Fifty First Kitchen & Bar

I went for an early dinner with a friend on a Friday night. The food and service were both good. It was just a little too snug and noisy. We were seated in the corner and there was a small two-​top right next to us. When they seated a couple there halfway through our meal, the person’s back was less than a foot away from me and I had to ask her to stand up when it was time to leave. The noise level by the time we left was such that conversation was not easy.
The good food and service are not enough to offset the constraints of the space.

Cozy and wonderful experience. It is a hole in a wall kinda place, its easy to miss this place. But our dinner experience was amazing! we had a really good bread, cheese plate, grilled quail and risotto. Service was really great and our server gave us some really good suggestions ! the restaurant was cozy but the ambience was great !

Had high hopes for our NYE reservations, as I had heard good things about this place. Ordered Foie gras and focaccia appetizers, which were both good, but not sure that they were anything really special. Portion sizes for the appetizers were good though. I had the cavatelli with rabbit sausage pasta as an entrée, but ended up eating some of my wife’s steak, as the pasta dish was pretty small. To be fair, the waiter did mention that the pastas were not exactly full entrée sized. Pasta was good, but a bit on the salty side. My wife had the steak, which was one of the most expensive items on the menu at 32 bucks. It was cooked to a good medium as requested, and had decent flavor, except that all but two slices were extremely tough. After wearing our jaws out chewing steak, we paid out $ 100 tab and left. The meal was certainly not a very memorable NYE dinner, and disappointing in that we had high expectations.

A wonderful experience. This place is a little fancier than I had imagined.
We started at the bar which has a small but interesting cocktail menu, and a few beers on draft. There was a high gravity stout that my husband was particularly fond of. 14%!
My starter salad was comprised of bib lettuce radishes and blue cheese. It seems ordinary, but it comes together in a perfect mixture. It’s a wonderful starter.
My gnocchi entrée was incredible. It’s not a huge portion, but at just $ 15, it was a real winner. I whole heartedly endorse it.
My husband had the steak. It was a 10 ounce portion. Perhaps not the best steak in town, but affordable, and prepared well.
The ambiance in the place is nice. It’s fairly small. I felt like an old lady when I had to get my iPhone out and use the flashlight feature to read the menu. The exterior of the building could also use some lighting. We parked on Illinois and had to walk around. My footing felt unsure on the bumpy sidewalk.
Still, this is a great restaurant. I should mention that we didn’t plan to go here in advance. They were able to squeeze us in on a Saturday night with only a 30 minute wait time. I did call it in advance. Really good service too.

Incredibly good food and great service, great atmosphere. I think this is one of the top 5 meals I have eaten in Nashville this year. I had the squid ink pasta with lobster meat. It was insanely good. My one complaint is that the menu is kind of pretentious. There are no descriptions, just a list of flavors, so we ended up asking our waitress to describe almost every item so we could make a selection. But that was worth it I guess because we loved the entrees. My husband had the duck and it was delicious.

Our second time to try, first with reservations, which, as we found out, are a must. Had the charcuterie sampler which contained two stellar things… the Gouda was incredible, and all came with a but of local honey with cracked pepper. I have now stolen this idea for my home!
Also had an incredible salad with local lettuce and apples, and post Thanksgiving welcomed a smaller plate, and opted for the cavatelli with rabbit sausage, wife with mushroom risotto. Plates are SMALL so upon return visit will definitely opt for sharing several items. Full of flavor, both dishes were a hit. PS I had another piece of cheese for dessert. It’s that good.
Overall, small, quaint, intimate place. It earned a return trip. Worth the find!

This is as good as it gets in Nashville. The pasta was aldente, original and warms your heart. The foie gras is outstanding as well the carpaccio. The selection at the bar is ample with boutique alcohol and great pasta mix drinks. Service was excellent spite and incredibly busy evening at the restaurant. And at least for now they are serving spiny lobster better known as langoustine, which might be the greatest shell fish of all time. And with regard to the portion size I found them to be perfectly balanced allowing me to eat an appetizer and a pasta without feeling so stuffed I couldn’t share desert. This is not a restaurant for the southern who wants three plates of food for 10 dollars but rather reminds me of any restaurant you would find in San Francisco or New York. if you’re in town I highly recommend you go

My wife had made reservations for my birthday. When we sat down the menu actually said «Happy Birthday.» Great dinner and great service, top notch experience.

I don’t give out five star reviews liberally, but Fifty-​First Kitchen and Bar earned it. It earned a spot in my top three meals in Nashville ranking, alongside City House and Rolf & Daughter-​and the two pasta dishes we had at Fifty-​First beat out any of the five or more I’ve had at RAD.

We went two weeks after they opened and there were 8 of us. I am certain we tried every item on the menu as most are small plates and everything was delicious… there wasn’t a single item that didn’t earn rave reviews.
Things to keep in mind is that it gets VERY noisy in there and, unless they have modified this since the summer, it was SMOKIN’ hot with very little air circulation. Also, we were some of the last guests in the restaurant and they kept turning the music louder and louder. I’m not implying it was to get rid of us, but it seemed odd. Based on those three things I won’t go back, however, I would definitely recommend that you try it… the food was great!

Exceptional service and food– we sat on the outdoor patio and had a romantic evening. Every dish was unique and tasty and the wine and beer selection was amazing as well. The best part is with two drinks each, appetizers, dinner and dessert we were still under $ 150 including tip. We will be back!

This is a really great journey. expect super friendly staff, a beautiful and warm vibe, and spectacular food. The tuna crudo with Pine nuts and pear is gorgeous, and awesome. So fresh, such great flavors! I could go on and on about this wonderful restaurant. I love you.
I love you.
One more thing — get the chocolate-​buttermilk cake.

Chosen for a birthday dinner and it was the right choice! Arriving for dinner, we were informed that the reservation we made for the birthday feast was for the next day. My husband, clearly mortified, was speechless. We were offered a spot at the bar and told that if there was a cancellation, they would be happy to move us to a table.
Ordinarily, I am quite sure this would be a rare event, but given that it was a stormy night, there was a cancellation. By this time, we couldn’t have cared less. Being at the bar was perfect. We had settled in with our «neighbors» and the bartender, who gave us complementary champagne (was it for our mistake or the birthday, we never did ask).
We ordered bone marrow (a first) with an apple butter to go with it. A cheese plate (we ordered the gouda) which was served with bread and honey. Order the ahi tuna — it was delish. Service excellent — attentive but not overbearing. Love it.

Upon first glance, I was excited to be in such a nicely remodeled home. The atmosphere is one that can be for either a fun night with friends or a romantic evening.
We started out with the ‘all three’ plate for both meat and cheese. Both of these plates delivered a nice sampling of meat and cheese, along with appropriate accompaniments. Next, we had the Rigatelli with pork and lamb. This was by far the star of the night. Such a wonderful blend of flavors that left you wanting more… Especially because of the price and the actual quantity delivered.
Both my friend and I ordered the Bone-​In Porkchop and had extremely high hopes when it came out looking about the size of my head. We were both disappointed from the first bite as you could hardly get past the overly greasy taste. After I removed all of the fat from my chop, I was left with no more than 4 ounces of actual pork. I wish I could tell you that this was just my cut, but my friend’s porkchop delivered the same result.
When a new restaurant opens in Nashville, I am excited because it normally means I am going to get a great meal at a fair value. This meal was quite expensive to not deliver on every aspect of the meal. With so many great options throughout Nashville, I will not be returning.

I came here with a large group of 9 and wouldn’t recommend going with that many people. The restaurant and portions are just too small and it’s not a cheap meal.
The restaurant is located in a home that was remodeled to be a restaurant and is very nicely decorated and homey feeling. If I lived in the Nations, I could see myself here often to enjoy a cocktail and some food!
We ordered a few appetizers to share, the watermelon and heirloom tomato salad, and cheese/​meat plate to name a few. All of it was good, but I especially liked the cheese and meat plate. For entrees we all had a few bites of everything, the whole red snapper fish was fantastic and the pastas were good. Once again, all of the items were good but small portions that are not ideal for sharing. I had around 6 bites and definitely needed dessert. I had the blackberry float with goat cheese ice cream, and it was very good! I was glad I ordered it to help quell my still semi-​hungry stomach.
Bottom line: I paid $ 70.00 and was still pretty hungry when I left. I want to return again and go with my SO and see how the experience differs.

Quote of the night: «Is it gluttonous if we order one of everything on the menu?» «Absolutely not.»
According to the website, Fifty First is a «seasonally focused neighborhood restaurant with technique rooted in rustic Italian cuisine.» There’s ample parking, though I will warn against wearing heels as the lots are gravel/​uneven. There’s a large porch, and the inside feels very much like a dark, hip bar set in an old house. It’s intimate and comfortable at the same time, so you’ll see people wearing anything from street clothes/​jeans to dressy attire. Very Nashville, I’d say!
The menu at Fifty First is printed daily, though I noticed a lot of the items reflect the ones on their website; that said, it wasn’t identical, so I applaud the chef for basing the day’s menu on what is in season and what’s inspired for the day. We started with charcuterie, selecting the chicken liver pâté (served with warm rye bread and an apple-​vanilla delicious jam), galantina (spricy pork shoulder), coppa (dry cured pork shoulder), salami finocchiona (dry cured salami with fennel), with the meats served with some green beans and accoutrements. For cheese, we had the cave aged gouda (raw cow) and mona extra-​aged (sheep and cow), served with flatbread and honey.
The charcuterie was amazing. We had to try every combo… bread + cheese and bread + pâté and bread + jam and cheese + jam and cheese + honey and on and on… YUM. We had to ask for more rye bread, as there wasn’t enough for the pâté, and PATE WAS THE BEST. All caps. Seriously, we were bowing down to the excellent pâté in its superior flavor and smooth texture. It was amazing. I want to feed it to my future babies.
We consulted our server before making our next move. We’d initially decided to order one of everything on the menu, but then the charcuterie menu came and we knew we had to make some cuts. With her help, we cut the number in half and ordered six of the day’s twelve menu items.
To assist with our feast, the server/​kitchen staff paced us with a few courses at a time. We started with the buckwheat sourdough focaccia, served with olio verde and marigold ricotta. I’m a big bread fan, so I LOVED the pure simplicity of this. I would eat it every day if I could.
After the focaccia, the grilled octopus arrived, served with romano beans, arugula, and preserved lemon. We also had the tomato panzanella, with goat feta, watermelon, and moscatel vinaigrette. Everything was tasty. Octopus was something new for me, and the taste was mild but good. The way it was plated, I don’t think most people would have realized what it was. The panzanella was yummy too.
But honestly, these were not the rock stars of the evening, because of what came next…
One of my favorite dishes of the night was the radiatore nero, with rock shrimp, chiles, guanciale, and charred tomato. The pasta was soooo fresh, and a beautiful black color from the squid ink. The shrimp were delicious and cute (can I say that and keep my wannabe foodie card?) and the spicy kick to the sauce was on point. This arrived with the octopus and panzanella, and I honestly couldn’t focus on the others because I was obsessed with the radiatore. Good pick, dear server. We salute you!
And then there was MEAT. We ordered the lamb & pork sausage served with field peas, roasted peppers, and vin cotto. We also had the grilled PRB steak, served with AMAZING lamb fat potatoes, lobster mushrooms, and balsamic.
Um, delicious. I think the sausage was a clear favorite for the table. We actually had to wait a little for these courses, because our ticket was misplaced in the kitchen; our server topped off our wine gratis, and the chef brought the food out with apologies. But the thing is, we didn’t even notice the delay! We were so blissfully enjoying a break in our gluttony, knowing we had more ahead… but I’ll take any excuse to pay our compliments to the chef, because he was really fantastic! (You’re awesome, Tony Galzin. Bravo.) In fact, our service was pretty amazing the entire time. We never wanted for anything, the servers cleared the many courses quickly and even brought us lots of fresh silverware throughout the evening, all swiftly and adeptly and without complaint or looks of «are these people still eating… MORE?!»
For dessert, we had peach semifreddo with pecan crumble and white peach-​thyme compote. So this dessert didn’t knock my socks off like a few of the other dishes, but it was still tasty. Peaches are about gone for the year so I had to take advantage; the peach and pecan combo was soooo yummy. I think I would have eaten a bowl of the crumble and compote and then skip the semifreddo itself. But it was good… I mean, we ate the whole thing if that tells you anything.
The moral of this story? Eat at Fifty First Kitchen & Bar, before it’s impossible to get a reservation. You don’t have to share dishes like we did, as the portions are ample.

I was torn between 2 and 3 stars, but «Meh, I’ve experienced better» summed it up so well I had to go with that one.
I want to be fair here: We didn’t have reservations, but they promptly and politely seated us on the front patio which seemed nice. But as soon as they brought our first courses we were swarmed with flies. Lots of flies. We tried to be good sports, but realized they KNOW about the fly problem b/​c they have bug candles and fans for some tables, but not all of them.
The servers were polite, attentive and apologetic about the flies, but drinks were slow to come and my «mocktail» was no more than a short glass filled with ice and club soda for $ 5.
While the pasta courses were good, the octopus should never have been allowed out of the kitchen, mushy, clearly not fresh, carpaccio was over salted and we weren’t given enough «vehicles» like bread for our pâté and cheese plates.
I moved here from a pretty large city known for food, and realize my standards are pretty high. I have no problem paying top dollar for a top notch experience, but unfortunately, the experience didn’t match the price. I live in the neighborhood and was hoping to make this a «go to» place when I was wanting something special, but alas, I walked away hungry and disappointed.

I was presented with a lovely chef’s tasting. I was invited in compliments of the chef and manager after a shaky pop up experience. I only mention this as a back story to the dichotomy of how organized and flavorful this new experience was. I was impressed. All courses were beautifully seasoned and wonderfully presented. Standouts for me were the tortelli and sausage. Whatever nutty seasoning was in the tomato salad was fantastic. The desserts were wonderful and had a great balance — not too sweet.
Furthermore, I appreciate that the chef and owners cared enough to invite us in to try the menu in a kitchen environment he had more control in. The menu is a bit before its time in sophistication for the neighborhood but will likely catch up as the city grows. It’s much more of something you would expect in Germantown or Lincoln Park Chicago. (Which isn’t a bad thing if you’ve eaten in either neighborhood)
Additionally, after Instagram stalking food photos from the chef and other diners; I’m pretty interested in trying the whole fish (red snapper looks to die for) and the pork belly if it returns to the menu (didn’t see it on tonight’s full menu). The cheese and dried meats looked pretty dope as we peaked at what was coming out to other tables.

I set out on a double date with my husband and friends the other night. We wanted something ethnic and decided on Korea House. We showed up there, and it was closed as they were in Korea for their son’s wedding– authentic. After a quick change of plans, we opted for the new Nations restaurant, Fifty First Kitchen.
It was super easy to park, and they were able to seat us right away without a reservation. We sat outside in a very charming little garden. One complaint was that it was very buggy– they could definitely use a debugging or some citronella!
The drink selection was alright, but coming from the owners of Rumours (right?), I was a little disappointed in the selection.
The food was, overall, quite good. As a table, we tried the Goat Cheese Sformata (a cheesy custard), Foccacia, the Market Salad, Tagliatelle, Gargati, Grilled Squid, and the Crispy Pork Belly. The Sformata and Foccacia were great starters although rather small. The Market Salad was very fresh. I wasn’t huge on the Tagliatelle, but my husband loved it. The Gargati was a big hit. The Grilled Squid, while good, was absolutely tiny– I would not order this again. My favorite of the night was the Pork Belly. It was also quite a small portion, but it was incredibly flavorful. Overall, while I found the food very tasty, I found the portion size to be lacking, and therefore the overall value lacking.
I would love to come back from some cheese and charcuterie (and of course the pork belly!)!

We’ve just walked in from dinner at Fifty First, and it was absolutely terrific. Food, service, and ambience are all top-​notch. For those of you who won’t read this entire review, here’s the summary: get your reservations now, and when you go, order focaccia. You’ll thank me on both points later.
The décor is a gracious renovation of an older space; it is modern but still warm, upscale yet inviting. The servers are attentive, knowledgeable, and savvy; details of placing and pacing are handled expertly. All of this allows you to put your full attention where it belongs: on the marvelous food.
The menu combines a deep commitment to local and fresh ingredients with a thoughtful approach to small plates. Some of our favorites were the crispy pig ears atop a lovely bed of greens and the amazing charcuterie with its savory cured meats and crunchy flatbreads. The focaccia is, hands down, the best I’ve ever tasted: a pleasantly crusty exterior, a perfectly light and chewy interior, and a spreadable condiment that puts butter to shame. Get it and don’t ask questions.
You don’t have to subsist solely on small plates; there are also standard-​sized entrees. We saw several fish dishes go by that looked delicious. The roast chicken (in my view, a good measure of a chef’s skill) was heavenly; moist, tender, and seasoned with just the right blend of herbs to make you pick the bone clean. Try your best to save room for dessert; the mascarpone cheesecake with strawberry sorbet was nothing short of sinful.
Fifty First is a great concept with solid execution. Go. Order the focaccia. You don’t even have to thank me later. Just go.