City House

"City House has been a Germantown staple for over 15 years, and its Southern riff on rustic Italian fare designated Nashville native Tandy Wilson as the first Music City chef to take home a James Beard Award. The belly ham pizza, Sunday supper’s meatball special, and desserts from talented pastry chef Rebekah Turshen are all crucial to the success of this cozy essential located in a former sculptor’s studio." - Ellen Fort, Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"Wood-fired pizzas, Italian wines, and impeccable vibes are ever-present at this Germantown restaurant that has cemented its place at the top of Nashville’s dining scene. Large groups are easily accommodated in the main dining room, the patio, or in the private dining room upstairs that can hold 16." - Ellen Fort

"In 2016, nearly a decade after City House opened, owner Tandy Wilson became the first Nashville chef to win a coveted James Beard Award for best chef, Southeast, making this one of Music City’s better-known restaurants. The homey but lively stunner serves contemporary Italian dishes with local flair, most notably a belly ham pizza baked in a wood-fired oven and then topped with a runny egg. City House’s longtime pastry chef, Rebekah Turshen, churns out icebox cakes and delicate pies that earned a reputation for being some of the finest in town. —JGJ" - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones, Ellen Fort

"This Italian-Southern neighborhood hang was one of the restaurants that put Nashville on the map, and fortunately, it still holds up today. If it feels like this was somebody’s house at some point, it actually was. It’s a great spot to kick it after an art crawl with friends over bottles of wine and plates of pasta. While you should definitely put in an order for the bucatini with creamy stracciatella and the belly ham pizza (ask for a fried egg on top), the frico—a potato cake held together with stringy cheese—is the stuff of local legend. Dessert is a must, so whether it’s a peach icebox cake or an ice cream sandwich, make sure to save room. " - jackie gutierrez jones 2

"Before the big-name chefs and NYC transplants started spreading like peddle taverns all over Nashville, there was City House. This Italian-Southern neighborhood hang was one of the restaurants that put Nashville on the map, and fortunately, it still holds up today. It’s situated in the former home of a sculptor, with a screened-in patio that’s the perfect setting for a warm plate of pasta or a blistering pie when the weather’s nice. Two of our favorites are the bucatini with creamy stracciatella and the belly ham pizza (ask for a fried egg on top), but the frico—a potato cake held together with stringy cheese—is the stuff of local legend. Dessert is a must, so whether it’s a peach icebox cake or an ice cream sandwich, make sure to save room." - jackie gutierrez jones 2