Pastis Opens in Nashville
The Tennessean
By: Hadley Hitson
Foie gras parfait. Escargot with French bread. Niçoise salad. Steak au poivre.
These are among the top menu items recommended by renowned restaurateur Stephen Starr to diners who will visit French bistro Pastis. The Nashville location of the New York City favorite will open in Wedgewood Houston on June 26.
"Dip the French bread in the garlic butter, and you're in heaven," Starr said. "It could be your last meal."
McNally, a frequent tabloid figure, opened the first iteration of Pastis in New York's Meatpacking District in 1999. At the time, the neighborhood was on the rise, but nowhere near the hub of high-end trends it is today. He said it was gritty, filled with warehouses, and Pastis was one of the first businesses to jumpstart its transformation into a hotspot of New York culture.
AJ Capital founder and CEO Ben Weprin likens the surroundings of his company's current May Hosiery Mills development in Wedgewood Houston to the Meatpacking District.
"First, the response was, 'How the hell did you get Keith McNally?' But now people get it," Weprin said. "As we started to think about this neighborhood, you want to work with people who are incredibly talented and passionate about what they do. That's Keith."
Pastis's design, with dark red leather booths, white subway-tiled walls, hanging light fixtures, ornate ceilings and painted mirrors, is similar in every location. But McNally said the new Nashville space strikes especially close to his heart.
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