Louisville-Based Restaurant Group Brings 'Non-Traditional Steakhouse' Union Common to Midtown

Construction is going full steam on Union Common, a "non-traditional steakhouse concept" from Louisville-based restaurant group DC Management, in Midtown. Located next to Two Boots Pizza at the corner of Broadway and Division Street, work has been underway for several months, drawing plenty of speculation as to what would be going in the prominent location. Brett Davis, a partner with DC Management, describes the restaurant as a "steakhouse with European sensibilities," offering a variety of cuts along with a roster of small plates for sharing. Says Davis:

It's really a millennial concept, we don't know of anything else quite like it in terms of the combination of dining styles. We chose the name 'Union Common' because we want it to be about people coming together and breaking bread, sharing their time together. No televisions, it's not a sports bar.

Davis, one of 135 sommeliers in the country to hold the 'Master Sommelier' designation and soon to be the only one operating a restaurant in Tennessee, tells that Union Common will feature an extensive wine program, with a wall of wine incorporated as part of the interior design, as well as a tap system with local craft beer.

The restaurant group has no lack of Tennessee connections. Davis was raised in East Tennessee and has family in Nashville. And many locals will recognize the name Bobby Benjamin, DC Management's corporate chef, who spent time at Capitol Grille, as well as helping open Flyte World Dining & Wine back in 2006, and subsequently taking over executive chef responsibilities there. Other partners in the group are Steven and Michael Ton, who own the well-regarded Vietnamese restaurant Basa in Louisville, and Chip Hamm. DC Management owns and operates two other successful Louisville concepts, Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar and French bistro La Coop. Union Common is shooting for a May 2014 opening.