If you've ever taken a Viking Cooking School class from Chef Jamie Watson or watched him every other Friday on WSMV's More at Midday or Better Nashville, then you already know how entertaining he is in the kitchen. But unless you've actually had a chance to sample his cuisine, you don't know the half of it. Now, thanks to his Secret Saturday Supper Club, you can seize the opportunity.
Classically trained at the prestigious French Culinary Institute in New York City, Chef Jamie has worked with some of the world’s finest chefs, including André Soltner, Alain Sailhac and Jacques Pépin, as well as influential new chefs Harold Dieterle, Jehangir Mehta and Seamus Mullen. He also worked extensively in the James Beard House kitchen.
After briefly running the kitchen at one of 12th & Porter's numerous reincarnations, Chef Jamie sought out another venue to share his culinary visions with the foodies of Nashville. His latest idea is to create a semi-regular supper club that serves a limited number of diners a generous tasting menu in a surprising location. Unlike the more traditional "secret suppers" popularized in Manhattan and Portland, these feasts will not change location. So once you're in on the secret, you'll be in the know forever. I was lucky enough to attend the first installment, and I am sworn to secrecy. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the charming bistro ambiance Chef Jamie and his wife Teri have created in this space, and by the food that came out of the small kitchen. It is within 20 minutes of downtown Nashville, so you won't have to pack extra provisions to get there.
The inaugural dinner took about 25 diners on a culinary tour of the chef's résumé, with stops in France, Singapore, Milan and Tennessee. From the delightful amuse-bouche of an okra pod fried in duck fat to a trio of tuna preparations to flavorful beef consommé that took 8 1/2 hours to create to a pork belly braised in Pritchard's Whiskey for 11 hours, the meal demonstrated an attention to detail and process that would simply be impossible in a restaurant situation.
