Double Trouble
Local chefs reflect on their favorite pop-ups and collabs with industry peers around the city.
Illustration: Brandon Trammel
Two chefs walk into a kitchen. What follows is either mayhem or magic—and in Nashville, usually a heavy mix of both.
There's a collective energy throughout the city that believes the best work happens when distinct voices end up in the same room. That instinct to create together (and to see what the hell comes out of it) lives in the recording studios, on the stages, and in every late-night session. The city's kitchens are no different.
As Nashville grows and the restaurant landscape gets more crowded, stepping outside your own kitchen, even for a single night, has a way of shaking loose the kind of thinking that day-to-day service can drown out, providing inspiration and producing something neither chef could have made alone. StarChefs' Nicole Borden asked chefs across Nashville about the most memorable dishes they built alongside their peers. Here's what they had to say.
Chef Davis Reese of Joyland
Where It Happened: Black Dynasty Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Chef Nick Rooney of Black Dynasty
The Plate: Char Siu McRib: Five-Spice Bologna Farce, Wakame, Green Tomato, Sunomono Pickles, Char Siu Barbecue Sauce, Kaiser Bao Bun, Chili Cheese Sauce
"Rooney and I have a sort of chaotic, run-and-gun style and love to reinterpret classics. The plan was to make a char siu McRib on a kaiser-style bao bun, and it started the way any good R&D journey starts: going to McDonald's. I took my daughter, grabbed a couple McRibs, and took them over to Black Dynasty so we could measure and reverse engineer the proportions. The night before the event, Rooney called, maybe a little inebriated, and asked if he should fold the rib trimmings into the cheese sauce. I told him absolutely not since we hadn't even tasted everything together yet. The next morning he shows up with two carloads of people and proudly holds up a 12-quart batch and says, 'I did it.' There was so much joy in this collaboration: two people who respect each other, pulling from different references, and building something familiar but completely new."
Marcio Florez of Limo Peruvian Eatery
Where It Happened: Maíz de la Vida Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Chef Julio Hernandez of Maíz de la Vida
The Plate: Tiradito Andino: Hamachi, Crab Chalaca, Leche de Tigre, Smoked Ajíes, Avocado Mousse, Andean Herb Caviar, Purple Corn Crisp
"One of my favorite collaborations was a one-night dinner with Maíz de la Vida, where we developed a five-course tasting menu. The concept came together very naturally, as both Peruvian and Mexican cuisines are deeply rooted in tradition, heritage, and respect for ingredients. Our tiradito andino was an expression that brought together the coast and the Andes. The idea started with a conversation around contrasts: coast and highlands, raw and smoked, brightness and depth. The result was a dish where both identities are clearly present and in balance. It felt honest. You could taste both cultures without one overpowering the other. The response that night was very special. It wasn’t just about the food, but about the meaning behind it. Collaborations like this create space for dialogue, learning, and mutual respect between chefs."
Jesse Valenciana of Secret Bodega
Where It Happened: Curry Boys BBQ Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Chef Raff Killian of Curry Boys BBQ
The Plate: Smoked Brisket Birria, Thai Yellow Curry, Beef Consommé, Pickles
"My latest cookbook explored all things birria, but I had never made a smoked version, and it was eating away at me. Raff took the idea and saw how it could work. We aligned our vision and combined our collective skills, expertise, and equipment—taking birria, a traditional Mexican creation, cooking it with smoke, which is North American AF, and adding it to a traditional Thai yellow curry. Collaborations like this really strengthen the community and make it feel smaller. New doors open, strangers become friends, skills are shared, learned, and strengthened."
— Jesse Valenciana
"Jesse and I had a true understanding of what it means to actually collaborate and be open to working together, not just working with each other. Jesse told me about his heritage and time spent in Mexico as a kid. I gave him a rundown of my experience with smoke. He brought his adobo base, I smoked off some brisket trim, and then we braised it in the smoker after a few hours of dry smoke. The end result was rich, spicy, smoky, with more depth and complexity than either of us expected."
— Raff Killian
Son Pham of Eleven11
Where It Happened: Maíz de la Vida Tasting Menu Collaboration
Partner in Crime: Chefs Julio Hernandez and Obed Vallejo of Maíz de la Vida
The Plate: Murasaki Sweet Potato Escabeche, Smoked Fish Bone Oil, Scallop Rice Cracker
"This was actually one of three bites inside a larger dish we featured on the menu: a seafood-focused opener set we called Neptune's Treasure Chest. We each came up with one of the bites and created the third one together. I wanted to serve a bite that focused on preservation and waste reduction, and Obed suggested making an escabeche. I had a ton of scallop scraps, so we made a rice cracker out of them and then used that as a vessel for the escabeche we made with my smoked fish bone oil. The oil is a two-and-a-half-week process that involves curing and smoking fish bones, drying them, and infusing them into oil. Julio thought it would be fun to make sweet potatoes taste like a fish escabeche, which is exactly what the fish bone oil brought. It was an explosion of flavor, texture, balance, and it was a really sick-looking bite."
Sydney Benjamin and Derron Clark of 'Scuits
Where It Happened: Lakeside Lounge Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Chefs Clinton Spruill and Amy Watson of Saap Saap BBQ
The Plate: Fried Chicken Biscuit and Green Papaya Salad
"We brined and fried the chicken like we normally do, and then Amy had the idea to cut through the fat with a bright papaya salad. Their concept is Southern smoked meats and Laotian; ours is modern Southern through the vehicle of biscuits. We always want to do a fried chicken biscuit whenever we have access to a deep fryer, and Lakeside Lounge had one. After talking about a possible barbecue sandwich, it turned to the idea that barbecue sandwiches tend to be topped with coleslaw. It made me think of the cookouts we've gone to at Amy and Clinton's place. Amy had made this awesome cucumber salad the last time, so I suggested that one, and she countered with a green papaya salad. We all started drooling at the thought of bright, herby funk with fried chicken on a buttery buttermilk biscuit."
Levon Wallace of FatBelly Pretzel Bakery & Deli
Where It Happened: FatBelly Weekly Special
Partner in Crime: Chef Michael Hanna of St. Vito Focacceria
The Plate: The Hamma Mía: Applewood-Smoked Tavern Ham, Fresh Mozzarella, Italian Chile Crisp, Sourdough Focaccia
"We had just opened FatBelly and I wanted to put a spin on the humble ham and cheese sandwich on the menu, so I reached out to Michael. We worked together to create The Hamma Mía using his high-hydration sourdough focaccia as the foundation. I had the applewood-smoked tavern ham and we were pulling fresh mozzarella, so we ended up building a Roman-style sandwich. It needed a little something, so we created what we call Italian chile crisp—fennel seeds, Calabrian chiles, oregano, and lots of fried garlic. It's the perfect pop to complement the sweet ham, creamy mozz, and traditional Sicilian-style focaccia. We were so proud of the outcome that we ended up keeping it on the regular menu. We missed an opportunity to call it The Michael Hamma!"
Michael Hanna of St. Vito Focacceria
Where It Happened: Dine Nashville Collaboration Dinner
Partner in Crime: Chef Sam Jett of Audrey
The Plate: Country Fried Rabbit Agrodolce, Tunnel-Boned Rabbit Leg, Foie Gras Mousseline, Koji Hot Sauce, Potato Purée, Braised Greens, Coleslaw
"Sam and I built a coniglio in agrodolce—sweet and sour rabbit, a deeply Sicilian dish, merged with fried rabbit, an Appalachian staple. It was a dish I'd always wanted to put on our menu but had been apprehensive about given our clientele. I brought the concept and the flavors of Sicily; Sam and his team brought the technique when it came to deboning and stuffing the rabbit legs. Collaborations like this remind me that everyone is pushing the same boulder up the hill. Being isolated on an island isn't healthy for this industry, especially in a city where locally owned businesses are becoming rarer."
— Michael Hanna
"Michael and I were talking about what we ate growing up. He threw out the idea of a rabbit agrodolce, and we both decided frying it would be fun. We thought about a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket and all the fixings that come with it. To keep the rabbit from getting tough, we tunnel-boned the leg and stuffed it with a foie gras mousseline. After it was fried, we drizzled Michael's agrodolce over it, made with Audrey's fermented hot sauce. The whole menu was fun and playful, with a lot of tongue-in-cheek nods to our childhoods."
— Sam Jett
Arnold Myint of International Market
Where It Happened: Songkran Thai New Year Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Owner Lauren Holton of Turkey and the Wolf
The Plate: Shrimp Po'boy, Som Tum Slaw, Chile Jam Remoulade
"Lauren hosted us at Turkey and the Wolf in celebration of Songkran Thai New Year, and one of the dishes was a shrimp po'boy with som tum slaw and a chile jam remoulade. They already have a killer po'boy on the menu, so bringing in my Thai culinary point of view was a no-brainer. The Creole-spiced shrimp were battered and fried, the dried shrimp brine was pounded into the green papaya slaw, and the addition of traditional Thai nam prik pao really made for a harmonious and exciting bite. The highlight for me is always the interaction with the chef and their team. I love being in someone else's space and experiencing their operations. We are always busy and working the same hours, so to get to play together doing what we both thrive on is awesome."
Vivek Surti of Tailor
Where It Happened: Dine Nashville Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Chef Kahlil Arnold of Arnold's Country Kitchen
The Plate: Indian Fried Chicken, Buttermilk Biscuits, Sev Batata
"Kahlil is famous for his fried chicken and it's my favorite in town. We both love to honor our family's history, so we started with the dishes that were most meaningful to us. I brought the Indian flavors in the marinade — ginger, garlic, green chiles, cilantro, coriander seeds, black pepper, and a little yogurt. Kahlil brought his signature dredge and frying style. It's still fried chicken, but with a little twist and some unexpected flavors. Kahlil told me it was very special to try fried chicken this way, and the guests asked us to open a fried chicken spot together so they could get it every day. These collabs are always inspiring because it's our way to work with our friends and produce dishes together that we may not have come up with on our own. I also got Kahlil to finally make me the coconut rice he's been telling me about for years!"
Bryan Lee Weaver of Honest to Goodness Hospitality
Where It Happened: Eastside Banh Mi Guest Series
Partner in Crime: Chefs Chad Newton and Gracie Nguyen of Eastside Banh Mi
The Plate:Fried Avocado Banh Mi, Whipped Feta, Dreamweaver Hot Sauce, Jalapeño, Cilantro
"Chad and Gracie approached me about being part of a guest series they were putting together showcasing Nashville chefs. Their bread is a really special product and I was excited to showcase something on it. They gave me a few core ingredients I needed to use—their bread, cilantro, jalapeño—and let me run with the rest. I used ingredients that worked well in a sandwich and didn't feel like just throwing anything in there and calling it a banh mi. People still ask me about it from time to time, or if I'm going to run it at Redheaded Stranger. I heard a rumor that this dish was the best seller of the series, but you'd have to ask Chad for sure. These collabs get the creative juices flowing and help you avoid the creative ruts that are easy to fall into while just trying to keep a restaurant running. Nashville luckily lacks the cutthroat competitiveness I've seen in some other cities. It has a collective of chefs who would help out another restaurant at the drop of a hat.”
Edgar Victoria of Alebrije
Where It Happened: Alebrije Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Chef Josh Habiger of Bastion
The Plate(s): Huarache de Lengua, Smoked Tallow Beans, Hakurei Turnips; Royal Red Shrimp, Mole Verde, Grits; Churro y Cajeta; and seven others
"Our pop-up at Bastion was easily one of my favorite nights ever. Josh and I briefly talked about it one day and decided to host a pop-up together just ten days later. We settled on ten dishes total: five from Bastion and five from Alebrije. The most exciting part was that you couldn't tell who made which dish. In the dining room, it felt like one cohesive concept rather than a disjointed pop-up. I think that was the most rewarding aspect of it. Then came another fun part: I texted Josh asking about the music. He replied, 'Do you want to collab on a playlist too?' So we ended up creating a playlist you can still find on Spotify today. The tickets sold out in 35 minutes. I always try to make sure pop-ups like this are fun and affordable because I want everyone to enjoy themselves — and maybe, just like me, remember how special the night was."
Julio Hernandez of Maíz de la Vida
Where It Happened: Saap Saap BBQ Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Chef Clinton Spruill of Saap Saap BBQ
The Plate: Meat and Three: Al Pastor Barbecue Ribs, Sweet Charro Beans, Cornbread, Fried Cabbage
"Ándale! Saap Saap has a serious smoker, and we were in the middle of learning to make cornmeal from our everyday nixtamal. It was a prime opportunity to create Southern Mexican barbecue. This dish was inspired by the classic meat and three, but made wild. I actually woke up to an email saying I could no longer use the smoker Clinton had pushed under our neon sign because it violated open-fire codes. Glad we had already finished. Stopping was not an option! We had a sold-out dining room, including Chef Clinton's mom and friends. Collaborations are like a blood pact: you pick someone you believe in and give them all your trust."
Colby Rasavong formerly of Bad Idea
Where It Happened: Bad Idea Pop-Up
Partner in Crime: Chef Arnold Myint of International Market
The Plate: Too many to list
"Working with Arnold was a full-circle moment. I grew up eating at his family's restaurant, so being able to cook alongside him and his team was a dream come true. I rarely remember the actual food. What I remember are the conversations Arnold and I had about our backgrounds, family history, and culture, and what it takes for people like us to make a footprint in Nashville without getting lost. From highly regarded chefs to startup concepts, I never felt anyone was too big or too small to work together. Being able to learn their stories and have them mesh with my own is exciting. Where else in the world would you find a Michelin-trained chef doing a dinner with the local barbecue joint?"
