Every great bar's got a story, and No. 308, newly launched by Alexis Soler and Ben Clemons at 407 Gallatin Road, already has a host of them.
It starts with its name. No. 308 was the room in Manhattan's Ace Hotel where Soler proposed to Clemons, a month after their meeting at the "Tales of the Cocktail" bartenders convention in New Orleans. Partners in business, soon to be partners in life, they discovered a shared passion and vision: The crafting of a cocktail, the surroundings in which it's enjoyed, the people engaged on either side of the pour — all are components of a great bar and springboards for story.
At No. 308, the ambiance is cool, late-'50s Beat with a new millennium spin. Retro tables and chairs and booths with oblong tables line the dark room, and industrial truss work stretches across the exposed ceiling. An alcove offers lounge seating, Zen-like under an eminent Meyer lemon tree.
The elevated bar glows. Shelves of glassware, bottles of liquor, liqueurs, bitters and syrups are backlit along a black subway-tiled wall accented with wrapped copper pipe. Tall barstools are fitted with quirky tractor seats.
Paying homage to four iconic writers — the bar and author tables are laminated with pages from the books of William S. Burroughs, Richard Brautigan, Charles Bukowski and Tom Robbins — No. 308 taps into the current of counterculture sprung more than a half-century ago.
A partitioned vestibule shields the interior from street view, so when you enter the actual bar it feels a little escapist, and playfully subversive. There's no TV. No live stage. Eclectic music — it could shift from Lou Reed to Johnny Cash to Ray LaMontagne to The Beatles — weaves through the background.
Inspired sips
Find your spot and select a spirit: Clemons and Soler have assembled a drink roster of their favorites. There are cocktail classics like the Pisco Sour, smooth and lemony under its egg-white froth. Mixed drinks are concocted with house-made syrups and carbonated a la minute; the Whisky Ginger has a refreshing, vibrant bite. Creative concoctions come shaken (with house-made juice) or stirred (with house-made liqueur). Consider the Old Zander, a heady whirl of gin, strawberry and Earl Grey tea.
Continuing the literary bent are the Writer's Block shots: clever, and maybe risky. The Robbins is a shot of mezcal served with an orange slice that's dusted with salt and a hit of cinnamon. The Bukowski? Wowza. That's a shot of Four Roses bourbon followed by a glass of New Belgium Trippel Ale. It brings to mind Barfly's Henry Chinaski: "To all my friends!"
Uncertain of your choice? Let Soler or Clemons be your ebullient guide.
The Suffering Bastard, for instance, includes gin and whiskey. You cast a wary eye, and Clemons responds, "It's a classic, and whenever I can get those two into the same drink, it's like an end to the 100 Years War." He's right. The drink arrives chilled in a Champagne coupe and brilliant burnt orange in color — fire and ice in a glass.
Curious about Chartreuse? "Two monks hold the secret recipe," Clemons tells the story. "When they're gone, that liqueur is gone!"
You would be advised to sample the Brother Jon, which blends vodka with Chartreuse and, surprise, celery. That vegetal note at least tastes nutritious, a reminder that you might need something more substantial to anchor that potency. To that end, Chef Donovan Pritchard has created a terse but tasty selection of small plates, fitting bar fare to accompany artisanal drinks.
Better bar bites
For guilt-free, grease-free snacking, try a bowl of his house-made yam chips. The thin orange crisps have the right dusting of salt and a pleasant chewiness, further elevated with a swipe of the accompanying sorghum aioli. Plump Thai wings are spiced, grilled and sauced with a distinctive sweet-sour heat, and come with a few batons of daikon radish. The wings are meaty and messy-good — ask for an extra napkin.
Other nice bites include the medley of lightly battered onions, mushrooms, carrot coins, florets of broccoli and cauliflower on the vegetable tempura platter, which is served with a duo of Asian-inspired sauces: citrusy ponzu and wasabi aioli.
Varied and thoughtful pairings make up the cheese plate of the moment. On our visit, it included Humboldt Fog, a soft-ripened goat cheese from Northern California with a stripe of vegetable ash; buttery, piquant Spanish Manchego; and fresh mozzarella brushed in herbed olive oil. Pritchard completes the selection with sliced tart apples, pecans, chutney and grilled pita wedges.
The pumpkin ravioli is perhaps the most complex and delectable offering. It's the dish that first captivated Clemons and landed Pritchard his job. Almost a meal in itself, the plate is a lush construct of seasonal ingredients: spiced, pumpkin-filled pasta served in a brown butter reduction with roasted Brussels sprouts, bacon lardons, pecans, sliced pear and shaved Gran Padano cheese.
Our only critique is a request for Pritchard to expand his menu.
No. 308 is settling into its East Nashville digs and fast becoming a neighborhood hang. It's a step outside the time-space continuum. Hours vanish at this convivial bar, where the barkeeps know a good pour and a good story.
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