1 of 8
2 of 8
3 of 8
4 of 8
5 of 8
6 of 8
7 of 8
8 of 8
What to eat: Sunburst trout crudo; octopus; lamb meatballs; mushroom, black truffle, and fontina pizza; gnocchi; Duroc porchetta; cobia; six-ounce wagyu filet; house-made gelato
What to drink: Start with a classic Negroni (New Amsterdam gin, Campari, sweet vermouth) or an Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, soda) but move quickly over to the red-heavy wine list with a Super Tuscan blend or a Barolo.
Nashville has picked up plenty of new styles of cuisine this past yearfrom ramen to Lebanese. But still, there seemed to be too few places to dig into a really good plate of house-made pasta. Enter Moto, the shiniest new jewel on the M Street Restaurant Group's crown, and chef Andy Hayes, who brings with him a stellar pedigree (Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Café, The Whelk) and a new interpretation of modern Italian cuisine. By digging to the roots of simple, rustic Italian cooking and elevating traditional dishes with a mix of superb local and imported ingredients, he's created an outstanding addition to Music City's ever-growing food scene.
The hefty menu at Moto reflects his visionthere are traditional dishes plus new interpretations, like his blueberry lasagna, which Hayes calls 'a definition of my life's work.” He grew up spending summers on his grandmother's blueberry farm in Jackson, Tennessee; as a young teenager, he'd pick fruit for cash. Fast-forward to his time at Gramercy Tavern, where he learned the techniques to perfect a hearty mushroom lasagna, followed by a stint at Union Square Café, where he picked up a recipe for a cranberry balsamic reduction in which the cranberries could be subbed out for blueberries. Further into his study of Italian cuisine, he discovered that blueberries and porcini mushrooms were actually a standard combination in Northern Italy.
'It started on the blueberry farm, then came the technique and learning under these incredible chefs, and finally the detail of this regional pairing. It all came together into this beautiful, super-refined mushroom lasagna with a blueberry reduction. It's one of those things you taste, thinking ‘This won't work'but then it absolutely does,” he says.
Most of Moto's dishes, though, need not be overthought, like the Duroc porchetta entrée, a stuffed, roasted pork loin that shows off remarkable flavor and depth. Hayes gets his pigs from Porter Road Butcher (co-owner Chris Carter once worked with him at Capitol Grille, and the two remain good friends) and uses the pork in about eight or nine dishes on the menu. Same goes for the Sunburst trout crudo, which Hayes slices thinly, pairs alongside sliced fennel, then bathes in a neon broth of blood orange juice. It gets vivid with sprigs of multicolored microgreens, fennel fronds, and benne seeds. He's also mastered an octopus dish; his technique of brining, grilling, and preserving it confit in olive oil, then portioning and grilling again not only renders the cephalopod into a heavenly tenderness but also infuses it with grill smoke. Topped with a bright salsa verde and served over borlotti beans, the dish is revelatory.
Even humble comfort foods, like meatballs, show a commitment to the ingredients (those come in three styles: pork, lamb, and wagyu beef), as do all of the pastas, which are made in-house (except for an off-the-menu gluten-free option). The tender gnocchi is a highlightmade from ricotta, it's pillowy soft and tossed in a light cheese sauce with bits of green apple added for texture. Hayes also plays around with pizzas (go for the mushroom, black truffle, and fontina) and offers a selection of steaks and chopsit somewhat mirrors the program used by chef Robert Grace at sister restaurant Kayne Prime, meaning Hayes is getting all wagyu beef from American farms.
A glassed-in wine cellar sits against one wall of the space, showing off the restaurant's deep, 250-bottle, red-heavy list that's brimming with well-made Brunellos, Barbarescos, and Super Tuscans as well as American cabernets. (There are about 30 choices by the glass each night.) And, as it is with all M Street properties, the beautiful crowd has quickly discovered Moto. The night we were there, we spotted a big-name artist and his wife dining nearby, plus various members of the city's social set. Clearly, it's become a place in town to see and be seenbut now you can do it while enjoying impeccably prepared dishes and a lovely glass of wine to go with them.
1120 McGavock St.; 615-736-5305; mstreetnashville.com