Fresh Hospitality’s triplex of restaurant spaces at 1120 Fourth Ave. N. has had a bit of turnover over the past few years. Among the restaurant projects that have occupied the three stalls since 2015 are Cochon Butcher, Little Donkey, NoBaked Cookie Dough, Cosmic Creamery, I Love Juice Bar and Vui’s Kitchen, along with current residents Waldo’s Chicken and Rolled 4 Ever Ice Cream.
Suite 101 has been vacant since Vui’s pulled out and Juice Bar moved to the Nashville Farmers' Market, but a new tenant plans to open up before the end of August. Chef Jessie Husmann has been in charge of Fresh’s Tacos Aurora in Hunters Station since soon after it opened and has decided to tweak the concept a bit with an expanded menu for her second venture into the world of restaurateuring with Tomacco Taco in Germantown.
The taqueria’s name comes from a classic Simpsons episode in which Homer accidentally crosses tomato and tobacco seeds and plants them with plutonium rods to create a product described as “deliciously addictive.” When I asked Husmann if she had checked to make sure the trademark was been cleared, she responded sheepishly, “Sure, somebody did that, I think.” Fingers crossed!
The Minnesota native told her parents at age 7 that she was going to open a restaurant someday and attended culinary school in upstate New York on the way to fulfilling her promise. A want ad for Vanderbilt foodservice drew her to Nashville, where she found a new home (and a husband!). The gig at Tacos Aurora hooked her up with the Fresh Hospitality team, who have been instrumental in the development of Tomacco, both in terms of menu development and operations.
The concept was born out of Husmann’s observation that Germantown seemed to have a need for a spot to enjoy some upscale fast-casual Mexican food along with a comfortable bar to hang out at. Tomacco Taco + Tequila aims to fill that hole with a community-oriented restaurant offering a menu of California-inspired street tacos, burritos and other specialty items, including some brought over from the Tacos Aurora menu. I’m particularly looking forward to those Borracho Fries, basically a holy hybrid of cheesy, meaty nachos and poutine whose name translates to “drunken fries” — the more accurate “Stoner Fries” might not pass muster this close to where the state legislature meets.
The staff at Tacos Aurora has been helping out with recipe testing, including coming up with enough different salsas to challenge Guy Fieri’s chicken sauce list, and I was particularly taken by the fiery roja salsa made with Roma tomatoes. Creamy scratch-made guacamole was another highlight at my menu sampling, and Husmann is proud to admit that both restaurants source their tortillas locally from La Hacienda, because frankly, “We can’t make them better than they do!”
The bar program will be intentionally limited, or rather focused, with an emphasis on clear spirits, particularly agave products. Expect a good selection of tequila, mezcal, raicilla, bacanora and sotol available as parts of flights, straight up or in margaritas. Tomacco will also serve Walker Brothers hard craft kombucha on draft. Another fun promise will be Tomacco’s take on the ubiquitous local frozen memory eraser, the Bushwhacker. Concocted using their own horchata made daily in-house, it sounds like a fine accompaniment to an order of those fries.
Husmann is bravely optimistic about staffing up at her new venture, having already assembled a team and leaning on her Tacos Aurora crew as well. She promises an emphasis on true hospitality as part of staff training, with the goal of creating a staff that can educate customers about the difference between the agave spirits and describe the nuances of a nopal corn salad.
The chef has a keen eye for design too, with fun accents like a vibrant Dolly Parton mural, titled “The Parton Saint of Nashville,” painted by the same artist who created ’za’s iconic Bill Murray mural in Hillsboro Village, Becca Wildsmith. Another fun touch will be the specialty drinks served in tiny Dolly votive candle glasses that you can take home as a souvenir.
Husmann is confident that Tomacco will be open by the end of August, so keep an eye on suite 101 of that apparently cursed building, because Husmann promises, “We’re gonna break the jinx!” ¡Espero que sí!
