A RESTAURANT’S
generosity can take many
forms. A half-empty
wine glass topped off with
a wink. A gratis dessert
when service is slow.
But the particular brand
of radical generosity on
display at Tailor, the brick-
and-mortar evolution of
chef Vivek Surti’s beloved
Nashville pop-up, exists
on a higher plane. It’s
personal, direct, honest.
Because before each
course in the “dinner-party-
style” tasting menu—
eight to 10 dishes, two
seatings each night—
Surti stands in front
of the room and gives.
Born outside of
Nashville to parents who
emigrated from Gujarat
in western India, he gives
of his heritage when he
explains to 30-odd mostly
white diners that the
fragrant amber-tinged
diamond under a layer
of toasted coconut
and sesame seeds is
called dhokla, a common
breakfast halfway around
the world. He gives of
his craft when he goes into
how the tangy ranch-
esque dressing for a bowl
of young lettuces and
crisp radishes is inspired
by chaas, a fermented
dairy-based hot-weather
tonic (like yogurt
Gatorade, if you will).
And he gives of his own
history when he shares
that this drink is what
his mom gave him after
basketball practice.
Surti’s storytelling
suffuses the space and the
food served within it
with so much vulnerability
and personality and
love that you could not
possibly be anywhere but
“our home,” as he refers
to the restaurant. Which
is exactly where you want
to be. To dine at Tailor
is to be his guest, fully
and completely. And that’s
a rare kind of generosity
indeed. —A.S.
� It’s Surti’s
party and he’ll
slice spiced
roast pork if he
wants to.Vivek Surti on
the inspiration
for his dinner
party menu,
dish by dishIN THE
CHEF’S
WORDS
...AND
A SNACK
“I’ve always associated
boiled peanuts (p.89)
with road trips. I ate
Cajun-spiced ones from
gas stations in the South
and my grandma’s version
for the five-hour ride from
the airport to her home
in Gujarat. It’s a snack
that exists in America and
in India. Here I toss them
in chile and coriander,
which is very Indian,
but reminds me of those
Cajun peanuts.”COURSE 2
NEXT,
SALAD WITH
A STORY
“Chaas is much better
as a salad dressing
than a post–basketball
game drink. It’s
buttermilk seasoned
with mustard seeds,
cumin seeds, curry
leaves, and dried red
chiles (p.89). I drizzle
it over a mix of greens
and whatever I’m into—
tomatoes, beets, nuts.”COURSE 1
YOU NEED A
DRINK...
“When I was growing
up here, restaurants had
three drinks: water,
sweet tea, and fruit tea.
Our welcome cocktail
(p.90) is an homage to
the latter, as well as to
punch’s Indian heritage.
(Punch comes from
the Hindi word paanch,
which means ‘five’ since
originally there were five
ingredients.) I love fruit
tea and wanted to bring
it back—with bourbon.”