Nashville restaurant the Chef and I opens in new Midtown location – Tennessean

The "Mt. Rockmore" mural downstairs at the Chef & I's new location, at 1922 Adelicia St. in Nashville, features Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Freddie Mercury.

The piece was created by local artist Shon Hudspeth for a very specific purpose.

"In a town of country music, we'd like to be the rock 'n' roll," said Erica Rains, who co-owns the Chef & I with her husband, chef Chris Rains.

Upstairs, an "All You Need Is Love" mural is a nod to The Beatles and is also a reflection of the pair's motto.

"The Chef & I is a love story," Erica Rains explains. "We were each other's second chance at love. We had been married and divorced, and we'd given up. And then we met on eHarmony. That was 15 years ago. We just knew as soon as we met. We just knew. And the rest is history."

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Back then, Chris Rains prepared the food at the Bridgestone Arena when the Nashville Predators played. He has more than 30 years of experience as an executive chef. His wife's professional expertise is in marketing and media.

Almost immediately after they started dating, the couple launched their company, which began as a private chef's service. It grew into a large-scale catering business before the first physical location of the Chef & I opened in Lenox Village in 2012.

In 2018, the restaurant moved to the Gulch neighborhood. The area was booming.

The restaurant could only seat 60 to 65 people and there was limited parking. They were turning customers away because there wasn't space, Erica Rains said.

"Our customers started feeling like, We wish you had more space. We wish you had more parking. I wish it was easier to come to you guys,'" she said.

"I wanted to accommodate all of our customers so that they felt like we had time for them all.

When their lease was up, the timing for a move was perfect.

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The team toured six or seven locations for rent or lease. Nothing spoke to them until they walked into the Adelicia Street site.

It felt like there was a positive energy about the space or a history here on this road, Erica Rains remembered. She was raised in that Midtown neighborhood and attended nearby Saint Bernard Academy.

So it felt right, and we said, Lets see if we can do it. And it all worked out, she said.

The new restaurant can seat up to 200 guests, but to avoid overcrowding, the crew aims to accommodate about 150 on a regular basis. Valet parking is complimentary for everyone.

"The minute they drive up, this experience begins," Erica Rains said. "You should feel like you don't have to do a thing. You just step out of your car being pampered"

The upgraded space lends itself to the Chef & I's interactive nature. For example, the chef's counter is watchable in the kitchen area. What's nicknamed "the godfather table" can host six people for an intimate and VIP-like meal. There is a backstage lounge where about 45 people can enjoy live music.

Erica Rains spreads the love to the Chef & I team.

"You know, there was a labor shortage last year, and it was really hard for us, just like everyone else," she said. "But at the same time, we were lucky to have some people that were already with us become leaders."

The Chef & I is open Friday-Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. for brunch. Its hours are 4-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays for dinner and 4-6 p.m. every day for happy hour.

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Nashville restaurant the Chef and I opens in new Midtown location - Tennessean