Denrael

I’ve had City House in Nashville on my list for quite sometime now as a must visit restaurant. Co-owners Tandy Wilson and Anne Kostroski both come from Margot, another of my favorite spots in Nashville.

At City House, which opened in 2007, Tandy runs the kitchen which is complete with a chef’s counter, while Anne is the pastry chef. The two nights I was there recently, both Anne and Tandy were highly visible, Tandy in the Kitchen, and Anne all over the front of house making everyone feel welcome. One of the two nights I was there was Valentine’s Day. I was in town with some business associates and even though the restaurant was packed, with a little flexibility on our side Anne was able to accomodate us and make us feel at home on a night when we all would have preferred to be with loved ones.

As someone who travels solo a majority of the year, I am always on the lookout for a restaurant with a chef’s counter. Nothing is worse to the solo diner than having to sit at a table by yourself. A good book is always a possibility but how much more fun is it to sit at the counter, watch your food being prepared and in my case be able to talk with people that share your passion for great food. From that aspect City House is right up there at the top of my list of places to visit and visit often.

Prior to visiting City House, I had been reading the reviews and saw it described as a fusion style. On this I would have to disagree. After my first meal, I had a conversation with Anne, and one of my first comments was I loved how they embraced a style that let the food speak for itself. This should not be confused with simple, but rather having the sense and ability to take top quality ingredients and prepare them in a manner that lets the natural flavors come thru. The first night I was there I had some pan seared sardines which I am still licking my lips over. Positively delicious. They also have some wonderful force meats such as the house cured salami which reminded me of Salumi in Seattle.

Over the course of two visits I tried as wide a variety as I could of the menu and was not disappointed by any of it. Specific recomendations would be as I mentioned, the sardines (when they have them), the Oreccheitte, any house cured meat, or one of the pizzas. One of the advantages of sitting at the chef’s counter is I could pick and choose what to try next as I watched other diner’s dishes go out.

You may have noticed the picture at the top of this review. As great as the dining experience was, equally exciting to me was to find a stellar bartender. The Sazerac is a cocktail steeped in history and tradition. Arguable the Sazerac is one of the oldest cocktails, dating back to New Orleans in the 1850’s. I won’t go into the history here, but if you Google Sazerac Cocktail you will find several sites that explore the history of this complex delightful drink. Finding a bartender that actually knows how to prepare this cocktail is akin to finding the Holy Grail. Austin at City House is one of those bartenders. As I watched him prepare the cocktail, I could tell that he appreciated the comlpexity in flavor that this cocktail brings when prepared correctly. When you visit City Hose, say hi to Austin and do try this amazing cocktail.

Located at 1222 4th Avenue North in Nashville, City House is at the top of my places to repeat list.