Where We're Eating in November and December 2024

Peninsula, East Nashville

I love everything about Peninsula. For me, it's the restaurant in Nashville that bucks the norm and pushes for creativity and innovation. A lot of times, I go to a restaurant, read a menu and know what to expect. At Peninsula, I'm blown away every time. Chef Jake Howell's food is unique, thought-provoking and beautiful. The husband-wife team of Craig and Yuri shines in the dining room, making this little Nashville restaurant one of my favorites. —Surti
@peninsula_nashville

House of Kabob, near Woodbine

Few people know Nashville has the largest Kurdish population in the world outside of Kurdistan. I've been going to House of Kabob since college, and I think I've eaten their lamb shank dish more than any other dish in Nashville. The key is to order it with a side of the lamb braising liquid and the homemade hot sauce. Ask for tahdig, and if you're lucky, you'll get some of that amazing crispy rice! —Surti
@houseofkabob_nashville

InterAsian Market & Deli, Nolensville Pike

There's something so nostalgic about going into a market that's also a deli. We are lucky that InterAsian, near the Fairgrounds, has been slinging the best banh mi in town for a while and at a great price! In addition to their sandwich menu, they have incredibly crispy pork belly and vermicelli plates available for purchase on the weekend. —Surti
@interasian

Rae’s Sandwich Shoppe, Downtown

I confess: I might have let them think it was my first visit, but in truth I’d been to Rae’s before, like, forever ago. And this visit was as good as I remembered, not just because the sandwiches are generous and warm (which they are!), but because the humans are. All of which made me feel sort of bad for letting someone think it was my first time there... but first-timers were getting a sample of brownie with their lunch, and I wanted that brownie bite with my Monte Cristo. And it was worth it. I’ll be back, and not for the first time. —Carrington Fox
@raesgourmetsandwich

Hugh Baby’s, Sylvan Park

Sometimes you need a burger and a drive-thru. When we do, we head to Hugh Baby’s on Charlotte Pike—Pat Martin’s ode to the burgers of his youth in Mississippi. Their burgers are the perfect size (relatively small), and the shakes are what dairy dreams are made of. —Jill Melton
@hughbabys

55 South, Franklin and Brentwood

For a low-key joint, Chef Jason McConnell’s Delta-flavored eatery earns high marks and will lure us to Franklin again soon, with broiled oysters on the half shell with buttery, cheesy toast; shrimp and grits with bacon, mushrooms and a tangy finish; and fried catfish. We showed up without a reservation and sat at the bar, where we enjoyed meeting the diners next to us and were quite proud of our manners for not asking to share their cheeseburgers. —Fox
@55southtn

O-Ku, Germantown

Dramatic amber lighting in this sleek Germantown dining room flatters the plates of gem-toned sashimi and sushi that cross the bustling room at cocktail hour. After a couple of creative ’tails—with and without booze—we snacked on Kung Pao tempura cauliflower with aioli and Nashville-style hot rock shrimp. Maybe someday we’ll save up and come back for the $140 omakase tasting menu with $50 sake pairing. —Fox
@okunashville

Frankies Spuntino, East Nashville

When you walk into this pizza takeout adjacent to its mothership, Frankies, you can see all the pies in plain sight, ready for you to order a slice. The seasonal white ricotta squash pizza was clean and flavorful, and the Frankies hot with sausage was perfect. —Melton
@frankiesnashville

etc., Green Hills

The lowercase, abbreviated shorthand is as low-key as chef-owner Deb Paquette’s quiet culinary cornerstone, which is synonymous with lovely lunch or cozy date night in Green Hills. The creative—can we say quirky?— menu of vegetable-forward combinations is both familiar and far-flung, ranging from patty melt with caramelized onions and roasted portobello to fried catfish with coconut rice, chili-lemongrass grilled sugar pea slaw, cashews, tamarind Balinese banana sauce and smoked pineapple oil... etc. —Fox
@etc.nashville

Café Cheeserie at Frist Art Museum, Downtown

The Frist Art Museum has reopened its café in partnership with Nashville’s beloved food truck Grilled Cheeserie. In addition to famous, from-scratch sandwiches, they offer soups, salads, charcuterie, pastries and grab-and-go items. Parm fries with the small charcuterie slider were a favorite. They also provide a great kid-friendly menu. —Sarah Wilson
@cafecheeserie

Henrietta Red, Germantown

Chef-owner Julia Sullivan’s Germantown oyster bar and restaurant is our go-to for fresh, delicious seafood in Nashville. We love how Southern flavors come out in the dishes like seared scallops with polenta and whole trout with peppers and greens, a recent favorite. Cocktail menu and desserts are fantastic, and don’t hesitate to drop in for happy hour Tuesday through Sunday, 5–6 p.m., for discounted oysters and cava. —Wilson
@henrietta_red

Kisser, East Nashville

Since its debut, this Japanese breakfast and lunch spot in East Nashville has received virtually every accolade, including a James Beard nomination. Since they don’t take reservations, expect a wait of 30 minutes or more. The tiny eatery is so popular, in fact, that they added additional tables in the hallway. (We grabbed a coffee at Flora + Fauna across the way while we waited.) The name is homage to the Japanese “kissaten,” a neighborhood spot serving comfort food. We tried the Japanese Breakfast dish and a salad with chicken katsu. We’ll be back. —Wilson
@kisser_restaurant

Two Ten Jack, East Nashville

“Just one,” I said demurely, when asked how many noodle bowls our table wanted, along with shishito peppers, Japanese fried chicken and other snacks. One? Ha! Two heaping bowls of spicy crab and one bowl of garlic noodles later, I was squeegee-ing buttery bits with my tongue so shamelessly you’d think there was something uninvited in the zero- proof rhubarb-yuzu cocktail. Fortunately, tall booths in the festive izakaya mean your party can slurp and laugh all you want without disturbing other guests... I hope. —Fox
@twotenjack

The Henry, 12 South

The clubby dining room and patio in 12 South’s new building where the Christian bookstore used to be made a dazzling first impression with pressed yellowtail sushi, chunky lump crab cakes with greens and grilled corn, shrimp tacos and Korean-style skirt steak in egg-fried rice. And that molten butter cake with vanilla gelato and caramel sauce. Oh, Henry! —Fox
@thehenryrestaurant

Blue Moon Waterfront Grille, West Nashville

While we can’t wait to see what a mixed-use development plan brings to the Cumberland River at Rock Harbor Marina, we’ll always have a special place in our hearts for Blue Moon, which was rebuilt after the 2010 Nashville flood destroyed the original. We tend to stick with the fried oyster po' boy or a catfish basket. Maybe a burger or a salad. The food is fresh and reliable, but it’s not the point. The point is dining on a dock as the sun goes down and the floating tiki bars motor through the no-wake zone. —Fox
@blue.moon.waterfront.grille

Passage Kava Lounge, Madison

It’s rare to encounter something new and surprising, so we appreciated Ryan Holding’s invitation to his wood-paneled pub and reading room to explore the Pacific Island ritual of sipping kava from coconut shells and toasting “bula!” We started with basic ground kava root in cold water, which is purported to ease stress and definitely made our mouths tingle. Kava was the most unusual thing we’ve tasted and the best group-bonding experience we’ve shared in a long time. Bula! —Fox
@passagekavalounge

Chateau West, West End

Pâté, foie gras, escargots, bœuf Bourguignon, coq au vin, portraits of the Eiffel Tower in the rain... Bien sûr, the usual suspects français are accounted for in this under-the-radar dining room. When you’re tired of new shiny things, this place is for you. Bon appétit, indeed. —Fox
@chateauwestend

Xiao Bao, East Nashville, Cleveland Park

All the right feels and food to match in the moody retro industrial space of this Asian American diner. The 40-minute wait went fast on the comfy couch with a grapefruit cocktail. Not to be missed are the okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake with katsup, candied pork and an egg) and hand-pulled noodles so long they’re served with scissors. The staff is fantastic, as is the kitchen, which you can tip separately. —Melton
@xiaobao_nashville

Geist, Germantown

While this historic blacksmith-shop-turned-restaurant had some bachelorette vibes on a recent Saturday brunch visit, we’re going to blame it on the special Veuve Clicquot promotion happening. Nestled on Jefferson in Germantown, this unassuming restaurant with its rustic old brick and wood floors and luxe velvet banquettes and tables is sheer joy. From Bloody Marys to quiche to salmon, the food was spot on, as was the service. — Melton
@geistnashville

Noko, East Nashville

Encouraged by glowing recommendations for this Asian-inspired, wood-fired spot, we got an early reservation and tried a half-dozen items from the shareable menu, where our favorites included wood-fired edamame and veggie plate, burnt ends lettuce wraps and tuna crispy rice. Service was exceptional and the cocktail menu fun. We loved the Alter Ego with tequila, Thai basil, ginger and peach. —Wilson
@nokonashville

Greenery Co., Hillsboro Village

The clean, white decor of this pretty 21st Avenue dining room rhymes with the clean-eating menu of salads and warm bowls, assembled and made to order and tossed and chopped as you walk the line of fresh vegetables, bacon, burrata, quinoa, wild rice, falafel, shrimp, chicken and grilled steak. Whether you dine in the cheery, well-lit rooms or order free delivery to Vanderbilt Hospital, payment is cashless, because money is dirty and—did we mention?—this lovely place is clean, clean, clean. —Fox
@greeneryco