I have been a fan of the Goldberg Brothers for years. They single handedly changed my twenties by opening one of the very first trendsetting bars in Nashville-Bar Twenty3. As their Nashville footprint grew, they launched Strategic Hospitality, responsible for 75% of my favorite bars and restaurants in Nashville. Any time I hear about one of their concepts brewing, I can’t wait to check it out.
Bastion
434 Houston Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37203
www.bastionnashville.com
Welcome Bastion to the dining scene. Bastion, an avant-garde concept from Strategic Hospitality, is located in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood tucked inside Houston Station. Bastion is a two-fold concept. For those looking for a more casual evening filled with delicious craft cocktails, Ms. Pacman and classic vinyl on the turntable, grab a seat at the bar and order the nachos, you can’t go wrong. Looking for a little more refined evening sharing incredible food and catching up with friends? Reserve a seat in the kitchen with Chef Josh Habiger. This twenty-four seat restaurant fills up almost immediately when reservations open. Having been named one of the 21 Best Restaurants in 2016 by Eater’s Bill Addison, it’s on EVERYONE’S radar. It’s no surprise that Bastion receives nod after nod from various food critics.
I was anxiously awaiting dinner at Bastion. Having dined at the Catbird Seat, Josh Habiger’s previous restaurant concept, I knew I would be in for a culinary adventure. We checked in for our reservations a bit early so we could enjoy a cocktail at the Kitchen Bar. Seating very few people, we were fortunate they squeezed us in. Chatting and sipping our “Before” cocktails, we lost complete track of time. Clearly, they understood the need for four girlfriends to catch up. 🙂
After being kindly escorted through the brick corridor-which is gorgeous, btw-we arrived at our table. As we settled in for the evening, I noticed something that looked like a Bingo card in front of me. It made me think that people who love sites like Swankybingo.com would likely get a kick out of coming here, especially when, after taking a closer look, I realized it was our menu for the evening. How clever! The dishes are of varying size and are meant to be mixed and matched and shared among the table. Feeling hungry and adventurous? Play “blackout bingo” and order one of everything on the menu. After being greeted by Chef and getting some guidance from our server, we started building our tastings for the evening.
The first course that I opted for was the Oysters+Ham. Served on a beautiful bed of pebbles, two oysters were presented. While these oysters were a bit on the large side, they were quite flavorful. On top were crunchy bits of ham that not only added to the depth of the dish but provided that bit of texture that made it all the more interesting.
Enjoying some champagne, my next course was served: Raw Beef+Lobster. Any time I am in a restaurant that has tartare on the menu, I check it out. But to have not one but two of my favorite things in one dish? I couldn’t resist. Each bite was as decadent and delicious as the last. Even though it was a small portion, it certainly hit the spot.
Relishing every last bite of the Raw Beef and Lobster, my next dish, Scallop+Arugula, was quite the contrast. Atoparugula puree were bite-sized scallop crudo topped with a small bite of artichoke. Each bite was refreshing and bright, simply the perfect transition into the next course.
Sipping the last of our bubbles, we decided to up our wine game and opted for a lovely red wine from the Canary Island. It paired perfectly with my next course, Veal + Hazelnut.
Even though I enjoyed all of the dishes that evening, this was by far my favorite.
The veal was cooked and flavored perfectly and the hazelnut compote offered the ideal texture with each bite. This is one that I highly recommend you check on the menu-that is, if you are lucky enough to snag it before the menu changes.
Concluding our evening was one of the most interesting desserts I’ve had in Nashville, Sunchoke+Foie Caramel. TO DIE FOR. The sweet, nuttiness of the sunchoke ice cream was the perfect pairing for the decadent foie caramel. And the chocolate? Well, that was the cherry on top! Small bits of green apple balanced out these sumptuous ingredients. I highly recommend this selection, which is one of the longest running dishes on the ever-evolving menu.
Bastion is anything but ordinary. Josh Habiger continues to a luminary on the Nashville dining scene. From the carefully curated vinyl selection to the refreshing take on a classic tasting menu, Bastion’s nightly food performance is one for which you want front row seats.
