The NOOGAtoday team is always willing to gather to try a new brunch spot. Several of us had already tried Old Gilman Grill — it’s just a short walk from our office — at 216 West 8th St. near the Westin. The restaurant is a part of the Cuisine de Famille Defoor in what has become known as the West Village.
Why is it called the Old Gilman Grill? Well, this building (gorgeous, by the way) was home to Gilman Paint & Varnish beginning in 1910. You can see evidence of the building’s former glory represented by photographs throughout the interior space. And like the West VIllage concept itself, Old Gilman Grill is meant to reflect an “upscale American” vibe with a “French twist.” Oh la la.
The regular lunch + dinner menus have already been exalted, but we didn’t even know we were to be having brunch until we arrived. What a nice surprise, huh? Brunch is served every Saturday + Sunday from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. And if our visit was any indication, the brunch is still a bit of a secret.
Click the button below to read about our experience. Have you been? Hit the reply button and let us know your thoughts + your favorite spots for brunch.
Atmosphere/service
This gathering also happened to be a celebrating the successes of a former reporter for our team. Alina Hunter-Grah has just started a new job in Nashville, so the only time she could meet was on a Saturday afternoon while she was in town. And Old Gilman Grill happens to be on our radar. The stars aligned, so to speak.
Three of us arrived early and took a seat near the back of the restaurant. Many of the tables are those half-moon round booths with chairs on the outside. Speaking of the outside, when the weather is nice the porch can be opened allowing for what I can only assume would be Parisian-style café dining. The servers also keep with the theme by wearing flattering blue aprons and white shirts. This place feels fancy, which was the point. It’s not a fussy place… and you can definitely wear jeans … but maybe leave the dirty T-shirts and the flip-flops for another restaurant.
While we waited on the fourth member of our party to arrive, we ordered some beverages and learned about Alina’s new job with the city of Nashville. The drink menu is extensive with a focus on classic cocktails + great local craft beers. I ordered an Oddstory Brewing Cloudwalker Ale (two of them throughout the meal) but I can already tell you I’ll be back for a cocktail night soon. They have both tableside concoctions and a great selection of classic drinks. Wine lovers should be very excited about Old Gilman Grill too.
The Food
Brunch literally means “breakfast + lunch” so you’re safe having a simple egg dish, or you could go a little crazier and eat a burger. The restaurant’s signature crepes are also offered if that’s something you’re into. Chloé ordered a classic Denver omelet with a side of potatoes. But instead of the traditional omelet presentation (you know what that is), this version was served in its own mini cast-iron baking dish. A “Denver” omelet includes chunks of ham + cheese and hers almost had a soufflé appearance. Likewise, Alina’s order — an impressive serving of raspberry French toast — was something I had no problem taking a bite of when it was offered. It was extremely sweet.
Adam and I were not prepared for brunch, so we opted for the double-stacked cheeseburgers with fries. The patties are thin and cooked on the griddle (think Steak & Shake) and the fries are those homemade kinds with a little bit of skin on every bite. Perfect, in other words. I made the mistake of asking for my burgers to be cooked “medium” before realizing they were the thin variety. You really can’t control the temperature with burgers as thin as these, but I didn’t know.
The most interesting item we tried was an order of avocado toast for the table. Avocado toast has earned a bit of a reputation among millennial diners as something we shouldn’t pay an exorbitant amount of money for if we ever want to purchase a house. But as a newer homeowner, we decided to try it anyway. This version includes two perfectly poached eggs, avocado (of course) + thick slices of whole grain toast. The addition of feta is always a welcome saltiness to the savory eggs + avocado. I’m definitely a fan of poached eggs, but some of my fellow diners didn’t enjoy the texture.
Overall, we were impressed by the presentation of our dishes and the flavors. My burger, in particular, was exactly what I hoped it would be: juicy and slightly crunchy. The pickles were also a nice touch.
Would we go back?
Old Gilman Grill is a much better fit for this location than the Shula’s Steakhouse that was slated to open. The restaurant offers a more rounded approach to dining. Adam is a huge fan of the Kale Yeah Salad, which he highly recommends for salad lovers looking for a healthy meal midweek. I’m excited to revisit with the wife soon to try some of the dinner specials like the seared sea scallops and their version of a French dip (how can that not be delicious?).
But I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you been? What did you think?
— Sean
