The Boundary Pushers

Lokelani Alabanza | Culinary Director, Hattie Jane’s Creamery

Alabanza’s career has taken her all over the world. After finding her way to Nashville, she and Claire Crowell of A. Marshall Hospitality connected, and together they brought Hattie Jane’s Creamery, a small-batch, chef-driven ice cream shop, into creamy-dreamy being.

How did you get started down the dessert path? 

Funny enough, I had zero interest in pastry. I had moved to Los Angeles, with a job lined up, but it fell through. I went with my aunt to the friend-and-family night of the much-anticipated Grace Restaurant [from Neal Fraser and Amy Knoll Fraser]. Neal told me the only opening was in pastry. The next day, I contacted [their pastry chef] Elizabeth Belkind and that would ultimately change my career path.   

Did you have a mentor, someone who taught you the secrets of ice cream making? 

Elizabeth Belkind is my pastry mentor. I learned to make ice cream from both Belkind and Dahlia Narvaez. We didn’t make ice cream on the scale I am making it now, but they gave me a strong foundation. 

You’ve created hundreds of ice cream flavors. Which ones give you the most pride? The most pleasure? 

There are so many. I was very happy with our Lovebird sorbet. We used Jackalope’s Lovebird beer, which is a strawberry-raspberry wheat. So perfect for the summer heat. There’s my Parmesan flavor, which is a tribute to Sarah Estell. She was a black female entrepreneur known to have the best ice cream in Nashville, in 1840. Twenty years before the Civil War. What a legacy! Still, I think about my version of Chocolate Malted Crunch. It’s a Thrifty ice cream flavor I enjoyed immensely as a kid. Recreating those moments of nostalgia makes me the most proud. 

What are you working on now that you’re excited for us to try? 

I’m currently working on our spring flavors. A close friend and fellow ice cream maker recently asked if I had made a root beer flavor. The answer is no, but it may show up in our spring line. 

Tom Bayless & Dauer Ellis | Founders/Chefs, BokBox 

Their combined experience had these two cooking in some of the top kitchens in Nashville—including The Catbird Seat, Bastion, and Rolf and Daughters. Now, Bayless and Ellis are slinging some of the city’s best chicken out of a to-go window—and they’re setting their sights on much, much more. 

Tell us about the moment you knew you wanted to cook in restaurants.

Ellis: I had been cooking off and on since high school, but never really took it seriously. A few years later I spent New Year’s Eve eating in a restaurant called Townhouse in Chilhowie, Virginia. I had heard that some chefs had moved down there from Chicago and were doing really interesting things. The meal was mind-blowing and at the end the whole staff came out and did a toast. After eating that incredible meal and talking with the cooks in the dining room, I knew it was something that I wanted to do.

Bayless: Needing rent money and looking for a small amount of camaraderie and purpose, I got a job in the kitchen at The Patterson House with zero experience. About a year and a half later, Josh Habiger asked me to join the opening team at The Catbird Seat and suddenly I had an opportunity to make a career out of it.

What’s the highlight of every shift for you?

Ellis: There are a lot of small things that happen daily at BokBox that make me happy. The smell of the rice when it’s just done cooking. Seeing people’s reaction when they try our food for the first time. Also, you can’t really beat cracking a beer at the end of the day!

Bayless: Opening our 74-cup Ricemaster after the rice is cooked, turning it out onto parchment paper and fluffing it to let out the excess steam. This daily, rice-steam facial helps keep the skin hydrated, youthful, and taut, but then my face is totally destroyed by the heat from the grill, so this small moment has become a highlight.

What’s the one dish/technique that maybe eluded you at first but that you’ve now fully mastered?

Ellis: Mastered is a strong word. With any craft, it takes years of repetition to fully master something. I would say that my time at Rolf and Daughters gave me a strong grasp of pasta— from raw ingredients all the way to the final dish.

Bayless: I haven’t fully mastered anything, but I think I’m pretty good at sandwiches. 

Name a go-to secret ingredient: 

Ellis: Katz Vinegars. They are a small producer in California that makes excellent vinegar and olive oil. Using a great quality vinegar really allows you to treat ingredients simply but make them really shine. 

Bayless: Maggi Seasoning

If you could leave tomorrow, the culinary city you’d want to explore: 

Ellis: Tokyo

Bayless: Los Angeles is the first place that comes to mind, as I’ve never been, but Tokyo is the only right answer to this question.

What’s one dish in Nashville that you crave? 

Ellis: That’s a tough one—there are so many! The Chicharron Taco at El Amigo on Nolensville Pike is a constant though.

Bayless: Rebekah Turshen’s Tennessee Waltz cake at City House. It’s probably my favorite thing in Nashville, let alone dish. To me, it’s perfect.

Mailea Weger | Executive Chef/Owner, lou

Weger ditched her career in fashion for food, after traveling in Europe and taking a line cook position at Café A in Paris. From there, to New Orleans to New York to Los Angeles and back to Paris, she developed her personal cooking style while garnering raves from diners. Fueled by the desire to be close to family, and enchanted by Nashville’s spirit, she came here to open her own restaurant.

What sparked your love of cooking?

Being able to use both the right and left sides of my brain, being able to create in a tactical kind of way, and being able to curate a memory for someone.

Would you speak a little about the dovetailing of your food and natural wines?

Natural wine pairs perfectly with my style of cuisine because both allow the other to be the star when needed. Natural wine profiles are wide, so some of the more murky and surprising wines pair so well with sweet brunch items or even-keeled dinner dishes. The more conventional profiles go great with some of the dishes that pack a ton of spices or complexity. 

What dish at lou was the most challenging to create? 

One of our most popular dinner dishes, the crispy rice, is so simple in flavor but was really hard to figure out technically! The rice is inspired by the traditional Persian dish called tahdig, and we wanted to make sure we could prepare it correctly but within a restaurant kitchen. It took several hours and three chefs to brainstorm how to set up the dish for a fast execution. But all the work paid off!  

What are you working on now that you are excited for us to try?

We update at least five to six items of dinner monthly, and rotate all of the flavor set-ups for brunch as well. In March, we opened our patio. In conjunction, we are updating both brunch and dinner in major ways! The turn of spring brings outdoor dining, new uniforms, and all new menus, including dessert and spritzes.

Vivek Surti | Owner/Executive Chef, Tailor 

After many years of hosting pop-up dinners, Surti decided it was time to embrace the idea of a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The result is a space that is an extension of Surti himself—from his recipes of family-inspired Gujarati cuisine to the very intimate, dinner party and storytelling experience. 

What are some misconceptions people have about Indian cuisine?

Stereotypical Indian food in America is chicken tikka masala, but Indian home cooking is so very different than that. India is an extremely diverse country with many languages, religions, and food traditions. Most people, whether they know it or not, are probably only one degree of separation from Gujarati home cooking. Despite being so close to it, almost no one knows what Gujarat is, where it is, or the food that comes from that region. We aim to fill that gap.

Last minute dinner guests—what’s on your table?

When you walk in, there is always a snack. I usually make a punch, too, because I can keep it cold in the sink and people can serve themselves, and of course there’s always some good wine. I love to make one dish to share, whether it’s a 40-ounce ribeye steak, a big pot of chicken biryani, or homemade pasta. And for dessert, there’s always a few pints of ice cream around.

Is there a special spice you keep on hand to take dishes to the next level?

Picking a favorite spice is like picking a favorite child! It’s hard to choose just one, for me. At Tailor, we are working towards finding the best quality spices that are as close to the source as possible. We use single origin Pragati Turmeric, Aryana Black Pepper, and Pragati Turmeric Chilies from our friend Sana at Diaspora Co. I’m also excited that my friend, Aarika, opened up Suraj Spices & Teas in Wedgewood Houston. She is sourcing all organic spices from all over the globe that are essential to our cooking. 

What is the first dish you mastered as a chef?

I’d say that what I’ve really worked on as a chef is mastering experiences. We have found a space at Tailor that allows us to share the Gujarati culture—both in the way we prioritize hospitality and in serving the foods of my childhood such as ghatiya, dhokla, dhal bhat, and makai no chevdo.

What do you see for the future of Tailor—and you as a chef?

There was a day I would have told you I never wanted to own a restaurant, so I now know better than to predict my future. Nashville is a special place, and I can only imagine what the future may hold when you’re a part of such an incredible community. For now, we’ll just try to get a little bit better, every single day. 

Katie Coss | Executive Chef, Husk Nashville 

Originally from Oklahoma, Coss has worked her way up the ranks in kitchens from here to Charleston. Now, she’s taken the helm as executive chef of the iconic Husk restaurant. Behind her hard work is a passion for preserving foods, working hand-in-hand with local farmers, and fostering a collaborative workplace. 

Tell us about the moment you knew you wanted to cook in restaurants.

I don’t know the exact moment, but I remember being drawn to cooking in a restaurant because of my background in ballet. It’s similar to a performance; you memorize, practice, and make sure you’ve done all the necessary preparation, then it’s go time! I loved being a line cook for that reason and always thrived under the pressure of a busy service. Also, I loved cooking because I love to eat!

What’s the highlight of every shift for you?

The time between lunch and dinner when I talk with my line cooks about what we’re serving that night. We talk through what produce we have on hand and how we’re going to use the different ingredients in our vegetable plate and other dishes for dinner. I love seeing what ideas they come up with and seeing them grow as cooks through that process.

What’s the one dish/technique that maybe eluded you at first but that you’ve now fully mastered?

I don’t think I’ve mastered anything yet—I’m not sure that exists in cooking! I’m always trying to learn and grow, and there’s a constant flow of new ideas and techniques out there. Pickling is something I’ve always been really passionate about, so I’ve spent many years trying to perfect that. I’ve worked my way from the old-fashioned canning recipes passed down from previous generations to the really modern techniques now available. 

Name a go-to secret ingredient:

Pickled anything!

If you could leave tomorrow, the culinary city you’d want to explore:

For somewhere far away, I’d love to go to any city in Japan. For a place a little closer to home, I’m really wanting to spend more time in Chicago. I’ve been there but haven’t had a chance to explore all its restaurants as much as I’d like to. 

What’s one dish in Nashville that you crave?

Arnold’s Cayenne Chocolate Pie—I eat three slices as a meal!

Trevor Moran | Executive Chef, Locust 

Before landing at The Catbird Seat in 2014, the Irish-born Moran cut his teeth working in and around Dublin, and as a young chef, at Noma in Copenhagen. Now, he’s partnered back up with Strategic Hospitality with plans to open Locust, a dumpling and shaved ice spot set to open in 12 South this May. 

Your culinary journey has taken you the world over. What sparked your passion for the cooking life?

I found myself in the kitchen, pretty reluctantly, at 23. My first passion was music, but that was pretty soon replaced by cooking. It’s one of those things that can really take you over when you get a peek under the hood. Or make you run away crying your little eyes out.

Who have been your mentors and how did they inspire you?

There have been a few people I’ve worked under who have really helped me understand this life. Too many to mention. I try not to drop my résumé or names on people. I really hate that. Still, to this day, I get opportunities to work closely with people whose work makes my jaw hit the floor. I just got to help out at a dinner with a legit culinary idol of mine and two of the best chefs I know of, anywhere. It was insane. In the past three years, I’ve cooked with and done dinners with some of the best chefs in the world. Even saying that, I’m shaking my head. 

How did the concept for Locust come into being, and evolve?

I’ve sort of been a stay-at-home dad for a while. In that time, cooking at home for my kid, and cooking things I actually want to eat, my focus has sort of narrowed on what Locust should be. Couple that with the stereotypical life-changing trip to Japan, and my want to cook for people has shot into space. It’s taken forever, for various reasons, and I’m so grateful for that time. 

In readying for Locust, you’ve been developing and testing recipes. Is there one that especially challenged you? Surprised you? One that you are excited for us to try?

Recipes are a pain in the arse. I think everyone knows that by now—they are just guidelines. I was too lazy to write most things down through the years so I’ve always sort of cooked more by feel and flavor. Of course, there are basic recipes I’m developing—finding a mousse recipe that lightly blankets the shaved ice the way I wanted was harder than it should have been, and making noodles as chewy as I hope they can be is still keeping me up at night. I’m more interested in formats, the way dishes eat. The way the restaurant feels when you walk in and how it feels to leave.

Evan LaJocano | Executive Chef, Hathorne

Having been at Hathorne since its opening in late 2018, LaJocano has quietly made an impact on the menu—just one of many reasons he was recently promoted to executive chef under proprietor John Stephenson. 

Was there one moment when you knew you wanted to cook in restaurants?

I feel like I've always really loved cooking since I started working in kitchens at 16. It has always been a fun work environment, yet it’s such hard work and you always go home feeling accomplished. Cooking fascinates me. It is so scientific, but there is so much room for creativity.

What’s the highlight of every shift for you?

Family meal. It is always fun to get to see what creations we can make with either very little time or resources or both. It’s when we get to have the most fun and creative license with our cooking; it just has to be edible and cheap.

What’s the one dish/technique that maybe eluded you at first but that you’ve now fully mastered?

The French omelet. It took about a million omelets but I think I’ve got it down now.

Name a go-to secret ingredient:

Lime vinegar. I use our waste from juicing limes and make a naturally fermented vinegar. It’s really amazing.

If you could leave tomorrow, the culinary city you’d want to explore:

Tokyo. Or really anywhere in Japan. I love Japanese ingredients and techniques.

What’s a dish in Nashville that you crave?

Pad Malaysian from King Market. Fat rice noodles, Chinese sausages, and eggs—it’s incredible and a great deal.