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Jacob Forth
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Jacob Forth
If you ask a friend, “How’s it going?” and they respond, “Oh, it’s perfectly fine,” depending on tone, all could be well… or not. And, for that reason, when creating their restaurant-bar in The Nations, one of the five co-owners, Joe Zakowski, landed on “Perfectly Fine” as its perfect name.
“The idea is that you come here on your best or worst day,” he says, “and everything will turn out perfectly fine. There’s a lot going on in the world. Our job is to be hospitable and let you leave it at the door for a while.”
Hospitality veterans Zakowski and Scout Crampton were both longtime bartenders at Mother’s Ruin in Germantown, where they befriended regulars Jerrod Carlgren, Jacob Forth, and Steve Perdue. Their talks often centered on the desire to open their own place, how it would look and feel, the kinds of things it would offer and provide. Talk became action when a viable location came available. All firsttime business owners, the five guys decided to go for it, together.
Their collaborative effort has transformed what was once a church (and more recently, Rockin’ Dough Pizza and Brewery) into a spacious bar, restaurant, lounge, and outdoor beer garden. While Zakowski and Crampton worked up the bar program, Carlgren designed the tattoo-styled logo. The others began bringing personality to the joint, outfitting the place with all manner of kitsch and vintage. In addition to seating at the long bar, booths, and 4-tops, there are lounge areas furnished with velvet couches, plush chairs, and coffee tables. Walls are decorated in ornate mirrors and framed found art. In one corner there’s a pool table placed beneath a stained-glass lamp.
The concept for their signature beverage selection is straightforward: All have simple names (Vodka Drink, Mezcal Drink, Stirred Drink) but have complex ingredients. As the seasons change, so will the cocktail recipes. The current Gin Drink is a potent meld of orange, lime, and Earl Grey. For the Whiskey Drink, strawberry, lemongrass, and honey combine to make a luscious variation of an Old Fashioned. Vodka martinis get special treatment with peperoncini, Asiago, and olive. Ask for the Dirty Dirty. All are priced at $12 ($8 during the 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Happy Hour) Most can be made N/A.
Order anything (in fact, everything!) at the bar. The key to Perfectly Fine is its casual, all-day accessibility: open 7 days a week, 11 a.m. – 2 a.m., 365 days a year. As Crampton says, “You can count on us!” With that foundation, they’ve put together food menus to suit times and tastes.
Got a hankering for breakfast or brunch fare? You’ve got choices from a solid platter of eggs, bacon, sausage, and potatoes to a hefty steak in rosemary butter and cheesy eggs on a Kaiser roll. The burrito is packed with scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and a side of the house salsa for dipping.
The main menu is divided into Snacks and Meals and encompasses a range of pub favs. Of course, it includes a terrific burger. With its double smash patties encased in cheddar and American cheeses, caramelized onions, and the house special sauce on a soft Martin’s roll, the Juicy Lucy delivers. Fries have the right crunch factor and come seasoned in truffle oil and Parmesan, or salt-and-vinegar style. You can’t go wrong either way. Who doesn’t love a basket of super light, crispy, chicken tenders and a choice of sauces? Hoisin! Whiskey barbecue!
That said, the team has included a few out-of-the-ordinary dishes. Pierogies anyone? These delectable Polish dumplings, plumped with kale, bacon, and mushrooms arrive golden brown from pan-searing. The crowdpleasing Whiskey Dip Sando sports a mound of shaved ribeye, onions, and melty Swiss on a toasted roll, sidled by a bowl of lush au jus. Fried cheddar curds with red sauce are a guilty pleasure.
They’ve included lighter offerings, such as the Chicken Caesar and the BLT Salad, too. The former satisfies with its generous serving of grilled chicken breast chunks. Thick bacon cuts and local tomatoes make the latter irresistible.
Speaking of irresistible: Cheesecake Flauta. It’s the sole dessert on the menu, but no matter. Creamy cheesecake fills a crispy rolled tortilla, ready to dunk into the accompanying bowl of dulce de leche caramel.
Perfectly Fine evolves throughout the day. Late mornings and early afternoons provide a calm refuge inside or in the beer garden, whether you are gathering with friends for lunch, getting some solo work done, or conducting a meeting. Things get lively — a little raucous — moving into the evening as folks get off work and want to unwind. Further, they host different kinds of pop-up events — flash tattoo sessions, hospitality industry professional billiard tournaments, DJ sets, and Derby parties.
“We’re here for everyone,” says Jacob Forth. “As an ownership team, our backgrounds range from luxury to casual and that’s evident at Perfectly Fine. The Nations didn’t previously have a bar like this. We’re enjoying getting to know the people at our neighboring businesses and residences.” (1105 51st Ave. N., 615-358-9769; perfectlyfinenashville.com)