The early March tornado and ongoing pandemic that has slowed Nashville’s tourist traffic to a trickle has cost the city two of its most beloved restaurants, one an old reliable favorite and the other a shining star that burned out within the first two years after opening.
On the positive side, both restaurants were operated by talented chefs who will still maintain operations at one of their other restaurants with plans to consolidate at least a few menu items so that fans can still enjoy a taste of the past.
The first announcement was courtesy of Chef Margot McCormack who shared that she would not be reopening Marché Artisan Foods, her popular East Nashville breakfast and brunch spot which had ostensibly been closed since suffering some substantial damage during the March tornado that tore through the Five Points neighborhood.
Chef McCormack will instead concentrate her efforts on her flagship restaurant, Margot Cafe and Bar, a long-time fixture right around the corner from Marché. Tourists and locals alike had come to depend on Marché for its fantastic European-inspired menu of breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes served in a warm and welcoming environment, as well as taking advantage of the restaurant’s acclaimed bread and pastry program.
Chef McCormack intends to bring as much of the staff as possible over from Marché as she adds daytime meal service to Margot. She also assures Eater Nashville that “the beloved peach ricotta tartines, French toast, and cafe au lait that diners know and love will remain.” Margot is offering both carryout and dine-in service, including a new sidewalk cafe that has proved quite popular with her legions of regular patrons.
Across the Cumberland River, Chef Jeff Benefield’s popular downtown modern Japanese eatery The Green Pheasant is another casualty of the severe reduction in foot traffic since the COVID-19 crisis led to a shutdown of most downtown attractions.
This is especially a shame because, along with her chef/husband Trey Burnette and her partners at Seed Hospitality, Benefield had created a stunner of a dining space and a kitchen staff that pushed out plates of gorgeous Asian cuisine unlike anything Nashville diners had ever seen. In fact, The Green Pheasant was named “Writers’ Choice” as Best New Restaurant in the Nashville Scene’s annual “Best of” issue.
Benefield told the Scene that she was concerned that the drag of her massive restaurant on the hospitality group might bring down her other two restaurants, Japanese izakayas called Two Ten Jack in East Nashville and Chattanooga.
With strong community support at her East Nashville location, Benefield is confident that she can carry on and plans to reward her loyal patrons with at least a few dishes from The Green Pheasant added to the menu at her smaller restaurant. Like Chef McCormack, Benefield knows she can’t deny her greatest hits to her fans, so her temomi noodles with garlic crab butter are already on the carryout menu at Two Ten Jack!
