One of Nashville’s most celebrated restaurants is about to have a sister establishment. Chef-owner Philip Krajeck of Rolf and Daughters announced that he has staked out a former A&P store in East Nashville’s McFerrin Park neighborhood to house the upcoming restaurant project, which doesn’t yet have a name. It’s expected to open in late spring 2017.
Given that Rolf opened to huge acclaim way back in 2012 (eons ago in New Nashville time), it’s striking that it will be almost five years between the openings of Krajeck’s two projects. But the chef, who studied both at hotelier school in Switzerland (where he trained in French culinary methods with a cohort of Italians who whipped up “really pristine classic Italian dishes” for the staff meal) and the University of Alabama-Huntsville, is a methodical creator — in fact, Rolf and Daughters took three years to launch.
It’s hard to imagine now, but when Rolf opened in the redeveloped Werthan factory site, Germantown was still a relatively novel spot for such a project. Now Germantown feels like it’s a hot, pulsing center in the city’s new restaurant scene. That’s why it’s interesting that Krajeck has chosen McFerrin Park, a mostly residential neighborhood with just a slim list of food joints, including the Southern breakfast-and-lunch spot the Meridian Street Cafe, and the little neighborhood beer bar Wilburn Street Tavern.
The ex-A&P store at 832 Meridian St. features 18-foot ceilings and exposed interior brick. “I fell in love with the neighborhood and space and can’t wait to bring energy back to the building,” Krajeck says in the announcement. “The history of the place and proximity to both downtown and Rolf and Daughters made it a natural choice.”
The new restaurant will seat 100. As for food and drink, Krajeck promises “vegetable-centric, shareable plates, wood-fired pizza … and large-format dishes (such as a suckling pork shoulder for four)” and an “all natural wine list.”
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Meanwhile, a new wine and tapas bar, Barcelona, just opened in a high-profile spot: the Edgehill Village strip that features Taco Mamacita, Legato Gelato and (hidden away in the back) the innovative bar Old Glory.
Barcelona Wine Bar is a small chain that started in Connecticut; at the Nashville location, the kitchen team is headed by chef Andy Hayes, a Tennessee native who worked with both Sean Brock and Tyler Brown at the Capitol Grille (eventually rising to the position of chef de cuisine) and later did a stint at the acclaimed Gramercy Tavern in New York.
The Barcelona menu is filled with classic Spanish tapas dishes and charcuterie, and the wine list is extensive — including a roster of tapas-friendly sherries. Both the food and drink slates should be interesting to explore.
Barcelona Wine Bar is located at 1200 Villa Place (615-327-0600).
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Frosty Pimm's Cup from The Hook
The Hook, which made a name for itself in Melrose with fresh fish and frozen cocktails, has closed. Reed Hospitality Group confirmed the shuttering on Monday.
Announced a little more than a year ago, The Hook was something a bit different in the fast-casual arena. The original concept came from Dale Levitski, then chef at the Reed-owned Sinema down the street, and focused on seafood. Vasisht Ramasubramanian, better known as Chef V, came over from Chauhaun Ale and Masala House to run the operation in January.
But in spite of great reviews — the slushies were honored in Best of Nashville this year; the crawfish and corn fritters were some of the best bites in town — the brightly colored spot couldn’t achieve the kind of liftoff needed to succeed. Reed Hospitality will keep the space and re-concept it, and Chef V will leave the group.
“We continue to be excited by the shift that is taking place in our neighborhood,” said Ed Reed, managing director. “The surge in housing construction makes the Eighth Avenue community one of the fastest growing in the city and requires us to provide a different food and beverage offering. We will transform the menu and decor into something that the neighborhood will really embrace. Stay tuned.”
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Poke bowl from Funk Seoul Brother
Funk Seoul Brother is expanding.
The popular food truck based around Korean and Japanese flavors that spawned a bricks-and-mortar location in Midtown is adding a second space in the Factory at Franklin.
While the truck and the spot across from Vanderbilt have had a lot of success with their sushi burritos, the Franklin space will focus just on poke bowls, chunks of sushi served with rice and other accompaniments.
“When we opened our Midtown location a few months ago, I knew people would come for the sushi burritos, but they came back for the poke,” says owner B.J. Lofback. “When the opportunity came to put a Funk Seoul Brother in the Factory, I knew instantly that it needed to be like one of the tiny poke shops popping up all over L.A. and NYC. While the ingredients are similar, the flavor profiles are very different. The poke menu will respect the classic Hawaiian flavors, but I’m opening some doors into the quirky and unexpected flavors that people have come to expect from us.”
The restaurant will expand Lofback’s Riffs empire, which also includes Riffs Cafe out in the Highland Ridge office complex.
Lofback says that a preview for the new location at the Made South Holiday Market over the weekend in Franklin went “very well.”
“I’m very excited about this menu,” he tells the Scene.
Steve Cavendish contributed to this report.
