In a world of accelerated climate change and depleting natural resources, sustainability is the watchword.
At 1 Kitchen inside 1 Hotel Nashville, Culinary Director Chris Crary puts the principle of sustainability into meaningful—and delicious—action. The dedication to green practices is the overriding mission of the luxury hotel and manifests itself in many aspects: building with reclaimed/repurposed materials, use of energy- efficient equipment, on-site composting, on-site glass crushing, oil recycling, and elimination of single-use plastics. The first sustainability evidence you see are the 50,000-plus plantings of ivy descending the outer walls of the LEED certified structure, their protective greenery capturing CO2 and reducing ambient temperatures. When you enter the lobby, the lounge and bar, and the dining space you’ll find yourself in a sanctuary of green. Breathe deeply. The air feels fresh, pure, and more oxygen-rich.
Crary, who’s been working with the new hotel group for the past four years, visited local farms and consulted with Nashville Grown before designing the 1 Kitchen Nashville menu. He is committed to getting 75 percent of his ingredients from a 200-mile radius. Throughout the menu (which is replete with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free offerings) area farmers and producers such as Greener Roots, Green Door Gourmet, Rocky Glade, Pig and Leaf, Bear Creek, and The Hamery are well-represented. Where possible, Crary’s nutrient-dense dishes are also zero-waste.
His Baker’s Garden Beet Salad is one delectable example. Crary uses beets in their entirety, from jewel-toned roots to leafy stems. He places the combination of roasted, pickled, and shaved beets onto a pool of whipped feta and tops them with beet greens, spiced walnuts, and a drizzle of truffle honey. You’ll appreciate Crary’s clever twists on some traditional preparations: the hummus is a blend of chickpeas and hominy served with a colorful mélange of crudités. He gives his Caesar salad a nice kick of heat with a purée of chiles in the dressing. Chopped dates add an unexpected and welcome bite of sweetness to his Crispy Brussels sprouts. His pot pie is like no other you’ve seen or tried. It’s deconstructed: under a lattice of puff pastry are nuggets of fried chicken, sugar snaps, carrots, sweet potatoes, and chicken gravy.
Three innovative pastas will tempt you: Spicy Penne Arrabiata laced with fried eggplant and chilis, Maine Lobster in squid ink linguine, and Chicken Bolognese. The sleeper of the trio is the Bolognese: torchio pasta cloaked in a surprisingly compelling sauce of ground chicken, tomato, and cream. It’s an ultimate comfort food you’ll come back for.
In the section labeled Plates, you’ll find entrees ranging from Bear Creek Farm ribeye to Beet Wellington. Don’t let your eyes deceive you. That’s Beet Wellington, not beef. No matter. It is a wonderful vegetarian take on the classic, where meaty beet replaces filet, wrapped and baked in pastry with mushrooms and truffle, plated with red wine sauce and dollops of celery root purée.
Peach season is fleeting; the delightful Peaches and Cream dessert, an assembly of peach preserves, ice cream and Belgian waffle, will rotate out as we move into fall when you can look for sweet treats made with apples, pears, or figs. Each option perfectly exemplifies the 1 Kitchen approach to cooking: seasonal, sustainable, and sensational. (710 Demonbreun St., 615-510-0400; 1hotels.com/Nashville)