Even while most of the restaurant news in Nashville is about the newest and shiniest, we ask you all the time to remember the independent restaurants that are still the background of the local culinary community. The Nashville Originals is a group of these non-chain establishments that band together for marketing and PR purposes to help stay front-of-mind in the face of big restaurant groups and their publicity efforts.
And next week is their time to shine: It’s officially Restaurant Week! From Jan. 20-26, members of the Nashville Originals will create special prix fixe menus or offer discounted pricing on regular menu items in order to entice diners to discover a new spot or visit an old favorite. Some of the deals are available at lunch as well, so you can take advantage of their largesse at midday. Please be courteous and make reservations whenever possible because it could get pretty busy in some of the more popular restaurants, and kitchens need to have an idea of the number of covers to expect when preparing these off-menu specials.
You can preview the menus in advance on the Restaurant Week website to help you make your choices and plan a schedule. Menus are still trickling in, so check back often for the latest updates.
Bon appétit!
