The Most Anticipated Nashville Restaurant Openings, Spring/Summer 2016

The worst of winter is now behind and spring is just around the corner. And with that warmer weather comes a slew of new restaurant and bar openings, ranging from fast-casual Vietnamese to gigantic steakhouses and everything in between. So check out Eater Nashville's Most Anticipated Spring/Summer Opening Report and start marking your calendars.

bajo sexto taco lounge

Location: Sylvan Park; 5303 Charlotte Avenue
Key Players: Jonathan Waxman, Kaelin Ulrich Trilling, Howard Greenstone, Ken Levitan
Projected Opening: Spring
Celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman and Co. are opening an expanded version of their downtown Bajo Sexto taqueria on the edge of Sylvan Park. Chef Kaelin Ulrich Trilling should get a chance to flex his culinary muscles a bit, as this location will offer a selection of tacos, tortas and salads during the day and "a cross between Southern barbecue and Mexican cuisine" in the evening.

Image: Justin Chesney

BASTION (part 2)

Location: Wedgewood-Houston; 434 Houston Street; website
Key Players: Josh Habiger, Tom Bayless, Matt Tocco, Strategic Hospitality
Projected Opening: Spring
Chef Josh Habiger and Strategic Hospitality debuted their We-Ho watering hole and cocktail bar at the beginning of February, but that was only phase one. Phase two, the restaurant portion of the project, is located in a connecting space and is being kept under very close wraps. The rumor mill (and Habiger's background) point towards a tasting menu format, but no official word yet.

Image: Eater Nashville

etc.

Location: Green Hills; 3790 Bedford Avenue
Key Players: Deb Paquette, Doug Hogrefe
Projected Opening: Mid-summer
A neighborhood and name change had to happen before Etch executive chef Deb Paquette found a home for her newest project. Located in the 2,400 square foot ground floor of the Bedford Commons development in Green Hills, few details are known, but plans call for seating for 80, an outdoor patio and "Deb Paquette food." Construction should start soon, as a building permit was pulled earlier this week.

Image: Eater Nashville

graze

Location: East Nashville; 1888 Eastland Avenue; website
Key Players: Melanie and John Cochran, Nick Davis, Callie Foley
Projected Opening: Early April
Melanie and John Cochran, owners of East Nashville vegetarian favorite The Wild Cow, have taken over the space formerly occupied by The Silly Goose to open Graze, a plant-based bistro and bar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week. Wild Cow chef Nick Davis will run the kitchen, and the beverage program will feature fresh pressed juices, smoothies and cocktails.

Image: Facebook/Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse

jeff ruby's steakhouse

Location: Downtown; 300 4th Avenue North; website
Key Players: Jeff Ruby, Britney Ruby Miller
Projected Opening: May
Near-legendary Cincinnati restaurateur and personality Jeff Ruby is bringing his eponymous steakhouse to the ground floor of downtown's UBS Tower. Clocking in at approximately 10,000 square feet, the restaurant will feature a sushi and raw bar, a large raised stage for live music, outdoor patio with fire pits and an art deco interior.

pastaria

Location: Midtown; 8 C1TY Blvd.; website
Key Players: Gerard Craft, Niche Food Group
Projected Opening: Summer
St. Louis restaurateur and James Beard Award winning chef Gerard Craft is expanding out of his home base for the first time, bringing casual Italian concept Pastaria to the new OneC1TY development in Midtown. Expect all-day menus of organic pastas, pizza and gelato, a large outdoor patio and bocce ball courts.

Image: Eater Nashville

VUI'S KITCHEN

Location: Berry Hill; 2832 Bransford Avenue; website
Key Players: Vui Hunt, Fresh Hospitality
Projected Opening: Late April
Construction keeps moving steadily along on this fast-casual Vietnamese concept from Juice Bar co-founder/owner Vui Hunt. Hunt, who owned and operated Veggieland in Atlanta, Ga. before making the move to Nashville, will act as chef and partner, offering her versions of traditional Vietnamese dishes such as pho and banh mi, along with monthly rotating specials.

Also tracking for spring/summer: Bushel and Bowl (12 South), Dose Riverside (East Nashville), Greko Greek Street Food (East Nashville), Headquarters Beercade (Downtown), Hemingway's Arcade (Wedgewood-Houston), Kung Fu Saloon (Midtown), Martin's Bar-B-Que (SoBro), Stout Burgers and Beers (Brentwood), Tartufo (Midtown), Vinyl Tap (East Nashville)

Looking further out: Almost Famous (Downtown), Barcelona Wine Bar (Edgehill Village), Boutique Burger Bar (East Nashville), Burger UP (East Nashville), Del Frisco's Grille (The Gulch), Double Dogs (Sylvan Heights), Edley's BBQ (Sylvan Park), Farm Burger (Sylvan Heights), Geist (Germantown), Hattie B's Hot Chicken (Germantown), Killebrew Coffee (The Gulch), Lulu (Germantown), Maneet Chauhan's two as-yet-unnamed restaurants (The Gulch), Maple and Eggs (East Nashville), The Marsh House (The Gulch), Milk & Honey (The Gulch), Moonshine Flats (Downtown), Nama Sushi Bar (Brentwood), Salt & Vine (Sylvan Heights), Tony and Caroline Galzin's upcoming new concept (TBD), Uncle Julio's (Brentwood), Yeah! Burger (Brentwood)