I have worked in the food and beverage industry for 17 years in every capacity from bussing tables to consulting. I have dined at countless restaurants in France, Italy, Denmark, Canada, Mexico, and all over the United States from dive bars to 3 Michelin Stars. Yet, the single greatest bite of food I have ever had came from Midtown Nashville at a restaurant called The Catbird Seat.
The Catbird Seat is a tiny place with presence. Once greeted outside the discreet-looking wooden door, guests are led into an elevator and up to the second floor where you step through the looking glass and into the world beyond. Ask many who live here, however, and the reaction isn’t always pleasant––a fact that continues to take me by surprise. Chef Ryan Poli and Beverage Director Matthew Poli are no strangers to this particular stigma. He says, “People think it’s hoity-toity and it’s pretentious and it’s impossible to get into and it’s expensive. But, when you’re looking at a 10-course tasting menu in any other city, you’re paying close to $1,000 for it. This constant uphill battle with people––trying to break these misconceptions that they have––we’re just trying to serve good food and drinks. We’re conscious that a lot of people have been saving up and that this is expensive for [some]…we don’t want people to pay out the nose for things but there’s a cost that comes into what we’re doing.” A meal at The Catbird Seat will run you $125 in advance, plus tax and an automatic 20% gratuity. Beverage pairings––both with alcohol and without––are available for purchase once seated for your reservation. A modest price for the number of courses, quality of food, and the skilled hands preparing it. Reservations are released 30 days prior on their website, and I, for one, have never had a problem securing one.