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Photo by Camille Tambunting.
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Photo by Camille Tambunting.
Twelve years ago, The Patterson House introduced Nashville to the art of the cocktail: the alchemy of spirits, bitters, syrups, fruits, herbs and ice at the hands of the accomplished mixologist.
Guests reveled in the Prohibition-speakeasy experience of classic and modern libations, served in a dark, intimate ambiance that feels a little bit retro and a lot escapist. To date, The Patterson House remains at the forefront of inspired drinks and service. Food has always been an adjunct to the experience; you could expect a roster of chef-created small plates to complement your cocktails. Seating has always been first-come basis. Until now. Given the pandemic, or as TPH folks say in their civil way, “Given the current state of the world,” they are accepting limited reservations. And on Sundays, under the purview of Brian Baxter, executive chef of The Catbird Seat, you can enjoy a stellar brunch.Whether you start with a classic bloody Mary — a bracing garden in a glass — or one of TPH specialties, you can’t go wrong. Cooper’s Cooler has all the right elements: a stir of gin, grapefruit juice, and elderflower liqueur zizzed with sparkling wine. It’s a refreshing sip in a tall glass, garnished with a wide ribbon of grapefruit zest.
Whet your appetite with a round of Baxter’s oysters, roasted to succulence. He makes a complex butter sauce for the bivalves, beginning with a sauté of the Cajun Holy Trinity (onion-celery-bell pepper) enhanced with shaved bonito, Benton’s bacon and pureed Calabrian chiles. A hit of preserved lemon brightens and balances the sauce, which you’ll want to slurp out of the shell.Baxter gives chicken wings special treatment, plunged first into his twelve-hour root beer brine before being smoked then fried. Ultimately, he coats ‘em in white sauce and a sprinkle of spices and dried honey granules.“Buffalo wings are among my favorite foods, and my favorite wings are Pat Martin’s,” (Martin’s Bar-B-Q) says Baxter. “These are a tribute to those.” Egg dishes are superb. Savor the 62 degree (Celsius) poached eggs over potato cake doused in pimento cheese fondue. The sous-vide cooking process ensures perfect eggs—each with tender white surrounding liquid yolk that spills onto the crispy potatoes. It is a pleasure to eat. For a powerful hunger, the breakfast platter satisfies. Eggs are prepared scrambled or basted—your choice—and come with generous accompaniments: smoked cheddar biscuit, hickory-kissed Conecuh sausage links, and a potato cake smothered in cream gravy, bacon bits, scallions and that piquant fondue.
“This plate, especially the potatoes, is an ode to Waffle House, and those hearty after-midnight meals we’d eat to fend off a hangover,” Baxter says with a laugh. “It’s been years since I’ve done that,” he adds. We also recommend Baxter’s riff on Caesar salad. No romaine, but ruffles of Bibb lettuce are lightly tossed with brown butter croutons, shredded pecorino and his umami-laden aioli. For your sweet tooth, look no further than the yeasted doughnuts, which Baxter notes are a house fave, and will always be on the menu in some form. Coffee liqueur-glazed and chocolate-hazelnut praline filled— what’s not to love? (Available Sundays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. thepattersonnashville.com)