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Babychan
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Mama Bread
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Perenn
The Bakery Cafe
BABYCHAN
1313 Adams Street, Nashville; babychancafe.com
With her husband, Chef Brian Lea, Chef Leina Horii (of Kisser) opened this all-day bakery-cafe inside Germantown’s Neuhoff development as an ode to the Japanese home cooking she loved in her youth. Its ’70s retro feel, and the couple’s collection of art, books, and memorabilia, make Babychan an endearing extension of themselves.
Recommended: Egg Salad Sandwich on Milk Bread, Black Sesame Swiss Roll, Hokkaido Latte
PERENN
94 E Main Street, Franklin; 2934 Sidco Dr., Suite 130, Nashville; perennbakery.com
The name Perenn is derived from the word 'perennial.' Aubrey and Tyler O’Laskey brought their successful concept from Reno, Nevada, to Franklin and Nashville, featuring their delectable sourdough loaves and baked goods, breakfast and lunch fare, and evening bistro dining, all made with seasonal, mindfully sourced ingredients.
Recommended: Egg Soufflé and cheddar on house English Muffin, Potato Pavé, Creme Brulee Kouign Amann
MAMA BREAD
1600 Woodland Street, Nashville; mamabread.com
Jennifer Latham, extraordinary baker and former director of bread at Tartine, opened Mama Bread in Lockeland Springs. The charming neighborhood bakery delights visitors with naturally fermented sourdough loaves, assorted pastries, fresh produce, pantry staples, sandwiches, salads, comforting soup, espresso, tea, and wine.
Recommended: Jammy Egg Tartine, Pistachio Rose Cardamom Bun, Salted Caramel Latte
By the numbers, 2025 was a stellar year for Nashville dining — five James Beard Foundation semifinalists, one finalist, and a Best Chef Southeast honor — while the Michelin Guide’s American South edition further validated the scene with three starred restaurants, seven Bib Gourmands, a Green Star, a Sommelier Award, and 12 recommended spots. New openings arrived at a steady clip of roughly three per month, reshaping neighborhoods and expectations alike.
By another measure — our taste buds — the year stacked up as stunning. Food trucks leapt into brick-and-mortar spaces, hospitality groups from major metros planted flags in Music City, and local independents branched into sister concepts. Nashville takes its food seriously, but never at the expense of a good time — and nowhere captures that better than this issue’s cover star, V Modern Italian in the Gulch.
Born from European aperitivo culture and built for all five senses, the 7,000-square-foot see-and-be-seen space blends velvet booths, a leafy patio, DJ nights, and a lively bar with Italian classics reimagined. Collaborations with Michelin-starred Chef Stefano Ciotti shape playful dishes — house-made pastas and Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas made with a sourdough starter tracing back to 18th-century Italy — while cocktails by Federico Pollarolo keep the energy high from brunch to late night. It’s exactly the kind of place Nashville dining has become: ambitious, social, and just as much about atmosphere as appetite.
Led by V Modern Italian, the following is a snapshot of those places that captured our hungry eyes and appetites.