The Catbird Seat
Tennessee
The Catbird Seat makes the kitchen the centre of the evening. Guests sit around a U-shaped counter in Nashville, watching the team prepare a tasting menu and receiving dishes directly from the chefs. The format encourages conversation about ingredients and techniques as the meal develops. Menus draw on seasonal produce and a range of culinary influences, with the sequence designed to unfold over several courses rather than invite à la carte choices. Chefs Tiffani Ortiz and Andy Doubrava took over the counter in 2024, continuing a restaurant that has changed direction with successive kitchen teams. That evolving authorship is part of The Catbird Seat’s identity and a reason its food resists a single fixed description. Wine and non-alcoholic pairings provide alternative ways to accompany dinner. This is a restaurant for guests who want to give an evening over to the cooking, with the close view of preparation making the work behind each dish part of the pleasure.