Belle Meade Brasserie
106 Harding Place. 356-5450
Hours: 5-10 p.m. Mon-Thurs.; 5-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
Some things never change, and that’s all well and good when it comes to Christmas dinner at Granny’s house, the pulled pork sandwich at your favorite barbecue joint, or the mountain cabin that has been in your family for generations. But nearly everything else—from hairstyles to kitchens—can use a little tweaking, a little fluffing, a little refreshing, every once in a while.
When Robert Siegel and Mark Rubin opened Belle Meade Brasserie on Page Road in 1988, they took over a building that had been home to a fried chicken place, an Italian deli, Dunham Station (where chef Anita Hartel got her start), then a few other odd places, including a taco stand. They cleaned, decorated, commissioned artist Myles Maillie to paint colorful life-size figures on the walls, added a patio, put in new kitchen equipment, and introduced a menu of American classics with some regional twists. It was new and fresh and contemporary and modern, particularly considering the other options in the immediate vicinity: Sperry’s, which by then was well into its 13th year, and the Belle Meade Country Club, founded in 1916 for members only. Talk about things that never change....
The restaurant was almost immediately successful. Interestingly, Rubin recalls, people who lived nearby considered the Brasserie a casual neighborhood restaurant, a place to drop in for a bite once or twice a week. Outsiders, however, thought of the Brasserie as more of a special-occasion restaurant, perhaps due in no small part to its location in Nashville’s toniest, most exclusive neighborhood.
It made for a good mix, and over the years Belle Meade Brasserie built a solid reputation for good food, professional service and fun atmosphere, and it enjoyed a steady, steadfast clientele. And yet, on my first visit there in late 1996, I encountered service so laid-back that it bordered on lazy, food that missed more often than it hit, and dining rooms that seemed in need of a good cleaning, a fresh coat of paint and a jolt of electricity. After writing a negative review, I got an earful from many of the restaurant’s loyal fans, but I also heard from former customers who agreed that the Brasserie had gotten tired and stagnant.
I was puzzled, as both Rubin and Siegel (the latter of whom labored off and on as the Brasserie’s chef over the years) were regarded in the industry as savvy restaurateurs. After moving here in the late '70s with the Hyatt Corporation, Rubin opened Mark’s 325 Union Street, which became a popular downtown spot for a business lunch, a warm and friendly happy hour, and dinner three nights a week. He closed Mark’s in 1986. After a brief break from the biz, he was introduced to Siegel, and the two teamed up to open the Brasserie. Over the years, the Brasserie kitchen was run by some of Nashville’s best chefs, including Corey Griffith (now co-owner of mAmbu with Hartell) and Jason Kroll, who is now with Willie Thomas at Park Café. A few years after opening the Brasserie, Rubin and Siegel opened Finezza, the Italian restaurant at the Hwy. 70/Hwy. 100 split.
In the summer of 2000, the nearby building that had been Club 106, then briefly PJ’s 106, became available. This neatly coincided with Rubin and Siegel’s frustration at not being able to sign a long-term lease on their Page Road location, as well as a desire for a change. “We very much needed to rejuvenate ourselves; it’s always good to do that,” Rubin says.
On Oct. 23, 2000, the Belle Meade Brasserie opened its doors at 106 Harding Place, and showed that something old can indeed be new again. Enough remains familiar to comfort those long-term customers wary of drastic change: Michael Johnson is now in his ninth year as manager, most of the waitstaff made the move, and Rubin still oversees the front of the house. (Partner Siegel retired from the business about a year ago.) At the same time, the Brasserie’s rejuvenation provides ample reason for any who left the fold to return, and for those who have never been to give it a try.
If the original restaurant was all about contemporary cool, suited to the power-surging, go-go late '80s and early '90s, then the 2001 version of the Brasserie is all about classic comfort, embracing the warmth-seeking homebodies of a changed, uncertain world. Candlelit, and swathed in tones of taupe, brown and ivory, the main dining room has an easy, subdued elegance. The other dining area, adjoining the bar, is a little more urban and livelier, particularly when jazz pianist Mark Sorrells is on duty Thursday through Saturday nights. Choose the ambience to suit your mood.
The Brasserie’s wine list seems rather lengthy compared to the more concise versions many restaurants are offering these days, but Rubin is a wine enthusiast, and will be more than happy to guide you to an appropriate choice. In his absence, Johnson ably performs the same duty.
The menu is a mix of old and new: familiar food for the conservative and more creative offerings for the more sophisticated, but nothing too adventurous so far. The chef du maison, Matthew Dudney, is young—not yet 30—and his repertoire doesn’t have the breadth or depth of more experienced chefs. Still, he obviously took great advantage of his three-year tenure at the haute-cuisine Magnolia in Franklin, where he received an outstanding hands-on culinary education under classically trained chefs Richard Hamilton and Emile La Brousse. Dudney first worked at Belle Meade Brasserie under then-chef Shawn Sampson, taking over the kitchen about six months ago. Assisted by Joel Platt, he has earned Rubin’s confidence. His execution and presentations are commendable, and he is not afraid to experiment. Dudney is a chef to watch.
The Brasserie’s signature deep-fried corn fritters with pepper jelly lead off the menu, and they are everybody’s favorite. I would pass them by, however, in favor of the tender steamed New Zealand green-lipped mussels, served in a savory broth with a distinctive but subtle touch of anchovy paste. Equally appealing are the luscious polenta gnocchi in a shiitake mushroom broth with morsels of sweet lobster tail meat. The four large cornmeal-dusted sea scallops, served on a bed of baby spinach and peppery radicchio tossed in warmed bacon and white balsamic vinaigrette, offers a well-balanced marriage of flavors and makes another excellent start. The soup of the day, a butternut squash puree jazzed up with undertones of ginger, was a treat and another good indicator that the kitchen is having fun with flavors.
It seems ridiculous to laud a restaurant for not taking its cut salad greens out of a bag, but given the disturbing local reliance on prefab salads, it should be noted that the Brasserie’s house salad is 100-percent fresh. The Bibb salad is another menu veteran, and rightfully so, with tender Kentucky Limestone lettuce dressed with a tangy Dijon vinaigrette—though $9 is pricey for a plate of lettuce with croutons and pine nuts.
Entrée choices are predictably distributed among poultry, seafood, beef, lamb and pork, and offer something for everyone. Ward off the chill with the hearty lamb shank osso buco, slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone tenderness—no knife needed. The terrific lamb was nearly outshone by the exquisite squash and green onion risotto that it was paired with—a side item so memorable I would order as a main dish. The seared filet is another comfort food classic, perfectly cooked to order, sided with sweet tobacco onions and a brown sauce studded with chunks of bleu cheese. Global cuisinists can go Moroccan with the chicken tagine, a large breast roasted in a piquant stew of Mediterranean spices, meaty kalamata olives and cut lemons, served atop couscous with dried fruits.
The pleasingly plump lobster ravioli in a broth with the unmistakable scent of black truffle proved so popular that the Brasserie moved it from appetizer to entrée. But be warned it is a sinfully rich dish. Lighter eaters with a bent for salmon will enjoy Dudney’s skillet-roasted version, served on a bed of spinach and shallots, or the Asian-inspired peppery grilled tuna loin with bok choy and shiitake mushrooms.
On my last visit to the old Brasserie, I was sorely disappointed by the starch and vegetables plated with every entrée—they were reminiscent of a hotel banquet hall dinner. That is no longer uniformly the case; most entrées are now teamed with appropriate and individual sides.
Desserts, made in-house, cover all the bases: cheesecakes, chocolate, raspberry gratin and crème brûlée. If you can’t narrow your choices, request a sampler plate, as we did.
Opening a new restaurant is difficult, but rejuvenating an established restaurant to lure new customers without alienating the old ones is even trickier. Rubin has skillfully led Belle Meade Brasserie into fresh territory, and has accomplished a successful turnaround. Some things never change, but at the Brasserie, change is for the better.
Holiday schedule
With the exception of hotel restaurants and some ethnic eateries, most restaurants were closed on Christmas Day. Caffe Nonna in Sylvan Park is taking a slightly longer holiday break. It closed after dinner on Saturday, Dec. 23, and will not reopen until dinner on Monday Jan. 7, 2002.
Green Hills Meat Market & Cafe, having done a yeoman’s duty filling holiday meat orders, is taking a well-deserved breather. It is now closed and will also reopen Jan. 7.
