Nashville food and drink emporiums continue to come together in interesting collaborations, and news of two more pairings have recently crossed the old email transom, so I thought I'd share them with you. The first involves Pepperfire Hot Chicken and Nomzilla Sushi, which recently opened new locations in the same building at 1000 Gallatin Ave. in East Nashville
For the sushi restaurant's new fall menu, they have utilized some of Pepperfire's signature spicy seasoning on three new collaborative dishes, including a fiery cocktail. Here's the menu description of the results of this teaming-up:
The Pepper-Friar is a signature cocktail made with Old Monk Rum and Pepperfire’s original spice blend. The drink is completed with simple syrup and a lime backbone, providinga citrus complement to the spicy front of the rum and Pepperfire blend.The Hot Chicken Roll is a creative spin on the traditional sushi roll by incorporating Pepperfire-spiced chicken with avocado and cucumber. The Seared Tuna is an appetizer featuring slices of tuna with a spicy exterior garnished with chives. The Hot Chicken Roll will be served with a sauce made with Pepperfire’s spice, and the Seared Tuna will be served with kimchi sauce.
More than just good neighbors, Nomzilla owner Thet Tint and Pepperfire proprietor Isaac Beard are committed to making their new restaurant complex a dining destination for East Nashville and beyond. “We are thrilled to partner with Pepperfire to introduce a fall menu that includes some seasonal comfort favorites with a modern Asian take,” says Tint. "The collaborative effort was a natural move as we both share a passion for spice, creativity and delivering a truly unique dining experience."
“We have enjoyed having Nomzilla as a neighbor and having them open to working with our spice,” Beard says. “We’re excited to roll out (no pun intended) these news dishes at their store.”
On the drink front, Black Abbey Brewing Co. has been contracted by the Renaissance Hotel to craft a special fall/winter brew for the hotel.
The new Renaissance Ale is described as a golden ale inspired by German Köln-style beers. Made with American hops, flaked corn and six-row barley, the Renaissance Ale is still sessionable with an ABV of about 5.16 percent, so you can have more than one at a sitting. You might better recognize the Köln style of beers from Cologne, Germany, by its more popular name, Kölsch, but whatever name you use, it should be delicious.
This beer is intended to be the first of a series of collaborations between the brewery and the hotel and will be available until the end of the year. They plan to do something new after the kegs run dry.
