The Green Pheasant's okonomiyaki
After months of anticipation, Seed Hospitality has finally opened The Green Pheasant in the modern new 222 Second Avenue building downtown. (Although the actual address is 215 First Ave. S., go figure.) The refined Japanese restaurant is the brainchild of co-owner Patrick Burke and the wife-and-husband team of Jess Benefield and Trey Burnette, who aim to maintain the same sort of casual atmosphere of their first venture together at the popular East Nashville izakaya and ramen house, Two Ten Jack.
Management has brought on popular local cook Kristin Beringson as chef de cuisine, Michael Seale as general manager, and former Two Ten Jack bartender Kynsey Hunter as beverage manager and sake sommelier, to round out the culinary and hospitality team — so they’re starting out in very good shape. I visited the space a couple of weeks ago, right after a preview night for friends and family, when the space was still a bit of a construction zone. Even then it was obvious that the new restaurant will feature a striking decor thanks to design work from Powell Design Studio. Soaring ceilings are decorated with hanging paper sculptures and dramatic light fixtures; seating features luxurious velvet upholstery and fun midcentury modern chairs and huge semicircular booths. The dining space and partially open kitchen are divided by screens and shelving stuffed with kitschy Japanese tchotchkes, reminiscent of Burke’s previous project in Hillsboro Village project, the erstwhile Lucky Belly.
The restaurant can seat almost 200 patrons when full, including plenty of little private nooks ticked in the corners to offer intimates spaces even when the dining room and bar are bustling. Given that the front door opens right across the street from Ascend Amphitheater, there should be plenty of busy nights in the future. A mezzanine overlooks the main dining room and offers additional seating including the option for private dining. Another private room is decorated with wild wallpaper from floor to wall to ceilings and should prove popular for special-event dining opportunities.
Benefield and Burnette want to continue a focus on seasonal Japanese cuisine, with ingredients sourced locally and from Asia when appropriate. The menu encourages sharing, with lots of small plate options plus a few magnum-sized entrees. Thoughtful details include adding an extra leg to their kohi-cured half-chicken, because as Benefield says, “Everybody wants the leg, so we want to make them happy.” The Green Pheasant’s steak game will be strong, with selections of Japanese Wagyu, American Wagyu and American Angus to please many palates. I sampled a couple of excellent dishes during my visit, including a simple platter of pickled vegetables that the kitchen preserved to stretch out the last of the summer’s bounty. Lobster shumai and chicken gyoza will both be on my next appetizer order, especially if I’ve bellied up to the bar to enjoy a couple draft cocktails or a legit Japanese highball made using carbonated water drawn from a machine specifically designed for creating ultra-fizzy water to mix with Japanese whiskey.
Another of the team's secret weapons is a special country ham dashi made using products from Bob Woods at The Hamery in Murfreesboro. It contributes some incredible umami to several dishes on The Green Pheasant’s menu. I’m guessing that their okonomiyaki will quickly become a fan favorite. The savory pancake dish is made from potatoes with ham, scallops, bacon and delicate wispy toppings of shaved bonito and seaweed that may still be waving in the breeze when it hits your table.
Initially open just for dinner, The Green Pleasant intends to add lunch service soon. They also plan to stay open with a limited menu between the two meals, so it should be a great place for a mid-afternoon snack or an early happy hour cocktail. Parking is available in the 222 building's garage, and valet will be offered at dinner. If you get there to taste through the rest of the menu before we do, let us know what you think in the comments below.
