In an email this week to members of his mailing list, chef Sean Brock announced some big changes coming to June, his experimental tasting-menu restaurant on the top floor of the 809 Meridian St. building that also houses Audrey. On the heels of the closure of his downtown outpost, Bar Continental, June will close for what Brock calls “for a short break as we set off on a mission of reinvigoration and transformation.”
After a little more than two years operating as a tasting-menu format with hours-long meals of multiple courses of single bites, small sips, artfully prepared plates and other elements that explored the essence of the many ingredients that make Brock’s preferred Appalachian cuisine so fascinating, Brock says he and his team will reimagine the space seeking an even better way to serve the community.
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Brock especially wanted to recognize what the kitchen has accomplished at June, saying, “Chef de Cuisine Colin Shane and our talented team have crafted hundreds of remarkable dishes and beverage pairings, creating lifelong memories for many of our extraordinary guests.”
While the 37-seat restaurant will close at the end of September, Brock intends to use the space for workshops highlighting the exploration still happening in the innovative culinary lab next to where June patrons dined. He also plans to expand his cooking classes and program through “The School of Brock.” We may see chef residencies in the space to showcase emerging talents plus additional charitable events benefiting the restaurant group’s nonprofit partner Patchwork.Â
Brock is also excited to fire up his guest chef series, which he brands as The Nashville Sessions, and to host art exhibits and receptions in the space, along with private events that can be booked through the restaurant website.
In other words, it sounds like Brock has “a concept of a plan” for the future of June, and that’s OK. The space was conceived as a place for experimentation, trial and the occasional error. Brock has long exhibited a passion for personal and professional evolution, like a shark that must keep swimming forward or sink to the bottom and die. (Why can’t they just sleep in a coral cave or something? I digress.)
While it might seem like June is throwing house-made pasta made from heritage-grown grains against the wall to see what sticks, I sense this is part of Brock's process. Many great chefs have minds that seem to perform best when they are operating in multiple lanes at the same time. There’s no doubt that when Brock and his staff focus on a concept, a dish or a cocktail, remarkable things usually happen. This is a man who spent years obsessing over the Platonic ideal of fried chicken, and we’re all lucky that he may just have discovered it while leading the kitchen at Husk. Not everyone knows it, but he’s also been on a quest to make the perfect pizza for the past few years, and I wouldn’t bet against him!
I don’t know what will come next for June, and it doesn’t sound like Brock is exactly sure either. Just keep an eye on what’s happening there and prepare to go for a wild ride or two.
