The chef and i

March 2024: Celebrated a birthday dinner and had a wonderful experience at the chef's table. Got to interact with the head chef and the pastry chef a lot, and even got a chance to try the head chef's husband's homemade barbecue that she had brought for lunch. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I unfortunately developed a headache that was making me feel nauseous and didn't have the appetite but also didn't want to cancel the reservation. Our server, Jess, was gracious enough to share her personal stash of pain medication that kicked in towards the latter part of dinner. Thank you, Jess! Since I had a headache, I changed my 7 course meal to the 5 course and I'm glad I did because after sampling the 6th and 7th courses, the best dishes were in the first five, in my opinion. My favorites were the pan seared flounder and the apple cider smoked pork loin. I had recommended this place to a few people. Sad to see that they've permanently closed. I would've liked to come back.

I came here with my fiance and they accommodated for gluten free as well. It's a nice ambiance with very good service and friendly staff. I am giving this 2 stars and not 5 because the food was ok on the 7 course tasting menu but nothing really blew us away on any of the dishes. Honestly, I am pretty sure that our food wasn't fresh and that they microwaved our food because it was the night before thanksgiving and nobody was there. A bit disappointing to say the least. It was ok but when you pay $125 a person for a tasting menu you do expect to be blown away and like I said I think they heated up our food and it was cooked fresh and then served.

Adventurous but developing Love the concept and style of this restaurant. They bring in chefs and let them be creative. There were food attempts and the service was friendly. But ultimately this can be better. Mango Gazpacho was the best dish by far. And I don't like gazpacho generally The duck dolmas was wrapped in cabbage. Cabbage rolls don't present well. Venison carpaccio was interesting with the white chocolate. Kudos with the experimentation on an appetizer.

#fatjared say...food was great, overall experience was average. I would definitely come back, and have lots of good, but for a top tier restaurant it was middle of the road. I have a very strict grading criteria that I have stayed true to my entire career on Yelp. the best you can give is 5 stars, so that requires no mistakes, a perfect experience. The worst I can give is 1 star, which means I have 0 good things to say, and 3 stars is middle of the road average. I also take into account the expectations for the restaurant prior to coming, and knowing the type of restaurant you advertise as. When you look up this place you automatically think fine dining. No doubt about it from the reviews, from the menu, and from marketing. And I agree on most fronts. It is a small room that is well decorated, intimate, well thought out, and honestly beautiful. It is a small menu which means they have intentional chefs and focus on flavor profiles and take time to create a "perfect bite". Here are my complaints about the experience we had, and I will say this is really unfortunate because I can't think of a bad bite of food I had all night. We ran out of water, our order came out wrong, a refund on the order was promised and then missed, bisque was brought out with no spoon to eat it with, a pen exploded on me, and an order came out completely wrong. While these don't have to do with the food and the taste, except for the order coming out wrong and tasting bad, these are also things that a true fine dining experience will not allow to happen, PERIOD. Disagree with me if you would like, but for what you pay to eat here I have no doubt that the people who work here hold themselves to a higher standard than those. NOW...for the food. We ordered the brussels and shishitos, cauliflower, lobster bisque with side of house made bacon, and lamb meatballs. Before taste detail, I will also say that I believe the pricing on the shareables menu is VERY FAIR and the best option for a date night. Left feeling satisfied but not grossly full. Brussels were perfectly cooked, slightly below crunchy, perfect charr on shishitos, cashew creme with manchego was genius, and a light bite of tasty deliciousness. The lobster bisque had a great amount of meat in it, not too heavy on the butter flavor, balanced and complex in flavor, and when I had the smoked bacon on the side the surf and turf were a super cool compliment. The meatballs had just enough of a hint of spice, felt authentic to Mediterranean flavor, strong lamb flavor which I love, and the portion was awesome. The rockstar of the night though was the cauliflower. There are about 5 different aspects to the flavor profile, some sweet, some savory, but the overall component mix and precision was truly a masterpiece. I would eat 4 pounds of it if I could! I enjoyed my experience, and know that 3 stars is not what I even wanted to review here, but it had to be done when thinking of overall experience. HIGHLY suggest making a trip. It's a fun date and I think worth what you get price wise on the shareable menu!

I have been here twice now. Once at the one place that was very small but super charming and once at the new place. Love the food, didn't love the new place where I sat but I didn't walk around to see the new chefs table. Both times I've had the tasting menu and been pleased with the service and choices. I would recommend this place if you are not in a rush, are a foodie and definitely if you want something different for a date night.

A great foodie spot offering fine dining quality food set in a casual yet elevated atmosphere. Came in on a Wednesday night and were seated at the chef's counter which allowed for an interactive culinary experience as we could watch our food be prepared in front of us! It was nice to chat to the chefs as well and see them them work their magic. We ordered the 5 course tasting menu and then the elk filet, brussel sprouts, and watermelon/arugula salad. I had a bit higher expectations for the tasting menu as nothing was a standout/would order again but it had unique dishes and flavor profiles to try and was a good intro into the restaurant. The elk was delicious and might have been my favorite- gamey with an earthiness flavor to it and I loved the corn it was served with. Brussel sprouts were tasty- I really just loved the in house bacon in there. The watermelon salad was tasty and light. I overall enjoyed the regular menu (changes) more than the tasting but the whole experience, service, food, and ambience was sO much fun! I definitely want to come back for happy hour and to try more menu items!

We got the tasting menu and the chef was really gracious and let us change a lot of the menu items to accommodate being vegetarian. We had the cauliflower crostini, soup, fried ravioli. Both my friend and I found the flavors to be too heavily spiced, salted, or heavy from being fried. For those looking for a refined experience I don't think this is the place to go. Especially with our limited time in town and unlimited other options. A friend of mine took a bread making class here and said she loved it, so maybe classes here would be the way to go.

Did tasting menu. Total was about $400 With a couple drinks. Ate canes later... great food just not a lot of it

A group of us went to The Chef and I off its normal public hours. There we had a cooking class and lunch on Friday. With the restaurant being closed it was blissfully quiet, and we could take in all the rock 'n' roll theme as much as we wanted. The class was downstairs and though some of the ingredients were prepped for the class it was raw enough to be able to, hopefully, duplicate it at home. The result was pretty spectacular, doing a shrimp and grits dish and a caprese salad with a scratch-made pesto sauce. After the class we settled into a seated lunch. There we had an ARUGULA AND GRANNY SMITH APPLES salad with Feta cheese, roasted red peppers, candied pecans, honey-chili vinaigrette. That was followed by a choice of SHRIMP AND GRITS - Stone ground Kentucky white cheddar grits, topped with spiced American shrimp and a house-made bacon tomato gravy or LOCAL BEEF PATTY MELT - Local ground beef chuck thoroughly seasoned and cooked medium and layered with chipotle aioli, balsamic onions, and smoked gouda cheese on toasted focaccia. Served with warm potato salad with eggs, house bacon and an apple cider dressing. The shrimp and grits was different from what we made in the class I was still glad I chose the burger since it was completely different. The dessert was CREME BRULEE - Vanilla custard, burnt sugar, seasonal berries. It is not something I would normally be excited about, but this one was made to perfection. Overall, it was a great experience. Great food, great service, in a really special place.

It was our first time here and will not be the last! The ambiance was great, our server mike was fantastic and attentive and gave great wine recommendations, the food was fantastic and the experience was just great. We had a wonderful date night.

I thought the staff was super nice, the restaurant is spacious, the food was good. Some dishes were more outstanding but overall good. They have a fun happy hour! We went around 530 and it wasn't crowded at all but when we left around 730 it was definitely getting full. Chef Eric had some really good things coming out of the kitchen! My favorites were the Cauliflower crusted bites, the lamb meatballs, the cacio e Pepe, the olive oil cake and the ice cream!!

Food has always been my passion while traveling so I did some research on where to eat. Read great reviews about this place and seemed like a great choice to end our trip to Nashville, but kind of disappointed.... Had 5 course tasting menu, but found a Groupon for it at 25% off, I was pleasantly surprised!!! Maybe because it was Groupon, every course we had was very underwhelming and not very flavorful... especially the last course, which was "Adobo lamb rack", the seasoning was not even Adobo!!! I have had lots of Filipino food and that was not Adobo.... This is very confusing to me because the review for this place is so good yet the food is disappointing, was it because it was Groupon and they cook differently for Groupon users???? We (a party of 4) walked out, all looked at each other and puzzled at the quality of the food.... This is suppose to be $95/person????? Services and the Chefs are very friendly.. so I feel bad for leaving this review and I have to say I don't get "disappointed" often but this is one of the time for how much it costs vs what we've received/tasted.

This is our 2nd time at The Chef & I for a class. It's truly outstanding. The Italian and the southern cooking classes have taught us so much. This week, made from scratch pimento cheese, house made bacon, fries green tomato and Johnny cake BLT. Warm potato and watermelon salads on the side. Exceptional!!!! Fun class. Highly recommended!

It's always an amazing experience at The Chef & I. Make sure to request to sit at the Chef's Counter downstairs in your reservation!!! From the decor, to the service, to the experience watching the chefs create every dish, I'd definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who hasn't been yet.

Great food tasting and wine pairing experience! It's expensive but worth the pampering!! We got the 5 course tasting with wine pairing and it was all delicious!! Our server was awesome!! Not much more to say!!!

I stopped by on a weekend night for the Chef's Experience. We sat in the middle of the restaurant at the bar, aka their show kitchen. A single chef led and cooked a 7 course meal for us. Delicious inspired bites, with great wine service too. It was pretty pricy but a memorable experience. I do wish the seating was in a more intimate setting. For the price, it felt a bit casual than I'd hope.

We came here for our anniversary night which also happens to be Christmas eve. So, we're always happy to find a restaurant that does something special for the holidays. Nonetheless, this experience seems like it's always a special one! We opted for the 7 course tasting menu woth the wine pairings. Very pricey, but such a unique sampling of delicious food! My favorite was the lambchop in a shallow bowl of what may have been lobster bisque!(?) My husband really enjoyed the elk and the pork belly. The wine pairings were perfect and we were feeling very good by the end of the night. We didn't even have room for dessert. We would certainly return and recommend it to others, but for the price it's more of a special occasion restaurant!

You may have a hard time finding this place but it's well worth it! My high school senior decided to visit Vanderbilt so we made a short and wonderful weekend of it. After our tour and settling into our surroundings, my son headed out with his friend for lunch leaving my wife and I to find some lunch on our own. Both of us have dietary requirements so we found a spot that had what looked to be great choices. We both ordered salads and for me a Bloody Mary -- which seemed to have a Salad attached - delicious! To get started we had the cauliflower which was so good - maybe the best part of the meal. Well, both salads were amazing - the Granny Smith and the Caprese. They prepared them perfectly for us and ensured our changes were not only perfect - but enhanced both salads! There was a live video feed of the kitchen and it was impressive to watch as we dined. I stopped to take pictures and ran into one of the chefs prepping for dinner. He told me about the tasting course meal and we signed up our aspiring chef son for a chef's course where you can watch the food prepared specially for the evening and interact with the chefs. It was a perfect meal according to him! We had a wonderful meal, fantastic service, and perfectly prepared, fresh, fresh, fresh, food!

Had my birthday dinner and it was amazing!!! Food descriptions were scary at first but actually very good ! Will return again

Long story short: If I got to pick my last thing to eat, it would be the cauliflower appetizer. It was so dang good! I almost ordered another to got! Each tasting was good, but not like, drop dead delicious good. And for 5 tiny plates for $89, I wouldn't do the tasting again. I have had gastric sleeve so I don't eat much but I don't know how a normal stomach sized person would leave feeling amount satisfied. Our server was really nice and items came out quickly, but it did seem a bit more rehearsed than authentic. It's a great spot for a couples outing and the vibe was really nice. I went after seeing pictures of their previous location and was bummed out that they don't have the chefs in the dining room anymore but have a giant screen tv looking at the very "chain restaurant" looking kitchen. I feel like their original setup was a vibe that I was really looking forward to!

My party of 4 stopped in for a birthday celebration after hearing rave reviews about the 7-course tasting menu here. After visiting other restaurants like Audrey, CatBird Seat, and Butcher and Bee, we figured another tasting menu was the right choice for an important celebration. -I hate writing reviews like this when I know there's a solid rating on the restaurant's Yelp page...and maybe we went on an off day when the kitchen was slammed, but this place missed the mark completely for us. The first course was 'white tuna' on top of a bed of avocado with stewed cranberries and marinated mushrooms. There were two pieces of fish that were seasoned differently. The best part had to be the mushrooms. They were savory, slightly vinegary, and plump. I could have done without the cranberries. This intro dish just had way too much going on all at the same time. *People in my party said one of the portions was fishy (the darker fish portion). Course Number Two was a pork medallion salad with gochujang sauce. First of all, we were served a portion of pork smaller than a golf ball and it was dry and lukewarm. I'm peeved because for the price of the tasting menu, (over $100 pp) I would expect to at least be served food at temp. The third course was spaghetti squash and sun-dried tomato 'pasta'. This was just really bland...It lacked salt, it lacked butter or sauce...honestly anything that could have made this a memorable dish. Sun-dried tomatoes were added and it seemed like a last-ditch effort to add some umami and zing to this dish...but it was my least favorite course so far. The fourth course consisted of a chorizo roasted oyster. This was the best course so far. And it actually came out hot. The fifth course consisted of a crispy duck breast with a pasta side and a ricotta pesto sauce on the side. This was the best dish that I have had so far. The duck skin was super crispy and THIS is what I would be expecting to get from an expensive tasting menu. The quality, temperature, and flavor were great. The steak for the 6th course was ...okay. Or as they were calling it on the chalkboard menu "Teres Major". This cut seemed like it was cut improperly. Usually, steaks are cut against the grain to make them more tender. This cut was cut with the grain and was tender but also stringy to chew through. Weird, right? On top of that, the steak was served cold on top of a bed of some kind of charred fruit. It was salty and smoky (chipotle). I honestly wish they had given us a steak knife for this course because all we had was a butter knife and it was impossible to cut through the meat. The last course consisted of seared scallops on top of sweet corn succotash. This dish needed salt and sauce. The brininess from the scallops couldn't save this dish. It really seemed kind of lackluster and lacked flavor. I'm honestly quite disappointed that this is the last course on the tasting menu. Usually, tasting menus will also include a dessert portion...and we just had all savory dishes. This was also a birthday outing and that seemed to have been glossed over. We were seated by the bar in a freezing area by a vent. It made the entire meal uncomfortable as we were shivering trying to stay warm (one member of my party did bring this up to our server) and honestly, I would tell you to save your money. There are many better-tasting menus in the city...and after walking out paying over $600 on this disappointing meal please don't make my same mistake.

Nasty ambiance. Mediocre food. They basically ran a cooking class right behind us and cooked fish. The whole place stunk and they ran the blender to the point that we couldn't even have a conversation let alone eat a meal.

One of the best meals I've ever had AND I AM NOT PLAYIN Chef Arryn is an ace. Every dish we'll seasoned & thought out: a beautiful combination. Chef Bishop on the 1's & 2's of mains seemed to be killing it as well. Order the 7 courser. The rare tasting menu that leaves you filled & satisfied. No clunkers in the bunch. Everything packed with flavor (each successive bite of the Burrata & Tomato was better than the last Must return the next time I'm in The Nash.

The Chef and I was fantastic! Went with girlfriends for a birthday dinner and the service, food and drinks were all fabulous. We ordered a lot of sharables and most notably, the Brussels with shishitos and cauliflower goat cheese were the table faves. Everyone loved their meals and the chef stopped by to chat with us and was so friendly. The lemon olive oil cake they brought out with a candle for dessert was to die for as well. Would totally come back.

Service was excellent - the staff was lively and talkative, even those who weren't waiting on us engaged with us. Prices are steep. We opted to split apps to make it more affordable. The baked feta was probably our favorite (except I had to pick capers and olives off of it, not my taste!) and the lamb meatballs were good, but we definitely wish we had more. The Brussels and peppers were good but nothing to write home about. They were very nice and comped a birthday dessert for my friend, so that was lovely. Overall I expected the ambiance to be a lot different, more classy I guess. Bob Ross was on the tv the whole time and there are paintings on the walls but it feels like a hotel lobby so that's a bit confusing when you're trying to figure out the vibe of the place. Nice bathroom though! Overall, I don't know if I'd run back for dinner but I'm intrigued by their cooking classes.

Delicious food, friendly service, beautiful location. Loved watching them cook in the kitchen and in front of us at the bar. I'd definitely put this at the top of my list to revisit when in Nashville! The Bloody Mary was so yummy! Definitely get the cauliflower, brussel sprouts and a Benedict at brunch! The sorbets were amazing too! Five stars, check it out!

The Chef and I is such a nice and unique restaurant. It came up as recommended fine dining when I was looking into restaurants to visit while I was in Nashville! And I'm so glad I did visit! I did the Chef's Tasting Menu because I wanted to taste as many things as I could. It was very fun and tasty. The dishes were creative and I was impressed. What got me was the ginormous television in the middle of the dining room on the back wall. I can easily say it is the largest TV I've ever seen and I wouldn't be surprised if it's the largest one I'll ever see. I understand the concept and how that could be fun to see food prepared but it turned me off from my meal because I felt like the chefs in the back were stressed out. They were serious, sweating, and just trying to expedite dishes as fast as they could... as they should! They were doing what needed to be done but I could've gone without seeing it. I sat at the bar so I also got to interact with the chefs in front of me preparing drinks, dessert, and food. They were chipper and chatty! I really enjoyed that aspect. Overall it was a great experience.

So good but very pricey! Will say for a place like this, they actually do give a lot of food so you definitely won't leave hungry. We came for our anniversary and overall it was a great experience. I didn't love the overall aesthetic of the restaurant so that's the only reason I am giving it a 4/5.

I had the market fish this time which was Halibut. It was amazing. Also had the Brussels sprouts, which I always get as a starter. The service is stellar. This is my favorite Nashville restaurant.

The chef and I was a amazing experience! We did the multi course meal with a wine pairing and loved it! The food was great and the staff was super friendly. This is differently a great place to have dinner in nashville with a group of people or a significant other. It is pricey as a heads up, but once in a while, it's worth it.

We went for a business dinner and based off of the ratings, was really looking forward to it. Very disappointing - the menu read nice, but most courses in the 7 course menu were overcooked and over seasoned. Service was unapologetic and just not on par with other chef tasting restaurants I've been to...

I'm so glad that my friend planned a reservation during my Nashville trip! The experience was definitely A+ all around, and I can't wait to return on my next trip to TN. This review is only for brunch, which, I must say, was out of this world. But I'm super curious what their evening dining experience is like now that their brunch rocked my world! The following is an overview of what our dining party ordered and some brief highlights. Each item was super tasty, and we would recommend any of these (although, as we understand it, the menu changes frequently). Steak Bowl - This breakfast masterpiece included delicious fingerling potatoes topped with an Asian-inspired gravy (a curry coconut concoction) and tender slices of flank steak. Patty Melt - A dish with local ground beef layered with chipotle aioli, balsamic onions, and smoked gouda cheese on toasted focaccia. This dish was served with a super tasty warm red potato salad that had yummy pieces of eggs and bacon mixed into it. Pimento Cheese Appetizer - This appetizer dish featured yummy toasted bread slices smothered with yummy homemade Pimento Cheese. Brussels Sprouts - This appetizer (or side) dish was composed of shaved Brussels that were toasted up just right with bacon, lemon, parmesan, apple cider glaze, and whipped goat cheese. Wow! This place is A+ all around. I'm so glad that my friend planned a reservation to this place during my Nashville trip!shville trip!hville trip!ville trip!ille trip!lle trip!le trip!e trip! trip!trip!rip!ip!p!!are at long counters that align an open kitchen where kitchen staff are working together to prep the dishes. As they work, the chefs chat with customers.. and you can ask them questions about the process! to

Very intimate. Menu was unique and clever. Staff was super attentive. I loved the mural on the wall downstairs. The elk rack was so lean and flavorful.

Went here on my birthday and it was absolutely A+! Every single thing we ate was incredible. Since it was a special occasion we ate at the chefs counter and even the kitchen staff were so fun and amazing, it definitely made my night. Service was great and the energy was fun. They also have a great happy hour which we will definitely be back to try!

We went over 4th of July weekend and sat at the chefs counter. We had a wonderful experience. The staff were extremely attentive and kind. The food was delicious and it was so much fun watching them chef and interacting with them.

If you get a chance to go to this place, make sure Mike, Jim, and Ally are present. Mike is the best host anyone could dream for. He will make sure you're taken care of and will have a meaningful convo with you. He's super knowledgeable about a lot, including the menu, how the food is cooked, the ingredients in the food and sauces, etc. He will blow your mind away. Jim and Ally are the two chefs that you will see preparing your small plates! Very talented chefs. Amazing people. Made sure you were taken care of also. My partner and I tried two new things for the first time. I tried Red Fish, their Catch of the day. My partner tried The Duck for the first time. Needless to say, we both loved what we ordered. She said that duck is her new favorite, and I'm right there with her because Red Fish is my new favorite.

Tuesday night dinner in Nashville and we tried the chef and I. It did not disappoint except for the billing. Creative ambience with a big screen TV monitoring the two kitchen chefs as we sat at the horseshoe bar surrounding a 3rd chef. Very cool! Service by Todd was excellent and perfectly attentive. He had great suggestions and good knowledge of all the options. Prices are high but reasonable for fine dining. The service and food quality were at that level. They have options for small shareable plates and entrées, as well as a five or seven course tasting menu. My wife started with the cauliflower with local whipped goat cheese - so delicious! For her entrée she had a gulf shrimp with agave cornbread. It also had some chorizo in it. All the flavors were fantastic together with a very slight spice kick from the chorizo. I opted for the five course tasting menu. Tuna, pork, shiitake, elk, and lamb. I didn't really care for the brown rice accompaniment with the tuna, but the tuna itself was very good. My favorite course was the elk by far. The lamb chop was nice but nothing special. Overall, a great tasting menu. Everything had been so delicious we decided to try dessert even though we probably were too full. Todd suggested the cereal milk cheesecake. Apparently it's made with cinnamon life. It was fantastic! Now for the only disappointment in the evening. First remember that prices are not inexpensive here for food or drink. When the bill came, there was a separate service charge line item of 2%. No explanation was given for it and frankly I missed it until after I had left the restaurant. Then they have a suggested tip section where they state their expected tip is based on food, drink, and government taxes. They don't bother to mention that you're also tipping on top of the service charge of 2%. Customers should never have to pay a tip to the government for the taxes they are charged. It's a pass-through. They also shouldn't be charged 2% service and then expect customers to tip on the 2% service charge. This process should be changed by management immediately. True it's a suggestion and you can tip how you want but the establishment should not set this expectation. Many won't even realize how the tip was determined. So I rate ambiance, food, drink and service A++. Billing/tipping policy F minus. Net a 3. Easily fixed.

This restaurant is AMAZING It's small and the vibes are amazing, the chefs cook everything in front of you (I recommend sitting at the bar bc that's what this place is made for) and the smells are immaculate. I had literally the best eggs Benedict of my life, the bacon and tomato Benny is to die for. Also had the bottomless mimosas which did not disappoint. Can't wait to return here for dinner!

The restaurant is amazing! All the staff are super helpful. We did the tasting experience and chef Anthony was perfect! He was friendly, knowledgeable and his food was awesome! Highly recommend if you want a nice date night and they also cater! They do seasonal menu's so you know all the food is super fresh!

Good food worth the price we did the date dinner it was delicious but it depends if you're willing to try new things like fish scallops etc

The Chef and I was flipping delicious. Chef Ashley and Chef Rome were delightful and were my companions for dinner. I tried the most raved about cauliflower and it lived up, if not surpassed, the hype. I tried kangaroo for the first time. The picture looks horrible because it was the meat on top of black bean purée topped with a poached egg. I have no idea what I was expecting but I wasn't expecting THAT! The meat was so tender and perfectly cooked. I can only say it is like eating a filet mignon but with a texture of shashimi ahi tuna. No game like flavor, very mild almost to a neutral flavor. It is something worth experiencing. I wanted to try the tasting menu but... that's a lot of food. I already felt like a liar taking the rest of the appetizer and entree to go after saying it was incredibly divine. However... I had room for crème brûlée. Chef Rome gave me a tour of the place and all its glory. It is a beautiful restaurant, I just wish there were little more light.

Chef Matt West is nothing short of a master. We experienced his menu at the tasting experience and WOW! I mean he utilized "butter clouds" in his creations! C'mon now!! Chef Matt = 5 stars. I understand he's moving on and I will say this is a big loss. If he were in my employment, I'd bend over backwards to keep this talent. As far as coming back here? Not sure we want to patronize a place that doesn't seem to honor the artist. Business decision makers = 1. ‍ We will be following this talent and hoping he pops up to offer cooking lessons elsewhere.

My wife and I went here for our anniversary last night. We decided to do the 7 course with the wine tasting and sat at the counter. I honestly think this was the best meal/food experience I've ever had. We had Chef Jake, Chef Arynne, and Chef Eric and they were amazing. They were kind, fun, and exciting to watch and it was easy to tell that they care a lot about the quality of the food as well as the presentation. Also I'm pretty sure our waiter's name was Addison and he was so good...quick, funny, knowledgeable. The other staff that assisted were great as well. We woke up this morning still raving about it to each other and will definitely be going back. I will say that I think the counter seating is the way to go. But I cannot recommend this place enough!

I booked an omakase experience by mistake which wasn't refundable but when I called and left a voicemail, chef Chris Rains immediately texted me back and fixed my reservation for me. We had the chef's table which was an amazing experience. We've had chef's table at many restaurants and this was the best experience we've had. Chef Aryanne (sp?) and chef Eric cooked right in front of us and chatted with us. Every plate was so different and amazing. When we were there (5pm on a Friday) the farmer came to "sell" his fresh harvests and we got to try so many fresh off the vine fruits veggies and flowers. We have two other chef's table experiences booked in town and I'm anxious to see how they are going to compare especially since this one was the cheapest one. By the way, every single dish out of the kitchen looked amazing - not just our dishes!

I am going to give a totally brutally honest review because for a $300 meal (for two people), this should be nothing short of perfection. We did the chef's tasting in the show kitchen (where you sit at a bar like table that surrounds two chefs who do some of the app prep and desserts. (The dining room is standard seating in the restaurant). This was cool to watch and chat with the chefs, the pastry chef was the most talkative and we enjoyed his company. There is also a large TV where you can see the action in the main kitchen. We had the 5 course tasting but started with the Cauliflower app (extra $). It is CARAMELIZED CAULIFLOWER WITH LOCAL WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE!! It had pesto, candied pecans and honey drizzle and it was the best thing we had all night. Umami. But from the start my husband noted that it wasn't hot. Ok, didn't ruin the dish so moving on.... Our 5 course tasting was fish (Walu), lobster bisque, duck, elk and pork belly. 5/5 Walu served on a bed of pink (beet?) sauce and shredded radishes on top. SO good! Fresh and a great bite. 5/5 Lobster bisque and spiced shrimp served with parm focaccia toast. Probably the best bisque I have had, just a tad too spicy for me but my husband loved it. We were really enjoying this experience but that's where it ends for me. Because the restaurant committed the cardinal sin of dining with the rest of the meal, which were all meats. They came out room temp, not even a tiny bit warm and could tell they had been sitting. And when you get a single bite or two, during a chef's tasting, for these kinds of prices, it should be coming right off the burner. Here is what came next- 2/5 Crispy duck on a wonton with avocado- I need my bird to be hot, the bite was just ok. It might have been better if it were warmer. 1/5 Pork belly with salsa verde and crispy chickpeas- I am generally not a fan because of the fat content, so I don't know if this one could have been saved for me even if it came out hot but I felt like it was sitting, even the sauce was kind of stuck to the plate, the chickpeas were overdone. 4/5 Elk infused with wine on potatoes- this would have been THE favorite, it was delicious but again, a slice of meat that looks like rare steak, needs to be served hot. The flavors were all there! Dessert- Redeeming, if I came back with guests i would order a couple of apps and dessert and call it a day. 5/5 Spiced cake with fresh peaches (tis the season!) covered in a bourbon caramel sauce and crispy almond pretzel crumbles on goat cheese. Never had anything like it, bravo so good! 5/5 Chocolate cheesecake ice cream- don't skip on the ice cream. To elevate something so commonplace to me is talent. Drinks- skip the Me and Bobby McGee, tasted like medicine. Get the Dave Grohl instead, light and refreshing and delicious. Overall, not worth it for the chef's tasting. Might not be back with these prices either. Our server was nice but he only asked about more drinks once, and I don't know if they were short staffed but it was obvious the food wasn't coming right out so :::shrug::: the restaurant needs to figure that out pronto. I should also note that other chef's tastings I have been to have offered at least one complimentary extra (a palate cleanser, bread or crackers, etc, something to make the experience feel even more special). They did not. Bonus* complimentary valet!

While the concept and story for this place are great, the ambiance and food were a miss for us. The decor felt a bit Vegas and no real authenticity to it. It also didn't fit the story of the restaurant and what the owners are trying to create. Velvet drapes, seats, very cold AC, and a TV screen showing the chefs cooking. The real miss for us was the food. They would not make any adjustments to the tasting menu. This is not how a professional restaurant should behave. People have restrictions and preferences and you should have some flexibility. The tasting menu seemed to not have a theme, it was a mix of land, sea and sky which is a bit much for me, and nothing to break it up with vegetarian options. We went with a la carte. The cauliflower dish was more of an assembly job rather than an expertly prepared dish. It was OK but nothing special. The salmon belly was overly salty and we didn't like it at all. All we could taste was the saltiness. The duck was overcooked, and the corn side didn't do it for me, while the harissa flavor was nice, it was a bit disjointed and a dish. The shrimp dish was amazing, the only dish that we really liked.

The food was delicious. Service was excellent. Very comfortable sat next to the chef station.

The Chef and I, originally a catering company that became a brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2012, moved to the Gulch in 2017, and finally to the upscale Adelicia condos during the summer of 2022. Located literally 600 feet from the nearest recording studio, this eatery just added a little spark to the already booming Music Row neighborhood that's transforming rapidly from mere music studios to classy high-rises that extend the Nashville skyline to impossible lengths. In short, the appetizers were easily 5 stars, the duck was probably 4 stars or slightly above, and the service was certainly 5 stars. The desserts were right at 4.5, making The Chef and I an ideal Nashville spot to drop in for dessert. That averages to a solid 4.5 rating - which I don't always round up to a 5 - but The Chef and I certainly deserves my 5-star review. So, let's talk about the amazing food. The roasted cauliflower with a little pesto, a healthy dose of goat cheese on crostini, and just a slight hint of sweet in the candied nuts and honey was just stunning. I don't really love honey, nor do my friends, but we all loved the complementary flavors in this appetizer! It might just be their best item! The salmon belly with a whipped, subtle horseradish with the faint essence of an American wasabi was just incredible. The duck breast was crispy but tender and very delicious. It wasn't a 5, but to be fair my perfect-5 duck is prepared by the award-winning Hitching Post restaurant in Buellton, California, so that isn't a very fair comparison. But it's what you get when a foodie has been to most of America's greatest restaurants. That said, this duck breast is fabulous in its spicy and complex sauce. I had both the roasted strawberry sorbet and the crème brûlée for dessert and both were spectacular. The latter was among the best desserts I've had in Nashville, with an extra crunchy, sugary top, more eggy than most custards but very creamy and soft and exactly made to my liking! The surrounding streets in the neighborhood have metered parking, but Nashville doesn't give parking tickets after 6:00 p.m., so you can park for free at dinnertime. Make a reservation in advance to guarantee a table, because they tend to be very busy.

I'm a foodie and I will say that the Chef and I is one of my top restaurants here in Nashville. We did the 5 course tasting menu and each dish was so unique and delicious. We also sat in the kitchen area and interacted with the chefs and seriously just had an amazing fun experience. I can't recommend this place enough!