Maneet Chauhan's Gulch room in Nashville runs globally inflected American comfort food with strong cocktails, opened 2018 and steady at the top of the area lists.
Signature dishes: Crispy pork shank, Fried chicken
Must order: Crispy pork shank with chili crisp, plus the kale Caesar.
Tip: Happy hour is generous and easy to walk into; book ahead for the patio in warm weather.
Address: 121A 12th Ave North, Nashville, TN 37203
Chef Philip Krajeck's Germantown Italian-American kitchen in Nashville opened in 2012 inside the Werthan factory and runs handmade pastas and wood-fired plates.
Signature: Squid ink chitarra, Wood-fired pork chop
Order: Squid ink chitarra with octopus and chickpea, plus the wood-fired pork.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out on Resy; the bar takes walk-ins from 17:00 and serves the same menu.
Chef Tandy Wilson's Germantown room in Nashville serves blue-collar Italian and Southern cooking since 2007. Wilson won the James Beard Best Chef Southeast in 2016.
Signature: Belly ham pizza, Catfish with chickpeas
Order: Belly ham pizza with mozzarella, oregano, chiles and pickled peppers.
Tip: Bradley Midgett took executive chef duties in March 2025; the menu stays Wilson's. Sunday Suppers are the easy seat.
Chef Julia Sullivan's Germantown seafood room in Nashville opened in 2017 with a raw bar, wood-grill program and a wine list built around growers.
Signature: Oyster tower, Wood-grilled fish
Order: Half-dozen oysters from the daily list, then the wood-grilled whole fish.
Tip: Brunch on Saturday is the easier seat. Happy hour 17:00 to 18:00 runs $1 oysters at the bar.
Ford Fry's Atlanta-born seafood concept landed in Nashville's Germantown Hammer Mill in 2023, anchoring a seafood tower programme and Le Loup cocktail lounge.
Signature: Seafood tower, Oysters and grilled fish
Order: The opulent seafood tower for two, plus the wood-grilled fish of the day.
Tip: Skip the line by booking the bar; downstairs at Le Loup serves the same raw bar with cocktails.
Sean Brock's Rutledge Hill institution in Nashville cooks ingredient-driven Southern food on a wood hearth, run today by chef de cuisine Brian Baxter.
Signature: Cornbread skillet, Pork belly with peas
Order: The cornbread skillet, then whatever the menu lists from the wood hearth.
Tip: Lunch is a quieter seat with the same kitchen. Book the porch in spring; it overlooks downtown.
Sean Brock's East Nashville Appalachian fine-dining room opened in 2021, named for his grandmother. Recommended in the inaugural 2025 Michelin Guide American South.
Signature: Heritage pork, Cornmeal and grits
Order: The full tasting if you can; otherwise heritage pork from Brock's own farm.
Tip: June, the upstairs tasting counter, is on hiatus for guest chef sessions in 2026. Audrey itself runs nightly.
