Monday Menu: Smoke Show Edition

Some country music fans are fired up that Eric Church’s massive new establishment Chief’s is opening on Lower Broad after a major renovation of the six-story building at the corner of Second Avenue that used to be home to Cotton Eyed Joe when it was owned by fellow country star John Rich. But there’s another reason why I’m excited about the impending opening.

On Friday, April 5, James Beard-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott will officially fire up the pits at his latest outpost of Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ. This will be the fifth link in Scott’s barbecue chain after his partner in the business Nick Pihakis recently announced that one of their Birmingham locations will transform into the second version of Sean Brock’s Joyland.

Scott’s South Carolina style of barbecue depends on whole-hog cookery and a simple tangy mop/sauce that enhances the taste of pork and smoke instead of masking the meat with sweet sauce. In addition to tender pulled pork, the menu will include Scott’s fantastic ribs along with catfish, turkey and chicken. Hopefully, Rodney will also feature his delicious slow-smoked prime rib sandwich, a popular dish at his original Charleston location that actually made me consider not ordering the whole hog on my last visit. (Almost.)

For the new Chief’s location, Scott will expand his offerings with new menu items, including Rodney’s take on the classic Nashville hot chicken, beef brisket and burgers. The restaurant will occupy the top two stories of the building, including a rooftop that promises to offer a “Hell of a Q” along with a hell of a view. The restaurant will offer both seated service and grab-and-go options along with private dining and catering opportunities.

In the official announcement, Scott says, “I’ve cooked whole hog in a lot of places, but none quite like Broadway.” I can confirm that statement, because I once spent a weekend with him in Manhattan at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, where Rodney cooked whole hogs in rented coffin-sized portable smokers, creating embers in a burn barrel and shoveling them by hand into each pit over staggered intervals to make sure that hogs would be ready for eating at different times of the day. I’m not sure what the New York City police thought about those eight puddles of melted asphalt under the smokers after Scott pulled out of town, but they did invite him back, so I guess they’re used to those sorts of things.

Speaking of smoke, the malt masters of Ardbeg are bringing their Masters of Smoke Airstream Tour to Music City from Wednesday, March 27, through Saturday, March 30, to educate customers about what makes their peaty, smoky, complex Islay Scotch whisky among the most-revered in the world. If you think all smoke is the same, this tour is designed to disabuse you of that simplistic notion.

At stops all over town, the Airstream will welcome guests aboard to introduce drinkers to the five unique smoke profiles that make up each whiskey in their portfolio. Upon boarding the trailer, guests will take part in sensory experiments to learn all about the different smoke profiles that Ardbeg employs: from medicinal and coal to herbal, wood and savory. After a quick discussion between the guest and ambassador, a unique smoke profile will be created, along with a recommendation of which Ardbeg Single Malt Scotch Whisky is best suited for their taste.

The Ardbeg Masters of Smoke Tour will make six stops around Nashville over the three days, and you can find out when and where they’ll be at the tour’s website. I’m particularly looking forward to the pop-up at The 404 Kitchen on March 27 from 6 until 9 p.m. I’m sure chef/whiskey evangelist Matt Bolus will have something special planned. Also attractive is the planned stop on Saturday, March 30, from 5 until 8 p.m. at The Fox Bar and Cocktail Club, where the talented mixology team will doubtlessly come up with something special to commemorate the occasion.

Finally, Wesley Keegan and his team at TailGate Brewery have quietly been building an unparalleled beer empire in Tennessee, expanding to eight locations across the state: the brewery’s Headquarters in West Nashville, Music Row, East Nashville, Germantown, South Nashville, Hendersonville and Chattanooga, not to to mention a bar at the Nashville Airport. (OK, I guess I did just mention it …)

Now they’re bringing the party to Murfreesboro, with the announcement that they will be moving into the former home of Coconut Bay Cafe 210 Stones River Mall Blvd., which has sat vacant for two years. After remodeling the space, TailGate plans to occupy more than 5,000 square feet, and follow a similar model to their original Headquarters taproom with full food menu, 30 craft beers on draft, and an outdoor seating area overlooking Stones River.

Keegan has had his eye on Murfreesboro for a while now, sharing in the official announcement: “We’ve been working on finding the perfect location here for a long time. Years. We actually tried to buy this very building a couple years ago, but it fell apart at the last second. To see it come full circle two years later is a great opportunity for us. So to everyone who’s been asking for us: we’ve been working on it! Excited to finally share our plans with craft beer fans in Murfreesboro!”

The opening date of the new taproom is dependent on contractors, weather and permitting, so I won’t even hazard a guess. If you want to follow along with the progress, keep an eye on @tailgatebrewery or @tailgatebreweryboro on social media for the latest news.