Deacon’s New South Now Open

Deacon’s New South, 401 Church Street 

Hey, guess what? There’s a new restaurant that just opened in Nashville! I know, I know. That’s not really news these days, is it? There are so many restaurants opening that it makes my head spin. There was once a time when I kept up with it all, but I’ve pretty much given up doing that. Now I try to just focus on the ones that really, truly intrigue me.

And I’ll be quite honest– when I first heard that yet another steakhouse was opening in downtown Nashville, I was not excited.

It’s not that I don’t love a good steak. I do. It’s just that when I go out to eat, that’s not typically the type of spot that’s even in my top 5. I grill steaks at home.

But then, I went on a walk through of Deacon’s New South space while it was still under construction. And I saw the menu. My mind completely changed. I was intrigued, as this wasn’t your typical steakhouse concept.

Last week, I went and ate through the menu and they have thoroughly impressed me. I’m actually more excited about this new restaurant than I have been by many others that have opened recently!

The owners of Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurants, A. Marshall Family Foods, is the group behind Deacon’s. While they have an amazing selection of dry aged meats, I was pleasantly surprised by the attention they took in creating their vegetables and salads.

Salads are truly my favorite food, so it makes me giddy that they have several great options to choose from. The arugula salad above was fantastic – I loved the butternut squash tart that was a part of it. (You don’t see it in this photo because I was dining with someone with a gluten allergy, so they placed it on the side.) If you like arugula, you must order this.

There are so many things to love about this place that I almost don’t even know where to start.

First, it’s just a few short blocks from my office, so I can easily walk here for lunch or for after work drinks. Located in the iconic L&C Tower, the 7,000-square-foot space is broken into 3 seating areas: Main Dining Room/Bar, Upstairs Bar, and Private Dining Room. The main entryway is on Church Street, but you can also enter through the lobby doors of L&C Tower on the corner of Church and 4th, then take the elevator up to the 2nd floor, which is where the cocktail bar is located.

Enormous Steaks at Deacon’s New South – gotta get that snap!

Inspired by the 1920s and 1930s Art Deco era, the decor is gorgeous, with beautifully detailed staircase railings and a stunning light fixture in the atrium overlooking Church Street.

Their private dining room – which I think is something Nashville is severely lacking in – can host up to 70 guests. I can’t tell you how often I have locals and out-of-towners asking me for suggestions for private dining spaces in Nashville, and this space has now moved to the very top of my list!

Okay, let’s talk more about the food, because that’s really why you’re here, right?

The steaks are enormous and yes, they’re also delicious. I didn’t get a photo of them, but the Skillet Yeast Rolls are TO DIE FOR. Don’t pass them up.

Surprisingly, my absolute favorite dish was the Roasted Chicken. I don’t usually order chicken at restaurants because it seems so boring, but not in this case. This dish was so flavorful and the side serving of spaghetti squash gratin was perfect. It’s not easy to make spaghetti squash taste great, but they have done it. I went back for a third helping of it!

Creamed Greens with Nutmeg at Deacon’s New South

And the creamed greens with nutmeg? Best greens I’ve ever had.

There is chicken fried lobster tail. Carrots and Parsnips. Potatoes with sorghum, bacon and ricotta. Rabbit Pappardelle. The list goes on and on.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that they have one of the most impressive charcuterie plates I’ve ever seen, and for a totally reasonable price!

Chicken fried lobster tail, red eye aioli, herb salad
and
Whole Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, pumpkin seeds, thyme

Basically, my point is- don’t write this place off if you’re not interested in yet another steakhouse concept. You’d be doing yourself a disservice, because Deacon’s is much more than that. Go for cocktails and order some small plates. Book a reservation for your next business dinner. Take your out-of-town guests and show off downtown Nashville.

You will not be disappointed.

Diver Scallops with cauliflower, olives, buerre blanc

We wrapped up our menu tasting with 5 – yes five – desserts. Chocolate and Peanut Butter ANYTHING gets my attention, so naturally I loved Deacon’s Chocolate Cola Cake pictured below.

Chocolate Cola Cake – peanut butter frosting, burnt marshmallow, salted ganache

But the one dessert that I kept going back to was the coconut sorbet. Sorbet? For real. I typically think sorbet is a waste, but man. I could eat this coconut sorbet every day.

Pretty sweet ending to the first of what will be many meals I plan to enjoy at Deacon’s New South.

Coconut Sorbet at Deacon’s New South

Deacon’s New South

401 Church St
Nashville, TN 37219
615-994-1994
Hours
Sun-Thu 11-10
Fri-Sat 11-11