The main-floor bar at Le Sel
After a pretty much unblemished record of operating successful concepts around Nashville, Max and Ben Goldberg of Strategic Hospitality have opened their first real, from-scratch fine-dining restaurant with Le Sel in the ground floor of the Adelicia condo tower in Midtown. By saying that, I don't mean to belittle their earlier ventures or successes one bit. But spots like The Patterson House, Pinewood Social, Band Box, The Catbird Seat and Paradise Park Trailer Resort probably wouldn't be considered traditional fine-dining restaurants and are instead fairly unique concepts that are more (or intentionally less) than your regular sit-down dining spot. Merchants is probably the closest the Goldbergs have come to a typical fine-dining eatery, but it had already been open for many years when they took it over, resurrected it and restored it to its former glory.
So with Le Sel, the Brothers G have put their reputation as James Beard award-nominated restaurateurs on the line as they attempt to reinvent the modern French bistro. My first visit would seem to indicate that thanks to the precision and creativity of chef Rene De Leon, they are well on their way to that goal.
First of all, there's what the team has done to the cavernous interior of the restaurant space. As previous tenants Miro District, Fish and Co. and The Tippler discovered, the divided three-level space has been very problematic when it comes to creating a cohesive and inviting atmosphere. With a basement kitchen, past iterations of the space have had difficulty getting food to the table in a timely fashion, and even with talented chefs working the line, diners never really felt like they were part of the cooking experience. In today's discerning dining world, patrons want to know more about what's happening behind the curtain.
The Goldbergs have converted the isolated upper-level dining space into a sexy private room with three tables capable of hosting eight diners apiece in a room that is painted bordello-red with a striking graffiti pattern applied to the walls. There's even a private entrance from the parking garage in case VIPs don't want to be seen entering the building by us proles in the main dining room. (Although it should be noted that two A-list country stars were dining at the table next to mine on my visit and they seemed to be having a fine time.)
Meanwhile, the lower-level space has been converted into an area for socializing, with a cozy bar and a separate dining menu. Guests can lounge in sofas or comfy chairs while they enjoy craft cocktails, small bites like decadent foie gras macaroons or dessert plates. Called The Bar at Le Sel, it has a separate entrance and a small patio in case you don't want to bother with the main dining room for a quick visit and a drink.
But it's on the main floor that the Goldbergs' changes really show up. The bar area is fairly similar to the old setup, but has been updated with a clean modern bistro feel and wicker bar furniture. Whimsical light fixtures illuminate and accent the dining area, and clean black-and-white striped tiles fit with the crisp French vibe.
Where the main dining room used to feel a little too big and disconnected from the rest of the space, Le Sel has come up with a brilliant device to break up the space a bit by installing a square raw bar in the middle of the room, with stools down both sides, and a banquette table along the far end. Functional and handsome, this bar offers a casual spot to dine alone or in pairs while also dishing out platters of exotic oysters, shellfish and other seafood plates. We sampled several oyster varieties I'd never tried before, and I look forward to learning about even more bivalves from their oft-changing menu on future visits.
The Goldbergs and Chef De Leon seem to have the hospitality end of the equation down as well. In addition to working behind the raw bar, we noted, De Leon shuttled back and forth between the kitchen and visiting tables to greet friends and first-time visitors while fielding any menu questions that weren't already answered by the trained service staff. Ever the gracious hosts, the Goldbergs also checked in with diners often, but not obtrusively and seemed sincerely interested to hear the comments and suggestions of their patrons during their start-up period. Initially, I wondered about the constant soundtrack of French hip-hop playing through the dining room speakers, but by the end of the meal I was wishing that Le Sel would share that playlist on Spotify.
Before I was able to visit Le Sel, I heard from several of my foodie friends whose opinions I respect that they thought the menu was "fairly typical of a French bistro" and "possibly a bit too safe." Although I certainly haven't had the chance to try the entire menu yet, I would have to respectfully disagree after my visit.
Sure, the menu includes the same sort of standard bistro items that you might see at say, Table 3, with ratatouille, steak frites, salad Lyonnaise, French onion soup, moules frites (aka mussels and fries), and bouillabaisse all featured prominently. But De Leon's dedication to precise execution and his inventive alterations to traditional recipes were what really impressed me.
For example. I didn't order the ratatouille, but the version that I saw pass my table was absolutely gorgeous in its colorful precision. Seriously, look at this thing! (photo shamelessly stolen from Darek Bell) The frites that came with the steak and the mussels were perfectly fried, and it's a good thing they weren't offered as a side item by the pound or I would have ordered a bagful. They'll bring you ketchup if you ask, but stick with the program and try the garlic aioli instead. Even something as seemingly prosaic as the bibb salad was improved by the attention to detail, as a sprinkle of garden herbs was applied to each layer of lettuce to ensure a flavorful forkful wherever you dug in.
Other nice details came in the form of substitutions that De Leon made during his recipe development. Mignonettes accompanying the oysters are made with a variety of different acids including chardonnay, cabernet and apple vinegar. Instead of the traditional veal stock used as the base to the French onion soup, De Leon lightens the dish with the use of chicken stock instead, which is fortunate because there is plenty of that delicious Emmental cheese on top. I was particularly impressed by my bowl of moules frites, but I couldn't figure out what made them so special until De Leon revealed that he had subbed out the traditional white wine base, instead using a fragrant Belgian beer. I tore through more than one baguette soaking up that delicious broth.
It's unusual for a new restaurant to start out offering brunch, lunch and dinner, especially one with a menu as extensive (and, I ought to reveal, expensive) as Le Sel. But De Leon and the frères Goldberg are obviously pretty fearless. They didn't come into this reputedly cursed restaurant space uniformed. They have watched each previous venture rise and fall, and even worked as consultants during the last few months of The Tippler's residence. If anyone has the ideas and execution to make Le Sel work as a restaurant, even with construction and new development in the neighborhood seemingly hemming it in from all sides, I'd bet on the Goldbergs.
If you get to Le Sel and try more of the menu than I did, feel free to share your impressions and outlook in the comments.
Le Sel
1922 Adelicia St.
Nashville, TN 37212
615-490-8550
