As I’ve pointed out recently, the Nashville hotel chef game is heating up. Ryan Poli is back and cooking up new things at the Bobby Hotel. Jean-Georges Vongerichten is overseeing an overhaul at the Hermitage Hotel with Kelsi Armijo in the kitchen.
Well, they are not alone. Four other hotels have some new culinary stars in their kitchens (including a former Olympian). Here’s a rundown of new hotel chefs in Nashville. These are some kitchens worth visiting even if you aren’t booking a night at the hotel (though there’s definitely nothing wrong with a staycation).
Downtown’s Noelle Nashville promoted Diego Fernandez to be hotel's new executive chef. Fernandez is a native of Mexico City and the son of a restaurateur. Fernandez and his father opened San Antonio, Texas-based Starfish in 2014. He’s worked at Alinea and other leading restaurants, as well as at Makeready Libations & Liberation in the Noelle. Now that his role also includes RareBird and Trade Room, he’ll be working on “reimagining the Noelle culinary experience through a fresh perspective,” according to a statement.
I was sad when BentoLiving closed B1281 and have been looking forward to the opening of The Hart, which is finally going to happen in November. Chef Michael B.D. Gibson will be cooking Pacific-inspired dishes at this Chestnut Hill spot, so we’ll get some of that island vibe that we got at B1281. Chef Gibson has worked at some of David Burke’s concepts in New York and he and his staff trained in Hawaii, so I am looking forward to vacation-style relaxation and food without getting on a plane. Teasers from the new menu include Smoked Tako poutine and Ahi Club sandwiches on charcoal buns.
Over in Midtown, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel named Charly Houegban executive chef. He’ll be in charge of Mason’s Restaurant and Mason Bar, which are cozy getaways near the Vanderbilt campus, as well as the POD Market, banquets and room service for the hotel. Houegban is a native of Strasbourg, France, and worked for the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, London, Hong Kong and Singapore. He competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a cyclist.
Ellington's Restaurant, the fourth-floor hideaway at the Fairlane Hotel, launched a new menu that is the brainchild of new executive chef Christopher Ayala. The idea is to offer nostalgic mid-20th-century staples with modern twists, which pretty much sums up the Fairlane Hotel in general. Sneak peeks include a burrata sourdough toast and a bone-in pork chop with a bourbon gastrique.
