When Susan Cone purchased Casablanca last October from Mario Ferrari (of Mario’s) and Wally Kemp (of Valentino’s), she inherited a floundering restaurant in a space that many had come to regard as jinxed (before Casablanca, it was Trilogy, and before that Maude’s), a hackneyed theme that never caught the imagination of Nashville diners, a décor that featured a live parrot and a huge painted mural of Mario sitting with Humphrey Bogart in Rick’s American Café, a piano bar that never quite hit the high note, and a menu that was uninspired and unfocused.
As if that weren’t enough to guarantee failure, Cone, daughter of Charlotte and Tom Cone and chief operating officer of Cone Oil, had no restaurant experience other than as a good customer and friend of several Nashville restaurateurs and chefs. When she consulted with her pal and Sunset Grill owner Randy Rayburn, his advice was simply, ”Don’t do it!“
Nonetheless, she took the plunge, with the idea of creating a restaurant for her own demographic—young and Baby Boomer professionals—along the lines of F. Scott’s and Sunset Grill, ”upscale dining at affordable prices.“
She spent the first few months learning basic operating procedures before closing the restaurant Jan. 1 for an interior redesign. When it reopened as Atlantis on Jan. 24, she and chef Leslie Hurst also introduced a new menu that emphasized fresh fish. ”I think Nashville needs a seafood restaurant,“ Cone asserts.
Unfortunately, even with the new name, new look, and new menu, Atlantis floundered. Subsequently, Cone went fishing for a solution and just this week announced a big catch: Josh Weekley, currently executive chef at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza, has given his 30-day notice to the hotel, has purchased a partnership in the restaurant, is already tinkering in the kitchen, and on June 1 will roll out a brand-new menu.
Hurst has left to pursue the ever popular other options, while her sous chef, Jason Luna (formerly of Emeril’s in New Orleans) remains on board for the transition.
”When I was first considering buying the restaurant, I said if I could hire any chef in town it would be Josh Weekley. I had always loved his food when he was at F. Scott’s and I just think he is a fabulous cook.“
Coincidentally, Weekley, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, had long been wanting to open his own restaurant. He and Cone had been friends since his days at F. Scott’s, where he worked when he first came to Nashville 10 years ago after a three-year stint at Le Bernadin in New York City. He also spent three years at F. Scott’s, where he established a reputation among Nashville foodies for his fresh, simple foods and his undeniable flair with fish. He has spent the past seven years at Loews, overseeing all food operations, including banquets, room service, catering, and the Plaza Grill. Though he learned a great deal about the business end of the food business, he missed spending hands-on time in a kitchen.
”I helped Susan out when she first opened and did a 90-day consulting thing with her, though Leslie did the new menu for Atlantis. Recently, Susan was looking to be more aggressive in going forward with the restaurant and at the same time, I had begun looking for properties and investors to do my own thing. We finally decided that it didn’t make sense to compete with each other and came to the conclusion that we would join forces and make this restaurant really work. She is very passionate about what she is doing and so am I, so we think it will be a great partnership.“
The couple also became an item during Weekley’s consultation period, an ill-kept secret in the gossipy restaurant industry. They are looking forward to working together, though Cone will stick to the front of the house while Weekley rules the kitchen. The new menu will feature plenty of fresh fish, taking advantage of the contacts and purveyors Weekley has built up over the years, as well as meats and, coming at the start of the summer season, plenty of fresh vegetables and herbs.
With Weekley in charge of the food, and the sharp Cone taking care of business, look for Atlantis to finally begin making the waves it promised some months ago. Atlantis is open 4-11 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., until 1 a.m. Fri.-Sat.
