop of the Mercado building will be a separate venture named Ramone’s. Offering sweeping views and both raw and cured food items, Ramone’s aims to be a destination for lovers of frozen margaritas, Champagne and sparkling wines, so, just about everyone! It’s hard to believe that Nashville’s already excellent seafood scene could get better, but here we go.
Finally, after a few weeks of hinting on social media, Arnold’s Country Kitchen has finally shared the details of an upcoming pop-up opportunity at their former location at 605 Eighth Ave. S. For Thanksgiving week, the kitchen will fire up again for daytime dining from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Nov. 20 through 22. This service will be the regular steam table offerings, with some limited to-go options available from the bar. But come ready to stand in line if you come. (It’ll be worth it!)
On Thanksgiving Day, they are offering two seatings for a special Turkey Day menu — at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Reservations are required for these meals, and they have been receiving email requests ever since the meal was announced. If you want to get on the wait list to get on the wait list if some of the people on the wait list cancel their wait list status, you can always send an email to Arnoldsmeatand3@gmail.com. But really, you’re probably better off buying a Powerball ticket and offering to purchase the restaurant if you win.
Still it’s great to have the old band together again, even if it is for a few fleeting days!
