Nashville Dining Experts Share Restaurant Pivots They Hope Will Stick Around

Following an Eater tradition, we asked a group of restaurant journalists, editors, and chefs to weigh in on the year in food. Their answers to the annual Year in Eater survey will be revealed in several posts.

What new pivots or innovative ideas have you seen emerge from the events of 2020 that you hope continue into 2022?

Jackie Gutierrez-Jones, food and beverage writer at Eater Nashville, Nashville Lifestyles, Time Out, Lonely Planet: Cocktails to-go. I mean... this needs to become a permanent concept.

Chris Chamberlain, food writer at Nashville Scene, Sounds Like Nashville, and other publications: Inviting chefs to cook pop-ups at existing restaurants, like St. Vito et al at Hathorne, Kisser at Patterson House, Alebrije at Bastion, etc. It allows young chefs to experience working in larger restaurant kitchens, exposes their foods to a new audience and adds revenue to the host restaurant by bringing in new fans.

Nancy Vienneau, food journalist, Nashville Lifestyles Magazine: Best Pivot: Arnold’s After Dark

Ellen Fort, senior editor and food writer at Saveur Magazine, former editor of Eater SF: I was really enjoying takeout cocktails for a while. I think since takeout has been streamlined and prioritized by many that it’s hopefully become a useful revenue stream for restaurants; definitely more online ordering and easy delivery around town. Pop-ups have also flooded the scene, and are truly putting out some of the best food in town; their flexibility works well in these “uncertain times” and there’s a lot more room for creativity.

• Nashville Food Experts Share Their Go-To Restaurants in 2021