The Catbird Seat
White Verjus – Rose Water Soda
Beef Tendon – Puffed with Mushroom and Tarragon
Country Ham – 2013 from The Hammery, Charcoal Burned Sourdough, Arugula Blossoms
Oyster – Moon Shoal, Green Strawberry Granita, Pickled Dulce, Lavender
Razor Clam – Sweet Onion Puree, Charcoal Grilled Seaweed Oil / Irish Tea – Roasted Potato, Steeped Herbs
Grapefruit Cocktail – Elderflower and Juniper
Aged Beef Tartare – Liquid Nitrogen Frozen and Shaved Bear Creek Striploin Aged 50 Days, Snails Eggs, Quinoa, Puffed Rice, Edible Leaves
Smoked Ginger Carrot Juice
Potato Mash – Yazoo Beer Yeast, Smoked Bread Croutons, Herbs
Steamed Romaine – Lightly Smoked Caviar, Sour Cream
Hibiscus Tea – Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Dill
Pork Tail – Fennel Flowers, Cooking Liquor, Fennel Puree
Strawberry Cake – Liquid Shortbread, Lemon Gel, Herbs, Chamomile Boba, Goat Yogurt Mousse
Lemon Ice Box Pie Salad – French Sorrel, Pecan Butter, Candied Pecans, Bourbon
Fresh Squeezed Green Apple – Tarragon, Salted Rim
Potato Cake – Danish Toppel Pastry, Potato Cream, Marzipan, Black Mushroom, Chocolate Dirt
Long ranking on my American dining bucket list it was almost serendipity that The Catbird Seat returned from a team vacation to noma during my final day in Nashville, and having contacted the restaurant directly when the online reservation system continued to show no seats for the whole week prior it was a true measure of generosity that saw a seat offered even before books opened for my coveted first seating, a 5:30 arrival finding just one other couple present as we watched the team work diligently preparing canapés while completing last minute mis en place.
Reported by some to have slipped a notch since the departure of Chef Erik Anderson and promotion of Trevor Moran to top toque, it was immediately on downstairs entry that the experience began and treated to the a glass of bubbly verjus the quick ascent in an elevator soon saw me seated with a head-on view of the kitchen, potentially the best seat in the house with a beef tendon puffed like a chicharron ready in wait.
Assuring the team of no allergies or intolerances, and opting for the $35 non-alcoholic pairing that generally lacked inspiration with not only redundant flavors but also a repeat of the floral soda at dessert, it was with great rapidity that the next four bites arrived and although the ham amidst aromatics and light smoke was truly delicious both the oyster and razor clam seemed strangely out of place, the herbal tea a clever enough concept when used to reinvigorate the grilled seaweed oil, but mostly just filler and a sign flavors to come.
Undoubtedly taking on some of the terroir as plates progressed, the first proper course of the meal was perhaps the most intriguing of all, and although the pairing with sweetened grapefruit did not really do much to improve the silky beef topped in snail eggs and puffed rice both the flavors and textures were more than enough to tantalize the palate while also showing the kitchen’s ability to do more than just accent everything with smoke.
At this point joined by several other diners, many regulars that saw gifted plates from the kitchen extend out their tasting while the rest of us stood by, it was with more smoke in hand that the next plate arrived, the puree of pommes not particularly photogenic but creamy and almost ethereal beneath foam from local brewer’s yeast and yet another top note of smoke.
Settling in for what seemed destined to be a long meal of dynamic, if not entirely unique, bites it was next in almost comically smoked caviar that we indulged and although the dollop of eggs was quite generous I almost couldn’t believe my ears when the follow-up of crispy pork tail was presented as the ‘final savory’ – a mere sixty-five minutes passed as the hibiscus tea accented with dill proved a challenge to stomach, let alone understand.
Sure enough transitioning here from savory to sweet without so much as cheese, sorbet, or even a new drink it was to an elegantly decorated cake of textures beneath light tang that the first few diners were treated and receiving another glass of the verjus just a few minutes later the pairing unfortunately proved a bit too floral when melding with pearls of hibiscus, a far better sip found in the blend of herbs and apples with which the last two courses would be had.
At this point hoping that the menu had not entirely morphed from earlier days I was thankful that the penultimate plate was Catbird Seat’s famous “Ice Cream Salad,” and utilizing the gentle sweetness of sorrel with chilly citrus and southern staples of bourbon and pecan the flavor was as dynamic as the texture, a similar compliment paid to the potato shaped Toppel that spilled forth cream to create a sort dip-and-bite experience with ‘dirt’ that balanced out the sugar with careful bitterness, a final bit of whimsy that left me with a good taste in my mouth and a smile on my face despite walking out a mere 2-hours after entry still feeling hungry, perplexed by the hype, and wondering how, exactly, a place like this survives in Nashville at greater than $200 a head after tax and tip.
http://thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com/
