About

Located on the ground floor of the Pinnacle at Symphony Place in the heart of the burgeoning SoBro district, The Southern takes its guests on a culinary journey where every entrée tells a story. The traditional yet eclectic eatinghouse features a state-of-the-art, shuck-to-order oyster bar, a real wood-fired grill, a locally grown buying strategy, deliciously tender meats and directly sourced, sustainable seafood. The menus at The Southern combine indigenous flavors with exotic ingredients and offer an authentically southern adventure with a twist.

Capitalizing on its 25 years of service to the entertainment industry in both film and music, the team is prepared to cater to discerning tastes and diets. Do not be afraid to ask for special dietary needs; the staff stands ready to accommodate. The menu will always take guests “south of somewhere” and will not limit your culinary opportunities.

Gather for lively brunches, lunches, dinners, happy hours and more in the bustling New Orleans-style oyster bar situated center stage at The Southern. Take a seat at the bar or out of the way in a high-backed booth, meet new friends at the community table, or request to be seated in the Demonbreum Room for a more formal dining experience. Private dining spaces can be reserved for larger parties, the perfect setting for a business dinner or special occasion.

Tom Morales

Founder of the TomKats Group, a catering company which originated 25 years ago as a backstage musical event caterer, Tom Morales has expanded the family-owned and operated company into a multi-faceted hospitality management and upscale food service enterprise. TomKats is nationally and internationally known for its premier movie catering services, corporate and social events catering and top-notch restaurant properties, including Saffire Restaurant in Franklin. Supported in ownership by local private investors — a mix of music industry insiders and Healthcare executives – The Southern represents the culmination of Morales’ years of expertise and passion for hospitality and vision for a unique upscale experience in Downtown Nashville.

Chef Matt Farley

Executive Chef Matt Farley began his culinary journey in rural upstate New York at the age of 17. He moved to New York City in 1995, where he worked his way up in the kitchens of some of the Big Apple’s most lauded restaurants. After studying at the French Culinary Institute, Matt landed the executive chef position at The Noho Star where he remained for seven years. Matt’s eclectic career then led him to run a USDA plant, where he oversaw product development for retailers such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Matt moved his family to Nashville in the fall of 2009, and after two and a half years of working at the Loveless Cafe and the Farmhouse at Fontanel, Farley brings his varied experience and true love of food to The Southern. To Farley, “the most important thing is having honest food that brings out the flavors of good, simple ingredients.”

Sustainability at The Southern

Nestled in Nashville’s first LEED certified high-rise, The Southern takes the green philosophy to heart. The restaurant features locally grown produce when possible, direct-sourced beef, sustainable seafood, and a wood-fired grill powered by tornado-salvaged hickory wood. Fluid and ever changing with the seasons, the menus at The Southern always feature the freshest ingredients available. Additional initiatives include an aggressive recycling policy, bulk buying when possible, high-efficiency appliances, earth-friendly cleansers, decreased water usage and biodegradable disposables.

All of these practices are rooted in our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle.

We also recognize that good intentions sometimes yield negative or eco-neutral results. Therefore we aim to employ a sustainability plan that makes sense. Beginning by taking a “small bites” approach, we implement business practices that maximize our output and minimize our imprint. Here are some of the ways we work to make a difference:

Consolidate and coordinate ordering to reduce truck deliveries and decrease gas usage
Buy only from sustainable fisheries as a member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Locally source produce, meat and dairy whenever possible
Minimize packaging
Use only chemical-free cleaning supplies
Purchase Fair Trade products
Purchase from corporations that practice fair labor and/or green policies
Use eco-ware such as cornstarch utensils and sugar cane cups and plates that are compostable and/or biodegradable. The best strategy is to use plates and utensils that can be washed and reused
Use non-bleached paper goods, such as napkins and coffee filters
Use starch-based biodegradable trash bags

Featured Vendors

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