Gray & Dudley, located in 21C Museum Hotel, is the perfect place to take your girlfriend out to dinner on your birthday or your new Boo on a date. It’s named after the building’s original tenant, the Gray & Dudley hardware store. No doubt they wouldn’t recognize the space today. The goats hanging from the ceiling are replaced with nuts and bolts, and the elegant bar is replaced with old racks. A valet service is a must (there is little parking on Printer’s Alley) and be sure to walk through the hotel, where you can enjoy the art corridor. Once in the restaurant, feast on gourmet chic American cuisine. The menu changes seasonally, but if they are available, order the twice-baked bone marrow potatoes. It is not only tasty and rich, but also spectacularly served inside the bone.
The coating is an art itself. There are also reasonable portions. We tried a couple of small plates and one dish and were very satisfied. The Nandini’s Grey Garden cocktail is great, but if you like the classics, their gin and tonic will give you pleasure. The staff will be happy to let you know what they like best, tell you lots of stories about Gray and Dudley, and even bring a little green friend to your table. I tried the Gulf fish ceviche, roasted carrots (which were just added to the menu), shrimp noodles, and steak with mushrooms. I don’t usually order steak out, but it was perfectly prepared. The fish came from a local farm, Black Hawk Farms, and the fish was caught in Galveston, Texas, so everything was fresh.
However, there is much more to the menu. At first glance, it’s not for the delicate palate or vegetarian. Chef Lavon Wallace came to Nashville to open Cochon Butcher. Anyone who specializes in cured and smoked meats, hot dogs, bacon and pork belly sandwiches has a strong palate. Gray and Dudley’s menu features robust flavors and dishes, including homemade bacon and onion pie, fried bones, smoked catfish sauce, pork chops, and steak tartare. Vegetables (roasted radishes and charred asparagus) are supercharged with green harissa, a spicy Moroccan condiment, and gribiche sauce, a French cold egg sauce perked up with capers and mustard. Lavon Wallace is not a fluffy crème, but he can certainly make it.
Which brings me to dessert. All of them sounded good, but we chose the crème fraîche, which looks like a tiramisu in a little shell. The hazelnuts are like little pearls that you can find inside, and the chocolate and espresso cream come out of the shell in the right amount. There is really nothing I didn’t like about this experience. And, I won’t spoil it, but they give you a small, happy treat with your check. Definitely go, enjoy, and relax.