Yolan

"When you have a quarterly bonus burning a hole in your pocket (or Daddy Warbucks is picking up the tab), Yolan is the best Italian splurge in the city. No one lights a candle to its artful delivery of pasta and Italian delicacies, flawless wine pairings, and sweet masterpieces. And while individually they’re pretty great, together they’re a tour de force. The thoughtful and attentive service puts the experience over the top, and almost (almost) makes you forget Yolan’s most egregious sin: it’s a fine dining experience… in a hotel lobby. photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink Listen, we’re not going to quibble too much about aesthetics here. It’s fine. It’s the lobby of The Joseph hotel, so there are high ceilings, nondescript gray upholstered banquettes and chairs, and the continuous din that comes with being in the hub of an active hotel. Like we said, it’s fine. And maybe that’s by design. Too much frippery would distract from the real focus here, which is (and should be) the food. The menu is a la carte and changes seasonally, but you can always count on a few things to stick around pretty much all year, like the sourdough focaccia, the peppery cacio e pepe, and the rich bucatini. Proteins are tenderly rendered, and the plating is beautiful, minimalist, and immaculate. Just don’t expect a Carrabba’s dump truck of lasagna in terms of portions—though it’s enough to satisfy and prime you for dessert. photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink Now, there’s a subset of the population that opts to pass on dessert. We don’t personally keep company with those people, but we’ve heard they exist. In any case, don’t make that mistake at Yolan. The dessert menu is always changing, but it typically includes riffs on Italian sweets that stretch the boundaries of what a final dish could look and taste like. Take, for example, a recent sweet corn gelato profiterole with candied ginger, stewed blueberry compote, and kaffir lime leaf. There’s a lot happening there, but it works without being too fussy. photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink Yolan is definitely a special occasion situation—anniversary, promotion, dinner with visiting in-laws (but, like, in-laws you like a lot). Your wallet is guaranteed to be significantly lighter after the experience, but the deposit it makes in your memory bank more than makes up for it. Food Rundown photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink Focaccia Sourdough focaccia is a menu staple and a great way to kick off the meal with a lighter-bodied red. It has just the right amount of tangy chew and comes with a crew of culinary backup dancers for dipping and spreading—like whipped ricotta with fermented garlic honey and warm ‘nduja—that changes seasonally. photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink Cacio e Pepe The cacio e pepe is like the Doctor Who of Yolan’s dishes—it just keeps coming back season after season after season. It’s a perennial favorite of ours, and we love that it doesn’t make a heavy commitment to the cheese (hard to do) while retaining a subtle peppery kick with each bite. Duck The duck at Yolan is usually a special, so ask your server if it's available. If it is, don’t hesitate to get it into your dinner rotation. This will quite possibly be the best version of duck you’ve had in your life, rendered so the meat delicately falls apart in your mouth coating your tongue with fatty richness. It’s Yolan’s magnum opus and one they don’t trot out for audiences often. photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink Dessert Whatever’s on the menu that day. Get that." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"Nashville scored big when James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Mantuano and wine/hospitality expert Cathy Mantuano, life and business partners, brought Nashville the fine-dining Italian menu it had been missing — not to mention the standout service and welcoming atmosphere inside the Joseph Hotel. Just try to save some room for pastry chef Noelle Marchetti’s jaw-dropping desserts." - Ellen Fort, Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"Nashville scored big when James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Mantuano and wine expert Cathy Mantuano came to town. The powerhouse couple brought the fine dining Italian menu and see-through cheese cave Nashville had been missing, along with standout service and a welcoming atmosphere inside the Joseph hotel. The a la carte menu wows with fried Castelvetrano olives, charred octopus, salted cod risotto with Meyer lemon, and a 55-day dry-aged Kansas City strip steak with black truffle-mushroom conserva. Just save some room for jaw-dropping desserts from executive pastry chef Noelle Marchetti. —JGJ" - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones, Ellen Fort

"Yolan is the best Italian restaurant in the city, and a place that’s extremely worth the splurge. You’ll find it on the ground floor of The Joseph Nashville hotel, tucked into a spot right off the lobby. They used to primarily do a tasting menu, but they’ve recently switched over to a seasonal a la carte format. Definitely start with an order of the sourdough focaccia before diving into plates of antipasti, cacio e pepe, bucatini all’amatriciana​, and perfectly rendered proteins. And the desserts here are just as impressive (sometimes even more so) than the mains. Top it off with a wine pairing of unique Italian varietals, and consider getting a room upstairs for the night." - jackie gutierrez jones 2, ann walczak

"When you have a quarterly bonus burning a hole in your pocket (or Daddy Warbucks is picking up the tab), Yolan is the best Italian splurge in the city. No one lights a candle to its artful delivery of pasta and Italian delicacies, flawless wine pairings, and sweet masterpieces. And while individually they’re pretty great, together they’re a tour de force. This is definitely a special occasion situation—anniversary, promotion, dinner with visiting in-laws (but, like, in-laws you like a lot). Your wallet is guaranteed to be significantly lighter after the experience, but the deposit it makes in your memory bank more than makes up for it." - jackie gutierrez jones 2, carlo mantuano, ann walczak