“All dishes tell a story,” says chef Eddie Hernandez of Nashville’s Taquería del Sol.
We sit on the patio on a bright April afternoon, with the bustle of Charlotte Avenue humming in the background. In front of me sits the chef, who embodies the very elements he brings to his cuisine: old South meets Mexican.
Hernandez makes a food request as we settle into our conversation. He smiles as a broad tray quickly returns, laden with heavy platters: brisket enchiladas, Memphis and Carnitas tacos, guacamole, tortilla chips, and three kinds of salsa—including asada and salsa verde. This southern blend—in both cuisine, and Hernandez’s direct, thoughtful manner—is seamless.
“You see this dish?” I lift my eyes away from the food and to Hernandez’s calm brown eyes. He holds a spoon over a small mason jar—a creation named “the George.”
“This is named after a customer we had in the 2000s, a man named George.” I look closer at the jar next to me: layers of collard greens, beans, and rice. The fork goes down, and I take my first bite of Hernandez’s food with the spoon: rich, spicy collards; starchy beans, and smooth bites of brown rice. I’m hooked.
“George was a regular in our Atlanta restaurant, and he wanted a ‘Meat ‘n Three’ in one dish. We decided to blend it into a jar, and would serve it to him when he came to the restaurant. Since, we just called it ‘the George.’” I take another furtive bite.
“It’s delicious.”
“It’s not on the menu,” Hernandez says. He winks. “VIP only.”
