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Tandy Wilson, who has captivated Nashville diners with his Italian-inspired Southern fare at City House, shows another side of his culinary prowess at Mop/Broom Mess Hall.
Here, the James Beard Award-winning chef is cooking up an eclectic array of dishes much like what he makes for his friends and family at home.
His inspiration came in part from the size and layout of the restaurant—Wilson took over the Southern Broom and Mop building after Kuchnia & Keller closed in August. He could envision it as a neighborly place serving more affordable food and drink, as in, home cooking. Hence: A relaxed mess hall vibe, a no reservations policy, and a family-friendly menu.
Of course, home cooking for a chef of his caliber demonstrates creativity and panache. Take the barbecued chicken, a dish that helped launch the concept. It’s the kind we’ve all made on the backyard grill—sizzled over charcoal, then brushed with a ketchup-based sauce. Except that Wilson has a couple of tricks. He first marinates the chicken in olive oil with garlic and oregano. While the chicken is still on the grill, he brushes on his tangy red sauce, enhanced with a little fish sauce in the mix.
“That’s the secret,” Wilson says. “Cooking the sauce onto the chicken changes its nature.”
The result? A juicy, umami-packed bird. How he completes the dish is a game-changer too: He places the chicken on a bed of creamy slaw scattered with peanuts and crushed housemade potato chips.
“You’ll come for the chicken,” Wilson says with a smile, “but you’ll come back for the vegetables.”
That could be a bowl of charred young collard greens, placed over garlicky herb whipped cream cheese, finished with vinegar hot sauce, and crunchy hoecake crumbles. Or a plate of baked spaghetti squash and sweet potato, strewn with sliced chilis, cashews, and fried chickpeas. Or, a salad of roasted cauliflower, orange segments, and pepitas dressed in chorizo-style spices.
It’s given Wilson the platform to play with other flavor profiles. His luscious beef stew infused with lemongrass and topped with shoestring fries is steeped in cold-weather comfort, with an Asian bent. Complex, hot, sweet, savory, and sour tastes present themselves in the pork chop dish, with cubes of seared pork belly over young mustards, kimchi cabbage, and crispy rice. Take in the aromatics of fresh lime, mint, and cilantro before you dig in.
Save room for pastry chef Rebekah Turshen’s terrific desserts that tap into the spirit of a potluck or church supper—banana bread planked on cream cheese icing with cider caramel and candied walnuts, or chocolate slab cake, served warm with a scoop of vanilla, and a handful of housemade cocoa crispies. Both are homey, but sophisticated.
What makes this venture more exciting are all the possibilities a restaurant of this size can offer.
“This space lends itself to so much,” the chef says.
Already, Mop/Broom participated in Louisiana X Nashville, a one-night event pairing chefs of the Bayou State with local chefs. Sure to become a favorite is the Tuesday Night Special, a monthly collaborative dinner series where Wilson invites a colleague, like chef Margot McCormack or pitmaster Pat Martin, to prepare their brand of home cooking. These all speak to Wilson’s commitment to fostering community.
“Mainly we want you to come here and enjoy our hospitality,” he says. “Good food with good people—that’s what it’s all about.”
1300 3rd Ave N, 615-689-5224; mopbroomnashville.com