Joe Shaw, perhaps one of the city’s best-known and well-regarded chefs, didn’t plan to spend his life in the kitchen. The Alabama native got a degree in educational psychology, but once out and working in the profession, determined that wasn’t the job for him. He spent four years as a carpenter before a car accident left him unable to work for months. Shaw then took a part-time job as a waiter to supplement his income and progressed through the restaurant world, as bartender, bar manager, then assistant manager. This last role required he spend some time in the kitchen, and once he got there he was hooked.
About 12 year ago, Shaw found himself employed by Birmingham’s legendary Frank Stitt, famed for restaurants Highlands Bar and Grill and Bottega, who became his culinary mentor. When Nashville’s Jerry Brown set his sights on opening a restaurant (Watermark), he hoped to do it in the style of Frank Stitt, and called him for advice. Stitt, then touring with his new cookbook, referred him to Dean Robb, who connected Shaw and Brown in turn. (Brown would eventually hire Robb to open Miro District.) Shaw moved to Nashville as Brown’s new executive chef at Watermark.
With Watermark a success, Shaw opted to move on and take a position as executive chef at The Standard; now, he’s returned to the Jerry Brown fold by taking the same position at Miro District.
Shaw has re-envisioned the menu, blending the traditions of Southern cookery with the cuisine that provided many of its original inspirations and that still thrives across the south of Europe. Mixing the classic styles of food preparation found in Provence or the Alpine regions of Italy with the regional variations of Southern food, from Low Country to deep South to Creole and Cajun.
The result is the diverse, rich and flavorful menu that’s newly debuted at Miro District—only intensified by Shaw’s commitment to using fresh local foods from the downtown Farmers’ Market. Guests can nosh on steak frites, braised rabbit, Carolina shrimp and grits, a Croque Madame or a fabulous Louisville Brown sandwich, among other delicious options.
As Miro District (the restaurant is named for the 18th century designation for Nashville) has had four incarnations so far, Shaw and Brown wanted to get this one up and running, and hopefully well established, for the season. To do that, Shaw also looked for ways to entice guests into a true appreciation of the unusual Miro space in the Adelicia, including the incorporation of a chef’s table in the downstairs dining room, with a newly developed prix fixe menu, a window into the kitchen itself, and plenty of good wine guidance from Shaw.
If you haven’t been to Miro District in awhile, Joe Shaw’s presence provides plenty of impetus to visit immediately.
Open-Faced BLT Bruschetta
Ingredients:
Four slices French bread or country baguette
Olive oil
Raw garlic clove
One large ripe tomato
1/4 pound good, thick-cut bacon
About 2 ounces light brown sugar
3-4 ounces by weight baby arugula or other small lettuce leaves
Juice of one lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce homemade mayonnaise or aioli
Begin by brushing each slice of bread with the oil and grill until toasted on both sides. Rub the top side of each toast with the raw garlic. To prepare the bacon, cut the slices in half crosswise, and lay out on a cookie sheet. Top each slice with about 1/2 teaspoon of the brown sugar and spread evenly. Cook the bacon in a preheated oven (357 degrees) for 12 to 15 minutes or until brown and crisp.
When the bacon is cool, slice the tomatoes to fit the bread and toss the arugula with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt.
To assemble the bruschetta, spread each toast with the mayonnaise or aioli. Top each slice with the tomato, followed by the bacon and then the arugula.
—as served at the James Beard Dinner at Belle Meade Plantation, September 2008.
The Farmers’ Market Salad
(four servings)
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh field peas, lady peas or crowder peas
1 cup cup corn (off the cob)
Two heirloom tomatoes
1/4 9-inch loaf of cornbread, cut into cubes
Splash of good sherry or cider vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of sugar
One minced shallot or 1 ounce minced red onion
Blanch the peas and corn separately in two cups of water seasoned with a bit of salt, sugar and butter, then cool.
When cool, toss together with the shallot or red onion, the vinegar, sea salt, sugar and olive oil, and arrange to the side of a 9-inch plate. Slice the tomatoes and divide between the four plates. Top with the cornbread croutons. Drizzle all with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Enjoy!
—as served at Miro District