"When Rolf first opened in 2012, the Germantown spot quickly became the “it” restaurant in Nashville. While it remains a hot reservation after all these years, the city’s restaurant scene has caught up, and recently, there have been a few more misses on the menu when they used to only churn out hits. But even if a dish is too salty one day or slightly overcomplicated another, Rolf still rarely disappoints when you want dinner to be the main event. They serve New American food, which is code for “we do whatever the hell we want.” And most of the dishes are good and inventive, like tonnarelli with crab and Jimmy Nardello peppers, or beef tongue with squid and coriander. The menu rotates regularly, but there are some classics—like the salty seaweed butter and sourdough, pork ragu, and roast chicken—that are done so well they should be enshrined in the New American dish hall of fame. photo credit: Casey Irwin photo credit: Casey Irwin Those plates are on all the happy communal tables of friends or couples on dates. And that’s really what makes Rolf such a great choice for dinner: the energy of the space. It’s not unusual to see regulars roll through and barely bother with the menu because the waiter already knows their order. (We bet some people have even carved their initials into the wooden chairs.) Rolf deserves credit when it comes to their commitment to no waste and cross-utilization of ingredients, too. Making pasta from scraps of sourdough starter might not seem like an incredible concept today, but when Rolf debuted, it was pretty groundbreaking. (You can still find that pasta available seasonally.) Plus, they were pretty early to the now-ubiquitous trend of whole animal cooking and making delicious dishes out of parts that might otherwise see the trash. Some ingredients even end up in both your drink and your meal, like a cut of pork, smoked and soaked in bourbon for a cocktail, before getting roasted for dinner. Food Rundown photo credit: Casey Irwin Sourdough Bread With Seaweed Butter The impressively baked 40% whole wheat half-loaf is a staple. It arrives warm and fresh to your table like something from medieval times when people actually broke bread. Equally as famous is the accompanying perfectly salty and umami seaweed butter. A must-order. Dry-Aged Beef Tartare With Spring Onion, Parmesan, And Kobocha Rolf usually has some kind of beef tartare on the menu, and it's usually worth ordering. This warm version is living in our memories like the old Mentos jingle. Crispy tempura-like pieces of kobocha squash provide a hint of sweetness and a sturdy yet creamy base for the perfectly seasoned meat. Spring onion and generously shaved piles of parmesan cheese really bring everything home. There isn’t a single thing wrong or missing with this dish. photo credit: Casey Irwin Rigatoni With Heritage Pork Ragu, Tomato, And Parmesan A dish that never leaves the menu for good reason. The pasta shape might change in the pork ragu, but the sauce remains the same. It’s slow-cooked, it’s meaty, and it’s more comforting than reruns of The Golden Girls. Pastured Chicken With Preserved Lemon And Garlic Confit The chicken is part of the Rolf dinner formula (which is sourdough + pork ragu + chicken). It’s a beloved dish in this town for a reason. And that reason is the luscious and garlicky preserved lemon sauce it wears like a designer jacket. Chocolate Mousse With Hazelnut, Rosemary, Asian Pear, And Candy Cap Mushroom We love a dessert with textures. Here, you have smooth mousse, crunchy toasted nuts, Asian pear caramelized in rye maple syrup, and a little shaved mushroom. Bits of chopped rosemary play peek-a-boo as you eat it, and keep things lively in an otherwise sweet situation. photo credit: Casey Irwin Cocktails The cocktail list at Rolf has been exemplary since they opened. The seasonal drinks show that the people here really understand how to layer flavors. Take the La Curiosita for example, where tequila, sweet corn, and golden plum start out bold and end soft. Or the Whole Hog, where bourbon infused with smoked pork is finished with amber maple syrup, mustard seed bitters, and a spritz of scotch." - Ann Walczak
