How We Celebrated the 50 Best New Restaurants in America
Celebrating the 2015 Top 50 nominees for Best New Restaurants in America calls for a city with just as much excitement: that's why we made our way down to Nashville, Tennessee. There, we took over Rolf & Daughters—our #3 new restaurant of the year in 2013 to make yet another announcement: The East Nasty from Biscuit Love in Nashville is the best new sandwich we've had all year. How do you party like BA's Top 50 nominees party? With spectacular food, good vibes, and liquor that just keeps flowin'.
Andrea Behrends1/13Meet the Nominees
Sarah and Karl Worley, owners of Biscuit Love in Nashville, were in celebration mode—all smiles—at the party. And with good reason: they earned themselves a spot on BA's Top 50 Best New Restaurants 2015 list.
Andrea Behrends2/13A Way with Vegetables
On home turf in the Rolf & Daughters kitchen, chef Philip Krajeck and his team assembled pass-around apps for the growing crowd. We're not kidding when we say Rolf & Daughters really has a way with vegetables. This sun-dried tomato situation packed more flavor than we ever thought possible.
Andrea Behrends3/13Bring in the Showstopper
Stop the presses. This stracciatella with squash and arugula completely stole the show, as Rolf & Daughters proved why we should all bow down to the bounty of local Nashville vegetables.
Andrea Behrends4/13Yes, It Tastes as Good as it Looks
The heirloom tomato, goat ricotta, and lemon thyme salad almost looked too good to eat. Almost. Because we did—we ate it all.
Andrea Behrends5/13Reppin' Music City
Okay, we may or may not now believe that Music City is the most delicious place on earth. When chef Philip Krajeck is in the kitchen, that's certainly the case. Here, chef Krajeck plates pork, smoked trout tonnato, and pickled chanterelles—and makes it look totally effortless.
Andrea Behrends6/13Everybody, Listen Up
While eating their way around the country, deputy editor Andrew Knowlton and senior editor Julia Kramer, stumbled upon a few dishes so phenomenal that they deserved their own awards. Here, Knowlton does a figurative tap-on-a-glass before announcing the best new sandwich of the year.
Andrea Behrends7/13The East Nasty Is the Best New Sandwich of the Year
Just look at that thing. Heck, we can't look away. That's The East Nasty, the glorious fried chicken, biscuit, and sausage gravy number that won our hearts and claimed its place as the absolute best new sandwich of the year.
Andrea Behrends8/13Photos, or it Didn't Happen
As a prize for winning sandwich of the year, Sarah and Karl Worley won a brand new BMW X1. Just kidding (though that would be the most awesome). But BMW was kind enough to provide transportation for the evening. And the Worleys were kind enough to humor us as we salivated over the fried chicken-biscuit sandwich we've fallen in love with.
Andrea Behrends9/13The Biscuit Whisperer
Oh, don't mind Biscuit Love's Karl Worley. He's just in the kitchen doing what he does best: making biscuits. These puppies eventually get topped with crispy-juicy fried chicken and smothered with a super rich sausage gravy. There is a reason The East Nasty is our best new sandwich of the year after all.
Andrea Behrends10/13We've Never Met Pasta We Didn't Want to Love Forever
Especially not this one. This beauty is a Philip Krajeck creation. Krajeck, the chef of Rolf & Daughters, whipped up a tender, sweet corn agnolotti with royal red shrimp. It's pastas like this that wooed us, and made Rolf & Daughters our number three pick for best new restaurant in the country in 2013.
Andrea Behrends11/13It Takes a Village
As if we needed any more reason to love Nashville: Local designer Savannah Yarborough rocks a hand-stitched leather coat as she sips one of Rolf & Daughters' signature Old Fashioneds.
Andrea Behrends12/13Ready That Second Dessert Stomach
Veggies, pasta, fried chicken, and biscuits are where it's at. But don't you dare forget about dessert, says the sweet tooth in all of us. These blueberry, semolina, mascarpone, and saba mason jars did just the trick. Only regret? Not downing three of them.
Andrea Behrends13/13Sharing the Love
Max Goldberg, co-owner of restaurants The Catbird Seat, Pinewood Social, Merchants, and The Patterson House stopped by to support his fellow chefs and share the love for the fine folks who landed on the Top 50 list this year.
