Randy Rayburn's Midtown Cafe

Before celebrity chefs planted their flags in Nashville and even before chefs were celebrities, there was Randy Rayburn. Political operative turned entrepreneur, Randy was in the middle of the restaurant zeitgeist in the 1990’s, before “hospitality groups” owned Nashville. In a town where things change constantly, it’s a comfort (and an oddity) to be able to eat lunch at a place that has been around for 35 years in the same location. 

Randy is “old Nashville,” having worked in the city for nearly five decades, when Nashville was Sunset Grille and F. Scotts and Tin Angel. And while it’s nice to take a break from all the shiny new things and celebrate the familiar, it stands to remember that Midtown Café was very much the shiny thing in Nashville back in the day. 

They fed Neil Young’s entire recording staff in one hour, kept Keifer Sutherland fed, wined and in good company during his Nashville stays, hosted Boy George’s birthday party and was a favorite lunch spot for Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, and George Strait. Randy has, as journalist Kay West stated, “fired, hired, or fed everybody in Nashville.”

This excerpt from Randy’s new self-published book, Midtown Café’s 35^th Anniversary: Stories. People. Recipes, illustrates the rich history and substantial impact his place has had in the city. The book is a walk down memory lane, and while it’s mostly “inside baseball,” with tales of long-time employees and patrons, it’s also accompanied by recipes that have been stalwarts of the menu. Native Nashvillians will enjoy the stories and newbies will enjoy a peek into the past of a town they didn’t know. The book is a true celebration of their 35^th this fall – an eternity in the restaurant business, especially through a pandemic. 

The menu at Midtown is the same celebration. Full of hard-working (mostly forgotten) standards like Shrimp and Grits, Chicken Saltimbocca, Veal Oscar, and the best Caesar Salad you’ve ever had (be sure to add blackened salmon). Also not to be missed is the infamous Lemon Artichoke Soup, which Randy got the rights to when he bought the restaurant. As Randy, another standard, is a fixture at the restaurant, greeting guests, working the bar, and jostling from table to table, you can ask him all about it. 

Congrats, Randy. We’ll see you soon.