Ever since the longtime West End home of Blackstone Brewing Co. shuttered, there's been rampant curiosity about what would happen in the space. Blackstone wound up moving to its brewery facility on Clifton Avenue, opening a taproom there, and the West End space sat vacant.
Now we know what's in the works for 1918 West End Ave. It's called Saltine, and it will be a sister restaurant to Etch downtown and also Amerigo, which is just next door at 1920 West End.
Doug Hogrefe and his restaurant group 4-Top Hospitality are spinning off Saltine from its original location in Jackson, Miss. “We just signed another long-term lease for the Amerigo on West End, and then to have the space adjoining it become available for Saltine seemed a real stroke of luck," Hogrefe says in today's announcement. "There is obviously a dynamic dining market in Nashville, and we look forward to Saltine becoming a part of it.” He expects to open Saltine in late February.
Saltine's top chef in Nashville will be Steven Robilio, who trained at the New England Culinary Institute and worked in prominent Memphis restaurants, including Hog & Hominy and Interim. He says Saltine will offer Nashvillians "a unique menu with influence from Louisiana and Mississippi while incorporating the bounty of local produce, meats and cheeses.” We're told to expect fresh seafood, po’ boys, steaks, salads and a raw bar.
With 9,000 square feet of floor space, Saltine isn't going to be a tiny joint; it will have 235 seats in the restaurant and 35 at the bar, along with a patio. The general manager will be Richard Peterson, who helped open Etch. Seth Ward, a veteran of Sinema, will run the beverage program.
The original Saltine launched in 2014 in Jackson, Miss. and earned a nod in Bon Appetit's "Top 50 Best New Restaurants.
