David Howard Sean Brock Brian Baxter Kenny lyons

37 Rutledge StreetNashville, TN(615) 256-6565

www.husknashville.comwww.facebook.com/HuskRestaurant

www.twitter.com/HuskNashville

76 Queen St.Charleston, SC 29401843.577.2500

www.huskrestaurant.com www.facebook.com/HuskRestaurant

www.twitter.com/HuskRestaurant

P R E S I D E N T , N E I G H B O R H O O D D I N I N G G R O U PDavid Howard

C H E F / P A R T N E RSean Brock

C H E F D E C U I S I N EBrian Baxter

G E N E R A l m A N A G E RKenny lyons



www.twitter.com/HuskNashvillewww.instagram.com/HuskNashville







L ocated in Rutledge Hill—

just a few blocks south

of Historic Broadway, in the

heart of Downtown Nashville—

is the newest outpost of the

Neighborhood Dining Group

and James Beard Award-

winning Chef Sean Brock’s

renowned restaurant, Husk. Led

by Brock and Chef de Cuisine

Brian Baxter, the kitchen reinterprets the bounty of the

surrounding area, exploring an ingredient-driven cuisine

that begins in the rediscovery of heirloom products and

redefines what it means to cook and eat in Nashville.

Starting with a larder of ingredients indigenous to the

South housed in a complex of buildings dating back

to the 1890’s, which has been listed in the National

Registry of Historic homes since the 1970’s, Brock and

Baxter craft menus throughout the day inspired by

what the local farmers are hauling in to the kitchen at

any given moment. Like the decor inside this historic

building the food is modern in style and interpretation.

At Husk, there are some rules about what can go on

the plate. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not

coming through the door,” says Brock. The resulting

cuisine is not about rediscovering Southern cooking,

but rather exploring the reality of Southern food.

Seedsaving, heirloom husbandry, and in-house

pickling and charcuterie programs by the

o v e R v i e w







o v e R v i e w

culinary team are the basis of Husk’s cuisine.

The restaurant is as causal as it is chic, evoking a

way of life focused on seasonality and the grand

traditions of Nashville life—one lived at a slower pace,

preferably with a cocktail and fantastic music in the

late afternoon. It’s a neighborhood gathering place for

friends and family and a dining destination spot for

travelers, with a taste of the South for everyone’s palate.







Brock brings this evolving

vision of a new Southern

cuisine from his successful

kitchens at McCrady’s and

Husk Charleston. As one of

the South’s most decorated

culinarians, Brock received

the James Beard Award

for Best Chef Southeast in

2010, and was a finalist for

Outstanding Chef in 2013

and 2014. He has appeared

on Iron Chef America and

hosted Season Two of Anthony Bourdain’s The Mind of a

Chef on PBS. His first cookbook, Heritage (Artisan Books),

was released in October 2014 and is a New York Times

bestseller.

Baxter grew up in St. Petersburg, FL and learned to

cook at an early age. After graduating from The Culinary

Institute of America’s Culinary Arts program in Hyde

Park, NY, Baxter had the opportunity to stage at McCrady’s

in Charleston, SC, and says it was one of the highlights

of his career. He stayed to work under Chef Sean Brock

and Chef de Cuisine Jeremiah Langhorne at McCrady’s as

chef de partie. While Brock travels between Charleston

and Nashville, Baxter manages the day-to-day operations

at Husk Nashville. His food philosophies closely mirror

those of Brock and Travis Grimes, his counterpoint at

c u i S i N e







Husk Charleston, focusing on preserving techniques and

the recovery of lost flavors, especially heirloom varietals.

Each brings a love for the region and its history to the

creation of Husk Nashville.

Diners at Husk Nashville observe an open,

collaborative kitchen, but the work begins well

before a pan starts to heat. Brock and Baxter

exhaustively research Southern and Nashville

food histories and provenance in their process to

reconstitute flavors and ingredients lost in time. Their

dedication extends to sourcing heirloom grains and

vegetables that once flourished in the region, but were

lost to 20th-century industrial agriculture. Utilizing

nearby farms to gain immediate access to what is fresh

and available today, or even this hour, they transform the

ever-changing ingredients into an evolving menu.

Seasonal bounty comes in waves, so what can’t be used

immediately is preserved, pickled, smoked, or saved.

c u i S i N e







Located directly below the main dining room,

Husk’s bar is outfitted with an ever changing menu

emphasizing classic cocktails and continuing the city’s

historic tippling traditions, all while mirroring the

restaurant’s commitment to seasonality. An on-site

cocktail apothecary program gives the impressive bar

team a cadre of housemade ingredients to make some of

the most delicious drinks in the south while highlighting

spirits from distilleries in and around Nashville like Belle

Meade, Prichards, and Corsair. Beyond the bourbon-

focus that’s become synonymous with Husk’s bar

program, patrons can sip artisanal microbrews from

Yazoo, Fat Bottom, Jackalope, Tennessee Brew Works, and

Calf Killer on the attached porch while overlooking the

sights of the city. It’s a place to relax, to enjoy a drink

before dinner, and always a discovery of new tastes

derived from old virtues.

A wine list grouped by terrior and soil type, rather than

the traditional classifications of political geography or

grape varietal, further connect the concepts of Husk’s

bar to the mission of the restaurant. Husk is proud of

its boutique wine program emphasizing organic and

biodynamic, family-style producers who share the

restaurant’s focus on environmental preservation.

c o c K T A i L S A N D w i N e







H usk Nashville, located at

37 Rutledge Street, was

constructed into the side of a

hill between 1879 and 1882

by Dr. John Bunyan Stephens.

Its storied history includes

serving as Mayor Richard

Houston Dudley’s home, where

he lived when elected in

1897. The area was settled by

the Rutledge and Middleton families of Charleston who

were descendants of two of the South Carolina signers of

the Declaration of Independence.

Mayor Dudley added the Carriage House located on

property in 1890—which will serve as a space to satisfy

the restaurant’s culinary whims and host private/special

events. The design of the Husk’s interior spaces enhances

the building’s roots while demonstrating a sense of

Southern style, modernity, energy, and cosmopolitan flair.

The Neighborhood Dining Group’s President David

Howard set into motion an extensive remodeling effort to

preserve and retrofit their vision of Husk Nashville. The

building retains its antique charm and stately exterior

while the interior has been renovated with a modern,

D e S i G N







minimalist theme. Like the

reinterpreted food served

on its tables, each space

has been reinvigorated to

reveal its original floors,

windows, and walls. Located

on the second floor, the main

kitchen is an open space

where guests will catch a

glimpse the chefs in action

as they are escorted to tables

in either the main dining room or glass-enclosed atrium

below. A more intimate dining space is located off the

entranceway with large bay windows to take in the city.

The bar is housed just below the main dining room and

next to the atrium where it’s attached patio gives guests the

opportunity to relax outdoors, cocktail in hand, and (when

the season’s right) check the score of the Titans game.

Designed by Michael Shewan of Michael David & Associates of Charleston, SC.

D e S i G N













Walk across the yard, past half-a-dozen raised

vegetable beds supplying produce and herbs

to the kitchen, and guests will find themselves at the

historic Carriage House now named The Stables. Dating

back to 1890, this small private dining space now comes

to life offering a customized and exclusive Husk dining

experience. The Stables has its own kitchen, patio, and

bathroom, and offers several layouts to accommodate

your special event.

The Stables is also home to Chef Sean Brock’s “The

Workshop Series at The Stables”, a culinary and

educational adventure showcasing acclaimed chefs from

across the country and around the world.

For additional information please contact our Event Coordinator, Ashley Wood: [email protected]

T H e S T A b L e S













David Howard, President, Neighborhood Dining Group

Born in the same home as Admiral

Lord Nelson in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk,

England, it's easy to understand why Howard

has an unquenchable thirst for travel and

adventure.

A hospitality industry veteran and chef by

trade, Howard developed a strong reputation

for his work ethic and his career-long

commitment to strive to be the best in all aspects of the restaurant

and hospitality industry.

His cooking interest began early. At eight-years old he had already

announced his intention to be a chef and frequently locked himself in

the kitchen at the family farm in rural England and baked cookies for

his family. At 16, Howard's creativity, passion for cooking, and work

ethic took him to culinary school. Upon graduation he received an

invitation to serve his culinary apprenticeship at the world-renowned

Claridge's of London. Since then, he has lived in six different countries

including, Denmark, Switzerland on two occasions, Ireland, and

Bermuda before fulfilling his dream and moving to the USA “the land

of opportunity” in 1972.

Once in the United States, Howard spent time in Virginia, Florida,

Georgia, Colorado, New Jersey and South Carolina. In 1991, Howard

transitioned out of the kitchen and opened his first restaurant,

Chicago’s Steak and Seafood, in Roswell, GA that is now celebrating

its 23rd year of operation.

NDG now operates and manages restaurants throughout the

Southeast including the award-winning McCrady’s (Charleston, SC)

and Husk (Charleston, SC and Nashville, TN), Minero (Charleston, SC

and Atlanta, GA), and Chicago’s Steak and Seafood (Roswell, GA), as

well as private events space No. 5 Faber (Charleston, SC).







Sean Brock, Chef/PartnerMany chefs have their first exposure to

cooking at a young age. For Sean Brock, who

was born and raised in rural Virginia, it was

the experience of his family growing their

own food that left a deep impression. “This

was a coal-field town with no restaurants

or stoplights,” he explains. “You grew and

cooked everything you ate, so I really saw

food in its true form. You cook all day, and

when you’re not cooking, you’re preserving. If you were eating, you

were eating food from the garden or the basement--it's a way of life.”

These were the building blocks that Brock remembered as he began

his career as a chef, inspiring a lifelong passion for exploring the

roots of Southern food and recreating it by preserving and restoring

heirloom ingredients.

Leaving Virginia to attend school, Brock landed at Johnson & Wales

University in Charleston, SC. He began his professional career as chef

tournant under Chef Robert Carter at the Mobil Four-Star/AAA Four-

Diamond Peninsula Grill in Charleston. After two years at Peninsula

Grill, Brock was executive sous chef under Chef Walter Bundy of

Lemaire Restaurant at the AAA Five- Diamond Award/ Mobil Five-

Star Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA. His success in Richmond led to

his promotion within the Elite Hospitality Group in 2003 to executive

chef at the AAA Five-Diamond Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, TN. Brock

spent just under three years fine tuning his craft in Nashville before

accepting a position as executive chef at McCrady’s Restaurant.

Shortly after his return to Charleston, Brock began the development

of a 2.5-acre farm on Wadmalaw Island. “While I was growing there, I

began dabbling in resurrecting and growing crops that were at risk

of extinction, such as those indigenous to this area pre-Civil War,”

he says. These experiments have led Brock to become a passionate

advocate for seed preservation and he continues to grow a number

of heirloom crops, including James Island Red Corn (aka “Jimmy

Red”), from which he makes grits, Flint Corn, Benne Seed, Rice Peas,

Sea Island Red Peas, and several varieties of Farro. Brock has worked

closely with Dr. David Shields and Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills,

studying 19th century Southern cookbooks--which Brock collects—

to educate himself on Southern food history and discover new ways

to resurrect antebellum cuisine. He also cares deeply about the way

animals are treated before they become food on the table and sources

heritage breeds of livestock for his restaurants. He has even raised his

own herd of pigs.

In November 2010, Brock opened his second restaurant with

the Neighborhood Dining Group. Husk, just down the street from

McCrady’s, is a celebration of Southern ingredients, only serving food

that is indigenous to the South. “If it ain’t Southern, it ain’t walkin’ in the

door,” Brock says. The emphasis at Husk is on the ingredients and the

people who grow them, and a large chalkboard lists artisanal products

currently provisioning the kitchen. Working with local purveyors and

vendors has had a great impact on his cooking, and the menu changes

twice daily based on what is the freshest that day. “Gone are the days

of a chef sitting in the kitchen creating recipes and then picking up

the phone to order food from wherever it needs to come from,” he

says. “At Husk, we might get three suckling pigs, three whole lambs,

half a cow, and upwards of 450 pounds of fish, as well as mountains of







vegetables. We only take it when it’s ready, so it shows up and we have

to start piecing the recipes together; it’s like a puzzle every day.”

Inspired by the restaurant’s success in Charleston, Brock and the

Neighborhood Dining Group opened a second location of Husk in

Nashville in 2013. Located on Rutledge Hill in a complex of buildings

dating back to the 1890’s, Brock and his team reinterpret the bounty

of the surrounding area, exploring an ingredient-driven cuisine that

begins in the rediscovery of heirloom products and redefines what it

means to cook and eat in Nashville.

Brock is also passionate about wood-fire cooking and a firm

believer that “low and slow” imparts the most flavor—evident by his

two smokers, barbecue pit and spit, and wood-burning oven at Husk,

all fueled by an old fashioned burn barrel. At McCrady's, he cooks

food in the dining room fireplaces, originally built for this purpose in

the late 18th century. Because the main dining room was actually the

kitchen in the 19th century, Brock believes cooking this way brings

the historical building full circle. In the future, he sees his cuisine

being geared more toward the fireplace--the smell and visual of a

chef cooking on an open hearth changes the feel of the restaurant and

inspires him a great deal.

Drawing from his early education, the chef also pickles, cans, and

makes preserves from the produce that cannot be used immediately,

saving it for a later date and for new creations. His favorite old

southern preservation techniques include lactobacillus fermentation

and making vinegar using his grandmother's 40 year old vinegar as

the base. Brock pulls from his memory of ingredients and their flavor

profiles to create the menus at McCrady’s and Husk depending on

what is delivered to the kitchen. It’s a modern approach to cooking

that comes from a pure appreciation of the food itself. The results are

constantly changing offerings for diners that always surprise. “We

emphasize the importance of the food from our local regions and

constantly refine our cooking processes to best honor our relationships

with the farmers, artisans and fishermen that provide us with their

amazing products,” he says.

In October 2014, Brock opened a third restaurant in Charleston,

Minero, inspired by the flavors and culture of Mexico. At Minero, Brock

features his version of the dishes he loves to eat in a casual, lively

environment. A second Minero will open in Atlanta in spring 2015 at

Ponce City Market.

Brock’s abilities have resulted in a number of awards and accolades,

both locally and nationally. In 2008 and 2009 he was a finalist for the

James Beard “Rising Star Chef” award and in 2010 he took home the

James Beard award for “Best Chef Southeast”. Most recently, he was a

finalist for the James Beard “Outstanding Chef” award for 2013, 2014,

and 2015. He appeared on “Iron Chef America” in December 2010,

taking on Michael Symon in “Battle Pork Fat”, and in September 2011

Bon Appétit magazine named Husk “Best New Restaurant in America”.

Later that year, Brock joined an exclusive group of chefs from around

the world in Japan to take part in the prestigious Cook It Raw, an event

he went on to host two years later in Charleston. In the fall of 2013,

Brock hosted season two of Anthony Bourdain’s “The Mind of a Chef”

on PBS. In February 2014, GQ named Husk Nashville one of the 12 Most

Outstanding Restaurants of the year. Esquire included Husk Nashville

in its “Best New Restaurants in America” in October 2014. His first

cookbook, Heritage (Artisan Books), was released in October 2014, and

is a New York Times bestseller and recipient of the 2015 James Beard

Foundation Book Award for “American Cooking”. Brock divides his

time between Charleston and Nashville.







Brian Baxter, Chef de CuisineGrowing up in St. Petersburg, FL, Brian

Baxter learned to cook at an early age. His

mother ran a daycare center from their home,

and he spent his time following her every

move – cooking, baking, and gardening.

As he got older, Baxter says, food became

something he couldn’t stop reading about

and his passion continued to grow. After

starting his culinary career as a banquet and

line cook at the former St. Petersburg favorite The Wine Cellar, Baxter

was accepted to The Culinary Institute of America’s Culinary Arts

program in Hyde Park, NY.

While in school, he furthered his education with an externship in New

York City at Beacon working under Chef Waldy Malouf. Fortunately

for Baxter, the restaurant was short staffed that summer and he had

the opportunity to work and cook more than a typical extern. Baxter

describes the experience as intense, but it taught him the pressure of

working in a kitchen early on and left him with an incredible work ethic

and drive.

After graduation, Baxter returned to Florida to cook at Todd English’s

bluezoo at Disney World’s Dolphin resort and worked his way up from

cook to junior sous chef. In 2008, Baxter had the opportunity to stage

at McCrady’s in Charleston, SC, and says it was one of the highlights

of his career. When Baxter received a job opportunity at a high-

profile New York restaurant in 2011, he chose instead to head back

to Charleston to work under Chef Sean Brock and Chef de Cuisine

Jeremiah Langhorne at McCrady’s as chef de partie. Baxter was

inspired by Chef Brock’s involvement in the kitchen and his passion

for product and ingredients. “I learned more in my first six months

there than I had in the first six years of my career,” says Baxter.

After a year and a half, Baxter left Charleston for Tennessee when he

was tapped to serve as sous chef on Husk Nashville’s opening team.

In 2014, Baxter was promoted to chef de cuisine. Baxter says he loves

seeing the look on his guests’ faces when they try something new and

delicious. A former football player, he relates the intensity on the field

to that of the kitchen and says the teamwork and passion needed is

the same. When he’s not in the kitchen, you can find Baxter with a good

book or foraging Tennessee wildlife.







Kenny Lyons, General Manager Kenny Lyons came to Husk Restaurant from

Watermark Restaurant in Nashville where he

previously served as the Beverage Director and

Front of House Manager. It was at Watermark

where Kenny learned firsthand the importance

of cultivating strong relationships with guests,

local purveyors, and distributors.

Lyons graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor

in Business Administration, having double majored in finance and real

estate. It was in Oxford, Miss. that Kenny entered into the hospitality

industry, first at Bottletree Bakery as a server and then as a server and

bar manager at L & M’s Kitchen and Salumeria.

Lyons considers himself lucky to have worked with inspiring

chefs like Dan Latham in Oxford, Bob Waggoner and Louis Osteen

at Watermark, and now Sean Brock at Husk Nashville. A Music City

native, he has a thorough appreciation of the local burgeoning food

scene and feels fortunate to be a part of the Husk team.

Lyons is currently pursuing advancement within the Court of Master

Sommeliers. His passion for wine is contagious, and he volunteers his

free time to help with the Nashville Wine Auction. When not on the

floor at Husk Nashville, he enjoys being on the golf course, hunting,

and watching whatever season of sports the Ole Miss Rebels happen

to be playing.

www.huskrestaurant.com www.facebook.com/HuskRestaurant


H O U R SRestaurant

lunch: 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Monday-FridayDinner: 5:00-10:00 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 5:00-11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Brunch: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

m E N U P R I C E S

Dinner: $26-29 entréeLunch: $9-17 entrée

P A R K I N GParking is available on site, plus free parking on the street

Husk Nashville is managed by David Howard (President of the Neighborhood Dining Group) and Kenny Lyons (General Manager)

For more information on the local ownership group, visit www.ndgcharleston.com

For more information, please contactMelany Mullens at Polished Pig Media

[email protected]: 540.314.8089


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David Howard Sean Brock Brian Baxter Kenny lyons