Final week was undoubtedly a momentous one for Henrietta Pink chef Julia Sullivan. It kicked off with a positive point out within the The New York Occasions as a part of a narrative about chef Thomas Keller. Columnist Melissa Clark praised the truth that “the cooks he’s mentored over time have unfold out, making use of the self-discipline, ardour and wit they picked up in his kitchens to their very own cooking, usually in accessible and unpretentious native eating places like Henrietta Pink in Nashville.”
Nonetheless basking within the afterglow of that sort remark, Sullivan celebrated opening night time at Judith Tavern, her new restaurant in Sewanee, Tenn. I grabbed an early-bird reservation for opening night time and made my manner there to find for myself what she had been working so exhausting on for months. The constructing at 36 Ball Park Highway, proper subsequent to Sewanee Market, has lived by means of many incarnations over time — together with a laundry facility for the College of the South, restaurant ideas like IvyWild and OctoPi and, most lately, a French bistro and wine bar known as Lumière, which closed after the auto-accident dying of proprietor David Boyd Williams.
In the course of the IvyWild interval, the restaurant was a BYOB state of affairs as a result of there have been no liquor licenses in Sewanee correct. However when the college transformed the Sewanee Inn and added a bar — ahem — exceptions have been made, particularly within the type of a invoice that handed the state legislature that permitted “a facility that provides sleeping lodging, has a public eating room, and is owned by a non-public establishment of upper schooling situated in Franklin County to acquire a license to promote wine, alcoholic drinks, and beer for on-premises consumption.” Yeah, so no person else however the Sewanee Inn.
What’s good for the goose, yada, yada, yada — finally a liquor license was prolonged to the IvyWild, and the constructing’s subsequent tenants — together with Judith. Nonetheless, Tennessee legal guidelines are arcane, and the house had not but obtained its beer allow after we dined. I hope that might be resolved quickly — and with out an act of Congress.
Pattern dinner menu
It will certainly be a disgrace if Judith couldn’t serve wine or cocktails, as a result of beverage supervisor Patrick Halloran has compiled a pleasant tight listing of drinks and attention-grabbing wines. I significantly loved a bourbon cocktail with lime, pamplemousse, grenadine and mole bitters that was named Crushed Button — an ode to the first buyer criticism from again when the constructing was a laundry. Wines can be found by the glass or the bottle, and the employees appears well-versed in pairing strategies, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Judith has taken over the whole house of the constructing, benefiting from tall home windows that run the size of the entrance and rear partitions. The eating house is split right into a convivial entrance room with a marble bar with seating for a dozen patrons together with small tables positioned shut sufficient collectively to encourage chatting with neighbors, and a extra open rear eating room with excessive ceilings, banquette seating and different desk configurations for 2 to 6 diners. The commercial vibe of the cleaners will get a nod with uncovered ductwork and structural beams — a pleasant counterpoint to the chilliness music pumping at acceptable quantity by means of a number of audio system.
Julia Sullivan
Followers of Sullivan’s work at Henrietta Pink will most likely recognize each what she has retained from that menu and the brand new instructions she is taking with Judith, though the closed kitchen is kind of totally different from her seafood-centric Germantown spot, the place you possibly can see her lead the staff. In fact, you understand there might be oysters — and naturally, we began with these. A half-dozen cut up between Gulf Coast Homicide Factors and Atlantic Island Creek oysters have been expertly shucked to maintain the briny liquor inside the deep cups of the shells. Actually, the pure brine was all they wanted, however we couldn’t resist including Sullivan’s extraordinary cucumber mignonette to the occasion. (We must always have ordered a dozen.)
We additionally know that Sullivan is a maestra in relation to french fries and aioli, so we ordered that as one other appetizer as an alternative of as a facet dish. We weren’t dissatisfied within the least. Additionally glorious was a small plate of anchovy tartine, which was served on delectable bread with cultured butter and a success of lemon and salt to make the dish pop.
My entrée of complete trout served with blistered leeks and a beurre blanc was completely cooked, and the sauce was a pleasant complement to the gentle fish. My eating companion’s pappardelle was a tad cool when it got here out of the kitchen, however because it appeared like the whole neighborhood got here out for opening night time, I’ll undoubtedly give it some grace. Particularly because it was served with large deeply flavorful mushrooms, tomatoes and fennel — all the time a favourite taste mixture.
For an opening-night service 90 minutes from her personal mattress, I feel Sullivan is off to an incredible begin with Judith Tavern. Certain, there have been just a few missteps — like that chilly pasta and a salad that by no means arrived — however you don’t examine below Thomas Keller and get a NYT nod with out a deal with steady enchancment. I really feel just like the pricing is truthful for what we bought, if not just a little elevated in comparison with different eating choices on prime of Monteagle Mountain. I’m hopeful {that a} mixture of locals who recognize what Sullivan and her crew are bringing to the small neighborhood blended with just a little culinary tourism from Nashville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and so on., might be sufficient to maintain this enterprise profitable for a very long time, as a result of I intend to spend so much of early evenings at that marble bar with Patrick serving us drinks whereas we slurp down oysters and chow down on these fries!
