This restaurant’s owner was awarded with the @michelinguide American South Sommelier Award and was also recommended in the Michelin Guide and we’re here to tell you all about it! 🌟
Set inside a converted church in East Nashville, @badideanashville is anything but its name. Named one of the 50 Best Restaurants in America by the New York Times and a James Beard Award semifinalist, Bad Idea has also earned major recognition for its wine program, with owner Alex Burch @alextburch taking home the 2025 Michelin American South Sommelier Award. Over 150 artisan bottles, thoughtfully curated and poured nightly, it’s a wine lover’s playground.
Now, things are getting even more interesting. Chef David Breeden @chef_davidbreeden has stepped in as a consultant, helping shape a refreshed menu that leans even deeper into technique driven, ingredient focused cooking.
You can expect dishes that feel both elevated and a little unexpected. Right now, the menu is stacked with standouts:
— Whipped pimento cheese with aji dulce pepper jelly (a Southern classic, leveled up)
— “Chicken BcNuggets” with dill-infused crème fraîche (yes, really)
— Hamachi crudo with coconut and finger lime
— Steak tartare with waffle fries and mimolette
— A luxe Regiis Ova caviar parfait
And mains that go all in:
— Cider-brined Kurobuta pork with black walnut jus
— “Super Stuffed” Bucksnort trout with Thai basil + sesame
— Nashville strip steak with potato blini and TN BBQ butter
— A reimagined “chicken and dumplings” with mushrooms and sauce suprême
The food is delicious and the wine is divine! If you decide to go, make sure to let them know we sent ya 😋
We’re incredibly grateful and honored to be included in the inaugural edition of the MICHELIN Guide for the American South!
Adding to the already fantastic news, we’re excited to announce that Alex was the recipient of the 2025 Sommelier Award for the American South!
Thank you to our team that has worked so hard for the past two years to get here as well as every guest that’s stepped through our doors along with our investors and friends that have helped us from the start. We hope to celebrate with you soon! @michelinguide
Top Photo: @danielbrownphoto
Bottom Photo: @victoriaquirkphoto
The. Best. Wine. Bar.
@badideanashville may have racked up accolades for their food (which is stellar) but the place is a wine bar first and foremost with a generous “living room” space dedicated to relaxing with wine—unheard of in most restaurants that pack in the tables. Housed in an old church in East Nashville, this is our new place. Congrats @alextburch and @colbyrasavong
As the Trump administration's threat of a 200 percent tariff on wine imported from Europe looms over the wine industry on both sides of the Pond, it also could spell disaster for restaurant that rely on bottles from the continent as a major revenue driver for their businesses. I've spoken with multiple restaurateurs around the country to get their perspective, and figure out how they're bracing for potential implementation.
Link to the full story in my bio.
#wine #trumptariffs #trump
Alex Burch is the first-ever Nashville Wine Auction Somm Showdown winner! 🥳🍾
Alex received the second highest score in the first round of competition for his work with Chef Marino Bianchi to pair a small plate with wine. In the second round, Alex received the highest score in Wine Knowledge trivia and took home the Somm Showdown title in the final blind tasting round!
Congratulations to LeeAnne Arnold who was named our runner-up for this year’s contest. Thank you to all of our participating sommeliers and chefs! 🥂
A HUGE thank you to everyone who supported the Somm Showdown - Judges, moderators Jonathan Ross & Calvin Webster, and all of our audience members! What a great day of funding the fight against cancer — and having a lot of fun doing it!
📸 - @courtneydavidsonphotography
#NashvilleWineAuction #LoveWineHateCancer #SommShowdown #WineEvents #SommelierEvents
Contestant Alex Burch will test his knowledge and skills in the Somm Showdown on November 10! 🍷
Alex is the Owner and Bevearge Director of Bad Idea, a restaurant that offers opportunities to promote exploration through food, and of course, wine, encouraging guests to discover new grape varieties, flavors, and places as well as dive even deeper into areas in which they might be familiar.
He began his career working in the restaurant industry at Nashville steakhouse, Kayne Prime, where he worked for two years in front-of-house positions. After joining blind wine tastings as part of his training, he was so inspired by a world that intertwined history, science, art, and geography, that he underwent his introductory and certified exam with the Board of Master Sommeliers. In 2019, he passed his Advanced Sommelier Exam from the Board of Master Sommeliers.
👩🍳 Alex will be paired with Chef Marino Bianchi, executive chef for Joe Muer Seafood. Chef Bianchi brings a wealth of culinary expertise and innovation to Joe Muer Seafood through his time cooking in local kitchens such as Chauhan Ale and Masala House, Moto and Urban Grub. Known for his rustic cooking style, Chef Bianchi draws inspiration from the changing seasons and elements of nature.
LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN to catch the first-ever Somm Showdown! See Alex and Chef Bianchi compete as well as get in on some of the competition yourself with a ticket! Purchase yours at the link in bio. 🎟️🍷
#NashvilleWineAuction #CharityWineAuction #LoveWineHateCancer #WineEvents #NashvilleWineEvents #WineLovers
Super stoked to be included on the New York Times 2024 Restaurant List! I owe an extra special thanks to @colbyrasavong and @billiee_bluee and our entire team for making @badideanashville the restaurant that it is. Nashville and its hospitality community is special and I’m honored to be a part of it. When I headed down this road, I knew there would be plenty of things I didn’t know, but I also knew I was part of a community that would gladly share the answers and be willing to lend a hand. Hopefully I can reciprocate that in the future. There’s too many folks to name in this post, but I’m grateful to everyone that has contributed to Bad Idea’s success however big or small.
