Butterfolds, Caviar for Two and New Takes on Classic Cocktails on the Menu at Black Rabbit

Almost one year to the day from first being announced, The Farm House chef/owner Trey Cioccia and his team will open up their second Nashville venture, Black Rabbit, on Nov. 2 3.

Located downtown at 218 3rd Ave. North, the restaurant’s menus hearken back to a bygone era in Nashville, with Cioccia and his chef de cuisine Chad Kelly having put together a roster of canapes, small plates and a few larger dishes that together serve to tell a bit of the history of Printer’s Alley:

Back in the early 1900s, the big thing in Printer’s Alley was caviar, very heavy canapés, cured meats. But at the time, that wasn’t considered food for the wealthy, it was for the working class. Caviar was abundant in the states, commonly found as a bar snack. And we want to bring back some of that history. The kitchen menu will go from rustic to polished, and the same with our cocktails and wine list.

Dishes range from boiled peanuts in barbecue sauce with burnt benne to roasted oysters topped with whey, hot sauce and herbs. There are also several larger options, including the Dagwood, a classic multi-layer sandwich named after a character in the Blondie comic strip, and caviar service for two.

On the cocktail front, wine and beverage director Troy Smith has created an opening list featuring 13 classic cocktails, with corresponding ‘revisions’ for each:

Our cocktail menu is designed to be approachable. By lining up the classics on one side and revisions on the other, it allows guests to try something they may not normally be inclined to order. That's the beauty of this menu: someone who is usually an Old Fashioned sipper might be interested to know the base idea of our revision is a small deviation from their norm. We also understand some guests will prefer a straight-forward classic cocktail. I'm a cocktail enthusiast to say the least, and I still don't want surprises in my drink all the time.

The beverage program is filled out by a beer list with nearly three dozen options by bottle, can or draft, as well as a number of wines by the glass or bottle and a spirits selection focusing on whiskey, bourbon, rye and scotch.

So take a look at the menus in full below, and be sure to check back for more updates.