Signature Showcase
Local Chefs Display Their Most Iconic Dishes
By Mary Beth Wallace / Photography by Lanewood Studio
Annual Food & Drink Issue
Iconic Dishes from Local Chefs
Pork Scallopini
Il Primo
Niman Ranch pork tenderloin pounded and pan-fried, served with beurre blanc, capers, and a lemon wedge
“Pork Scallopini highlights Niman Ranch, a vendor we are proud to source. For me, this dish is an Italian rendering of a classic Southern staple. It pays homage to the pork chops on our kitchen tables enjoyed with family and friends.”
Oscar Ixcot, Executive Chef
Dry-Aged Delmonico Steak
Bridgeman’s Chophouse
16 oz. well-marbled ribeye dry-aged 65 to 90 days and brushed with a blend of rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, shallot, and black peppercorn butter
“The dry-aged Delmonico Ribeye is a great steak: The beautiful marbling makes the steak very flavorful, and the process of aging in a dry environment, where temperature and humidity are controlled, makes the steak very tender and juicy.”
Michael Quinn, Chef de Cuisine
Anderson Farm’s Lamb
St. John’s Restaurant
Anderson Farm’s Lamb, served with roasted corn succotash, cherry tomatoes, kale, Big Sycamore Farm’s charred okra, and herbed butter
“One of my favorite dishes on the menu right now is our Anderson Farm’s Lamb. This dish exemplifies Southern summer comfort. Summertime in Tennessee has an abundance of produce from so many amazing local farms, and I love that this dish is able to showcase everything summer has to offer.”
Patrick Sawyer, Executive Chef
Habanero Glazed Pork
Whitebird
Land to Table Farm smoked pork with a habanero reduction, served with fire-roasted summer vegetables, strawberry marmalade, and toasted buckwheat
“I love this dish because of all the flavor profiles balancing each other and producing an amazing flavor and texture in each bite. At Whitebird, we source all our ingredients locally, and this particular dish highlights multiple local farms, offering stories to share with our guests.”
Khaled Albanna, Executive Chef
Chilled Seafood Tower
Ruth’s Chris
Maine lobster, Alaskan king crab legs, jumbo shrimp, and colossal lump crab presented on shaved ice, served with fresh lemon, cocktail sauce, and remoulade for dipping
“The Ruth’s Chris Seafood Tower offers the kind of dining experience that is easy to love and difficult to ignore – the multi-tiered presentation is sure to garner attention from your table and the entire dining room. As I see it, half the fun of going out for a fine dining meal is getting to enjoy indulgences you’re unlikely to have at home. During these crazy times, you deserve to treat yourself to this splurge that’s worth every penny.”
James Hester, Sous Chef
Gnocchi
Alleia
Gnocchi accompanied by gulf blue crab and topped with grana padano cheese
“The gnocchi is a traditional potato dumpling that is pan-seared and tossed in a sauce of reduced white wine and champagne vinegar, butter, onion, garlic, oyster mushrooms, cherry tomatoes from Southland Farms, and fresh herbs. It has become a house favorite as it has playful, bright flavors with such fun textures from the ingredients that is sure to bring smiles to those who order it.”
Nehemias Hernandez, Chef
Surryano Ham & Melon
Easy Bistro
Surryano ham with compressed late melon, peanuts, and mint
“This dish is ephemeral, in that it won’t be around forever, but it’s one of my favorite things we are doing right now. It’s all about a love affair with the ingredients – the levels of peanut flavor, from roasted peanut oil and red-skinned peanuts to the ham that was made from pigs that were finished on peanuts before being cured, is exactly what we strive for at Easy Bistro.”
Erik Niel, Chef & Owner
