Nancy Vienneau

Nashville

chef, recovered caterer, food writer and activist, avid sharer of good food, blogger: Good Food Matters author: Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook

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Articles

Nashville's Favorite Restaurants 2025

3 weeks ago | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

Nashville’s culinary scene has grown to astonishing heights. And when we look at the array of new restaurants we dined in over the past year, ranging from high-end omakase to fast-casual shawarma, astonished expresses how we feel. We’ve been wowed by ingredient-driven eateries: one offers authentic Mexican fare influenced by seasonal Tennessee produce, another dedicated to hyperlocal dining utilizing produce grown on site.
Remembering Daisy King, Tennessee’s First Lady Of Southern Cooking

4 weeks ago | southernliving.com | Nancy Vienneau

In 1974, when dining choices in the Nashville area were scant, Daisy King arrived on the scene brimming with fresh ideas for Southern food and hospitality. She had already made her mark as a caterer, but her renown came after opening Miss Daisy’s Tea Room in historic downtown Franklin. At the time, there was no place like it.
Food for Thought with MFK Fisher

1 month ago | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

People ask me: Why do you write about food? The easiest answer is to say that, I am hungry. But there is more than that...our three basic needs for food, security, and love are so mixed and mingled and entwined...we cannot think of one without the other.
The Menu: Crystal de Luna-Bogan of Cafe Cheeserie

1 month ago | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

When Crystal de Luna-Bogan and her husband Joseph moved from Southern California to Nashville 16 years ago, our dining scene was still in its infancy. It took time for this Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef to find her footing. She found that first at Cha- Cha, working under Chef Arnold Myint. He introduced her to other chefs around town, as well as the international fare found along Nolensville and Charlotte Pikes. She could see the possibilities. In 2010, Crystal struck out on her own.
Neighborhood Noshing in 12 South

2 months ago | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

As 12 South presses on in its evolution into a premier shopping destination, new dining establishments continue to join its ranks. Two recent additions to put on your radar include a neighborly all-day restaurant and a laid-back wine bar. The Henry This concept from Sam Fox (The Twelve Thirty Club, Doughbird) bills itself as “the greatest neighborhood restaurant.” Judging by their cozy-clubby ambiance and welcoming spirit, they are on the right track.
An Elevated Dining Experience at Skye Lounge

2 months ago | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

Sushi, booze, and stunning big city views await 28 floors high at Skye Lounge. In your quest for a downtown rooftop experience that provides great food, drinks, and a jaw-dropping view, there’s no shortage of options. Lower Broadway is peppered with country celeb watering holes offering elevated patio perches. Savvy SoBro hotels such as Four Seasons and The Joseph boast remarkable vistas of Music City and surrounds.
At the Table with Maiz de la Vida

2 months ago | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

Corn is an inextricable part of Mexico’s culture and cuisine. Exalted by the Mayans and Aztecs, at the heart of creation stories, corn was — and still is — considered sacred, key to survival, growth, and prosperity. Chef Julio Hernandez was mindful of this in naming his business, which started as a pop-up during the pandemic, followed by a tortilla shop, a food truck, and now a restaurant launched in Paseo South.
Take a Bite Out of Music Row Bar and Grill

Jan 16, 2025 | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

Like much of Nashville, the midtown neighborhood encompassing 16th and 17th Ave. S. known as Music Row has undergone dramatic changes. While it is still home to record labels, publishing houses, and recording studios, several large residential apartment complexes have emerged in the area. With the demographics of that community shifting — and prime real estate at the corner of 17th and Grand available for purchase — Huseyin and Harun Ustankaya saw an opportunity to introduce a new restaurant.
Read Our Exclusive with Chef Deb Paquette

Dec 23, 2024 | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

In early 1982, a young chef named Deb Paquette left her Fort Lauderdale home for a hotel job in Knoxville, then host city for the World’s Fair. In what felt like a turn of bad luck, her friend’s car — her ride — broke down inside the city limits and the hotel initiated a hiring freeze upon her arrival. No work, no wheels; what to do? She heard that Nashville’s Hyatt Regency needed a banquet chef and a ticket on the Greyhound could get her there.
At the Table with 888

Dec 10, 2024 | nashvillelifestyles.com | Nancy Vienneau

In Japan, the number 8 – hachi — is linked with prosperity and good luck. In Japanese slang, 888 (Hachi! Hachi! Hachi!) signifies clapping; applause. In creating a modern lounge and listening room inspired by Japan’s jazz kissa, Turnberry drew on the power of the eights.