With his high-concept McCrady’s and his more rustic Husk—both in Charleston—chef Sean Brock transformed perceptions of Southern cooking from heavy, simple fare to a culinary tradition that is rich, complex, and filled with history. He worked with experts to resuscitate countless heirloom vegetables and grains lost to the agriculture industry, many of which reflect the region’s deep immigration roots (rice varieties from China; spices from Africa). He also changed the game with this simple rule: No ingredient north of the Mason-Dixon may enter the kitchen. Husk Nashville, which Brock opened in 2013, applies the same philosophy, but this time the menu is a nod to the bounty of inland Tennessee. In a 19th-century former residence in downtown Nashville, the James Beard Award–winning chef serves up his modern spin on classics such as pimento cheese, paired here with benne wafers, pickled jalapeños, and chipped beef. The Tennessee-raised pork prime rib, paired with cabbage, pecan butter, and molasses vinegar, is impossibly tender. Leave room for the vegetable plate, which highlights the best of the season’s produce.
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Celebrate Southern Ingredients at Husk
Chef Sean Brock’s Nashville outpost of his lauded Charleston restaurant opened in 2013 on Rutledge Hill near downtown. Located in the 19th-century home of a former Nashville mayor, the restaurant changes its menu twice daily and delivers dishes made from Southern-only ingredients, which could include options like Mississippi catfish roasted over embers with Anson Mill’s Brewster oats, fried cabbage, and tomato gravy.
Stables at Husk: Private Dining, Nashville-Style
Book a customized dining experience at the Stables at Husk, a private dining space located in a historic carriage house. Or, check the restaurant’s web site in advance for chef Sean Brock’s collaborative guest chef dinners.
