How is it you know that spring has arrived in Music City? Food lovers might say it’s the return of al fresco dining. Nashvillians with allergies well tell you it’s springtime because their faces have begun to leak thanks to the pollen count. And, of course, those who pay attention to calendars will say spring shows up with the equinox (March 20, most years), like it or not.
They’re all wrong! Spring arrives when your friendly neighborhood alt-weekly drops its annual Food & Drink issue, timed — as always — to coincide with our Iron Fork event Thursday, March 21, at the Musicians Hall of Fame. This year, we explore the local dining scene (and beyond) in fives: five important back-of-house factors; five things we’d like to see change about the prestigious James Beard Awards; five savory local-restaurant-trivia items; five big questions for Beard Award nominee and Bastion chef Josh Habiger; and five little questions for Habiger. Dig in.
Back of the House
Five behind-the-scenes factors that make your favorite restaurant great
By Chris Chamberlain
Beard Science
Two of our resident critics explain five ways to fix the James Beard Awards
By Chris Chamberlain and Steve Cavendish
Who Knew?
Five facts about Nashville restaurants that might surprise you
By Chris Chamberlain
Just Joshing
Five big questions for James Beard Award nominee Josh Habiger
By Steve Cavendish
