In the fall, I told you about Evelyn’s, the latest signature dining iteration at the Hutton Hotel in Midtown. Over the course of the weekend of April 19-21, the culinary team at the Hutton has plans to shine a spotlight on the entire property with a series of events they are calling Toast Nashville.
The weekend will feature many guest chefs you might have seen on television, including Maneet Chauhan, Rocco Dispirito, Robert Irvine, Kevin Des Chenes and Alex Belew, our local hero who recently killed it during his chef’s demo in the VIP room at Iron Fork. Chefs Chauhan, Irvine, Dispirito and Des Chenes will join Evelyn’s executive head chef Chris Neff for a Celebrity Chef Pairing Dinner on Friday night from 7 until 9, featuring dishes from each chef paired with creative wine and cocktail choices. Afterward, guests will proceed to Analog, the Hutton’s tres cool lounge and performance space in their parking garage for live music, plus more food and beverage tasting until midnight.
Saturday kicks off with two seatings at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for a Celebrity Chef Bloodys and Bubbles Brunch at Evelyn’s courtesy of chefs Irvine, Belew, Des Chenes and Neff, along with Mary Cressler and Sean Martin of grilling and barbecue site Vindulge. Don’t fill up on brunch, though, because the Grand Tasting at Analog is the main event of the weekend, running 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. All the chefs will offer up small bites and cooking demos for the lucky assembled guests, and dozens of exhibitors, including food, creative craft cocktails, beers, wines and more will also be showcasing their wares.
After the Grand Tasting, the party continues at Analog with a performance by Big Shoes Little Feat with Shannon McNally and Friends plus a DJ set, as well as the chance to sample tequila and bourbon.
The guest chefs will split into two groups for special Sunday brunch services at Chauhan Ale & Masala House and Evelyn’s. Chef Chauhan will open her kitchen to chefs Des Chenes and Scott Peck along with desserts prepared by Chauhan's neighbors at The Mockingbird. The special brunch menu will be augmented by bubbles and bloody marys, with two seatings available at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
The home team at Evelyn’s includes chefs Rocco Dispirito, Alex Belew, Chris Neff and Mary Cressler and Sean Martin, who will create yet another unique menu, so there are clearly some choices to be made. Two seatings will be offered at the same time as at Chauhan, so conceivably, you could try to go for the two-fer.
A portion of the proceeds from the weekend events will go to The Robert Irvine Foundation and to Feeding Nashville, so you can feel good about your decadence. Tickets for the entire weekend or individual events are available now at the Toast Nashville website.
