(Top 5 dinner spots at the end)
Rolf and Daughters, a James Beard Award winning neighborhood orientated restaurant in the historic Germantown neighborhood of Nashville Tennessee. Industrial decor and feel with clever new American dishes, communal tables and inventive cocktails. Rolf and Daughters, or R.A.D. for short, incorporates a fun four word slogan that successfully describes their identity, small, fun, focused, seasonal. Like all successful restaurants and companies, these words are the core values of what R.A.D. believes best describes who they are and what you can expect from them.
Located in the 100 year old Werthan factory building, Rolf and Daughters opened in 2012 and recently in the beginning of 2020 did some much needed renovations. With so many restaurants opening year after year giving diners a wealth of options, Rolf and Daughters remains on top of the must visit and dine category of everyone in Nashville with residents and visitors alike. Chef/owner Philip Krajeck calls his food “modern peasant food,” and we all learned that Americans love peasant food from hot dogs, burgers, and pizza. R.A.D. focuses more on the pasta aspect of peasant food with delectable delicious ingredients and inventive technique and aesthetics that highlights a simple yet elegant pursuit of beautifully plated delicious food. The cocktails are interesting and the wine list is quirky, which personifies the fun and exciting atmosphere and vibe you get from the staff as well as the guests.
Of course we sat at the bar, where we received excellent, attentive and amusing service from all three of our bartenders, Branson, Ritchie, and Reuben. We were offered seats at the communal table but being bar people, prefer to sit at the bar.
Pro tip: most restaurants, if not all, offer a full menu at the bar which is a first come seating preference and does not require a reservation. Some restaurants also do a happy hour special at the bar area only. In my opinion, I feel you get better and quicker service at the bar, I never understood why so many people would rather wait (sometimes anywhere from 30 mins to an hour) for a table.
I ordered a delicious cocktail, Ritchie’s Full Monte, a play on the Manhattan, using a spicy rye whiskey and an aromatic rich amaro. My wife ordered a bottle of the Vini Rabasco Cancellino Bianco which was crisp, clean and refreshing. Cancellino Bianco is Trebbiano d’Abruzzo picked at the first pass of harvest. Overnight skinned maceration, spontaneous fermentation. Aged in stainless steel. Zero added sulfur and no filtering or fining. Translates to plain and simple deliciousness.
We ordered the bay scallop crudo appetizer, prepared with fresh lime, buddha’s hand, dashi and a touch of fish sauce. Being that I prefer my scallop lightly seared to caramelize the natural sugar, I didn’t enjoy the scallops as much as I usually do. My dumbass was slightly buzzed and forgot that Crudo means raw in Italian. I’m glad I ordered it but probably don’t foresee me ordering the crudo scallops again. The scallop crudo was definitely a “one night stand.”
I ordered the Heritage pork, served with oyster mushrooms, cabbage and preserved berries. Jennifer, a.k.a. Woozie, ordered the trout with smoked roe, lardo, kale and koji beurre blanc… both simply delicious, yum.
The food was amazing, the atmosphere and ambiance was lively and fun with amazing mainstream cool music. The conversations and interactions with our bartenders and the guests at the bar were both interesting and entertaining with stories of travel and food to compare the experience we were all sharing that evening. Memories of past delicious foods that were sparked by the flavors of Rolf and Daughters cuisine. Unforgettable, and undeniably one of Nashville’s best dining experiences.
Pro tip: Koji is a mold that smells like grapefruit that makes it possible to make miso, sake and soy sauce by fermentation.
The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, the food was spectacular, the atmosphere was fun and inviting, the bathrooms were clean. Excited to try their sister restaurant Folk. I asked the bartenders to give me a one word food description of both R.A..D and Folk. R.A.D. is Pasta, Folk is Pizza.
Keywords: Germantown, Neighborhood, Pasta, James Beard Award, Modern Peasant Food, Creative Cocktails, Quirky Winelist, Mediterranean
Price Range: $$$
Overall grade: Boozy: thumbs up Woozie: thumbs up
If you want us to spotlight a local restaurant, bar, artist, or industry related business, email us with some places. Send us your comments, opinions and stories.
Boozy Woozie Cocktail inspired by Rolf & Daughters:
The R.A.D. Full Monte
2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 oz Corsair Ryemageddon
2 dash Angostura bitters
1 orange peel “flamed”
Garnish with a Luxardo maraschino cherry
Served in a double rocks glass with 1 large ice cube or sphere
Top 5 Dinner Spots:
Folk
404 Kitchen
Husk
Rolf & Daughters
Lockeland Table
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