NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Executive Chef Tyler Brown of the Capitol Grille has been named one of the Four New Chefs to Watch this year by Esquire Magazine’s Food & Travel Correspondent, John Mariani. Brown, known for his approachable take on southern cuisine, pays homage to the South by mixing locally sourced, classic dishes with modern cooking techniques.
Additionally, for the past two years, Brown has immersed himself in researching and sourcing heirloom seeds then growing them using sustainable farming methods. With the help of his team and groups of volunteers this renaissance man has created and is maintaining a five-acre, period garden four miles from the restaurant. The 53 varieties of vegetables grown are used to supply The Hermitage Hotel’s Capitol Grille. A portion of the harvest is then donated to local food banks and family shelters.
“It is an amazing honor for the team at the Capitol Grille to be noticed by a recognized authority in the industry like Mr. Mariani. This is a culmination of a lot of hard work put in by a great group,” said Brown.
Mariani, an author and journalist for more than 30 years, is widely known as one of America’s premiere food writers and is a three-time nominee for the James Beard Journalism Award, which has been deemed by some as “the Oscars of the food world”.
This is the 27th year of Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurants list which also includes the New Chefs to Watch list.
About the Capitol Grille
The commitment to preservation continues in the hotel’s Capitol Grille and Oak Bar. Relaxed, low key, and known as the place for Nashvillians “in the know”, the Capitol Grille is inspired by cultural sustainability. That is, preserving the past while using techniques of the present. Our commitment to using local food extends beyond sourcing local. The ingredients are grown at the Farm at Glen Leven, just five miles from Capitol Grille, by Executive Chef and Farmer Tyler Brown. Brown creates a menu which shifts with the season, is based on what is the freshest and best available, and pays homage to historic southern cuisine.
Chef Brown is actively involved with Share Our Strength, an organization whose mission is to end childhood hunger by 2015, and the Chef’s Move to Schools program, an offshoot of the Let’s Move program. Also, by supporting the Southern Foodways Alliance, the team at the Capitol Grille works to assure that the recipes and methods passed from generation to generation are not lost. The Capitol Grille is Nashville’s only Forbes Four Star and AAA Four Diamond restaurant.
About The Hermitage Hotel
Opened in 1910, The Hermitage Hotel has been woven into the history and memories of Nashville and her residents for over 100 years. In keeping with a deep respect for Nashville and the state of Tennessee, The Hermitage Hotel is committed to preserving the region’s heritage by putting into practice the traditions that make hospitality synonymous with The South. This commitment extends to protecting the state’s historic and scenic landscapes through a relationship with The Land Trust for Tennessee. This relationship began in 2008 when a program was created in which guests may donate $2.00 for every night they stay in the hotel. To date guests have donated over $150,000. The relationship was furthered in 2010 when the Trust graciously allowed the Capitol Grille to create a substantial period garden using sustainable practices on the property at Glen Leven. Glen Leven is an historic 66 acre farm located just 5 miles from The Hermitage Hotel and owned by the Land Trust for Tennessee. The Hermitage Hotel is the only Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond hotel in Tennessee and five contiguous states.
The Hermitage Hotel is the most likely location in Nashville to find a Who’s Who of the entertainment world. Guests have included Tom Cruise, Jon Bon Jovi, Scarlett Johansson and the Jonas Brothers, among many others.
More information about the hotel can be found at http://www.facebook.com/#!/hermitagehotelnashville