The Meal That Heals

2019 CHEFS Blog

We are sure that you have noticed, Nashville is changing.  From the influx of bachelorettes and Airbnbs, to the great restaurant expansion in the last decade, many folks are both excited and bewildered with the transformation of our wonderful city.  We want the The Meal that Heals to showcase how Nashville chefs are embracing that change by creating a partnership with each course.  Two chefs, one a stalwart in the Nashville scene, the other a relative newcomer to the town or to the business, work together in a nod to Old School/ New School Nashville in support of a great cause.

Margot McCormack

Margot pic.jpg

CHEF MARGOT MCCORMACK

Margot spent Saturday mornings as a little girl in the kitchen with her mother. She loved cooking, eating and spending time with her mom.

As a student at UT Knoxville, Margot’s first professional cooking job was as a line cook at Bennigan’s. Upon graduation with a BA in English, Margot moved back to Nashville to pursue a creative writing career but instead found herself back in the kitchen working for local restaurateur Jody Faison at his very popular restaurant Faison’s. Jody encouraged her to be creative and introduced her to the work of Alice Waters. Motivated by her experience at Faison’s, Margot enrolled in the culinary arts program at the Culinary Institute of America. After completing the 21 month program Margot set her sights on New York City where she became the chef at Danal, a quaint European café in the East Village. There she embraced the food and culture of France. Her ideas about cooking began to take shape as she honed her skills and developed her style.

In 1995 Margot returned home and became the Executive chef at F. Scott’s. Over the next five years she reacquainted herself with the Nashville dining community and they embraced her vision of fresh, simple food prepared well. In 2001 she left to pursue her dream of opening her own restaurant. Margot’s philosophy on food and cooking is inspired by the French culture, based on seasonality and the very best locally sourced ingredients. Margot is not looking to reinvent food but to reintroduce it in a personal and accessible way.

Caylen Sanots