Nashville Food Friday: Husk

There are few things in life that excite me more than a news of a new restaurant opening in Nashville, especially one associated with a James Beard Award-Winning chef. Makes me feel like Nashville won the lotto and my stomach gets to cash the check. Chef Sean Brock brought his Charleston based ode to southern cuisine Husk to Nashville for its second iteration. And what better place to open your second restaurant than in the booming food city of Nashville? (My personal, biased opinion.) Since Husk has been open for about 3 months, I figured it was high time to give it a go.

Located in an old house on Rutledge Hill, Husk might have one of the best looking exteriors of any restaurant in town. I can't think of a better place to eat southern food than a big old southern house that's on the historic registry. I also really like that Husk has a good amount of parking, so good that you don't even need to valet (we didn't even see one). 

I have to include a note about the service at Husk. It was phenomenal, almost traditional French style service. All dishes came out at the same time, each carried by a different waiter. They replaced silverware with every course and they worked like a well oiled machine. This is exactly what you expect from a top restaurant, and Husk delivers. 

The rooms inside retain their original charm, but with updated paint and fixtures. This room was Mardi Gras purple with a lightly patterned wall paper and green velvet curtains. While I kind of dislike purple rooms, there was no denying how beautiful the interior was. I especially loved the glass ball chandeliers. 

For a cocktail I ordered the Suelo del Bosque which was made of tequila, St. Germain, cane syrup, lime juice, jasmine bitters and sage. This drink was very light and subtle in flavor. It had the slight herbal underpinnings I was craving. While the cocktail and bourbon list was extensive and well appointed, their wine list left a little to be desired. There was a plethora of American wine, but few Cabs and no Shiraz. 

Along with our cocktails came the rolls. THE ROLLS ARE AMAZING. They were light and fluffy and were topped with sesame seeds and sea salt. The salt gave a nice crunch when you bit into the roll. It came with pork fat butter- so I was already sold on these. 

We were also given a gift from the kitchen; a corn salad that they were trying out. It was roasted corn, green onions, chili powder and basil with a green mayo. This dish was light and fresh with a little kick from the chilies. And their corn was very sweet. I'm not sure if this would be a great stand alone dish or salad, but it would be a perfect side dish. 

We ordred three different appetizers to share amongst the the table. The appetizer list was so appealing, I'm pretty sure I could come back here and order a handful of them and make it a meal. This plate of 24 month-old country ham is simple, but tasty. The ham tasted almost like prosciutto which is perfectly fine with me. It was served with pickled okra, soft rolls and a horseradish mustard. This was a great plate to split and the large wood serving plate added to the country feel.

Want to know something not shocking? I ordered fried chicken skins. I cannot stay away from fatty animal products. The skins were battered and fried, and covered in hot sauce and honey. Since I'm a fan of hot chicken, I felt this could've been a tad bit spicier for the Nashville palate. 

Our third appetizer was the crispy pigs head. They take all the meat and fat from the head of the pig and make a rillette out of it, cut a slice and then pan fry it for the crisp. Make no mistake folks, this dish is pretty much a perfect medallion of pig fat served with pickled cauliflower and purslane. It was incredibly decadent and worth every calorie it contained.  

For dinner, everyone at our table ordered the same thing, the pork duo. The night we were there the offerings were pork belly and shoulder roast. It was served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and cabbage & onions in a mustard sauce. When this dish arrived, everyone was quiet and every plate was scraped clean. The shoulder was incredibly tender- it just melted in your mouth, rendering your teeth useless. The belly had a nice crispness about it and everything was enhanced by the mustard veggies. This was pure pork perfection.

For dessert, upon a recommendation from a friend, I ordered the buttermilk pie. Buttermilk pie is basically like a sweet custard pie, full of sugar. This version was served with sweet peaches and fresh whipped cream. It was decadent and I was blown away by how good something so simple can be. I've never made a buttermilk pie, but I now feel very inclined to try one in the future. 

Husk is a great restaurant, hands down. But with all the positive press and awards, you probably already knew that. Their menu changes daily, so you can go back as often as you want (or as reservations and your wallet allow) and never have the same thing twice. I can guarantee that I'll be back soon.