The interior of the Catbird Seat is warm and modern (above). Guests at The Catbird Seat are greeted with a savory Porcini Mushroom and Parmesan cookie (right).
courses, your head won't be spinning when you leave. Lopes' genius develops from intense
focus. Anderson and Habiger develop dishes at the end of a week, so on Saturday; she knows what's changing, ingredients and preparation details. She can tell what the acid's like, and the level of sweetness; she knows how rich and how heavy each course will be. Th en it's a matter of looking through her tasting notes and formulating her own concepts. Th en it's emailing distributors, tasting with them by Tuesday; Wednesday—tasting with the dish itself. Ultimately, Lopes has a beverage concept she truly loves and the magic of each course is complete. Intriguing drinks may include a wine
you're not familiar with from a boutique French winery or a cocktail blending, say, sparkling rosé and sake, paired with a raw scallop with avocado puree and country ham crumble; or perhaps a soup of chestnut, milk, honey and chanterelles,
www.cheersonline.com
paired with bubbly Normandy Cidre Bouche Brut E. Dupont, or beef short ribs with a hint of black truffl e and farmers' cheese, with a Domaine de Durban Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise. My own recent favorite, a 2008 Royal Tokaji Àts "Mad" Cuvée in a glass rinsed with Black Maple Mill Bourbon, was almost too much of a sensory experience in itself, but paired with vanilla cake with Bourbon
capsules and house-made cherry sorbet became a thing of ultimate beauty. Don't come into the Catbird Seat
expecting the obvious. Take the risk of the reserve, it's worth saving money for, and let your beverage palate be sated by something you won't fi nd elsewhere.
Stephanie Stewart is managing editor of Nashville Lifestyles magazine.
APRIL 2012 | 19
ANTHONY MATULA, KARI SKASLEN
