1 of 4
2 of 4
3 of 4
4 of 4
After the successful opening of Nashville's first izakaya, Two Ten Jack, last year, Seed Hospitality partners Patrick Burke and Jason McConnell set their sights on revitalizing their other Far East concept, Zumi Sushi in Hillsboro Village. Burke drew inspiration from a recent trip to Japan, where he was struck by the energy of the youth of urban Tokyo and their fascination with American pop culture. The result of this entertaining research trip is Lucky Belly, a fun and funky sushi and burger joint that has backed into the shell of Zumi, like a hermit crab inheriting a new home.
Chef McConnell's menu reflects a mash-up of American and Japanese culture.
'Jason and I decided that the best way to capture this compelling perspective in a restaurant was to combine the two most iconic foods of Japan and America: sushi and burgers,” says Burke.
There are sharable small plates, a short roster of quirky sushi rolls, burgers, and sandwiches. The kitchen offers a nod to a Nashville favorite with an excellent hot fish sandwich that's served with pickles, mustard, and the requisite two slices of white bread.
The tight menu of burgers features locally sourced beef (grown to spec on McConnell's farm in nearby Bon Aqua) topped with artisanal ingredients. Particularly decadent is the namesake LB Burger, topped with house-cured pork belly, Tennessee white cheddar cheese, tomato jam, and grainy mustard-mayo. Meanwhile, talented sushi technicians keep the party rolling with exotic ingredients such as marinated flatiron steak, fried onions, pineapple purée, and flying fish roe stuffed inside cylinders of rice. The Dare Devil is fittingly diabolical: In a setup that could be described as 'Nipponese roulette,” one piece of the roll is loaded with habanero sauce.
There's also an impressive selection of sakes, shochus, and other spirits plus Japanese beers and local favorites. Eight different boozy milkshakes add totally warranted calories to the meal by mixing the wonderfully butterfat-laden Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream with various liquors and liqueurs.
2119 Belcourt Ave., 615-383-5770; eatatluckybelly.com