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When City Winery founder Michael Dorf was looking for a new location for his small chain of boutique winery/restaurant/performance venues, Nashville was an easy choice.
'We saw a need for a venue with about 300 seats,” he says. 'And Nashville is a perfect spot for our luxury entertainment experience, plus the people here love great food and wine.”
Dorf's team rushed the SoBro construction project to have it completed in time to host events for September's Americana Music Association Festival, and City Winery officially opened in October. While the intimate performance hall features national touring acts, the food and drink program is worth a visit, too. The converted warehouse has soaring ceilings and offers a number of different places to dine and imbibe: patios, decks, private rooms, and eventually, the functioning winery space (it will open in 2015).
What to Order:
Crispy Risotto Balls, $11Corned Duck Tacos, $14Wagyu Beef Tartare, $16Grilled Tofu, $16Chicken Breast Fricassee, $20
To drink, it's all about the wine. Try one of the house's ten options, which are currently produced at other CW facilities in New York, Chicago, and Napa and poured from a high-tech tap system at multiple bars throughout the facility. Diners are offered a sample when they arrive. There's also the VinoFile Club: Members pay $75 a year for a host of perks (like free valet parking, advance notice on ticket sales, and waived service fees) as well as a computerized system that tracks which, and how much, wine they've been enjoying most. Wine director David Mensch uses the data to make specialized recommendations, like a bottle from the sommelier's list (which varies in price and style) or from his private stash of more than 400 rare and interesting wines.
As for the food, chef Kristin Beringson, who worked most recently at Holland House, developed the menu based on her own ideas and ones gathered from the other City Winery locations. There are plenty of small plates, allowing diners to create a customized tasting menu to pair with the wines or to snack on before a showgo for the crispy risotto balls filled with short rib and pimento cheese or the truffled fingerling frites with prosciutto and Parmesan (Beringson popularized those at Holland House). There's also a local spin on French onion soup (dubbed Nash Onion Soup) and a chicken fricassee featuring Weisenberger grits from Kentucky. Red-meat lovers can get their fill with a pan-roasted flat iron steak or delicate spice-rubbed lamb loin, sliced and served with fava beans, charred cipollini onions, and a barley risotto.
Clearly, City Winery aims high in its goal for wining, dining, and music appreciation. Thanks to the mix-and-match menu, deep wine list, and exciting artist lineup, we'd say it's hitting the mark.
609 Lafayette St.; 615-324-1010; citywinery.com/nashville